Hello! After an unannounced hiatus and bout of inactivity, I'm back to post another chapter. Mental health stuff, nothing that needs to be shared on a public fiction-writing forum. Hope everyone who reads is doing well and thank you very much for the favorites/follows, and for that kind review!

Pain and trauma from life-threatening experiences aside, Derkeethus was more than happy to have the stresses come to an end. It'd probably take a longer period for him to overcome unseen adverse effects but having a rather friendly and strong individual to fixate his mind on would assist rather wonderfully. Convenient how things were working out for him, wasn't it?

He was set down in his tent by the grey-skinned woman who carried him down the mountainside. The lack of conversation might have been his fault, though his nerves got the better of him. For all he knew, since the woman showed concern toward his health, she might've remained quiet in respect to his condition.

Was it his stomach being nervous that made him feel sick, or was it a disease given to him by the Falmer? Would it be considered rude for him to expel his sickness from his stomach while being carried? Why did asking himself questions make him only feel worse?

Know what, he's had about enough of internal monologuing. His head was beginning to hurt to an absurd degree, adding to his repository of ailments. The woman remained kneeling by his side during the momentary period of silence, where Derkeethus obliviously stared onward.

"Hey, you there?" the woman asked, snapping her fingers to catch his attention. Convenient timing, as he was just about to return to the land of the living anyway. He turned his head to the woman, a wave of vertigo sweeping over him. His body thought he was making a move just to turn his head, but with the overwhelming sickening feeling of vertigo catching him by surprise, he simply turned his entire body and slumped over.

It wasn't just vertigo, for that matter – his vision decided to rescind itself into the depths. He wasn't actually aware of this in the moment, as it seemed his capability to comprehend happenings was inhibited. Following Derkeethus' worrying fainting, the woman grasped him and laid him on his side.

She'd help him drink a potion to begin curing his sickness, but the likelihood of him vomiting after waking up, or even after drinking a potion, was too high. Restoration magic is a useful tool for injuries and pain, but sickness was not quite it's forte. It'd help for some, but there was reason that disease curing potions were made.

Though, the woman did what she could, placing a hand near the dazed Argonian and casting a spell to heal him. At the very least, it treated his vertigo, but the lizard was still finding the power to come to. From his perspective, everything seemed to just… fade out and feel numb.

A minute later, his vision faded back in and his ears were ringing. His body was close to succumbing to the reflex of regurgitation, but he held it back. It was a lot for him to handle at the moment, but he was managing. "Wh-What happened?" he muttered.

"It seems like you fainted," the woman replied, holding her left hand beneath the side of Derkeethus' head, the glow of a spell nearly blindingly in his peripheral.

"A-Am I dying?" he whined. A justified whine, considering what he'd been through already.

"Not while I'm here, Derkeethus," she comforted him. Reaching from a pouch on her side, she took out a bottle with her right hand, motioning to offer it to him. "Are you able to drink this?"

"I can try," he weakly splayed his left hand out to accept. The nonverbal portion of his communication was ignored though, the woman setting the potion down and grasping his side, turning his body to lay him on his back. His wandering mind would have a field day with this event later, but for now, he was being bottle-fed a potion. From a strong and caring woman who went out of her way to assist him for no discernable reason.

See, there it was already, getting focused on specifics. The potion was picked up once more and the rim brought to his lips. With the top of the potion opened, the woman began angling the potion slowly, a liquid readying to displace itself down his throat. "If you can't swallow it and throw up, don't worry about it, okay?"

The woman proved once more that she was confusingly accommodating, but nonetheless, Derkeethus gave a nervous "Mhm."

He was fed the potion, the woman holding the back of his head with one hand while assisting his drinking with the other. The lukewarm and thick substance started maneuvering down his tongue, tasting reminiscent of… dust and char, although palatable. It tasted how mossy bark smelled, somehow. Or was it how iron ore smelled? Finding a suitable description was lost to him.

As well as irrelevant. As the liquid made its way down, he swallowed it slowly and in increments. Such was how the potion was being given to him, even if it was bordering on agonizing. He had a feeling his level of comfort was probably a nonissue, considering he was having his life kindly saved out of the goodness of someone's heart.

A cacophony of gulps later, the potion was fully drunk. Slowly, that seething pain in his stomach and around his body was numbed. While a numbing experience was typically a bad sign, this one was understandable. Soon, though, his worries would finally come to a close. The sickness being forced away, no longer being a hostage and back in the comfort of Darkwater Crossing.

He sighed, relaxing his body. The woman moved her hand from him, setting his head down gently against the pillow of the bedroll. "I can't thank you enough," he murmured, trying to find the energy to make conversation.

"Don't have to, I'm just glad to help," she said, giving a smile. Having a moment to look up at her now, he started to process some trivial information he hadn't had the time to process before. She had her hood down, showing her long white hair, tied up in a ponytail. Her ears were slightly sharp near the points, like Elves have, but still, she lacked overt facial features. The face shape was far more human, as well as the eyes being straight.

It was peculiar, seeing someone of ambiguous race. He was a nervous wreck at the moment, so he couldn't quell the worried thoughts about making a flub or offending with poorly articulated speech. "W-Well, ah… so," he mumbled.

"Need something else?" she asked, still knelt by his side.

"Just looking to talk. I have… a few questions."

"Ask away, Derkeethus."

"Who… are you?"

"Ah, never gave my name, huh?" she asked with a chuckle, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm Stel. Just happened to be traveling by here and heard about a missing Argonian."

"The others sent you?" he questioned, a bit of hope that the others in the camp were concerned for his safety.

"They told me what they knew and I scoured the mountainside on my own. Didn't take too long to find you."

"I'm very grateful. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"No no no, I don't need anything in return. Just take care of yourself and don't get kidnapped again, alright?" she remarked. It felt like he was being scolded very poiltely, but such a scolding was perhaps the weirdest he'd received. He gave a weak nod.

He liked this woman already. She had such a powerful and comforting aura about her, and it was inspiring how she would save someone without asking for a reward. How could he not like someone who just risked their life to save him? Although, considering how it seemed like she made light work of the Falmer, it might have just been another day for her. Nothing she wasn't used to?

He'd definitely latch onto the thought of her for the next few weeks. As odd as it was to internally accept that piece of information… it made him feel good. Realizing he hadn't responded to her jab of a request after a few seconds had passed, he nodded slowly.

She gave him a smile. Derkeethus offered a smile back, the numbing of his sickness making positive expression easier. "Are you leaving?" he asked, as if there was reason for her to stay… at a camp for the miners of the Goldenrock Mine.

"I am rather soon," she answered, turning herself away from Derkeethus and reaching into her bag. His eyes remained on the rear-facing woman, his eyes… facing her rear. He pretended as if his eyes weren't gazing at a particular area, but there wasn't really much room for him to see anything else. In other words, Stel was bottom heavy, and blocking quite a bit of his view.

Inappropriate of him to pay attention to that fact, however. It was only a brief passing moment, and he felt a tinge of guilt as he stared, but he did not look away. The woman turned back around and his eyes slid back up to meet her eyes. She waited patiently in silence, inferring that he had something to say. A few more seconds of information processing later, Derkeethus took a deep breath. "Are you going to come back to check on me?"

To him, it was a risky question, mostly because the implication of his sentence was that he was the focal point of the location. Luckily for him, though, he actually was. For Stel, anyway. "I'll stop by in a few days or so. I've got some other work that needs to be done."

"Very well," he said, an easing emotion slowly encompassing him. He let his body relax, laying his head down. Sleep would be very easy to come by for him given just a few minutes, since all of the adrenaline was worn off and whatnot. "I am too tired to ask more questions."

"Don't worry, if you think of anything, you can just ask me when I stop by again."

"Thank you, Miss."

"No problem, Sir," she teasingly responded. The formality had not been a factor up until now, so she gave a lighthearted jab. "Are you alright if I leave you some gold and a potion? It's just to help you get back on your feet once you're recovered."

"I'm not in a position to refuse the help… so, I guess I don't mind. I promise, I'll pay you back somehow," he insisted. Despite feeling so urged to give back, he wasn't sure yet how he'd do it at all. He would need to think it out - which he should've done before promising, but being indebted to someone as beautiful…ly kind as Stel was not looking to be a negative prospect.

"It won't be necessary," she spoke softly, placing down a small pouch along with a potion. It seemed to be labelled with ink writing, so he could at least read what it was at some other point in time. "If it makes you feel better, though, I'd let you buy me some drinks or food over in Whiterun, or a closer hold if you'd like."

"That sounds like an… amicable arrangement."

"It's settled then. I'll be back eventually," she said, beginning to stand up and readying to move outside his tent. "For now, rest well and take care of yourself."

"I will," he responded with as much energy as he could muster. "See you another time."

"Until next time, Derkeethus," she bid farewell. With that, Stel stood up outside of his tent and left. With her exit, he was left with his own thoughts and his worries. The overwhelming exhaustion and otherwise lack of interest in moving would make falling asleep far easier.

Contemplation would be due at a later date, but that was for him to worry about whenever. It was time for him to take respite in the reversal of his circumstances. A wonderful and restful sleep is what would hopefully follow as his eyes shut, the world around him gladly fading from his mind.

This took a little longer than I would've liked to finally put out, but at least I have a presentable chapter! Hopefully presentable anyway. I'll be working on the next chapter and getting it out when I feel like it :)