p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Over the course of the next few months, Ralof ventured into many different situations with Mercy. They delved into the depths of several different dwemer ruins (which, he was shocked to discover, weren't actually haunted), routed several different vampiric (or otherwise dark-natured) covens, and even brushed the border of Hammerfall. He was honestly amazed when she shrugged and said this was normal for her; the land that seemed so peaceful was beginning to seem more and more like a facade./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Don't overthink it." Mercy said, after he'd voiced his thoughts, "You'll become suspicious of everything and nothing will ever seem right again. Let it go and enjoy the moment." She went back to stargazing after that./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Ralof didn't respond, instead turning over and letting his thoughts lull him to sleep./p
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p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"The next day they traveled into the Pale, and Mercy had an eagerness in her step that Ralof couldn't recall seeing before./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""This one has something amazing to show you. Follow close, yes?" She grinned, before dashing off the path and out into the snowy wilds. Ralof took off after her, struggling to keep up with the fleet-footed Khajiit./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Mercy! Mercy, please! You're- Too- Fast!" Ralof shouted, laughing, dropping behind after a few minutes./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""This one is called Quicksilver for a good reason, yes? Mercy will slow down, she does not want you to be left behind and lost." She chuckled in reply, looping back behind him./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"The journey was lighthearted after that; Mercy caught him upside the head with a ball of snow, and he knocked her into a deep snow drift in exchange./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"The un-warrior-like shriek that pierced his ears was worth the snow-crusted cat that struggled back out of the snow. Ralof grinned at her as she tried to get her balance, then took off in a desperate attempt to escape retaliation. He knew it was futile, but he was feeling childish, and he'd done the same thing with Gerdur when he was small. He heard Mercy sprinting after him, felt her hands collide with his shoulderplates, felt her weight crash into him and drive him face-first into the snow./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"It was worth it for the peals of laughter bubbling from her lips, the relaxed and joyful nature shining through her normally passive expression. Ralof felt… relaxed around Mercy. She brought out a side of him that had refused to grow up just because of the war, just because he'd been the man of the house when his da had died./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"The Khajiit knocked on his helmet, bringing him back to cold, snowy reality./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Ralof, you were thinking again, no? While Mercy enjoys snowy antics as much as the next person, we really should go if we're to get there before nightfall and that-" she pointed to a thick bunch of clouds gathering to the southeast, "catches us. Come on. You will like this, methinks." She got up out of the snowy bank, helped him back to his feet, and took off at an easy lope. Ralof shook his head, making a note to clear the snow out of his boots later./p
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p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"There were Dwemer ruins to the north; he could see them easily, yet Mercy was focused on a lone caged-in building. She pulled him over to the lift, and, as snow started to fall, pulled the lever to take them down into the earth./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Blackreach was something else. The ceiling reflected the stars of the surface world, and the soft glow of the various plants and fungi, once you got used to it, was more than enough light to see by./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"The giant that wandered the world alarmed Ralof, of course, and the Falmer were another matter entirely, but the dark world of Blackreach was awe-inspiring./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""How did you find this?" He asked in a whisper./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Task from a mad wizard. Wanted Dwemer knowledge to get at what he thought was the heart of Lorkhaj. He was wrong, of course. Lorkhaj's heart is impossible to find, yes? The Dwemer may have discovered it, but Mercy would be willing to bet it was taken with them when they vanished." Mercy purred in reply./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Gods… how long has it been here, I wonder?" he breathed./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Longer than anyone alive today, save perhaps one of the ancient dragons. Is… odd, no? To be standing in a different world, yet to know it has been a part of our world since one's birth." She paused, lost in thought./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"A gong-like sound rang through the cavern, startling them both. Ralof heard a dragon roar./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"After that, he was too focused on staying on his feet while Mercy half-dragged him down a rather steep hill into a ravine. She pulled him back under the stone as the dragon soared overhead; Ralof would later swear his heart stopped. They waited for what seemed like an eternity, listening for the beast to return to whatever den it had made for itself./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Needless to say, Ralof was glad to leave Blackrock for the surface. Such an alien landscape was proving to be far too deadly and unpredictable for his tastes./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""It was beautiful, though…" He mused, as they rode the lift back to Mzinchaleft./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Agreed. Perhaps this one will go deal with the dragon later, yes? then we can travel below safely. Blackrock extends through most of the Rift and the Reach, Mercy has found."/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Thank you for showing me. I've… I've never seen such a thing before. I doubt I will again." He smiled at the Khajiit, and she chuckled./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Stay with me, and you'll see far stranger. This, Mercy promises." She grinned at him, her blue eyes glittering red in the dim light./p