#2: Escape

Narvee didn't have time to respond to the orc, instead she ducked under the sword swing of a draugr and swiped her ethereal blade across it's knee. Then she shifted around and stabbed it through the back, ending her first foe. Then she surged lightning in her left hand and blasted a bolt at another undead nord as it tried to get close to her with a mace. She hissed in a mix of anger and dread, the draugr seemed to be coming out of the walls as she lifted and parried an axe and struck down another foe.

The sounds of battle echoed throughout the chamber of the ruin, Narvee glanced at the Dragonborn who already had a pile of corpses around him, he was fighting like a well rounded soldier. Though she supposed he had mentioned that he had fought for the Empire. Narvee gasped as the slight distraction had nearly cost her, her life. She barely blocked the thrust of a rather dusty sword, then she surged fire through her hand and touched her hand to the undead's armor. The draugr burst into flames and dropped to it's knees, then she slashed it's head off.

Two more draugr came at her from a side passage that led deeper into the ruin. She blocked his blade and shoved the undead back, but she hadn't planned for the second who thrust his sword at her belly. Narvee shifted to avoid the blade, but she was a bit slow and she let out a cry as the blade sank into her scales "ahh!"

"Scales!" Grognik threw his sword across the room at the draugr that had stabbed her, the blade stabbed into the undead's neck and knocked it down. This gave Narvee the chance she needed to cast a bolt of frost into her foe and blast him back. But the damage had been done and the argonian woman could feel her blood leaking onto her robe. She stumbled against the wall and gasped as pain shot up her side. Grognik slashed down the last of the draugr and hurried to her side and ripped open her robe.

"Sit girl, let me have a look at it." He said as he lowered her to the floor and held a torch up to see better. Blood oozed out of the wound and down her side, it was a fine stab but it wasn't deep enough to be fetal. She had been lucky, that was certain.

"Ahh, that hurts." She said in a pained expression as the orc ripped another piece of her robe off and pressed it against the wound to stop the blood flow. The argonian let out a groan and he held the cloth to her wound for a few minutes "don't worry, it's not as bad as it could have been. Just keep that cloth against it and you'll survive."

She looked at him and nodded replacing his hand with her own and slowly they both stood up and Grognik put his arm over her to help her walk "we can't stay here… more draugr will come out of their resting places soon."

"Come on, let's keep moving." The orc answered as he kept his sword out at the ready. It would be hard to fight and carry the argonian at the same time. But he had carried comrades before, back during the civil war when he had fought to defend Whiterun from the Stormcloak savages. He had saved many soldiers that day, and now that was how he saw the argonian. She didn't wear armor, but she was a comrade all the same. Together, they walked up a series of old steps, moving with haste. Narvee let out a groan or gasp every now and then when she was forced to shift her hips just right, but for the most part the orc did most of the work.

"Once we get out, I'll take another look at that stab wound." Grognik said in a low tone, trying to keep quiet so as to not alert anymore undead.

"I can heal it, I know some restoration spells." She replied softly as she kept pressure on the wound, regardless if she did heal it. It would add another scar to her scales and be a reminder of the fate that had nearly fallen on her. She was about to thank him for saving her life when Grognik suddenly shoved her back and put his hand over her mouth to stop her from crying out. She eyed him with a mix of anger and confusion, then the orc nodded to a group of draugr that were walking by to another chamber. He watched them go, knowing that for even an orc there were to many to fight.

After a few moment he pulled his hand away from her maw and sighed "sorry, didn't want to have to fight all of them."

She nodded and said softly "hunt smart, not stupid. Your forgiven."

He nodded and helped her to her feet, then they resumed walking down the hall. The hall opened into a series of side-halls that led into various chambers, but they avoided all of them. The less draugr the better their chances were at escaping the place. Narvee pulled away from him suddenly and tossed her bloody cloth away "no more stumbling…"

Her hand began to glow white as she placed it against her wound, slowly the scales began to heal and the stab mark began to seal shut. It only took a few moments for it to heal, all the while Grognik watched her with a frown. Once the wound was sealed, Narvee ran her thumb over the wound feeling the scar that she knew would be there. With a nod to the orc she took a few steps forward "let's go."

Grognik smirked and chuckled softly "got a fire in your chest huh."

"I just don't want to die." The argonian woman remarked as they started up another flight of stairs weapons and magic at the ready. When they reached a set of doors Narvee heard the sickening hiss of an undead nord who came into sight at the top of the steps. It saw them and rushed down the steps with a greatsword in both hands.

With a hiss of her own Narvee fired a series of ice spikes at the draugr, the undead blocked one spike with It's sword and took the other in it's chest but it kept coming. The draugr swung the sword down at the argonian who gasped. Grognik surged forth and slashed the undead across it's thigh, then he stabbed it through the draugr's forehead. Narvee let out a sigh and looked at the orc "that's twice you've saved my life, keep it up and I might owe you for life."

"Heh, your welcome by the way." Grognik remarked as they walked through the doorway, beyond that was another door, but this one had light that shined through the cracks. Both adventurers reached the door and shoved it open, moonlight poured down on the two.

Once they were outside Narvee sighed and kicked the door closed "I am never going in that place again."

"Hehe… guess I owe you that drink then." Grognik said as he stepped to her and panted her shoulder, then he slipped his sword back into it's scabbard and the two began to walk down a trail that led into the valley that Falkreath Hold sat. Before they knew it, the forests of Skyrim became dominant and Narvee's feet had already begun to annoy her.

Grognik glanced at her and chuckled "wanna stop and rest for the night?"

"I think that would be wise, I've had enough of this night." The argonian woman said and the two moved to a clearing spot and began to set up camp. Grognik had opened his bag and begun to set up a tent while Narvee gathered wood for a fire. With a spark from her fingers, a fire was made and she sat down near it and sighed.

Grognik finished his tent and glanced at her "isn't it cold for you, being a lizard here in Skyrim?"

She looked up at him and shrugged "the Hist always provides, but the cold does bother me sometimes. I suppose I got used to it, but I try my best not to think about it."

"That makes sense I suppose, I grew up here in Skyrim. The cold does cut it's way into your veins." With the tie of a string, the tent was complete and he walked over to the fire and sat down, the orc pulled out a bottle of ale and took a drink. Both adventurers seemed to stare into the fire for a long while.

Author Note: A 2nd chapter finished! Please tell me how you feel about it. I will try to extend these and make them longer. See you guys in the next chapter!