Brelyna POV
Sleeping arrangements were a lot more complex than anything else, it was getting late and Brelyna was starting to get tired. It had become clear now that while she needed sleep, who would watch the woman who 'might' be Kayci?
It's not like she could ask one of the other students or teachers as they would immediately know something was up, but she also couldn't let the monster be out of sight or it might run away. She considered locking it in the wardrobe again just for the night, but she had made a promise not to do that to it again, and she intended not to break said promise.
The woman pretending to be Kayci knew it too, and just like her wanted to find a valid option on what to do, she definitely didn't want to go back into her little wooden box, it was degrading and dark. She also didn't particularly want to run away either, even if Brelyna didn't know it was her Kayci still loved the Dunmer and wanted to be with her.
Plus she knew she would be hunted down within days, her injuries meant she could barely fight, and the muscle damage pretty much meant her running skills were ruined, walking was fine though, but not the sort of thing for a fast getaway.
Brelyna sighed after finally coming up with a viable plan, although it definitely wasn't what she would've wanted, "Okay, that's it, I've got something. Get in my bed now."
Kayci blinked, "Are you sure? I thought you didn't want to have sex with me 'an imposter' as you put it."
"I don't which is why we're not going to shag. No, we're both going to sleep in the same bed and I am going to keep my hands on you at all times so I know you're not going anywhere," Brelyna finished, before seeing Kayci smile and start to open her mouth, "If you make a sexual joke right now it's the wardrobe."
The Tsaesci immediately shut her mouth at the stern response, and nodded in reply,before hopping into the bed cheerfully. And being followed by a reluctant Elf, who awkwardly shuffled in next to her, wrapping her arms around Kayci.
"You are aware I could kill you so easily in this position right?" Kayci asked her, wanting to check if her girlfriend was scared or not.
"No, I was not," the Dunmer bit, making to get up, only to be pulled down again by Kayci.
"Please don't get up, I promise I won't bite. Besides, I know if I do bite you, I'd be killed by magic before it takes effect," Kayci explained, causing the Dark Elf to growl and lie down again, holding her in a way that kept her head away, not wanting to take any precautions.
As the two settled in, and Brelyna had finally got into a comfortable position that still trapped the other womans arms the Elf started to wonder about whether this really was a fake Kayci. It did make sense to be honest, but in the end it could only really be proved by Resh's word, so she was still waiting on that.
The Courier had been sent out by the start of the day and had assured her that he could get to High Hrothgar before the sun went down. Brelyna thought that was a little too quick to be true, but then remembered how much Couriers trained for their jobs by running nonstop and having no sleep, so the Dunmer was positive that she would get a response by mid afternoon the next day.
If not then obviously Resh wasn't verifying the monster was Kayci and she would have to kill it, she just hoped for the creatures sake, it would just give the information about Kayci she wanted when that happened. She really didn't want to kill this seemingly innocent snake monster thing. It seemed so soft wrapped around her vice-like grip, not able to go anywhere.
Resh POV
"We would be there by now if you had let me keep carrying you," Resh started as they trudged through the snow at a snails pace, only to be immediately snapped at by an irritated Lydia.
"There is no way I'm letting you near me in that weird snake form again, you tried to eat me!" she yelled, not really angry or scared, but still fairly annoyed.
"Oh come on, take a joke," he smirked, only to be glared at in response, maybe he had taken it a little too far.
"You put my entire leg inside your dislocated snake mouth!" she yelled, pushing him away as he walked over baring teeth. He immediately laughed at the reaction, it was fun being scary to people, and needless to say it was a little bit of a turn on to be considered so frightening.
"I wouldn't have really eaten you," he replied, trying to not just reassure her but also poke a bit of fun, "You had all your clothes on, do you have any idea how much that would hurt?"
Lydia wasn't really very reaffirmed by that, "So you're saying had you a chance to get my clothes off you would have carried on and actually eaten me?"
"No, of course not, you have my child inside you! I'd have to kill you, and it, to be able to eat you, neither of those I want. " the Tsaesci replied in horror, before putting on a more seductive voice and adding, "Besides, if you were naked there would be several other things I would want to do to you."
"You sure?" the Nord asked, looking slightly worried, "The way Brelyna's letter looked it seemed you didn't really like me that way."
Sighing Resh felt the conversation nearing a road he'd rather not turn, "In fairness you haven't exactly been very… welcoming recently, and it leaves me not having a good time."
"How about this? you and I leave it a few days before we get to the College, set up camp, and I'll convince you not to leave me there for the next half year?" Lydia told him, not wanting to walk any longer than they had already, considering they were a good six hours away.
Resh grinned, "If this is how you solve all of your problems I'm definitely going to have to rethink some things."
Brelyna POV
Brelyna awoke to find that the woman she had slept holding was not only still asleep, but actively rubbing up against her as well, the Dunmer would have thought of it as funny had the creature not been slightly moistening her leg in the didn't want that disgusting thing getting off on her.
Shaking it away the Elf came close to laughing as it jumped away in fright hitting the bedside table, just a Kayci would have done… Brelyna had to admit, the two did seem very similar, especially as the monster, or Tsaesci as the letter it wrote said, had shifted back into its mimicry form.
"Did you get a letter yet?" it asked immediately, probably trying to cover up the embarrassment from being caught in the act.
"I literally just woke up, but no courier knocked for me, so I'm guessing no. If he doesn't get back by the late afternoon you're really going to want to start telling me the truth," she muttered, opening her wardrobe to get her robes out. There was an alteration class today so she picked the ones enchanted to make that kind of magic more effective, the was no way she would let J'Zargo show her up again.
Kayci started to look anxious, but tried to remain upbeat, "I'm sure it'll be here soon also you might want to be careful opening that wardro-"
The Elf didn't listen in time and threw the doors all the way open, and much to her surprise two leathery eggs rolled out at her feet, it took a few moments before she said anything, "You laid eggs in my wardrobe…?"
"Well yeah… I kind of had to, and there was no where else to do it so I had no choice," she explained weakly, not really knowing what to say to the very troubled looking Dark Elf. She was unsure whether or not Brelyna would snap.
After a few more moments of silence Kayci finally spoke up, "If it helps they're unfertilised eggs, a lay them about once every couple of months, usually I just hide them in a bush or something and just leave them… or make omelettes."
Sighing a massive sigh in relief Brelyna collected up eggs and made to hand them to her, "You are aware that if you had just lied and told me they might hatch I would tried to find a way to not kill you?"
The Tsaesci looked horrified she hadn't realised that, "They are fertilised!" she corrected in a high pitched tone as the Elf pulled the eggs away, "They could hatch any day now, I need to start building a nest and wrapping it my coils. Now hand them back over I need to… look after them."
Looking at her dubiously Brelyna no longer believed her at all, her rushed speaking had given her away, "You're lying, it's obvious, these have nothing in them at all. I can use my magic to check anyway so there isn't any point."
"Fine," Kayci muttered, realising that if the Elf didn't believe the truth about who she was there was no way she was going to believe a lie about some eggs, "Would you really have spared me if they were going to hatch?"
"Yes, of course I would," she told her, "I'm not going to kill a soon to be mother who would need to care for her children. I want to find the truth about Kayci, but not enough to end the life of two babies as well."
"If it helps I might actually be a mother anyway. I wasn't aware until a few decades ago, but it turns out it takes weeks before something actually starts to grow in the eggs, so half the 'slug' eggs I thought I was having might have actually been fertilised," she murmured, honestly hoping none of her eggs had hatched, thinking about potential offspring starving to death uncared for wasn't really something she liked. Fortunately without constant care the eggs should with any luck dried out or been eaten before growing anything.
"That doesn't count though, that's not now, and you're already not caring for them so it isn't my fault," the Elf replied sternly, before putting on a light hearted voice at the sullen look on the other womans face and trying to cheer her up, although not really knowing why considering what would happen in about eight hours. "Were you really being serious about making omelettes?"
"Oh yeah, they're actually pretty good. It was actually Resh's idea once he realised that I had just been leaving them around, he said it was very 'sloppy that I left evidence of our existence everywhere', so that was the alternative," she explained happily, suddenly smiling again even considering all her upcoming problems, "I actually suggested selling the eggs but he didn't like that idea, somehow despite the vast amounts of money they would be worth he still called me an idiot. He's probably right but I don't really see how."
"Probably because it would alert people to your existence in this made up world of yours with Resh?" Brelyna suggested, wondering if the woman was insane and actually believed this nonsense she was making up about Resh.
Thinking about it for a few moments Kayci nodded, "That sounds likely to be true. But still, considering each is probably about 20,000 septims if you find the right kind of buyer I'm surprised he cared. It's practically one of a kind in Tamriel."
Brelyna's eyebrows shot up when she heard the staggering numbers, "What?! really? you are aware these could pretty much pay for my College fee's and buy me a house?!"
"That's a bit greedy don't you think? that would be really bad for the rest of my kind if you did that," Kayci said, although she didn't think it got through to her as the Elf started to store the eggs in one of her chests for safety.
"I have a new deal for you 'woman pretending to be Kayci', you supply me with a constant stream of these eggs and I'll let you live, although I still want you to tell me Kayci's whereabouts," Brelyna explained to her, if the woman agreed not only would she get Kayci back but she would also be set for life, she could be rich.
"No," the Tsaesci bluntly replied, almost as soon as she was asked.
Brelyna blinked, "Why not? it sounds like the perfect solution for all our problems."
"You'd make me nothing more than a machine for your profits!" she argued, horrified at the suggestion, "And I know if I agree I wouldn't get much of a say. I've done many things for money, been a mercenary, a prostitute, and actor, a bard, the list goes, on. But I always had a say, and was always in control of what I did because I wanted to and the money was for me! if you make me a breeder for your own selfish desires I have no freedom like I did before, no say, and nothing I earn is rightfully mine! I'd rather be dead than kept as a slave!"
"Fine then!" the Elf snapped in a huff, "I guess we'll just have to wait a while to grant your wish."
Resh POV
"Okay, I admit, that was a fun night." Resh told his Nord lover while pulling on his clothing, "Thank you for trying to make it up to me, it means a lot to me that you still care about me. But we really need to get to the College, we should have been there by now."
Lydia smiled at him, "They're not expecting us to be there, I'm sure we can wait a while before leaving, nothing bad will happen."
"I'm sure you're right he agreed, but I said I would get there, and I would feel a lot better if we did," Resh pressed, chucking Lydia her own clothes too and rolling up the bedroll they had shared.
"Fine," she muttered, but didn't express her agitation any further, last night had almost been perfect and she didn't want her hormones to ruin it. After getting changed she added, "You're definitely carrying me though, I don't want to have to walk for another few days and get tired again."
"Sure, it's the only way we'll get there a decent time anyway," he said, pleased with her reasonableness and picking her up and holding her bridal style, "We might even get there in the middle of the day when Brelyna has free periods instead of lectures and lessons."
7 Hours Later
It had taken slightly longer than expected but they were there, at last, and out of that damn blizzard. Unfortunately it was already nearing late afternoon so they might not have time to meet Brelyna before her classes start. At least Kayci would be fine though, to the best of his knowledge she didn't do anything but sit around and wait for her lover to get back. So the other Tsaesci should be glad to see him.
From the looks of it there must have been a class going on or something as the courtyard was suspiciously empty, almost as if the entire College had gathered in one place for some unknown reason.
Nevertheless Resh strutted into the halls Brelyna stayed only to be shocked with the sight he beheld. Kayci seemed to be clinging onto the stone wall with all her might as her lover pulled on her leg as hard as possible as if trying to remove her.
Resh was about to leave thinking he had walked in on some sexual thing he shouldn't have until he started hearing Kayci shout things like 'Please don't kill me!' and 'I am Kayci!'. That didn't sound like roleplaying at all, so he stepped into view, to try and find a way to sort whatever the problem was out.
Brelyna spotted him first, "Resh! you're here, help me grab this thing. There is this giant snake monster pretending to be Kayci but it won't tell me where the real Kayci is. I'm taking it to be vivisected by the rest of the College in the main building now but it just won't budge!"
"Let her go!" he shouted immediately at the sight, slapping Brelyna's wrist so she dropped the woman, who immediately ran behind her and Lydia.
she tried to argue but was cut off. "But she's a-"
"I know! I'm one too! didn't she tell you that?" he yelled, he could only imagine the trauma his friend had gone through at the risk of death from her lover.
"You are?! I thought she was lying!" the Elf cried, not knowing what to think any more.
"I can't believe you were going to kill your girlfriend just because of ignorance! you should be ashamed, I'm so glad I got here when I did or who knows what could have happened," Resh growled, not even wanting to look at the Elf any more. So focused in his anger he didn't notice the throat clear from the door.
"I think I'll take things from here," a certain Thalmor announced standing behind them , holding out a piece of parchment and followed by several fully armed soldiers, "Elenwen has ordered the immediate arrest of one 'Kayci Raka', now if you hand her over we all make it out of her alive…"