Evangeline was silently chastising herself for being so stubborn and not going with the two brutish nords especially that Lynch fellow. There was something about him that just made her feel all too womanly and she was one who didn't like to be reminded of the failure her father disliked so much. Men only wanted heirs to their throne, their legacy and having a girl instead of a boy was seen as a failure. Evangeline hard the howling of wolves and stiffened, her hands lit up with lightning in an instant as her eyes scanned the area around her for the wolves she knew were coming. They circled her; one of them broke the circle and jumped at her but was met with lightning before he could get to her. The wolf's body fell to the ground while the other two stopped and began growling and snarling. The next wolf pounced on her and knocked her onto the ground, its teeth snapped at her and made contact with her shoulder and didn't let go. Evangeline screamed in pain then pressed her hand to the beasts' head so that her lightning could go through the wolf's head to kill it directly. The lightning to the head killed the wolf but the other wolf was on her in seconds but was thrown off of its prey and stabbed in the chest with a dagger repeatedly until it was dead. Evangeline let the glowing warmth of healing come from her hand and she pressed her hand to her shoulder to heal her wound. She sighed in relief then put her steel dagger back into her pack and looked at her surroundings, the road was close by and she could vaguely see the outlines of Ralof and Lynch.

"Thank the Divines I was born with some strength." She dusted herself off and shivered; she needed to get to town but knew running would just tire her so; she lifted her hand up slightly and felt flames come to life in her palm.

Evangeline could keep warm like this but not as warm as she would like to be. She looked at the road before her and sighed, she was tired of running whether it be from imperials or beasts. The sun was setting slowly and Evangeline knew what kind of creatures came out at night which spurred her to start walking at a fast pace. She would just have to be brave and wander the path by herself, kill whatever bandit or wolf or bear that attacked her. Evangeline thought about how little she knew of the world around her, leaving her home to come and seek a new life in the imperial home was what she had truly wanted but she had been harassed at the border at an inn. Cringing as she thought of what had happened, she could recall every detail of the men who had tried to take advantage of her. It made her shiver, thankfully she had already known how much pain she could cause a person but her emotions made her kill the men. Strength and courage kept her going throughout her journey to Skyrim but, many of the nobles from her home city did not share the same morals as she did.

"They sit on their chairs getting fat and counting jewels while their wives spit out children just to have them taught by the servants." The talk of nobles made her think of her father, she spat on the ground near her feet but kept moving as the sun began to cast shadows from the tall trees.

Evangeline dimmed her fire but continued to walk, her eyes looking at every shadow enemies and when she looked ahead to see if Lynch and Ralof were still a good ways ahead of her but they were not. There was fear that she would not be able to find her own way but she pushed it aside and thought of her father.

"He would tell me that I am being a foolish child and order the maids to bring me back to my room." She whispered to none but herself.

Evangeline had never been fond of her father and he hadn't been fond of her since she was born. Her mother left not even four months after her birth to go and be with the Psijic Order, which led to her father to say hurtful things to her often. Why couldn't you be a boy? The Gods had sought to ruin my line by giving me you. She ground her teeth at the thought of his verbal cruelty; he never wanted her because she couldn't carry on the blood line like a man could. She recalled nights she had cursed her mother for leaving her with a father who was not loving and caring; she wondered how a mother could leave her only child to a life she would not even stay in.

"I only hope that if she could see me that she would smile and see that I am becoming a much stronger woman than she ever was." Evangeline gave a small smirk and continued to follow the road until she reached Riverwood.

There she would find the inn, take a nice hot bath and sleep until sunrises so that she could stock up on potions then make her way to Whiterun.

D-D

Lynch sat in front of the fire in Gerdur's home while sneaking peaks of her daughter as she helped her mother make dinner. Lynch smiled, he had wanted children since he was old enough to understand the love between his parents. He had dreamed of a son or even a daughter to dote upon, he would teach her how to make fine armor or is son would learn the art of sword play. Lynch had the dreams of family before he had become a member of the Silver Hand.

Look at the beast Lynch, it whimpers like the dog beaten by its' master.

Lynch shook his head and focused on the fire, the flames liked the stone and burned the wood slowly but it reminded him too much of a past he tried so hard to leave behind. Killing beasts who had had families just like the one he had envisioned for himself.

I wonder what it looks like without all of that fur. Ha ha, let us see.

Hearing the voice of Crister, a man who had once been his inspiration to kill every werewolf he could find, was a kick to the gut and a reminder of what he was. He remembered the days he was in the Silver Hand too easily even though he had spent five years trying to chase away the ghosts of his past. Then the smell of pheasant and potatoes drew him back to reality with a small frown.

"Look uncle Ralof! Mother is teaching me how to season things with herbs!" Ralof laughed and scooped the young girl up into his arms.

"You have done a wonderful job; you may be a cook to a Jarl yet!" The little girl laughed happily and he put her down with a kiss to her head then looked to Lynch with concerned eyes.

Ralof was used to this type of quiet and anti-social behavior Lynch exhibited, they had been friends for almost 3 years now. Three long years of gaining his trust so that he would not sleep with his blade right beside him at night when they camped.

"Ralof, go a fetch four logs for the fire, would you?" Gerdur asked and he nodded.

As soon as the door was opened Lynch smelled her on the breeze as it came into the home, his mouth watered slightly at the thought of her. The sun was already set outside so she must have run to town to avoid the dangers of the dark. There was also the smell of wolf on her; he felt the beast inside growl at him for not going outside to make sure she was not harmed. Lynch pushed the beast back into his mental cage and stood up,

"The food is ready if you are hungry Lynch." Gerdur smiled at him and he came over to receive a plate of food.

The sight and smell of cook meat had his mouth watering; he took the plate from Gerdur and used his hands to begin his assault on the food. Lynch sat and ate like the animal he was, he was ravenous and had not eaten since he had been captured so it was natural that he attack his food. Ralof came back into the house and set the logs by the fire; he shook his head and laughed at Lynch attacking his food but was growled at. Ralof sat down and a plate of food was placed in front of him.

"I saw that mage outside." Ralof spat and looked over to see his friend's reaction.

"I will leave tomorrow morning, anything that you can spare would be much appreciated Gerdur." Lynch glared at Ralof then stood and gave Gerdur his dirty plate for it to be washed later.

"Oh, yes. I will have some supplies for your journey to Whiterun. Come and see me in the morn." Gerdur said and handed him a blanket.

Lynch took the blanket and laid himself in front of the fire, he was always warm but the thoughts he had earlier left a chill that went soul deep that he could not get rid of. It was hours before he could get to sleep and when he did, it was plagued with nightmares.

"Lynch, we've heard of a werewolf who is hiding out in a cave north of here. Kill it and bring its' head back." Crister said and shooed his companion away.

Lynch knew the cave and did not pity the beast he would kill. Werewolves were disgusting creatures who deserved nothing but death at the hands of the Silver Hand. The cave was not lit as it had been last he time he had come to the cave, he could smell the werewolf as the rain had made its' smell amplified tenfold. He held a torch in his right hand and a sword in his left as he descended into the cave, he reached the large chamber inside of the cave but saw no werewolf.

"Think to kill me boy?" Lynch looked around but saw no one until the werewolf descended upon him.

Lynch woke with sweat all over his body, he hadn't had a dream like that in years and couldn't understand why he would be getting the dreams again, it had been so long ago and he had thought he had finally pushed his past behind him. He thought that his past had been behind him for good but the past always followed him. Lynch ran a hand over his head and sighed, everyone was still sleeping soundly so he was left to start his day whether he wanted to or not. He did not want to go back to sleep and finish the dream, he knew what would happen but reliving it was something he was not ready for. He stood and crept out of the home then focused on the river behind the mill, he needed cold water to wash his body free of the filth and the ghosts of the past. He stopped in front of a nearby tree and relieved himself before removing his armor and setting it on the bank of the river and slowly stepped in. The cold was a welcomed relief to his dirt covered body; he leaned over and dunked his head in the water then wiped it off with his hand when he reemerged from the water.

D-D

Evangeline had snuck out of the Inn before dawn and let herself enjoy the time alone, away from the drunkards of the Inn who leered at her. She had had enough of the leers and hollering when she had lived at home, the noblemen who would try to buy off her father or seduce her when she was out late. It was disgusting how men would pine at any woman they saw. Evangeline went for the stream behind the lumber house but had to duck behind the fence as she had witnessed Lynch nude from the waist up. She felt her face heat up as she realized he was bathing probably fully nude. Lynch caught a whiff of the scent of arousal coming from close by, it was Evangeline.

"Come out. I know you are there." Lynch demanded and was met with a blushing Evangeline.

She was afraid of his reaction; he could smell her fear but her arousal over powered it and that was what forced him to try and keep control of the beast inside. Evangeline just looked so innocent and a part of him wanted nothing more to have her moaning and screaming underneath him.

"I-I am sorry. I didn't think—I just—"

"I never thought that I would find you peeking at a nude man. Let alone a nord." He watched her give him a nervous smile at his jest.

Evangeline kept her eyes at the ground, her face was hot from not only embarrassment but she was also flustered by her attraction to Lynch. Lynch on the other hand, took pleasure from her arousal at just looking at him. He liked that her eyes would dart up to look at his body but quickly look back down when he looked at her

"I did not mean to intrude upon your bathing. I had just come to wash my face and—"

"Come then and wash your face. I will not move from this spot….unless you ask me to." His mother would have called him too brazen if she was alive but he did not care because he knew Evangeline would think about calling him over.

He watched as she knelt down to the stream and avoided his gaze. Lynch, however, watched her robe droop slightly to give him a view of the area between her breasts, he lifted a brow as he noticed how squished her breasts, her breasts looked ready to explode from the binding which held them. He watched her hands dip into the water; she leaned her head down and splashed water upon her face then dried her face on her robes. Evangeline then sat up and looked at Lynch; her eyes looked over his features and drank them in slowly. His broad, well sculpted chest, his gotee that was growing out from the lack of care, his stern face that rarely gave anyone a smile. Evangeline could only wonder about the scars that riddled his upper body as well, long claw scars went across his chest with definite sword scars on his left side then a few dagger shaped scars on his arms and biceps. Teeth scars from wolves, bears or sabres…this man's body told a story. Of who he was, what he did and how he lived his life. His offer of him moving near her still stood so she decided to take it,

"Can you—May I please…?" She was nervous but he understood what she wanted

Lynch moved towards the bank that she was kneeling on since it was decently deep right in front of her so that he could cover his already hardened length but, he did not move to touch her or encourage anything that she could do.

"How did you get those scars on your chest?" Her voice was low and soft, as if she was talking to herself almost.

Lynch felt his whole body stiffen at her question because he had not told anyone how he had received the scars but the softness in her voice compelled him to at least make up a reasonable lie.

"I was attacked by a sabre cat." It was a lie but it was believable in his eyes.

Evangeline had a feeling he was lying to her, she always had a feeling when someone lied to her just like she sometimes knew what was going to happen in the future.

"That is not what happened." She said and Lynch was shocked at her declaration but did not show it.

How was it that she could tell he was lying about his scars? He had lied for years about who he was or what he had done, he was a master at it and yet this inexperienced woman who had not known him long knew he was lying immediately.

"It is not a battle I am proud of." Lynch felt foolish for letting a girl who was clearly younger than him by at least 5 years get the better of him.

He was a stern and serious warrior who had killed werewolves and imperial legionnaires with ease and yet this young woman who barely came up to his neck was getting past his defenses. Evangeline moved closer to the bank and reached out slowly, Lynch did not stop himself from moving so that her fingers could touch his scars. When her soft fingers traced the large claw marks he felt them become a pleasant fire he was not always accustomed to. Evangeline seemed to feel the same fire for she looked into his eyes then down to her fingers as she continued to trace them. Lynch could not stop himself from eyeing her lips, she had just let her tongue dart out to wet them and it made all of his sense aware of her sudden arousal at touching him. She could not fathom why she was aroused and drawn to this man; he was the opposite of what she wanted in a man. He was battle-hardened and not versed in poetry or instrumentals; he was cold in ways that stopped a sane woman from approaching unless he let them. Evangeline could feel the heat coming from his body and it felt so nice against the cold winter air, he could have stopped her from leaning forward and letting her hand snake on the back of his neck but he did not. Lynch let her lips cover his softly but he was the one to kiss back as he let his tongue slide over her lips. The blood coursing through his body was like fire and he enjoyed the heat even if it was because of Evangeline's soft lips. The power she felt under her finger tips was undeniable and it felt right for him to have that much power. Lynch had already been caressing her neck when she decided to remove her lips from his; he didn't stop his tongue from licking his lips to savor her taste and enjoyed the flush that came to her face.

"It was nice to see you again Lynch. I-ah must get moving." Evangeline removed herself from in front of him and ran for the road leaving Lynch very confused and lustful.

She had to get a grip of her sanity before it left her, he was a barbarian and she was far too pure to be dealing with a brute like him. Evangeline would push him from her mind as hard as she could so that she would not develop further feelings.

Lynch removed himself from the water and dressed himself, he was painfully hard and he needed a drink. His blood was still aflame which he found he was enjoying more than he should because she was someone he was already beginning to have feelings for despite what she was.

The Mage.

Chapter 2 done, I wanted to put this up with chapter one but decided to go back and fix some of my errors and check it over to make sure I thought it good enough to post. I've seen hits for the first chapter, it would be nice to get a pm or a review on it to find out how I'm doing. I'm hoping everyone sees the sexual tension here despite Lynch's thoughts on how plain Evangeline is.

Anywho, drop me a review or pm! Reviews and pms make me happy.