A/N: Guys, I am SO sorry about how long it's been since the last update! As I've mentioned to some of you, I pre-write my chapters and have a schedule of when they need to be posted so I can keep posting if I get writer's block, but that doesn't save me from the doom of being without internet. We moved at the end of July and only just today - less than an hour ago - got internet. I'll post a few chapters over the course of today to make up for my absence until we're back to our regular schedule. I'm so sorry about that - I hope you guys weren't too worried, I know I did get a couple messages asking if everything was alright. And now, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado...more TSD!
Leola remained in the inn with Svari until Aventus and Erith arrived back in Windhelm. The two came and joined the girls at the table, both beaming as if they knew something that Leola didn't – of course, they weren't yet at liberty to say so in front of Svari, so they instead left the blonde curiously wondering what they had found out at the College.
Aventus was friendlier with Svari than Leola had expected, but she could sense the awkwardness from Svari. A glance exchanged between herself and Erith confirmed that her lover could see it too – all but Aventus, it seemed, could see how much the brunette adored him.
Svari had finally decided to retire for the night, heading to one of the inn's rooms and leaving Leola alone with the two. Erith smirked slightly.
"Someone's got the hots for our assassin," she said with a giggle.
"What?" asked Aventus, looking at her in surprise.
"Couldn't you see it? She's so into you," said the brunette.
"She even told me so herself," Leola said in a soft voice. Though she was sure she shouldn't be saying so, she was amazed that Aventus hadn't seen it.
"No, she's just a nice girl," protested Aventus, and Erith laughed.
"A nice girl who's in love with you," she said with a grin.
"Svari works at the inn that my Minette runs, Erith," said Aventus, frowning at the Breton. "That's all it is."
"Actually, Aventus, when I asked her if she was married or anything like that, she told me that the man she loved – whom she later admitted was you - was already with someone," Leola said. "So no, that's not all it is."
Aventus went quiet, and Erith leapt on the opportunity.
"You'll never believe what we found," she said with a grin.
"Tell me," Leola said quickly.
Erith fumbled around in her bag, pulling out the large map they'd been using to mark down the locations of the Daedric shrines. There was a large red mark in the upper left-hand corner, just West of Solitude.
"That's the statue of Meridia," she said softly, grinning. "That's where we take the soul gem to be reforged."
Leola nodded, grinning. "That's wonderful," she said.
"And Aventus's courier came to Winterhold," Erith said with a laugh. "So we also have Vaermina, Azura, and Mehrunes Dagon." As she said each name, she pointed to some black dots on the map – all relatively close, too. For Vaermina, she pointed at a dot near Dawnstar, and for Azura, she pointed just below Winterhold, north of Windhelm. Mehrunes Dagon's shrine was the furthest, located just near Morthal, and Leola nodded.
"Fantastic," she said softly. "I got Sanguine's piece of the soul gem while you were gone today."
Erith's eyes went wide. "How?" she exclaimed, and Leola giggled.
"I sat down and had a drink with him, and he gave me his piece and said he would go see if he could get Sheogorath's too," she replied.
"Where did you find him?" asked Aventus in a low voice.
"It's Sam," she replied softly. "The drunk I've seen around town. He's actually Sanguine."
Aventus's dark eyes went wide. "So I saw you talking to a Daedric prince?" he asked, and Leola nodded.
"Yes," she said softly. "He said he'd send for me once he was ready to give me Sheogorath's piece, and to drink that drink he gave me if I didn't hear from him in two weeks."
"What if you intended to drink it later this week?" Aventus asked teasingly, and Leola giggled.
"Believe me, I didn't," she replied softly.
"Why was he so willing to help?" Erith asked, frowning slightly.
"I don't know," Leola said with a shrug. "He likes me, I guess. I'm going to take his staff with me if I hear from him, so I can return it to him."
"Good idea," said Aventus. "I think that thing summons Daedras."
"Not something we want lying around," Erith said.
"Who are we still missing?" Leola asked softly.
"I have a list," Erith said, pulling out another scrap of paper. It was a list of names, with a handful crossed off. "Peryite, Clavicus Vile, Namira, Mephala, Hircine, Sheogorath, Hermaeus Mora…your father said we didn't need to worry about Nocturnal because he already had her piece and there was no artifact…"
"And we have to go to Solstheim to visit Hermaeus Mora," Aventus said.
"I can speak to Mephala with the sword in Hjerim," said Leola softly. "Not that I want to do that again, of course, but it may be necessary."
Erith nodded. "It may be," she said. "I don't want to be there for that."
Leola felt her cheeks heat up. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
"No, don't worry about it," said Erith, reaching over and taking Leola's hand.
"I think I'm going to head home," Aventus said with a smile. "We got a lot done today. Meet back here in the morning?"
"Sounds like a plan," Leola said, leaning over for a quick side hug before Aventus stood up and left the two girls alone.
"Should we head back to the palace? It's pretty dark outside," Erith said softly, and Leola gave a nod.
"Absolutely," she replied.
The two girls made their way relatively quickly to the palace, talking about nothing in particular on the way there. Upon entering, the first thing they saw was Ulfric, lounging on his throne as usual.
"Leola," he said, standing as the girls came in.
"Father," she replied, smiling.
"And Erith," he added quickly. "Welcome."
"Thank you," said the Breton softly.
"How did you get this gem fragment?" Ulfric asked, holding out his hand. It was still sitting in his palm, as if he hadn't put it anywhere the entire time Leola had been gone.
"Sanguine gave it to me today," she replied softly. "He's going to see if he can get Sheogorath's piece for me, too."
"What's the catch?" Ulfric asked, frowning, but Leola shook her head.
"There isn't one. He just expects me to sit down and have a drink with him. I had one today."
"You've never had a drink," Ulfric said, raising an eyebrow.
"I had my first one today. With Sanguine."
Ulfric smiled, reaching over and placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "That's my girl," he said, and Leola giggled softly.
"Erith and Aventus got the locations of a handful of shrines for us," she said softly. "We'll talk in the morning though, we're going to bed."
"Of course," said Ulfric, leaning forward and kissing her forehead gently. "I love you, Leola."
Leola smiled, her blue eyes shining as she gazed up at the large man before her, the man who ruled over Skyrim, the man she could finally call her father. It was everything she had wanted, even without her mother in the picture. She still had this man to look up to and love, a man who would protect her and adore her unconditionally. "I love you too," she said in a soft voice.