Woooo. I felt like writing with these idiots again. I've realised that Eli is quite like Vilkas in personality and I have a feeling that this is going to train wreck soon but as they say "It'll all work out in the end". I know where I want this story to go at least, unlike 'Erase and Rewrite' which was basically off the top of my head for each chapter I wrote. So enjoy this next chapter of our favourite dragonborn Khajiit and Companion.
Chapter 4;
The rest of the tomb was quite easy, despite the floor turning to flames and frostbite spiders attempting to kill them. Finally they reached the main chamber. Vilkas paused to take in the view before him as serpent like statues rose from the water on either side. Eli paid them no mind and sprinted down the path to the coffin at the end of the walk way. Vilkas was brought back to reality when Eli screamed in frustration and threw a crumpled up note on the ground. She stomped on it a few times in her fury before Vilkas reached her.
"What's wrong?"
"It's gone! That stupid horn is gone! Some idiot has taken it!" She cried picking up the note and shoving it in his face.
"Dragonborn, I need to speak with you urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood and I'll meet you. A friend." Vilkas read aloud looking confused. He flicked the note over checking the other side before noticing Eli had already fled through the door beyond the coffin.
"Hey wait!" He called, going after the woman. He stood at the door way, watching her rummage through the chest in the small room. She pulled out a coin purse and threw them at him.
"Here, for your help. Now go, follow the passage and it will lead you back outside." Vilkas caught the coins easily, but didn't move.
"I should go back with you; they will wonder why I have returned alone."
"Vilkas..." Eli's voice sounded tired. She stood up and turned to face him. "Go back to Whiterun, Eli will return once she has sorted things out."
Eli then turned and continued her rummage through the chest. Vilkas looked at Eli once more before he dropped the coins back in the open chest.
"I don't take coin from Khajiit." He sneered as he practically stormed out past her. Once he had left, Eli deflated, sinking to her knees. He was such a difficult man to get along with. One minute he hated her, the next he was actually trying to be nice to her. But Eli knew, it was always better to keep him at arm's length, let him hate her and scorn her. It was best for everyone. Vilkas, having stormed outside to the late afternoon air, began to collect his things from the chest after forcefully breaking into it seeing as Eli had locked it earlier on.
He threw his roll over his shoulder and was just making his way out from the tomb when he heard, distantly, someone approaching. Hurriedly he hid behind the rise of the tomb out of sight. The woman's scent was unfamiliar and it made him nervous as it was mingled heavily with blood. Then Eli's scent appeared from the tomb.
"Sister!" Eli cried as she emerged from the tomb. "Gabriella what on Nirn are you doing here?"
The Dunmer threw back her head and laughed.
"Why I'm here for you dear sister, Astrid said you'd be out here. I had a contract nearby and thought I'd come pick you up. I even brought you your newest contract." She pulled out a slip of paper from her bag and handed it to Eli. Eli opened it and read it through.
"Windhelm huh?"
"And as a matter of fact, I need to visit there myself. I have a carriage waiting in Morthal if you want to come with me."
"That would be great." Eli said with a grin as she stuffed the paper away in her pocket. "But Eli has a question first; did you see a nord on your way up here? He is tanned with dark hair and war paint around his eyes and wearing wolf armour."
"No, I'm afraid not, why?"
"He was helping Eli out but Eli thinks she offended him."
"Ah men, I'm afraid dear sister we'll never understand them. Now come, the carriage driver won't wait forever." Gabriella motioned her and they started off down the way together, chattering idly.
Vilkas waited until their voices had faded completely before he rose from his hiding spot. He didn't know what had compelled him to hide but now he knew there was something off about Eli. Hurriedly he grabbed his things and hurried back down towards Morthal. By the time he got there, Eli had vanished along with her friend. Somehow, as he walked along the road, he managed to hitchhike with another travelling band heading for Ivarstead. According to their driver they were planning to climb the seven thousand steps to High Hrothgar. Vilkas could only wish them luck and thank them once they dropped him off at the crossroad that would lead him towards Windhelm. Upon arriving at Windhelm he questioned the nearby Khajiit caravan, who informed him that Eli had joined them for a while earlier before heading up the path leading into the mountains beside Windhelm. Vilkas followed the path, crossing across a bridge to find himself at a small woodmill. That was when her scent his is nose again. She was close by, very close by. Following the path up past the mill he finally spotted her.
Vilkas dropped down behind the rock before peering around the side. Eli had yet to notice him as she walked up to the man wandering around the small campsite beside the river. She walked up to the man, a dagger appearing in her hand. From where he hid, he couldn't hear the conversation going on between them. And then Eli raised the knife and struck the man across the chest. Vilkas covered his mouth to stop himself from shouting out. The man tried to scramble away, but Eli grabbed him by the hair and dragged him back before ending his life completely with a quick slice across the throat. Eli let the body drop to the ground before she wiped her knife on the mans shirt. Vilkas sat there for a moment in shock. And then the scent of someone new crossed his nose.
"Eli!" Vilkas shouted, finally revealing himself, but it was too late. The bowstring resonated with a twang. Thankfully Eli had turned at Vilkas's yell and the arrow only struck her shoulder. Eli let out a shriek of pain and hit the ground. Vilkas charged at the offender, shield first, knocking them over as they let loose another arrow, which just missed Eli. He turned to find Eli, but she was already fleeing across the river and up the steep bank on the other side. Vilkas was about to chase after her, but the groaning sounds of the man he'd bowled over reached him. He looked down at the dunmer as he picked himself up.
"What was that for?" He asked, looking at Vilkas. "I almost had her."
"Why were you shooting at her?" Vilkas questioned, holding his shield up, in case the man decided to turn on him.
"I'm a bounty hunter from Morrowind. That Khajiit is a wanted woman." The dunmer pulled out a roll of paper and handed it to Vilkas. He took it and opened it and read the contents aloud.
"Wanted dead or alive for murder and thievery in both Morrowind and Cryodiil. Reward 80,000 septims." Vilkas blinked down at the paper. "This can't be right..."
"Afraid so, and I was so close to catching her. Took me months to track her down to Skyrim, never thought she would flee here of all places."
"Are there many people like you after her?"
"Sure, the entire imperial army wants her head on a pike and most of Morrowind wants her dead, killing her would be doing the world a favour."
Vilkas handed the dunmer back the wanted poster.
After having made her escape up the bank, Eli had climbed furiously for another few minutes, heading up to the dwarven ruins near the top of the mountain. She didn't dare get to close while injured though. She found a small closed off space where the wind and snow had a harder time reaching her between a stone wall and a few big rocks on the ground, and sat down to assess herself. She pulled her armor back off. The arrow had pierced through her chain and almost all the way through her shoulder. She touched the arrow lightly, flinching under the pain it sent through her shoulder. Biting down hard she gripped the arrow tightly and tugged it hard. The arrow head came free of her shoulder, tearing through some of the muscle, which caused her to cry out softly. Blood dripped down off the wound onto her armor.
Eli threw down the arrow down and focused hard on her hand. It was hard to do through the pain but she managed to create a spark on her hand which she quickly pressed to her shoulder. She was for once glad she had taken time to learn some healing magic. As the pain lessened she took her hand away. The blood had stopped for now, but the wound was still open and the muscles had half joined back together. She didn't have enough energy to continue healing herself and all her potions were at back at Jorrvaskr. She sighed and leaned back against the wall. Without knowing, Eli slipped into the darkness.
When Eli next woke, she woke to the sounds of a cart trudging along a cobbled path and for a moment she feared that she was heading for Helgen once again. However at raising her head, she found that she was laying down and Vilkas was sitting across from her.
"Ah your awake." Vilkas said as she sat up, absently rubbing at her shoulder. She was surprised to find it bandaged properly.
"Where are we?" Eli asked, glancing around.
"We're about to head through Riverwood. We just passed Helgan. It was a mess, everything burnt down."
"Eli was there." Eli said, turning to look at Vilkas. "Eli was there the day the dragon burnt Helgan to the ground."
"Really?"
"Yes. She barely escaped with her life."
"Why did you want my brother to go with you?" Vilkas suddenly asked, looking at the woman. Eli didn't answer and simply turned her head away. Vilkas's anger suddenly rose.
"I should have left you to rot there, you're wanted in both Morrowind and Cyrodiil for murder and thievery. I knew you couldn't be trusted!"
"Then why did you save Eli! You had every reason to leave her but you came after her! Why?" Eli demanded, turning on him suddenly.
"Because...because you were injuried and I wasn't having your death on my conscious. But believe me, you'll be facing both the Jarl and Kodlak as soon as we return to Whiterun."
Eli hissed, standing up suddenly. Vilkas watched her.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Eli will meet you back at Whiterun." She stated before she leapt off the back of the cart and landed on the ground. Before Vilkas could follow after her, she escaped into the underbrush and vanished from sight.
"Damn woman." He growled, returning to his seat and crossing his arms firmly.