"I do not know how you talked me into this." Faranirr said as he swiped away some of the spiderwebs that hung from the damp walls of the crypt. The Dragonborn walked ahead of him wielding a torch and a drawn Daedric dagger. She moved cautiously, like she mistrusted each crack on the walls or each skitter that came from another corner of the room.
"I didn't. You agreed to be my companion and that was the end of it." She said.
"Do you even know where we're going? I swear we've passed that candle three times already." Faranirr said.
"I know what I'm doing!" The Dragonborn exclaimed as she took out her map and held it sideways. Faranirr scoffed, it seemed like she was just wandering around and hoping for the best. It occurred to him this was how the Dragonborn typically went about her daily life. She had no particular purpose or goal in mind, and whatever wandered across her path- that was interesting enough to pursue- she pursued with reckless abandon. Faranirr wondered what sort of life she must've had prior to this moment to have twisted her so. He didn't realize until she stopped and he crashed into her that she'd been asking him something.
"Sweet Moon Sugar, at least give me some warning before you become a wall!" Faranirr exclaimed as he rubbed his now sore chest. While he'd been thrown backwards, the Dargonborn remained standing, staring down at him as he got to his feet.
"As I was saying, do you see that?" She asked, rolling the map to point to a necklace perched appealingly on a stone wall. It was almost impossible to miss.
"Of course I see it."
"Go get it." She ordered.
"What? Are you insane?! That is obviously a trap!"
"Or it's just a necklace sitting in a convenient area with candle light positioned on it accidentally." The Dragonborn said.
"If it were any more of a trap, it would need a sign and Mikael the Bard singing about it." Faranirr said.
The Dragonborn tilted her head in a way that indicated her eyes were rolling underneath the malevolent helmet. "Of course I know it's a trap, but between the two of us, you're far less important."
Faranirr could feel his mouth drop open but summon no response to the heavily armored warrior. Instead he walked towards the amulet, muttering a series of curses at the Dragonborn that would make even the most hardened Nord warrior blush. He moodily grabbed the necklace from its pedestal and glared at the trap door that fell behind him, trapping him in the small hall. The Dragonborn snorted as she tapped the iron bars. "What do you know? It was definitely a trap." She said. The old man- who Faranirr had learned was called Tolfdir- ran towards the closed door with a look of genuine panic in his eyes.
"Oh dear, it seems you've gotten yourself trapped. See if that amulet can help you." He said before running away to find another path to Faranirr, muttering something about safety. The Dragonborn crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "FIEM ZII GRON." She shouted. Instead of decimating the door like Faranirr expected the shout to, the Dragonborn simply turned a shade of light blue and became transparent. She passed through the bars with ease and materialized a few short seconds later. Faranirr pinched the bridge of his nose as he struggled not to shout. "Why did you not come in here, take the amulet, and escape that way instead of trapping us both here?" He asked.
The Dragonborn looked at him, then the door, then back at Faranirr. "You know, that's actually a pretty good idea." She said.
Faranirr gave a hiss in agitation as the Dragonborn pushed passed him towards an area where the wall was cracked. "We should go this way." He noted that the wall was glittering with a magical energy, but said nothing as the Dragonborn placed a hand on it. "Feels like it'll give way with enough force." She grunted. He watched as she pulled a fist back and punched it with enough force to send a powerful 'boom' through the small space, but not to crack the wall. She dropped her fist from it, cradling it as though she was hurt.
"No good. Any ideas?" She asked Faranirr. He frowned at ther and crossed his arms haughtily. "What?" She asked.
"Tell me I matter." He said. The Dragonborn scoffed.
"Is this some sort of game for you, cat?"
"No. Tell me I matter- and mean it- and I will tell you how to break this wall." He said.
"This is ridiculous!" She said, throwing her hands up.
Faranirr sat on the ground, taking out a steel dagger and a piece of wood to whittle a bear figurine. "What is ridiculous is that I have been traveling with you for the last three weeks, made you a cloak, and you still do not consider me of value to you. Tell me I mean something to you!" He said, pointing the knife at the Dragonborn.
"What if I just forced you to tell me?" The Dragonborn asked as she drew close to him, her voice taking on a very dangerous edge.
Faranirr shrugged. "I do not fear death, Dragonborn." He said. She scoffed and moved away from him. This was far from the truth- Faranirr had a liking for living that he liked to maintain- but for the sake of convincing the Dragonborn, he would have to stand his ground.
She sighed and faced him. "Faranirr," She began, she sounded as though she was forcing the words through clenched teeth, but Faranirr looked up at her.
"Yes, Dragonborn?" He asked.
"I think you matter to me even when it does not seem like it. I appreciate all you do and would appreciate you more if you told me how to get through this wall." She said. Faranirr leapt to his feet- pocketing the unfinished figurine and the dagger. "The wall glows with magical energy. Only by being attacked by some form of similar magical energy will it shatter."
The Dragonborn tapped her helmet thoughtfully as she considered Faranirr and the wall once again. "Give me the amulet." She ordered. Faranirr passed her the amulet and watched as she wrapped it around her fist. It glowed as she clenched it and pulled back. When the Dragonborn punched the wall again, it shattered under her fist. The Dragonborn took the necklace off of her fist and passed it back to Faranirr as she looked in the newly formed hole.
"We should get moving." She said.
"You know there will be a problem you can't punch your way out of one day, right?" Faranirr asked.
"Today is not that day." The Dragonborn said somewhat proudly as she took out a torch and proceeded into the dark hole. Faranirr followed with a sigh.