Chapter Four: On the Road Again

Hulgar was on his third bottle of mead by the time Anjaarra finally walked into the meadery. He didn't say much as she walked over, he only took a swig from the almost empty bottle and stared at her. She was holding two packs full of supplies and a look of seriousness and … Sadness? Regret, maybe? Regret for what, the Nord couldn't figure out. She dropped a pack on the small table in front of Hulgar.

"Ready?" She asked him quietly, her voicing cracking only slightly. It was sadness, he decided as he took a final swig from his bottle and nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He dropped the bottle onto the table and scooped up the pack, standing up. He tossed a few septims onto the table to pay for the tab and slipped his arms through the pack. Anjaarra watched him quietly for a few seconds before walking away to the door. Hulgar walked close behind her, keeping his voice low as he talked to her.

"We have to get some weapons but not from this blacksmith." He told her, walking through the threshold of the Black-Briar Meadery and closing the door behind them. Anjaarra looked back at him, giving him a questioning look. "The Thalmor track all records of sold goods, especially weapons. If they find out that I bought some things here in Whiterun, they'll be on us quicker than ever before."

"Then where will we get the weapons?" She asked him, walking over to the road's edge. Hulgar walked up beside her and started walking down the road, away from the acropolis of Whiterun. The Khajiit stared at him somewhat confused before quickly following behind him. She could glance a smug grin on his face as they approached two different stone bridges. One lead across the river towards High Hrothgar and the other headed north. But Hulgar didn't follow either; he turned down a road to his right that headed south towards Riverwood. The path had been somewhat covered by brush and rocks from the recent rain that Anjaarra hadn't noticed the road.

"I have a friend in Riverwood who'll give me a few supplies, free of charge." The Nord told her as they slowly walking uphill. "We can also get a horse while we're there. My friend will make sure to cover our tracks." The cat-woman nodded her head as she walked a few steps behind him. A few birds chirped in the evergreens that stood guard on either side of the road, her orange eyes glancing at them. She had forgotten how beautiful nature was as she followed the man. The last time she had really gone outside and witnessed the beauty of nature was when S'Baadar was… Her mind stopped at the thought of her late husband, tears quickly welling up in her eyes.

No, she thought to herself, I must stay strong. His death was a year ago and it wasn't my fault. It wasn't… She looked down at the ground, stepping around a few rocks that jutted out of the dirt. Hulgar had noticed her quiet manner but made no notion to break the silence. He knew that she was probably upset with ruining her life but it wasn't his fault that the Thalmor had found him… And her…

They both traveled up the road quietly for almost an hour and the sun was starting to dip below the mountains. They had been traveling alongside a river for a good leg of that hour and the forest just seemed to get thicker as they walked. But down the river, they could see a village. Its watermill was spinning at a moderate speed in the lazy river water. Lights were glowing warmly in windows as the pair neared the town.

"We can lay down for the night here at my friend's home. I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing her home with us." Hulgar said to his companion. Her ears perked up at the sound of his friend being a girl. She hadn't thought that a woman would be stashing weapons for fugitives, but then, if the woman was a Nord, it wouldn't have surprised Anjaarra.

"Will she let me into her home?" The Khajiit asked, noticing Hulgar's look of confusion before realization hit him a second later. His plum eyes looked at her before he answered quietly, almost hesitantly.

"I'm sure she will…" Even though the quake in his voice didn't reassure her at all. She tried not to sigh as they continued their trek to the small village, the town growing closer and closer with each meter they crossed.

The remainder of their walk was in silence, the sun dipping behind the mountain range and the moons replacing it. The Khajiit fell back a few paces, looking up at them as they grew brighter on the fringes of the sky. Her pupils widened slightly as the moons allowed their bright light to wash over her mottled brown fur. She loved the feeling of the moons' warmth and light on her fur, her bright orange eyes closing as she lifted up her face towards the sky. A soft purr resonated from her throat as her tail flicked behind in clear pleasure and comfort. Hulgar paused a few paces ahead of her, looking back to see what was holding back the cat-woman. He smiled slightly at her, the look of total bliss etched into her face. The moonlight actually seemed to enhance her beauty and she…

What am I doing?! His thoughts shouted at him as the Nord realized that he was ogling the cat. He quickly shook his head off any thoughts that he had of her, quickly turning away and starting down the path again. Anjaarra heard his feet thunder down the path, her eyes shooting open and staring at his retreating back. She was confused for a moment before she quickly walked after him, the trees thinning out even more as they neared the thin walls the hamlet.

The wooden gates were wide open but two guards were posted at the gate. They nodded at Anjaarra and Hulgar as they passed by them; a few buildings were placed on either side. The blacksmith was to their left, along with the watermill a few meters beyond that. A few side roads stretched out from the main road, small homes and private gardens adorning the side streets. An inn stood at the end of the street next to the gates at the far end of the road. Staying close behind the Nord, Anjaarra followed him down a thin dirt path to a house at the far back of the village. It seemed to be on the foot of the mountain the village sat next to, half of the building slanted with the slope.

"Stay here for a minute." Hulgar said to her. Anjaarra nodded once before the Nord walked up to the house. He knocked softly on the door, waiting a half second before knocking three times fast. The door seemed to open immediately, a figure standing in the doorway. Anjaarra perked up her ears to try and hear what the two were saying but she had no luck with that. She watched the dark figure and the Nord talk for a several minutes before he returned to Anjaarra with a look of disapproval.

"Gro-Gluk said that she'd take us in for the night, but you have to sleep in the wine cellar." Hulgar told Anjaarra. Her entire body seemed to droop at the thought of sleeping in a damp cellar that was probably infested with gods-know-what. But she didn't see much of a choice and it's not like the innkeeper on the main street would even let her sleep in the building, or at least not for the normal price that is.

"Okay…" She said quietly to him. It was only then she realized that Hulgar's female friend had an Orcish name. She opened her mouth to say something about it but Hulgar was already nodding his head like he had read her thought.

"Yes, she is an Orc." He told her, keeping his voice low. "She used to be a blacksmith for the Stormcloacks during the war. But now, she helps out any old soldiers who needs a blade or a bed to sleep in." The Nord explained to her, watching as the Khajiit nodded slowly in understanding.

"Okay. Does she have food?" Anjaarra asked, her ears perked up and soft smile tweaking her lips at the thought of a warm meal in her belly. The Nord saw this and he nodded but there wasn't a smile on his face.

"For me, yes…" He told her and paused, but Anjaarra knew what he meant. Her smile quickly dropped from her face and her gaze lowered down to the ground. Hulgar held back a sigh as another pang of pity filled his heart. There wasn't anything that he could do to convince Gro-Gluk to make better arrangements for the Khajiit woman.

"I'm not that hungry, anyways…" Anjaarra said, flicking her ears when her stomach growls at the lie. Hulgar pretended not to notice it as he nodded solemnly and turned back to the Orc in the doorway. After a few exchanged words, the Orc moved aside and waved the odd pair inside. The Nord quickly did with the Khajiit hesitantly following behind him.

"You go to the cellar." The Orc said in a gruff voice that sounded like gravel on stone. Her green hand was pointing at a trap door in the corner. Anjaarra only nodded once and quietly walked over to the door, her tail hung low. It only took her a few seconds to open the door and climb down into the basement. She heard the door close above her and a lock fall into place. She sighed again, holding back tears as her eyes adjusted to the dark.

There wasn't much that she could see down in the cellar. There were a few barrels of maybe old food or ingredients. There was a musty pile of hay stacked to one side while a large ale drum sat opposite of it. A rickety wooden table sat beside the drum with a most likely broken chair next to it. Some hospitality, Anjaarra thought sadly as she walked over to the chair and carefully sat down, thankful that it didn't break apart under her light form.

Above her, Gro-Gluk was putting some fresh venison stew into a wooden bowl. Hulgar watched the Orc from the large dining table across the room. He was sipping from a metal tankard that was filled to the brim with some hearty ale. A smile had played at the corners of his mouth as he drank down several gulps before slamming down the tankard with a burp of satisfaction.

"More ale, Hulgar?" The Orc asked, her voice softer towards the Nord man. She placed down the bowl in front of him and set down a spoon next to it. Hulgar nodded, quickly taking up the spoon and shoveling the still hot stew into his mouth. Gro-Gluk grinned slightly before taking the tankard and walking over to a small ale drum.

"So, how'd they catch you?" She asked, glancing back at the Nord over her shoulder. He shoveled in a hunk of venison into his mouth, chewing it over before speaking.

"We had a mole," Hulgar started, swallowing the meat in his mouth before continuing. "It was some pawn of the Thalmor who had been selling info to them. They knew about our little group and almost everyone who's in it." He told her with a serious look. Gro-Gluk turned to face him and returned the look. She started to open her mouth but Hulgar only nodded at her unasked question. "Yes, they know where you are too. And you should get out of here while you still have the chance.

"They don't know where everyone is but they know where all the safe houses are." Hulgar continued, glaring at the table in frustration before looking back up at the Orc. "You probably have a few days before a whole army of them sweep this town over for you. You're best bet would be to leave town after we do."

Gro-Gluk didn't say anything at first. She only finished topping off the rest of the tankard before setting it back onto the table. Though it was seconds later, she gave one strong nod and walked away to a small room, pulling a curtain to cover the doorway. Hulgar stared at the curtain for a moment before sighing. He finished his stew in silence and drank the rest of his ale before standing up and walking over to a small bed that was shoved in a corner. The Nord sat down on the straw filled mattress before lying back and staring up at the ceiling. Thoughts of what he was going to do about the pressing issue of the Thalmor clouded around his dark plum eyes. In an attempt to push them away, he closed his eyes and wished for a sleep which would take almost hours to receive.