Chapter 18

Babette and Nazir

*I do not own Skyrim, but I do own Juheena and Juheena owns Farkas*

"Oh, my dearest Nazir. Do put on a cloak. You look absolutely freezing! Not that I would have experience with that sort of thing." For Sithis's sake, his nose was turning blue! I sighed and took off my own cloak. It barely fit around his shoulders, which I had to jump to place the cloak on them. Why does he have to be so damned tall?

"Thank you, Babette. But I shall be just fine." The Redguard man said. A chunk of ice fell out of his beard as he talked.

"I see. I was under the impression that the Nord race was the one with the utmost stubborn characteristics. I could be wrong of course. Though, it doesn't happen often."

We had been walking through a blizzard for well over an hour and Nazir, the poor dear, couldn't get it in his head that Skyrim isn't as warm as Hammerfell. In fact, it's a fair amount colder. There were no tropical beaches, no palm trees, and you definitely wouldn't find anybody running around in footwraps and a tunic out in violent snowstorms. Except Nazir, of course.

"How do you manage? Do you always put up with this when you traverse across Skyrim?"

"Of course not, sometimes there aren't any snowstorms." He replied in all seriousness.

I sighed. Nazir, admirable as he was, was as stubborn as an old mule. A handsome old mule… I loved my youthfulness, don't get me wrong. It benefited me in every possible way; that is except love. That was the one thing I could never have. Although, it is the price I must pay for my gifts. A hefty sum, indeed.

I pursed my pink lips together in distaste. I had put up with it for this long, I will make it for another century without him.

"There, up ahead! It is the outpost!" I cried, seeing a large mass of brown through the raging snowflakes. Thank Sithis, a distraction from my childish woes.

"Finally..." Nazir appeared very openly relieved at the revelation.

"I told you that you were cold!" I teased him. We snuck up behind the shack. It wasn't very small, but a peek around it revealed a dock filled with at least a dozen two-man boats.

"They must be sleeping on top of each other…" I mused, before realizing what I was saying. Nazir chuckled and shot me a look. If I could blush, I would have. Thankfully, I do not have that ability.

"Alright, alright. Let us slip around the corner and inside..." I instructed, earning another dirty chuckle from my companion. I slugged him and adominished, "Hush! You will give us away!"

"Apologies, little Babette. I shall try to be on my best behavior from now on…" His eyes twinkled.

I huffed. For a man who claimed to hate merriment and mirth, he seemed to be in quite a good humor. It annoyed me.

"I'll create the distraction. Watch and learn, sweet Nazir." I walked out of my hiding place in the chicken coop, and shuffled up toward the campfire.

There were four men huddled around the fire. Perfect. I drew my arms around myself and shivered violently. Damn, I was such a good actor. I deserved a Thespian's Award for this performance.

The men looked up at me as I approached, and I said in the tiniest voice I could muster, "Please…please sir. It's so cold. I don't know where my mommy is. I have been walking for such a long time…. Please sir I'm hungry and cold." I looked in his eyes pitifully. This was so easy.

"Guys! It's a kid! Get a blanket and some bread over here, hurry!" He then turned to me, "Hey there, I'm Marcus." Concern filled his eyes and wrinkled his forehead. He steered me over to the campfire. Another Penitus Oculatus agent rushed over with a thick wool blanket. I took it and looked as thankful as a freezing cold little girl could be.

"Thank you sir! Oh, thank you! You're so kind, good sir!" He handed me a loaf of bread and a bowl of soup, which I accepted. I dipped the bread in the soup and forced a bite down my throat. The soup was alright, I suppose. But the bread…. How can humans eat this dry, tasteless block of ground up grass? It hardly went down my throat. It was like swallowing cotton!

Well, three hundred years of a warm, metallic liquid diet can do that to you I suppose. I found myself wondering what the soup would taste like with big chunks of human flesh in it… I decided I would like to find out. I turned and pretended to look longingly back from where I came, while subtly signaling to Nazir.

"It's alright kid, we will get you home as soon as this storm ends." Marcus said. He was rather amiable, I will admit. And his long eyelashes caught snowflakes in them… I was starting to regret having to slaughter him. But it was necessary, I told myself.

Seemingly out of nowhere an arrow whizzed past and sunk deep into the chest of the man standing next to Marcus. I jumped up and shoved him out of the way. The look on his face was adorably terrified… I told myself I saved him for the purpose of drinking in his fear. That is what a vampire does best, after all. But I wasn't so sure.

"Marcus, run!" I yelled at him.

"Wha-?" He started.

"Just run! Run, if you value your pathetic mortal life! Please, run Marcus! For me!" It took too much convincing, too much time than was worth it, but he finally gave in. He ran. I will never understand why, perhaps it was only to get reinforcements. But he ran to safety. Oddly enough, I was relieved.

And I continued my mission. Nobody could ever tell me I wasn't merciful. The feeling just never came over me often.

I turned around and saw Nazir swinging his sword, hacking through Penitus Oculatus agents one after another. The snow was quickly growing red with the blood being spilled. The sweet smell hit my nose instantly, and I flew into action.

I lunged at the throat of the nearest agent, a skinny little man in big armor. What a disappointment. So I moved on after he was finished off, to a much bigger, much tastier looking man. I sunk my teeth into his jugular, ending him quickly and efficiently. Ah, the sweet life of a vampire. This man's blood was rich, think and warm. I felt it coursing through my veins, and propelling me on to my next target.

Soon, there was nobody left standing on the shore. Nazir sauntered out of the shack with an apple in one hand, and a thick fur coat in the other. He smirked.

"You were right. I was cold. Quite." He took a bite out of his apple.

"It seems neither of us will leave this scene hungry, my dear Nazir." I smiled at him.

"I know…" He pointed at me, "You have a little blood on your….everywhere."

"Oh well. A snack for the road, if you will."

"I do believe that is worse than Arnbjorn picking things out of his beard….." Nazir laughed.

"Perhaps. I'm alright with that." I went into the cabin, with Nazir following behind.

"I see what you did back there, little Babette." I stuck my tongue out at him. Another perk to being a vampire; acting like a child was justified. I was one, after all. Much practice over the years.

"So what? He was rather kind to me. Plus, what is one man going to do to hinder Juheena's mission? Unless that man is Nazir, of course." I teased him, trying to cover up the real question. Thankfully, it worked.

"Well, Juheena is lucky then." He mumbled while digging through a chest full of the agent's belongings. He pulled out a small box.

"I wonder what this is…" He said, opening it. He pulled out a delicate silver necklace inlaid with purple gemstones. A small piece of parchment had fallen out of the box. I walked over and picked it up before Nazir could discover it. The letter read:

"Margaret, my little daughter. I know I can never see you again. You have been infected with the vampire's curse. You were so young too… I wished to leave you with this one final gift. Please, remember me, my sweet, lovely, daughter.

Your Loving Father,

Marcus

I folded the piece of parchment up and stuck it in my apothecary's satchel. He still loved his daughter. Even after she had become a vampire. Did he recognize me as a vampire and take care of me anyway? Is that why he ran? Did he know what was about to come?

This was another time I was grateful for being a vampire.

I couldn't cry.