It took us a full day to return to Chorrol on foot. At first I worried that it would be awkward to travel so far together now; what would we talk about? Would we feel that we had to talk? But I needn't have worried. We fell into a comfortable silence as soon as we passed through the inn's gate. Occasionally one of us would look at the other and we would both smile, and it was certainly the most pleasant journey we'd ever made together (never mind that it was only the second). But we barely spoke, except to point out landmarks and other points of interest. We were lucky enough to travel relatively undisturbed; we only dealt with a handful of wild creatures along the way.
It was after dark when Chorrol's gates finally came into view. I felt my pace slowing and realized I wasn't eager to return to the guild hall. Oreyn and I would have to pretend as if nothing was different between us, which shouldn't be too hard in itself, but there were other issues too. When would we spend time together? More to the point, where would we spend time together? Could we go anywhere together in town without raising suspicion? I sighed. This was the hard part. I knew we would both keep busy with guild work, but when we had some time off, would we be able to do anything but meet secretly in each other's homes? My mind wandered to thoughts of my bedroom, the seldom-used bed draped with lush sheets that my treasure-hunting skill afforded me, and I smiled a little. Maybe being forced to lock ourselves away in a room for secret trysts wouldn't be so bad after all.
Suddenly Oreyn stopped. I paused and looked back at him questioningly.
"What is it?"
"I know that you're smart enough to realize we'll have to behave as we always have while we're in public here, especially if Vilena lets me keep my rank after this stunt with Blackheart. But I want to make sure you understand that I do think of you differently now." He stared into my eyes. "How we must behave in public is the act. The feelings I have for you are real. Do not doubt that."
My heart beat a little faster. I stepped toward him and put my hands on the cold steel covering his chest. "I know, Modryn," I smiled. "I would never doubt you."
"There are few people who call me Modryn," he said quietly.
"Do you prefer Oreyn?"
"No. Not from you. Not when we're alone."
I leaned forward and kissed his lips in the darkness, wondering how I could resist the temptation to do this every time I saw him in town. He pulled me close to him, and I giggled at the scraping noise our armor made as it collided. Would it ever cease to be funny, two of the guild's most fearsome fighters becoming absurd, starry-eyed lovers in the shadows? I hoped not.
Oreyn looked at me thoughtfully. "You know, I hadn't planned on returning straight to the guild tonight. I think it's best if I report the results of our mission to Vilena in the morning, alone. I mean it when I say she may not take it well. I acted without orders, and though I did it for the honor of the guild, she might not see things that way. But I don't want to think of that tonight. Tonight I want to think only of you."
I had no desire to argue. He kissed me again and then held me at arm's length. "I'll go ahead to my house. You wait a few minutes and then follow. I'll leave the door unlocked for you."
I grinned mischievously and nodded, then watched as he went ahead to the gate and entered Chorrol. I practiced conjuring a scamp for a minute or two to keep myself from hurrying after him, but finally I couldn't stand it any longer. I sauntered to the gate, exchanged pleasantries with the guards, and entered the town.
As I passed my house, it occurred to me that I hadn't changed clothes in days. I detoured into Arborwatch and ran upstairs to my wardrobe. I didn't have much in the way of clothing since I spent most of my time in armor, but I found a black velvet gown that was simple and flattering. Tired of my sweaty underclothes, I decided to forgo them entirely. It's not like I would keep them on long anyway, I smiled to myself. I slipped on some black velvet shoes and then hurried downstairs and out the door.
If anything could be more suspicious than a well-dressed woman striding up to Oreyn's house in the middle of the night, it would be one sneaking through backyards and alleys to arrive at his side door. But sneaking felt more adventurous and I was confident in my ability to evade nosy neighbors, so I went that route. I knocked conspiratorially at his door and then let myself in, turning the key in the lock behind me.