By the time she reached the stretch of road that went around Skingrad, Tala made a point to venture off halfway and head straight into the woods. She didn't want to spend time winding around the roads when she knew she could make a straight bee line to home from a certain location and make it there before sunset. Obviously with the decision of heading into the forest comes the risk of encountering wildlife, but luckily on this particular afternoon the worst she dealt with had been two black bears. When she approached the valley where the horses were corralled, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had been worth fending off a few ursids to make it home before the day was through.
After she removed all of Lily's tack, Tala turned the mare loose with the other horses and carried the saddle and gear up the hill to the back of the house where they kept the tack shed beside the cellar. She meticulously placed each piece back where it belonged before she slung her backpack full of supplies over her shoulder and headed around to the front of the house. Upon rounding the corner, she instantly caught sight of Guilbert tending to the crops. He noticed her as quickly as she noticed him and made a point to wipe the dirt from his hands and leave the garden to welcome her home.
"You took the short way." He happily said as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I did. I wanted to be home before dark." She replied, squeezing him tight for a brief moment before motioning him to follow her inside.
From there, Tala instantly went up to their room and wasted no time in changing out of her armor and back into her Warlock outfit for comfort. As she slipped into the dress, she couldn't help but notice how quiet the house seemed. "I take it Marten is with Reynald?" Tala asked as she grabbed her armor pieces and wandered past the chimney to place them in an empty corner.
"He's with Baurus, actually." Guilbert replied. "He took Marten to his lessons today."
Ah. Right. The lessons with Jauffre. Those started up last fall. Anytime Tala was home from her studies at the University, she and Guilbert both made sure they took the time to educate Marten on how to read, write, and perform basic mathematics. She also taught him about the Nine Divines in the same loving way her mother had taught her while Guilbert showed him the basics of tending to a farm. But about a year ago, Jauffre suggested that he started offering lessons to Marten to teach him about Cyrodiilic History. While Guilbert thought it was a good idea, Tala was convinced this was just Jauffre's excuse to check on Marten from time to time, just as he said he used to do for Martin when he was growing up. Though Jauffre checked on Martin for Uriel's sake. She couldn't understand why he'd want to check on Marten's progress since no one of royal stature knew of his existence. But she still still admitted the offer of the tutoring was a good way for her son to get away from the homestead from time to time and learn new things. So twice a week Marten would visit Weynon Priory to get those lessons. Given how smart and inquisitive he could be at times, she and Guilbert considered sending him off to the Imperial City to get a proper education when he was older. But for now, the basic lessons were working out.
"So if Baurus is with Marten, I'm guessing Roliand and Jena are off with their significant others?"
Guilbert nodded. "Roliand took Eyja into town to enjoy each other's company. Jena's also in Chorrol with Reynald and Amal. Sounds like when Baurus and Roliand leave in a few days, she might be staying behind this time so she can take it easy."
Tala couldn't help but smile a little. Two years after Marten was born, Jena and Reynald welcomed their own baby boy into the world. She ended up giving her son the name Tala originally had for Marten prior to his birth since she had liked the name so much. Even though Jena laughed at the notion of being married or having a child of her own someday- thinking her life would never be able to accommodate them in her life- it was funny how the Gods proved her wrong and gave her a husband, a son, and now another baby on the way... all while still being a member of the Blades.
"So you've been here by your lonesome?" She asked.
Guilbert smiled and softly chucked at her question. "Yes, but by choice. I wanted to get some work done around here while the day was still pleasant. Everyone said they'd be back later this afternoon, so I figured I'd get the chores done before they returned and then I could relax for the evening. It's nice that you came home before they did... means you and I can enjoy some time to ourselves."
'Time to ourselves, huh?' It was then that Tala had a devious thought. She suddenly straightened her spine and flashed a coy smile as she walked over to him- making a point to exaggerate the swing of her hips- and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You and I? Alone with no interruptions?" She said in a low and seductive tone.
Guilbert slowly bared a charming smirk as he placed his hands on her waist. "I know. I don't think we've had that in a while."
Tala let a soft, complacent hum rumble in her throat as she closed her eyes and brought her face closer to his neck. "Not since I came back from the University while Marten was at his lessons and Eyja went to town for errands." She then softly chuckled before adding, "Otherwise, unscheduled alone time with you is almost impossible when other people live in the house with us."
"Hey, at least Marten has his own space now."
"At the bottom of the stairs." Tala retorted as she pulled away to look at him. "Even though we put up a wall with a door to give us all a little privacy, we still have to sneak by him when we want to go downstairs. And Eyja's room is underneath us. Plus the walls and floors are not sound proof. People can still hear."
"Well," Guilbert softly said as he leaned in close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek, "People aren't here now. You thinking you want to take advantage of the opportunity while we have it?"
Rather than verbally reply, Tala simply closed her eyes and leaned in for a kiss. The two of them just relished the touch of each other for a minute or two before Tala broke away to pull him over towards and down into the bed. There was another bout of passionate kissing and murmurs of pleasure before Guilbert stopped to slip his shirt off while Tala started removing her dress. But as he started to help her, they both heard the door downstairs slam just a little loudly. Both of them then froze with wide eyes and held breaths as they listened for any commotion to indicate who was here.
Initially there was muffled shuffling of steps, but then they instantly heard Marten's voice as he happily shouted, "Mom, you're back! ...Mama?"
The two of them dejectedly sighed. So much for uninterrupted time together. Guilbert then scurried to his feet to close the door in order to keep the boy from running into the room and accidentally seeing something he shouldn't. As he did so, Tala slowly slipped out of bed and pulled her dress back up around her shoulders before wandering over to her dresser to grab the overcoat that came with the outfit.
"Sorry." Tala softly and sheepishly said.
Guilbert leaned against the door and adjusted the waistband of his pants while he sighed and let a nervous smile start to form in the corner of his mouth. "You get used to it I guess. Like you said: other people live here too. Too bad they're home early though." He quietly responded with an equally quiet laugh at the end.
She then grabbed his shirt off of the floor and brought it to him. As he took it, she leaned against him to give him a quick kiss. "I still enjoyed the moment while it lasted." She whispered with a giggle.
The two of them felt the door shutter as someone tried to open it, though with Guilbert's whole weight pressed against it, the door couldn't truly swing open. There was then a quiet knock on the door followed by Marten's voice. "Dad? I saw Lily in the pen. Is Mom home?"
"She is, pal." Guilbert replied. "She's just... getting comfortable after her trip. Give her a minute."
"Oh. Okay!" Came an upbeat reply before they both heard faded footsteps heading downstairs and his muffled voice talking to someone, most likely Baurus.
From there, they both finished getting dressed and meandered their way down to the dining area. They found Baurus sitting at the table with his undivided attention on Marten, whom was sitting next to him. The boy was very carefully trying to drink something; from the steam emanating from the cup's surface, it was clear that he was attempting to drink tea and Baurus was hyper-vigilant in making sure Marten didn't spill or otherwise burn himself doing so. After Tala watched her son take some successful sips and set the cup down, she felt it was safe to make her presence known.
"Got some tea, did we?" Tala asked.
Baurus's gaze flicked away from Marten to her and replied, "Yeah he asked me for some. I found some water in a pitcher and a pot to boil it in. Hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. So, how's Jauffre these days? I haven't been to the Priory in quite some time."
"He seems to be doing well. Not much to report other than he's living out his days as a full-fledged monk."
Marten turned in his chair to grin jovially at his mother and added, "After my lesson today, Eronor let me help take care of the horses before we left."
"Well you do so well with our horses, so I'm sure it was no trouble for you, huh?" Tala said as she approached and gently ruffled Marten's blond hair as he nodded in agreement.
"Hey Mom," Marten started as he slid out of his chair and excitedly took a hold of her hands, "A courier came by yesterday and gave Uncle Reynald an order from a shop in Kvatch! Can we be the ones to go take it to them?"
Tala's pleasant smile slightly faltered. After all these years of traveling around the province, her journeys haven't led her back to Kvatch since the Oblivion Crisis days. The idea of checking out the city after so long was appealing. But when she looked down at those hopeful little eyes and that big wide grin, a part of her felt a tinge of worry at the idea of taking Marten with her for this delivery run.
'Would the long-time citizens of Kvatch make a connection?' She thought.
"Can we, please?" She heard Marten beg as he lightly swung his arms, causing her arms to do the same.
"Your Mother just got back." Baurus suddenly spoke up. "She probably wants to just rest for a little while. Your uncle will most likely take care of it."
Marten glanced over his shoulder to look at the Redguard for a moment before he looked back at Tala with a sad look in his sapphire eyes. "Okay... I understand." He dolefully said. "If... if Uncle Reynald gets another order in the next few days... can we go take that one instead?"
The look of disappointment practically broke her heart. She knew how much he liked accompanying her on delivering herb orders. It was a chance for them to bond, especially since Tala was absent most of the time with either her Arcane studies or Fighters Guild contracts. Normally she could say no and make the promise for the next trip, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to say 'no' on this one just because she was paranoid.
"Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go and make this run." Tala decided to say.
Marten's eyes lit up to the point where she swore she could see his eyes actually sparkling and shining like sunny waters on a clear day. "Really?!" When Tala smiled and nodded, he bounced twice with excitement. "Thank you! Thank you! Do you think we'll have time to stop and see Sinderion on the way there?"
"Pretty sure. We'll probably have to stop there and rest for the night."
"Really? Yay! Should I go pack for the trip?"
"If you want fresh clothes and any items you feel you might need, then yes."
Instantly Marten let go of her hands and jogged up the stairs, leaving the adults to themselves. Once they heard his footsteps go silent, Baurus was the first to speak.
"You sure you want to take him to Kvatch of all places?" The Blade cautiously asked.
"I don't know how sure I am about it." Tala replied. "But I've gotten pretty good at touting the whole story these days without anyone showing signs of doubt. I think I'll be fine. Besides, I've always wanted to see the city after they rebuilt it."
"That, and if you take him with you, he would be out of the house and away from Hackdirt for a few days." Guilbert commented as he went to sit in the chair Marten was in and proceeded to drink the tea he left behind.
"That's another good reason." Tala concurred. "I can spend time with him and keep him out of harm's way for a little while. Though I still worry about you and Eyja."
"We'll be fine." Guilbert softly assured her. "Roliand bunks here with Eyja in her room like always, so we've got an extra guard should anything happen at night. Baurus is here with us first thing in the morning. Jena and Reynald are usually here tending to the herbs during the day. I am not completely defenseless nor alone should danger arise. And if Marten's with you, it means I do not have to worry about his safety if in the event anyone over in Hackdirt does try anything. Again, they haven't so far, so we'll be alright."
Tala let out a quick sigh. "Alright. I trust you. As soon as I'm done with this run to Kvatch, I'll be back... and this time, I'm staying for a while. No trips to other cities, and no Fighters Guild contracts that take me away from home for too long. I'm taking a break, I swear."
"I know. I trust you." Her husband sweetly said.
"Speaking of Fighters Guild contracts," Baurus started, "Guilbert said you got called away mysteriously for one to Anvil? What was that about?"
Tala dropped her shoulders and exhaustingly rolled her eyes at the thought of it all. "A scholar that studied Daedra worship knew that I was a member of the Guild, so she put out the contract for me specifically. Azzan- the head of the Guild there- kept it a secret because he knew about the issues we've been having with another organization stealing contracts from us. He didn't want word to get out that this woman put down a hefty chunk of coin to get this contract and have it stolen from the Guild. But basically, she did it so she could hire the Champion of Cyrodiil to be her bodyguard while she rummaged around an abandoned Daedric shrine."
Baurus let out a short laugh. "Well, it looks like your Champion title keeps you busy."
Tala scoffed. "I hate it. Anytime someone wants me for help because I'm the famous 'Champion of Cyrodiil', it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Most of those people think I helped slay Mehrunes Dagon and therefore my title means I'm some overly-powerful warrior... and it's not true."
"Eh, most people don't know what actually happened that day." Baurus reasoned. "All they know is what Ocato said... and the rumors that spread from the witnesses."
"I know. It's just frustrating for me when people do that. The townspeople in Anvil even volunteered me for a pilgrimage because of that title and it just made me more depressed than honored. I tried to let everyone down easy without coming off as contemptuous, but they all still walked away looking at me awkwardly."
Baurus raised a curious eyebrow. "Pilgrimage? What kind of pilgrimage?"
Tala's face went slack for a moment before she realized she needed to give them context. "I should... probably backtrack my steps a little." She then went around the table to take an empty seat as she explained. "When I returned to Anvil after completing my contract, sometime between when I returned to the Guild that night and as I was leaving that morning, the Chapel of Dibella was attacked. Everyone in there had been brutally murdered."
"By the Nine..." Guilbert exhaled under this breath. "Who did it?"
"No one knew. The guards didn't see or hear anything. There was a Prophet ranting to the townsfolk about how this was the work of an undead Ayleid king... that based on the writings left behind in the Chapel, it was fulfilling the prophecy of his return. Stories supposedly told of a worthy knight chosen by the Gods who would come forth and vanquish this king for good using something known as the Crusader's Relics. I was in the crowd listening to him, and the other people standing there recognized me. Most of them seemed to think that because I'm the Champion of Cyrodiil, that meant I was a worthy knight willing to take that task. I told everyone I wasn't, and I left. Well... I left right after a brief talk with the Prophet after he watched my interaction with the crowd."
"What did he have to say about it?" Guilbert asked.
Tala clasped her hands together and gently rested them on the table. As she fixated on her fingers in thought, she softly replied, "For reasons I've yet to understand, he seemed to find my humility a sign that I might be what the Gods were looking for. He gave me a map that marked at least one wayshrine for each Divine and told me to walk the Pilgrim's Way and find out for myself."
"Walk the Pilgrim's Way?" Baurus asked, the tone in his voice clearly suggesting that he knew what that meant. "Huh. That's interesting..."
"You know about it?" Tala perplexingly asked.
"Well, most knights know about taking pilgrimages to seek penance from the Gods for any wrongdoings." Baurus explained. "And obviously people of faith become Pilgrims when seeking guidance from the Gods. But this is the first I've heard about the pilgrimage being a part of questing for ancient relics. So you're thinking about going on this pilgrimage then?"
Tala merely shrugged with indifference. "I didn't want to do one more thing that kept me from returning home. Besides, I don't think the Gods would consider me their worthy knight. They already picked me as their catalyst for Tamriel's salvation against the Daedra. I doubt they'd choose me again for this Divine crusade. I'm not that special."
"Perhaps... or perhaps not." Guilbert responded. "Perhaps if you did take this pilgrimage, they would give you a sign to tell you where you're meant to be."
Tala finally took her gaze away from her hands to look at him. "That's basically what the Prophet told me. But the Gods would have to give me another sign if they really want me to walk this path. I want to stay closer to home where I can be with my family. I can't just trek around Cyrodiil looking for nine wayshrines."
"Well, we do have three of them nearby, so you could always start there and see what happens."
Tala rapidly blinked, and each time she opened her eyes, their size grew a little bigger. "We have three wayshrines around here?!" She exclaimed. When Guilbert nodded, she added, "I mean, I knew about the one out near the pastures... based on the map the Prophet gave me, it looks to be a wayshrine to Dibella..."
"Actually, the one over by the paddocks is a wayshrine to Julianos." Guilbert corrected. "The wayshrine to Dibella is slightly northeast of Fort Carmala. And then there's a wayshrine to Kynareth a little northwest of Fort Dirich... it's actually about a ten-minute walk west of the Julianos wayshrine. I've found both while out hunting over the last couple of years. They're pretty worn down, but the alters there are still intact."
She then looked back down at her hands as she absorbed this new information. "There's... already three of the Nine close to home..." She quietly mumbled to herself. "That can't be coincidental..." 'Is this another sign?'
"Thinking about walking the Pilgrim's Way now?" Baurus said with a smirk.
Instantly Tala shook her head. "I... don't really know what to think right now. I've contemplated it a lot on and off as I returned home, but I still don't have an answer. I'm struggling to make a decision on what enchantment I should put on my katana for Talos's sake. How could I make a decision on this? I... I should probably leave it be for the time being. Like I said, I want to take a break and spend more time with my family right now."
Guilbert then leaned in and placed a hand over hers. "And no one's asking you to make that decision tonight. Just take the time you need to rest and relax like you wanted." When Tala brought her gaze back to him, he added, "Now, maybe you ought to check on Marten while I work on starting dinner?"
Her eyes then darted up towards the ceiling for a moment before slowly getting out of her chair. "Yeah, he's awfully quiet up there. I'll go make sure he's not over-packing for the trip and then I'll help you. I should also probably talk to Reynald about being the one to make the order run so he doesn't have to prepare for it."
"He'll be out in the morning to put the herbs together." Guilbert interjected. "You can talk to him about it then. Just let it all go for tonight and enjoy our company. You've earned it."
Tala warmly smiled and nodded as she gently turned her hand palm-up so she could weave her fingers into his. Guilbert was always so patient with her, and was really good at being supportive of her decisions as well as being her voice of reason when she needed it. And she appreciated him greatly for that.
Once he realized the conversation came to its natural end, Baurus rose from his chair and started a new topic. "Now that Tala's home, I should probably make my way back to Weynon Priory for the night." he said as he stretched his arms up and then rotated his shoulders.
"You don't want to stay for dinner?" Tala said.
"It's not that I don't want to. Everyone at the Priory just offered me a seat for dinner with them tonight. Plus, Marten and I had a busy afternoon with running errands for the old monks and helping out around the place after his lessons. I feel like retiring early for the night. Roliand and Eyja should be back soon, so I know you guys are covered."
"Alright. Well we'll see you in the morning then." Tala then stood up from her own seat and showed him out of the house. Once they were past the garden, she made a point to add, "By the way, thank you for being the one to take Marten to his lessons today."
"My pleasure." Baurus replied. "He's growing up to be a good kid. You and Guilbert are doing well in raising him."
"Thanks. I hope Jauffre feels the same."
"I think he does. Anyway, I'll let you get to enjoying your evening. I'll head back before it gets too dark." Baurus then gave her a slight courteous bow and took his leave onto the worn-down trail leading back to the main road.
After bidding Baurus a good night, Roliand and Eyja returned to the house about twenty minutes later. They both welcomed Tala back home and asked about her trip, to which she had to explain her story all over again during dinner preparations. She found it interesting that both of them were also encouraging of her to give the pilgrimage a chance and see what happens. Another sign that she should be going for it? Tala still wasn't sure. And with how late it was, she just didn't want to think about it anymore. She was taking Guilbert's advice and just letting it be for now. There's always tomorrow to mull it all over.
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A/N 1-5-22: Hello everyone. Apologies for the delay in release of this chapter. It hasn't been easy for me lately. Between the Seasonal Affective Disorder, the already existing stress in my life, and I lost my dog on Christmas Eve, I'm very rapidly loosing my creative edge in my attempt to stay stable in other aspects of my life. I haven't drawn any new art or worked on any new chapters (and I'm now catching up to my bulk of chapters that are considered "completed"). I always proofread chapters before I post them in hopes that I catch a typo or I'm needing to make a few tweaks, but I haven't been able to do that until today. But if I rush myself, I know I'm going to screw up somewhere and people will notice and get frustrated (and I don't know if I could handle any negative feedback that may arise from that). So before I just quit altogether from the pressure, I just need time to pull myself out of my depression and get back into a writing/drawing state. Even though this story is intended to be for fun and be a form of catharsis, I do not want to ruin it with poor writing. I've already had a few feedback comments that- while I appreciate the feedback so that I can make improvements and/or changes- I'm getting nervous about posting new chapters in the state I'm in right now because I'm concerned that I'm somehow screwing things up. So I'm sure a few of you will be disappointed that I won't be posting next month, but I need that time to get re-centered and get out of my Writer's Block. If I come out of this funk sooner than expected, I will post a new chapter in February. But for now, I'm playing it safe based on how I'm coping emotionally.
Thank you all for being patient with me. Hoped you enjoyed the chapter even though it was a rather boring one. At this point, I'm relaying the groundwork of where Tala's relationships are with her friends, family, and herself. For those looking for some action to return, I promise it will soon!