Fjori waited until the monastery of High Hrothgar was out of sight before venting, as if the Greybeards had super hearing to match their super voices. "I don't know what shocks me more, the fact that the leader of the Greybeards is a freaking dragon with far more manners than most humans, or that the Greybeards want me to sit back and let the world end because trying to stop it would be sacrilege."

"Hmm, that's a toss-up," Lydia agreed, stepping over the carcass of the frost troll they had slain on their way up the 7,000 steps. "Didn't Arngeir tell you that despite the thu'um being Kynareth's gift to mankind, the fact that you have the dragon blood which allows you to easily master it is a gift of Akatosh? And that following the Way of the Voice as they do may not be what's intended for you as a result?"

"EXACTLY!" Fjori bristled, recalling the elder Nord's instant wrath as soon as the name of the Blades came into their conversation. Why he had bad blood with a group that wanted to stop the dragons from destroying everything was beyond her. Sure, his leader was a dragon and he'd want to protect him, but could he really hold a grudge against the Blades for wanting to defend humans from the winged terrors of legend? The stories of their cruelty were still told to this day! "Why would I have this ability if I WASN'T meant to stop Alduin and his resurrected army? It's like by giving me these powers at the same time as this threat emerged, Akatosh showed he wants his errant creation wiped from the world before they do more harm. And even if that wasn't true, I'm supposed to just accept such a fate? Maybe it doesn't seem so bad for a bunch of old guys who live in seclusion on top of a mountain, but even if it is a sin I don't think I could do anything but try to stop it from happening."

"Don't let him get to you, my Thane. The important thing is that the dragon leader supports you and has given you a path forward. The monks may not agree, but they yield to him."

"Yeah, about that…" Fjori scowled and rubbed the back of her neck. She was about to continue when she noticed a hunter bundled in furs meditating at one of the emblems along the trail. He looked up in surprise to see another making the pilgrimage up the mountain, but waved in greeting before returning to his introspection. Only after she was out of earshot did she continue.

"About that path, I didn't understand hardly anything Paarthurnax was trying to say. He kept going between our language and the dragon language and it made my head hurt trying to keep up. Also, he spoke in too many what-ifs and could-bes and asked all kinds of philosophical crap I don't know the answer to. All I got from that entire conversation was 'find an Elder Scroll and bring it back'. And don't ask me what an Elder Scroll is."

"Arngeir made it sound like the college at Winterhold would know," Lydia reminded as they rounded the corner to the east side of the mountain. They'd descended quite a ways, and already the vegetation was thickening at the lower altitude.

"Ugh, the College of Winterhold… I don't want to be within a ten mile radius of those crazies, especially not if they are going to talk my ear off about magical theory. I doubt they'd even let a brute like me through their gates," she whined. "And Winterhold is the most aedra-forsaken wasteland in all of Skyrim. Nothing but horkers, snow bears, and ice as far as the eye can see. What I wouldn't give for a distraction to…"

"Fjori?" a male voice called faintly from further down, but both women heard it all the same.

"That's me!" she hollered back, beginning to trot downhill far quicker than she had climbed it. It nearly caused her to lose her footing on the steep stone stairs. When her eyes rested on the man in question, she realized he was a courier, and in his hand was an envelope. "But how the hell did you know where to find me?"

"Quintus Navale told me you would be in Ivarstead, and the folks at the inn told me you had headed up the mountain yesterday. I've been waiting at the bottom since then."

"Quintus?" Lydia noticed her Thane brighten at the name. "Did he send you?"

"Yes, miss." The messenger held out the sealed letter as Fjori approached him. She was already digging in her pouch for a few gold to tip him with. "He sent it just yesterday."

"Thank you for your speedy delivery." Grasping the envelope in her hands, she suddenly felt a bit anxious. Had something happened to Nurelion? Would he even tell her if that were the case?

"Looks like that's it. Got to go." And with that, he was jogging away back into town, vanishing just as quickly as he'd appeared.

Fjori just stared at the letter for a few moments, prompting Lydia to comment. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"R-right." Carefully she broke the wax seal and removed the contents. She could recognize the handwriting that so many weeks ago had copied a cure disease recipe on her map. Lydia watched her eyes scan the paper top to bottom, though Fjori left no tells in her expression.

"What does he say?" she urged in annoyance.

Gently, Fjori folded the letter shut and tucked it into her pack. "We should get back to Windhelm as soon as possible."

"Is it Nurelion? Is he near death?"

She shook her head. "He didn't say anything about him, so I guess he's still hanging on. It's about the Phial. I think he's made a break-through."

"Oh. His project." Lydia's concern fizzled out at this news. "And what about the hunt for the Elder Scroll?"

"It can wait a day or two. And if it can't, well, at least the Greybeards will die happy." Before Lydia could protest further, she found herself watching Fjori's back as she scrambled the rest of the way down the mountain.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Once the sun had set and the moons and stars took over the inky skies, Lydia had to do some serious convincing to get her Thane to stop and take shelter rather than press on through the night. She could see in Fjori's eye the desire to get to Windhelm without delay despite being attacked by bears, trolls, and even a dragon more powerful than usual as they descended the highlands to the volcanic tundra. Thankfully, Fjori yielded when Lydia had pointed out that Quintus was going to be asleep if she showed up in the middle of the night, and wouldn't appreciate being disturbed at such an hour. She reluctantly settled into an abandoned shack along the river, a few miles from the outside of the city, to catch a few hours of sleep.

In typical Fjori fashion, once she fell asleep she was hard to wake. They ended up not arriving in the hold's capital until midmorning the next day. She marched ahead with confidence this time, clutching his letter as she doggedly pushed through the crowds of the marketplace to get to the shop. This crush, Lydia mused, had gone to a whole new level sometime between the Butcher Incident and now. Was it love sickness, perhaps? Unfounded obsession? Fortunately, Fjori had still retained enough sense to refrain from making a scene with her entrance this time. She opened the door without a word, scanning the shop before opening her mouth. No customers today, just Quintus bent down behind the counter, perhaps arranging items on the shelves given the sounds of clinking glass. She was fairly certain that was him, as the top of his red fur hat was still partially visible.

"Be with you in just a second," he spoke absently, continuing his work. Lydia was about to say something, but Fjori motioned her to stop, a playful grin on her face. Giddy with the thought of surprising him, it seemed.

After a few moments, the young man straightened up only to find himself face-to-face with just the woman he'd wanted to see. He blinked in shock. "Fjori? You're here already? I didn't expect you'd be able to come so soon!"

"Good surprise or bad surprise?" she teased, putting her hands on her hips.

His face brightened for a moment. "The best kind of surprise."

"Well, I told you, when you need me, I'll rush over as soon as possible. So, here I am!"

Despite the affirming words, a shadow dulled his glow. "Normally, I'd protest that I'm not worth dropping your quests for, but this time I can't deny time is of the essence. It's Nurelion…"

Fjori's eyes widened. "Is he fading fast?"

Quintus nodded somberly. "I've studied up on his condition, and he's showing signs of the final stages. I wouldn't trouble you with that, but I've been working non-stop at solving the mystery of the White Phial, and I've determined the two other ingredients I need to repair it." He took a deep breath, as if bracing himself. "Fjori, I know it's selfish and it would be taking up your time, but…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "Even though we've had our falling out, I want to repair it for Nurelion before he slips away. I want him to see the thing he's chased all his life to completion. And maybe the most selfish part of all, I want to prove to him that I am capable of fixing it. But I can't do it by myself." The alchemist shook his head and opened his eyes once more. "The two things I need aren't things I can just buy from a merchant. They are extremely rare, and it would take someone brave and strong like you to get them, so I…have to beg you. I know you are the Dragonborn, and the world has a bunch of problems more important than this one that only you can solve. But if it is on your way…"

Fjori reached out and took his hands where they lay on the counter, squeezing gently. "I'd go out of my way for you without a second thought. Just tell me what you need, and I will cross the entirety of Skyrim to get it." Such a ridiculously cheesy line… Lydia almost face-palmed to hear such an over-the-top promise come from her boss's mouth.

Meanwhile, Quintus's reaction was to inhale sharply. "You shouldn't…" Her stern look cut off any further protests, causing him to swallow. "Powdered mammoth tusk is the first ingredient. Only the giants have figured out how to grind it, but it remains as strong as iron and will provide the lattice-work for the formula. I have it on good knowledge that the Stone Hill Bluff camp keeps a ready supply. The other thing…" He trailed off, looking even guiltier than before if at all possible.

"What?"

"It's at the top of the Throat of the World. There is no one else in all of Skyrim who could retrieve it but you. A patch of unmalting snow exists there, retaining the magic of the creation of Nirn. It will provide the solvent for the mixture and trap the briarheart's magical properties."

She released his grip. "Then I won't waste any time. I'll leave the city right away, and it should take about five days. You just worry about keeping him alive until I return."

Finally, Quintus looked over Fjori's shoulder at Lydia, who was leaning against the wall quietly with her arms folded and observing this exchange. "I'd ask her, but I know what she'll say, so I'll ask you instead. Is it wrong to request the legendary Dragonborn run errands for me like this?"

The woman sighed. The entire time, she thought it improper to be putting off the quest to stop Alduin, the World Eater, for some guy Fjori had fallen head-over-heels for. Would she ever say that to his face when he came across so apologetic and hesitant? Not a chance. "In all honesty, she was just whining about how she wanted a distraction to get out of going to Winterhold. You've probably done her a favor, so don't sweat it." Fjori winced at the unflattering depiction of herself, but this seemed to ease the apprentice's conscience greatly.

"Okay. I'll make sure I have everything ready on my end so that once I have the materials it is a simple matter of putting everything together. Well, simple being a relative term, that is."

"All right. Come on, Lydia, time's wasting! If we leave now, we can at least get to Nightgate by dusk. That will have us to the giant's camp by dawn, all the better for sneaking." Fjori grabbed her housecarl by the arm and dragged her out of the shop. "Just leave it to me, Quintus! I won't let you down!"

"Wait! Fjori…" he called urgently, but she was so focused on her new mission that she didn't hear him, and the door slammed shut with the energy of her enthusiasm. No chance to thank her, no chance to promise payment, and most importantly, no chance to make sure she understood that he cared about her for more reasons than the ways she helped him. He hoped she was so busy plotting that such a thought wouldn't even occur to her.

On the other side of the door, Lydia wrested her arm from Fjori's grasp. "Stop a minute, my Thane. I have a question before we go traipsing about searching for alchemical ingredients."

"Hmm?"

"Not here." Lydia looked around at all the flocks of customers filling the marketplace and shook her head. "This way." She marched behind the shop into a narrow alleyway and waited until Fjori had followed.

"What's so secretive you can't say it in front of the shop?" Fjori demanded, looking milkly annoyed.

"My Thane, have you ever considered that he might be using you?"

Fjori's annoyance escalated to a sour scowl. Ever-observant Lydia had just given a spoken voice to the fears in her head. "As a matter of fact, yes, yes I have. Any other questions?"

Lydia stared. "You've considered it, but still you throw yourself at his feet without hesitation?"

"Hey, he liked me before he knew I was Dragonborn!" It was the defense she always used to combat her doubt. Of course, assuming his mild interest during their initial meetings counted as 'liking'.

"He liked you as soon as he knew you were strong enough to get the things he couldn't. I mean, he was already propositioning you to get the Phial the first time you met! From where I'm standing, it's not unreasonable to suspect that he's playing you. I mean, he may look and act innocent, but the really deceitful ones are flawless actors."

The statement hit Fjori right in the gut as the memory of Calixto's deception resurfaced, of how thoroughly she had been taken by his harmless old man act. If she hadn't have given Wunferth a chance to prove his innocence, The Butcher would have gotten away with another murder because of it. What if she really was clueless when it came to people's motivations? "No, he's not like that!" She hadn't realized her voice escalated until she heard it reverberating in the stone corridor. "What about the money he paid from his own pocket? The recipe he snuck? The enchanting lessons?" Surely there were so many reasons why he couldn't be taking advantage of her… Was she arguing with Lydia or herself?

"First of all, don't count the enchanting lessons, because you gave him a free briarheart." The Dragonborn flinched as one of her arguments was swept aside easily. "Secondly, those might very well be investments for the future, preparing you to be manipulated in the long run. Look at what he needs of you now, how much more specific to you the task has become. Any mercenary could get him the Phial, but no one else could get the Nevermelting Snow."

"You don't know anything about it! You haven't spent any time with him!" The counters were getting weaker and weaker.

"I know what's important. Did you not hear yourself in there? You are the Dragonborn, Fjori, a fierce, noble warrior destined to save us from the World Eater, but just now you rushed without thinking to do whatever he wished. He has you wrapped around his finger, don't you see that?" Lydia reached forward to grasp her Thane by the shoulders, but Fjori swatted her hands away angrily.

She wasn't just batting away Lydia though; she was batting away painful memories at the same time. It was the words Lydia was using. Manipulation. Wrapped around his finger. Deceit. Being used. Shit, it all went back to Benor… Damn her for never learning… In the end, her titles and dragon blood didn't change the pathetic woman she always was. "Look, if anyone here is going to be bitter and skeptical about a man's advances, it should be me. Maybe you're right, maybe I'm only seeing the things I want to see, but the fact is…I DON"T CARE!" She whipped around and began stomping out from the alley. "He's the only thing that keeps me sane anymore, and I have to believe in him. I need to."

As her Thane rounded the corner, Lydia risked a quick look to the sky and a curse. That went about as well as she'd thought it would. "But you deserve better."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Twenty-four hours later, both women were gasping for air, doubled over in sheer exhaustion. Finally, they had outrun the giants. Invisibility potions were great, Fjori realized, until the moment one grabbed the item to be stolen. Then, you were visible to the world and all hell broke loose. As she looked around, she noticed they had been chased clear into Whiterun Hold; the windmill of the Lorius farm was right over the next slope, and Dragonsreach could be seen proudly adorning the hilltop just a little ways further.

"I know we…haven't been…talking much…," Lydia began between deep inhales, causing Fjori to jolt. It was true, since their dispute in the alley, Lydia had hardly been able to keep up with her furious pace, much less converse. The night at the inn had been a complete cold shoulder, culminating with her Thane paying the extra money to have separate rooms. And besides a succinct strategy before swiping the mammoth tusk powder and the occasional one-word warning as frostbite spiders and bandits attacked on the roads, nothing had been said, much less anything to ease the tension. No wonder Fjori had been caught off guard by her voice. "But seeing as…we are so…close to Whiterun…may I suggest stopping…to restock and…unload some items…at Breezehome?"

She watched as Fjori weighed the options, no doubt calculating how much time it would cost. At least it gave her more time to catch her breath. "If I said 'yes'…would you stop accusing me…of doing stupid things…for Quintus?"

Lydia shook her head. "We nearly got clubbed…by angry giants…for that stupid powder. I'm going to keep…calling it like I see it. I'm your protector, that's my job."

"So, if you weren't my protector, but just my friend, then what?" The words seemed hostile, but the tone was subdued, almost wistful, even as she got it out in one breath. Her eyes were blue today as they searched her housecarl for an answer. The combined effect threw Lydia for a loop. Could it be that Fjori was actually lonely even though they were together all the time?

"As your friend… I guess I'd still want you to be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt just because of some guy, you know? But I'd also want you to be happy, and Divines know how effervescent you become the moment you think of him."

"He makes me happier than I've been in a long time." Her smile at the thought was quickly smothered by the next thought. "But is it only about him, or is it about me putting off my quest as Dragonborn?" she added quietly, averting her eyes. "I can't tell if he's just a convenient excuse for you to get on my case about taking a side job. I know you don't approve of it."

Lydia sighed, removed her helmet, and wiped her brow. The way the strands of her long, dark hair billowed in the wind and the tired look in her brown eyes reminded Fjori that her follower was still a woman like any other despite being a honed warrior. Perhaps she had been forgetting that fact in all the insanity that had followed her being named Thane. At the very least she had been taking the fact for granted as she dragged Lydia around Skyrim in these past few weeks.

"Since I was young, duty was drilled into my head, a single-minded focus on the task given. I know my role is to support my Thane, but I can't help but feel that sometimes you need a voice of reason. You aren't just any mercenary anymore, you have a huge responsibility to…"

"I know that! Gods, there isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about it! Sometimes I feel like it is going to swallow me whole. It's too much for someone so simple-minded and backwards like me… Sometimes I just need a break, Lydia, or I'M going to break." The silence hung heavy, and Lydia could see Fjori was surprised that she had finally admitted it out loud. She was hanging her head in defeat, as if a legendary hero wasn't supposed to have those kinds of thoughts.

"So, I guess what I really want to know is, did you run to Quintus to get out of tracking down an Elder Scroll, or did you do it because you are crazy about him?"

"Both," was her immediate response. "Retrieving things mindlessly is what a mercenary like me does best, and it just feels right to do something like that once in a while before I go crazy and lose myself. But I'll also do whatever it takes to make Quintus's ambitions come true. I want to see him believe in himself, know that he's so much more than Nurelion made him think he is. If I have to climb right back up the tallest mountain in Skyrim after just coming down, so be it. It's scary to admit how much it means to me, but it's the truth."

Lydia blinked, as if trying to decide where to take that confession. "So…is it a crush, or do you love him?"

"It's not just a crush, but…I don't know if I love him yet, we've barely spent any time together and I don't know him very well. What do you even call that?"

The housecarl shrugged helplessly. "I can't say from experience, sorry. Suffice it to say, you are serious about pursuing this."

"Yeah. The only thing I know for sure these days is that I want to see if it can be more." Lydia seemed uneasy at this response, so Fjori quickly added "But I know my work as Dragonborn comes before anything I want. Maybe he'll only be a pleasant distraction when I need it every now and then."

Lydia opened her mouth to add something, but quickly snapped it shut. "My Thane, perhaps part of the problem is that I overstep my bounds as your housecarl. I am here to serve and obey, and I have not been doing either very well lately. Please forgive me; I will do my best to improve my behavior going forward."

Fjori reached over and punched her lightly on the arm. "Oh knock it off. You know I don't want a blindly obedient servant following me around. You'd do better to stay the way you are. It's good for me. It challenges me and keeps me balanced. Just…I need you on my side, Lydia. Talk about it, argue about it, reason with me all you want, but in the end we need to be on the same page. I can't do this alone." She shook her head sadly.

Her partner nodded. "Agreed. But we both need to communicate better about what we want, I think."

"Sounds about right to me. Are we good then?" Fjori stuck out a hand, waiting expectantly for a handshake.

Lydia shook her head, but a small smirk tugged at her mouth as she extended her arm. "Let's finish this quest, then. If we're being more up-front with each other, I may as well confess that despite my paranoia that comes from housecarl training, I do find Quintus endearing with his quirks. I guess it's like you said, there is something to be said for earnestness."