Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to TES. Bethesda does.

Chapter 6: Into Bleak Falls Barrow

"Did something happen last night? You look different."

I didn't bother to glance over at Bret. My eyes had dimmed significantly by morning but still had a slight incandescent shine. I had hoped he wouldn't see the glow.

"No," I answered simply. "Why do you ask?"

Bret shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know really. You seem...more radiant than usual. It's strange."

Curious, Bret waved his hand near me, his fingers outstretched as if he were caressing the air around me.

"Your aura is different," he frowned, looking concerned. "Much different than yesterday. Brighter. Stronger. You've changed."

Trekking through the rugged terrain, I felt stronger and more attuned to my senses. I didn't feel as human. Perhaps the dream awakened a Daedric side of me long hidden, waiting to awaken. However, for the time being, I still needed to keep my identity and what I truly was a secret.

"Hmmm, that is strange," I said, trying to keep a straight face, but I couldn't hide a faint, amused smile. I had changed.

We were traveling by foot to Bleak Falls Barrow. Lucan Valerius, the shopkeeper of Riverwood Trader, asked us to retrieve a family treasure, a golden dragon claw. He claimed the heirloom was stolen from his store by bandits, who took refuge in the barrow near Riverwood. I wasn't too thrilled about accepting the job, but we needed the gold. I purchased a hunting bow for a good price from Lucien before departing, since my mother's elven bow was taken by the Imperial soldiers in Helgen. However, the Imperials failed to find the Daedric dagger I hid in my Savior's Hide. A quiver of iron arrows, a new robe specializing in destruction magicka for Bret, some other odds and ends including a map of Skyrim, and we were ready.

I could hear Bret panting behind me as we hiked up the mountain slope leading to Bleak Falls Barrow.

"Don't get out much, do you?" I teased.

"Oh shut up," he breathed heavily. "I wouldn't consider myself an outdoorsman. I enjoy my cushy profession as a mage."

Cushy profession indeed. Hiking was second nature to me. I lived for the outdoors. I was connected to the land, to the animals, everything of nature.

Over the past two hundred years, I've honed my hunting skills, becoming an effective killer. My mother taught me the basics: how to create my own bow and carve my own arrows. How to kill with the simplest of blades. I've learned how to stalk prey without being detected, to remain hidden in the shadows. The gold I've earned from mercenary contracts was proof I was damn good at what I did. I've never had a dissatisfied customer. I lived for the hunt. It ran through my veins. Part of my very core, my soul. The hunt was who I was.

I heard a twig snap in the far distance.

"Did you hear that?" I asked, stopping dead in my tracks and unsheathed my Daedric dagger.

"Hear what?" replied Bret looking around. "I didn't hear anything."

I inhaled deeply through my nose, processing the various scents lingering in the air. Since last night my hunting instincts had kicked into overdrive. The clarity of my sense of smell, hearing and vision had improved ten fold. I haven't felt this strong in decades.

I smelled...wet dog.

No more than a few seconds later, a massive, white wolf hurled itself out of the dense brush, galloping towards us. Bret readied a shock spell, the lighting cracking from his fingertips.

"Bret! No!" I shouted, grabbing his wrist and aiming the charging spell away from the approaching beast.

Bret dismissed the spell as I ran towards the wolf.

"There you are, you wretched mutt!" I scolded. "Where the fetch have you been?"

I dove to the ground and threw my arms around Fang. Fang immediately began licking my face and nuzzling me. I giggled as he playfully rolled over on his back, kicking his legs up in the air while I scratched his belly.

"I thought you were gone for good."

"What in the name of Arkay is that?" Bret gasped, taking a few steps backwards.

"He's a wolf," I stated flatly. "Duh."

"That is no wolf. That is a monster."

A low guttural growl emitted from Fangs's throat, his ears pulled back and sharp teeth bared.

I continued to scratch Fang's belly, looking up at Bret with a smile. "See, he likes you."

"He's growling and looks like he wants to tear me to pieces. How do you know he likes me?"

"If he didn't, you'd be dead," I stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

We continued heading northeast through a small mountain pass. A light dusting of snow began to fall from the dark, grey clouds overhead. Before long, the light snowfall transformed into a wintery storm. The strong gusts of wind blew the snow powder and flakes into our faces, obscuring our vision. I pulled my hair back into a tail to keep it from whipping me in the face. Bret tightened his robe and hid his face under the cowl to protect himself from the cold. Believe it or not, my Savior's Hide, as tattered and worn as it was, kept me warm in cold, chilly climates. As a Nord, I thrived in conditions like this.

We pressed on in silence until we caught sight of a large, arched stairway.

"Wait," I whispered near his ear, holding my arm out preventing Bret from traveling further.

I could smell the bandits. Two of them patrolled the entryway into the barrow. Fang began to growl, his hackles stood on end.

Even in the snowy conditions, I could pick up the slight gleam from the bandits' studded armor as they patrolled the barrow's perimeter.

This will be fun.

"Cover me but don't get to close," I whispered to Bret. "Fang, stay."

I took off in a sprint, using the boulders as cover as I made my way closer to the stairs leading to the barrow. I moved silently, the wind concealed the crunching of snow under my boots. The whirling, wind-blown snow distorted the bandits' vision. They had no idea their deaths were coming.

One of the bandits had his back turned to me. I crept up the steps with my dagger at the ready. The bandit turned around in time to see me lunge at him, my right arm outstretched with the blade in hand. His eyes widened in surprise as the sharp end of my dagger easily cut through the flesh of his throat, severing the arteries and trachea. He gurgled, blood spilling from the gash and mouth and he dropped to the stone ground.

An arrow whizzed by me. I looked to my right to see the other bandit at the top of the second flight of stairs reaching for another arrow. I sheathed my dagger with my right hand while simultaneously grabbing my hunting bow with my left. I notched an iron arrow, released and struck the bandit through the heart before he was able to release his second arrow. Both bandits were dead in a matter of seconds.

Bret and Fang were at the top of the stairs a few moments later.

"I've never seen anyone move that quickly," said Bret. "That was incredible. Who taught you how to fight like that?"

"My mother," I said flatly and secured my bow to my back. "Let's get inside and find Lucan's family heirloom."

Two more bandits were inside the first room of the barrow. The first one went down like a sack of potatoes from an arrow to the skull. Fang tackled the second bandit and latched on to her leg while she tried to escape. I kicked the dagger out of her hand before she could stab Fang with it. She lay on her back, breathing erratically, eyes wide in terror.

I crouched down before her, grabbed her by the front of her leather armor and yanked her up to eye level. She winced in pain as Fang bit down harder on her leg, reminding her to not try anything foolish.

"Where's the golden claw?" I asked calmly.

"I...I dunno," she stammered. Her breathing quickened. "I never saw it."

I glanced down at Fang. He picked up my nonverbal cue and bit down harder. The bandit screamed in agony as Fang crushed bone with his powerful jaws.

"Alright!" she screamed. "That blasted Dunmer, Arvel, has it! He's further in the barrow. Please, just let me go!"

"With pleasure."

I grabbed my Daedric dagger and forcefully drove it deep into her chest and twisted the hilt, tearing apart her beating heart and surrounding muscles. The bandit gasped her final breath before slumping to the ground.

I yanked the dagger out and casually wiped the blood off onto my Savior's Hide before sheathing it in its holder on my belt. I glanced back to see Bret standing a few feet behind me. My golden eyes locked onto Bret's shocked emerald eyes. His mouth hung open in horror. I tried not to let his expression bother me. Sometimes I forget people aren't used to my tactics of extracting information let alone I rarely let anyone go no matter how much they beg for it.

I stood up, my back facing Bret.

"You think I'm a monster, don't you?" I asked softly. I couldn't muster the strength to face him again.

The longest seconds of my life passed before I heard Bret's voice.

"No, I don't," he spoke just as soft.

Truth. I heard the truth in his voice. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know how to act around Bret, nor anyone for that matter. I preferred living in solitude, alone. I'm not used to the company of other people for extended periods of time like this. And when I mean extended periods of time, I mean the span of a couple of hours. A day at the most.

"You don't have to go any further with me," I said coldly. "It would be safer if you turned back."

A hand gently grabbed onto my shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. I almost shoved the hand away out of reaction. I had a big personal bubble and I don't like others invading my space.

"I'm not going anywhere," said Bret. "Let's find Arvel."

-0-

Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be up soon. :)

-LadyLuna83