Waking up was… interesting, to say the least.
When Gerda opened her eyes, she took in their clothes strewn all around the room, the fur blankets carelessly thrown over both of them... and Balagog laying beside her, with his head pillowed on her arm. 'Shouldn't it be the other way around?' she thought to herself with a small smile. She snuggled closer still and with her other hand, the one not under Balagog's head, she caressed his face.
This morning, she felt different; she felt…
She was content.
But there was still that little niggling doubt at the back of her mind that something was supposed to happen. That something will happen soon.
She kissed Balagog on the forehead and caressed his ear. He trembled, then his eyes slowly opened. He lifted his head and looked confusedly around the room, as if he had no idea where he was. She found his expression adorable. Once his eyes cleared, he looked her in the eyes and gave her a beautiful smile. She smiled right back.
Neither of them wished to move or speak. Gerda gently pulled his head to her and rose up to meet him halfway. Their lips touched softly, lovingly. She couldn't get enough of his kisses.
It was decided. Wherever life will bring them, she will stay with him – in Skyrim or some other province, she did not care. She was definitely strong enough to make a life for herself, for them both, wherever she pleased. She refused to give this up.
That's when they heard a quiet noise. It was the sound of a wooden door creaking open and the distant howling of the wind.
Strange. Who would enter Nightgate's cellar through the small back door, when they could easily reach it through the comfortable stairs from the common room? Definitely not Hadring, nor Fultheim. Gerda felt a sudden shiver of unease run down her spine.
They exchanged a look, then Balagog slowly rose up and put on his pants to go take a closer look. Gerda sat up on their bed, still feeling that something was not right. She rose up and put on her Forsworn armor.
"Please, mister, can you come with me? I can't find my parents anywhere," came the soft, low child's voice from further inside the cellar. It sounded… wrong. Not nearly as innocent as it should have been. Gerda distractedly picked up her shield.
Balagog must have felt something was off as well, for when he spoke, his voice trembled a little, "I can't help you, friend. Talk to Hadring, the innkeeper."
"Please, it's just a bit away. I beg you, help me find my mommy," the child's voice was growing… impatient.
Gerda did not entirely know why, but she decided to check their positions first, before she announced her presence by leaving the room. She prepared herself and cast Detect Life.
The cellar had only one living presence.
Her eyes widened. She sprinted out of the room.
The… monster with a child's face next to Balagog turned its orange eyes towards her. It sneered and pulled out an Ebony Dagger dripping with a poison. Balagog backed away in fear, but thankfully, the assassin's attention turned towards Gerda.
"TIID!"
The whole world around them slowed. The creature might have been fast, but now, so was Gerda.
She raised her shield and sprinted towards the vampire as fast as she could. The girl tried to jump aside, but Gerda clipped her in the shoulder. That single hit was enough to send the small body flying into the wall. Before the vampire could find her balance, Gerda jumped on her and punched her in the face as hard as she could. Then she punched her again and again until heard the bones crack under her fist.
The creature gave one last pained growl, then the body under her burst to dust.
Panting, Gerda rose up and turned to Balagog, "Are you all right?"
He stared at the dusty clothes lying on the ground and managed to stutter out, "I... yes. I'm fine. Thank you. That… That was a…"
"A vampire, yes." Gerda frowned down at the dusty clothes under her feet. She crouched down and started digging around in the dust.
"What are you doing?" Balagog asked her, still shocked from the unexpected attack.
"This doesn't seem like a normal vampire attack. If it was, the beast would not care about whether someone found our bodies or not." Gerda looked up at him. "Yet it tried to lead you away. It also seemed to have known that there will be someone in here."
She turned her attention back to the dust she was examining. "Do you not find it strange? How did the vampire even know that someone, anyone will be in this cellar?"
Balagog had no answer to that. He came closer and crouched down beside her.
Gerda found a small satchel. Inside were various items – several potent poisons, nightshade and a letter.
Gerda opened the letter.
Amaund Motierre's pleas to our Mother were heard. Go and kill The Gourmet as Sithis commands. You are then to take his Writ of Passage and give it to the Dark Brotherhood Innitiate in Dawnstar.
He shall make sure that the Emperor remembers the dinner for the rest of his life.
So begins a contract, bound in blood.
Keeper Cicero
On the other side of the contract was a small note:
Dearest sister Babette,
Should you wish to feel our Mother's embrace again, come visit her in our old home and remember to speak of 'Innocence, my brother'.
Keeper Cicero
A cold smile crossed her face. Looked like they struck gold. Both the information about the contract giver and what seemed to be the password to second Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, most probably located in Dawnstar, where 'everyone knows about the Black Door and never to go near it.' Perfect. The Divines were smiling on her today.
Then she fully registered the other important piece of information.
"Motierre… Isn't that the name of the Elder Council member that is staying over at the Bannered Mare?" Gerda asked incredulously.
Balagog shook himself and tried to pay attention to the letter as well. "Yes, I heard about him. He was dismissed from the Elder Council last year. Officially for his dealings with pirates that attacked East Empire Company shipments, but many said it was for his dealings with the Thalmor. " He snorted and added in a disgusted voice, "There were even rumors he sold information about Imperial troops to the Thalmor during the Great War."
"So, someone with a motive to harm the Emperor, then. A Thalmor ally no less." Gerda murmured thoughtfully.
Balagog nodded tiredly, "You will need to warn the Penitus Oculatus."
"What about you?" She asked, concerned.
"I… I'll stay here. As I am supposed to." Balagog said in a shaking voice.
Gerda stared at him incredulously, "You can't be serious. That's suicide!" She could not believe her ears. Why would he do something like that?
"What choice do I have?" Balagog moved towards the wine barrels. He leaned against one and continued, "We never made any plans about what I should do in a situation like this. The only time I'm supposed to contact them is when they summon me to cook for the Emperor. Not a day sooner. Otherwise they will know it to be a trap and arrest me, at the very least." He snorted bitterly, "They probably never counted on the possibility that I would survive an attack."
"Balagog…" Gerda stood up as well and reached for him. She definitely couldn't leave like this. Couldn't leave him to go on a fool's errand when his life was in danger.
"I cannot even leave Skyrim. If I leave, the Penitus Oculatus might decide I had something to do with the Dark Brotherhood plans." He closed his eyes and continued, "You already killed members of the Dark Brotherhood once. Commander Maro must trust you. You must go and warn him, for the Emperor's life is still in danger."
"I don't care about the Emperor, I care about you!" Gerda said forcefully.
This shocked them both. Balagog stayed silent, but his eyes… in his eyes, she found a light she wanted to watch for the rest of her life. Neither of them said a thing for a while.
Balagog recovered first. "I… I care… about you as well," he saw Gerda move closer to him, so he quickly continued, "but Commander Maro needs to know about this. We cannot in good conscience postpone the search for the Emperor's assassins to save a simple cook, no matter how famous."
Gerda's shoulders slumped. She still wasn't willing to abandon him to chase ghosts, though.
"Maybe we could travel together for a while then." That got his attention, so she continued, "Your anonymity is obviously blown, if they found you here. The Dark Brotherhood didn't give up on the contract despite the massacre of their Sanctuary." She began pacing up and down the cellar. "Commander Maro needs to know, so he can prepare better safety measures. We will get you in Castle Dour and then I will follow clues from the letter." She gave him a look and added, "If he truly trusts me as you say then he will accept my word on who you are and reasons for your stay in Solitude."
Gerda wasn't too happy with her own plan, but it would have to do. Leaving Balagog at Castle Dour will not be ideal, but it will be much safer for him there than here, in the middle of nowhere with no contact to the outside world. It will also mean the Dark Brotherhood cannot assume his identity, as it will be known to the Penitus Oculatus by then.
"What about…" Balagog started uncertainly, "What about my anonymity? Solitude is a big city and I cannot stay inside the Castle's walls the entire time."
Gerda sighed and turned to him, "Balagog…" she looked closely at him and saw fear in his eyes. She knew that if she pressed, she could persuade him to reveal himself, but did she truly want to do that to him?
Another thought crossed her mind. "You could stay at my house."
Balagog started. "But… that would…"
"That would show everyone that you are my lover, yes. Which is the truth." She saw him start to protest, so she quickly continued, "Commander Maro will learn who you are, so the Dark Brotherhood cannot assume your identity. My Housecarl Jordis can act as your bodyguard for the time being. You will be safe and I can go deal with the assassins."
"Gerda," he moved closer to her, "are you not worried what people will say? You are the city's Thane and I… I'm…"
She put her hands on his waist, "You are my lover," she said simply and kissed him.
Balagog melted under her touch. He put his hands around her shoulders and deepened their kiss. "Gerda…" he said breathlessly after they parted.
Gerda smiled at him and gently ran her hand over his backside. She heard him growl softly.
"Shall we… take this back to your room?" she whispered and licked his earlobe.
"What about the…"
"Everything else can wait." She took his hand and led him back to his room. He was already breathing heavily. Once inside the room, she turned back to him. He was staring at her with hunger in his eyes. This time he needed no prompting and kissed her passionately.
They did not make it as far as the bed. Balagog grabbed her around the waist and pushed her against the fur covered wall by the door. Gerda grinned. He learned fast.
Gerda was too excited to take this slow. She opened his trousers and slid her hand inside. Balagog growled and started fiercely kissing her neck. One of his hands slipped down and pushed aside her armor.
With a moan, she pulled him out of his trousers, then threw her leg over his hips.
Balagog needed to further urging and hooked her leg over his arm. He gently pushed into her.
Gerda looked at him and saw how strenuously he controlled himself. She decided she couldn't wait. She flexed her leg and pulled him closer. Balagog shouted in surprise, then thrust inside her as far as he could go.
He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. She caressed his face and kissed him. With a soft moan, he started moving.
She could not stop touching him everywhere she could reach. With every caress, she heard his growl grow louder. She could feel the heat building up in her belly. At her breathless urging, he picked up his pace.
She came with a shout. Dimly, she heard Balagog howl as her inner muscles contracted around him. She felt liquid heat fill her, then slowly run down her thigh.
They stayed in that position for some time, breathing heavily. After a while, he gently withdrew from her and she put her leg back on the ground, but still stayed close, embracing him. Balagog kept kissing her neck.
Eventually, they had to part. She gave him one last long parting kiss, then by mutual agreement, they righted their clothes and went to pack.
It was time to leave Nightgate.