"In a daze, in the throes of emotion;you see God in the Devil's eyes. T

hen you fall so far from grace, you wouldn't know a kiss If it was on your face. Y

ou can tell it to the jury, but you ain't got no case."

-Aerosmith

"Ria, for the last time," Vilkas said impatiently, "you have to brace yourself properly. Work on your footing. You have to get the footwork if you're going to have this big heavy weight swinging around your upper body."

"I'm trying Vilkas, really," Ria said. "Perhaps, I'm not starting right. Are my hips where they're supposed to be?"

Vilkas bit back a biting remark about her brains being the problem, not her hips and went through the stance with her once more. A courier came running up and Vilkas signed for Jorrvaskr's mail, before flipping through it. One, two, three, four letters from Cyréne?

Brand walked out onto the back porch just as Vilkas was turning a particularly thick letter over in his hands. "Anything for me?"

Vilkas frowned and handed him the letter, plus another one. "Yes, two letters, from the Arch-Mage."

Brand's face lit up and he tore into the first letter. He eased himself into a chair and put his feet up to read. Vilkas tried to ignore him, but Brand's barks of laughter and occasional murmurs of, "Honey, you're something else" grated on his nerves. He was about to say something when Brand opened the second letter and his demeanor changed abruptly. His feet came off the table and he stood up as he read, and then obviously re-read the letter.

"Gods damn it all!" he cursed. "I didn't think she'd really do it!" He stormed inside.

"What was that about?" Ria questioned.

"I'm not sure," Vilkas answered, "but, perhaps I should find out."

Ria shrugged. "Cyréne's probably just put him off again," she said innocently. "They apparently got to know each other quite well, before he came here."

"Did they?" Vilkas questioned.

She smiled at him. "From what I hear, but you know Cyréne . . . she always was . . . generous with her affections . . . at least that's what I hear," she added as his eyes narrowed.

"Who," Vilkas demanded, "says that about her?"

Ria gave him a strange look. "Well, you do, for starters." There was a flash of something almost frightening in his eyes and the Imperial stepped back.

Vilkas spoke to her in a low voice. "Cyréne and I had a fight. I had no right to say that to her and it isn't true. Do not let me hear you or anyone else speak of her that way again. Are we clear?"

Ria nodded wordlessly. Oh! I hate that honey-haired little BITCH! What has him so hung up on her?!

"Keep practicing," Vilkas said, and stalked off.

"I said no," Kalv thundered.

Cyréne crossed her arms and glared at him. "What right do you have to tell me no?"

They were sequestered in her quarters and had been arguing for the last half hour.

"This is my quest! My destiny! I have every right to tell you no!"

"This, is college business, to locate a missing scholar at a research outpost and I'm going."

"Like hell you are," he growled, advancing on her.

"Take your hands off me!" she demanded, "I am going on this mission with or without you!"

The dragon souls inside flared to life with fury, and Kalv's mind fogged. He slung her to the bed and followed her down. "I said no, Cyréne, and I meant it.".

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?" she spat as his hands gripped her shoulders.

He gave her a shake. "Trying to talk some sense into you!"

"Have you lost your gods damned mind?!" she yelled. "Stop it! STOP!"

His mouth covered hers, drowning out her cries of protest and he pinned her hands above her head with one of his. She struggled against him and his mind pushed back against the rage of the dragon souls inside. His touch became gentle again and he drew back, panicked.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry. I'd never hurt you, I swear I wouldn't. I'm sorry I got angry."

She whimpered slightly and turned away from him. He closed his eyes, cursing the gods. "Are you alright, sweetheart? I'll never forgive myself if I've hurt you. Tell me you're alright."

"I'm alright," she whispered.

He ducked his head to look at her. "Smile for me sweetheart. I need to see you smile."

She pouted at him, radiating much more hurt than she felt.

"Please forgive me, Cyrene. I'm sorry," he insisted.

She sniffed and looked away, "Take me with you."

The next day she was seated in front of him on Frost as they made their way down the steep embankment under the college. They were headed toward the ice fields to find Septimus Signus's outpost. Cyréne sat as still as possible, but the whipping wind had her shivering against him before they even reached the bottom. He cursed and pulled her closer to his armored chest.

"Sweetheart, you're freezing! This is why I didn't want to bring you; I want you to be safe and warm somewhere, not out in this weather."

"Well, why didn't you let me wear full armor then?" she chattered.

"Because you don't look like my sweet little Sweetroll in full armor, and two fully armored people is a lot for Frost to carry – hold on, I have a bear pelt in my bag." Kalv pulled the pelt out of his bag and turned her sideways in the saddle in front of him, wrapping it around her.

She sighed in contentment and leaned into him. "Here hero, let me help, please."

"Now, that was very sweet," he said kissing her forehead. "How would you like to help?"

She smiled meekly up at him. "Well, I can conjure two very strong familiars that can take down any wildlife on our way."

He grinned. "Show me!"

She conjured Apollo and Janus and smiled as he nodded in approval.

"Good," he said with a grin, "now I can cuddle you all the way there . . . if we can find it."

Cyréne leaned up and kissed him. "Oh hero, of course we'll find it. Just follow the trail."

"What trail?"

Cyréne raised a hand and cast. A bright trail of magic appeared before them and he laughed out loud. "You're perfect! Don't ever change."

A while later Kalv looked down with a frown. "The trail is gone, Sweet."

"I know," she said tiredly. "It takes a lot of energy, just . . . there's a restore magic potion in my bag. That's all I need."

Finally, they saw a wooden door and a lantern ahead. Kalv smiled down at her. "I would have been out here for days, Sweetheart – you're wonderful. Now let's see what this hermit has to say."

Kalv dismounted and helped her down. He opened the hatch and climbed down the ladder. She followed him, only to be plucked from the ladder when she was halfway down and hugged against him. "I can't wait to get you home, Sweetheart," he whispered.

They found Septimus working on a large Dwemer Box. After inquiring about the Elder Scroll, Kalv was ready to crack his skull in a matter of minutes.

"Can you help me find an Elder Scroll or not?" Kalv sighed.

"One block lifts the other. Septimus will give what you want, but you must give something in return."

Kalv growled and pushed Cyréne behind him. "What do you want, old man?"

Cyréne put her hand on Kalv's arm and stepped to the side with Septimus. She returned to him a moment later and handed him two objects.

"What are these?" he asked with a frown.

"An Attunement Sphere and a Blank Lexicon," she answered. "We have to use them to get to the scroll. Septimus doesn't care about the scroll itself; he just wants the knowledge put onto that Lexicon so that he can get this box open."

"What's the sphere for?"

"It plays some sort of music when it's placed in a receptacle in a city – at least that's what I got from the conversation. The music opens doors within the ruins so that we can get to the scroll."

Kalv sighed, "Well, I'm not a fan of Dwemer anything, but it could be worse."

Cyréne looked up at him with worried eyes. "Kalv," she started, "I know you aren't going to want me to go, but it is worse. Listen to me, please—"

He cut her off her words with a kiss. "I will listen, Sweetheart, I promise. Let's get out of here, alright? As soon as we get back to a warm bed, I'll listen to anything you have to say."

She nodded up at him and they headed for the entrance.

Later that night, as she lay wrapped in his arms, Cyréne told him about Blackreach. "From what little I've read, it's huge – like, really huge. If my very rough calculations are correct it runs beneath three ruins and crosses over three different holds."

Kalv frowned. "This is no simple errand then, is it?"

She shook her head. "No, this is very dangerous. I'm sure you've been through ruins before, but this . . . it could take weeks just to traverse. And there are no maps . . . and it could be pitch black."

Kalv's jaw clenched. "Lost in the darkness," he muttered.

Cyréne sat up and leaned over him. She dropped kisses on his face until she reached his lips and then coaxed his mouth open under hers.

He groaned and rolled her onto her back. "Sweetheart . . . I need you."

She kept her voice soft and sweet. "Kalv? My hero?"

He smiled down at her. "Yes, sweet?"

"I know what it's like to go into something like this unprepared, and to lose someone because of it. If you take Lydia on this mission, you'll lead her, and possibly yourself to death. Take me with you, my hero – let me light the way, let me be there when you need me."

"Cyréne . . . Sweetheart, it's so dangerous. How can I justify risking your life that way?"

"A dragon could swoop from the sky and burn me where I stand, bandits could attack, and anything could happen while you're gone . . ."

"What are you saying, Sweetheart?" he said with a worried look.

"What I'm asking, my hero is if there is anyplace I'd be more protected than at your side?"

He looked at her for a moment and then closed his eyes and smiled with a shake of his head. "I knew you had me wrapped around your finger, but Sweetheart . . . . That was quite possibly the sweetest thing you've ever said." He kissed her gently and moved to lie by her side. He pulled her close and breathed into her hair. "You really give me no choice," he said after a while.

"So you'll take me with you?"

"Yes. What do we need to do to prepare?"

"Well, I have to go to Whiterun. The Harbinger has summoned me. I'm due there no later than the day after tomorrow. I think that you should take some time to heal to your full strength. We'll also need to gather supplies, and I need to get the correct weapons and armor."

"Alright, Sweetheart – I heard there's been some trouble along the roads – wolves or something. I didn't see anything on the way here, but I came around the other side of the mountains. I want you to travel home with me."

She smiled against him. "I'd like that," she whispered. "I feel safer already." Please, please, please try to fuck with me while the Dragonborn is escorting me home you Silver Hand bastards! She thought with a smirk.

Kalv pulled her closer and smiled. "You are."