Chapter XXXIII – Busted

In the end, Bishop and Aeyrin spent five days at that hidden chapel.

It was a strange place for them to stay that long. At least in Chorrol, they had the city to explore and hang around. And they had some recuperating to do. Here, it was just… boring. Nothing happened at the chapel or around it, but it was still kind of nice. Aeyrin was glad to be able to spend so much time with Therien and Bishop had a reassuring surprise one night as well.

He went much further north for his hunt that night and he finally got lucky. He followed some wolf tracks, but those only led him to a pup that attacked him instantly. But an hour after that, a familiar form jumped him and toppled him to the ground.

From then on, he was able to spend his nights with his friend again.

Despite the news Aeyrin got, it was a somewhat cathartic stay for the both of them. And enjoyable, despite the lack of excitement. But five days of doing nothing was more than enough. It was soon time to leave again.

Bishop had told Aeyrin that he knew about Therien, and surprisingly enough, she wasn't mad. She was glad her old master was the one to tell her, though she was a little sad he didn't tell her back in Chorrol. But she still understood.

Their next destination was Riften. Only to resupply and to see Raven.

And after that, they were set to travel all across the province to Solitude. They had no immediate plans, but they still had one task to do that would take time. The Four Edges of Skyrim for their wedding. And the first step included getting a pearl from the Sea of Ghosts.

That was probably going to be an easy task in Solitude.

But for now, Riften was calling instead.

…

The city was looking well. Prosperous even. People seemed happy on the streets.

Maybe it was what Bishop and Aeyrin wanted to see. After all the mess with the Guild and Karliah, they wanted this place to just… stay calm and drama-free already. It was about time the Skyrim underworld actually operated with the people in mind instead of just trying to be intimidating. Brynjolf should be a good man for the job.

The two of them headed into the Bee and Barb first to get a room for the night, then the markets followed. They stocked up on what little they needed and Aeyrin headed over to the alchemist to get the tinctures. She made sure to supply herself for a long time into the future. But… she was going to think about their talk. She really was. Just a bit later.

The day went smoothly. Riften really seemed calm. And so, there was not much more for them to do than to go visit Raven. If he was home.

They walked together to Honeyside and Aeyrin knocked on the door.

Nothing. There weren't any lights lit inside either, but then again, the sun was still shining.

She knocked again, this time more loudly, and they waited. Once more there was no sound of footsteps, but they noticed someone moving behind the window. And soon enough, the door swung open.

Raven looked… different. His dark untamed hair that often hid a lot of his face was tied in a ponytail, exposing the brass earrings decorating his left ear. His black clothes or armor were all replaced by an outfit with brown trousers and somewhat vibrant green shirt. He looked like a normal person, a commoner, not like someone mysteriously charming with thousands of secrets hidden in his head.

Nobody would be able to call him a 'spy' looking like this. Maybe that was the point though. Maybe it was a new tactic. Or maybe he really did leave it all behind.

Raven's face lit up when he saw them. Well, Aeyrin, at least. His lips widened into a grin and he instantly spread his arms to greet her with a hug.

Aeyrin jumped into his embrace eagerly. They hadn't seen each other in ages. It was good to be here again, to be able to talk to him.

"I missed you," Aeyrin sighed contentedly in his arms, earning a brief pat on her back to signify accord. A moment later they broke the embrace and Raven placed his hand amicably on Bishop's shoulder with a brief smirk. That was definitely an improvement on their relationship. But then again, they did end it on a good note last time, as unbelievable as it seemed.

Raven soon gestured for them to follow him inside the house and they didn't need to be told twice.

The house looked a little different then they remembered too. Raven had a lot of equipment lying around, mostly for fishing. It was either a front or he was really fishing. He also pinned some fishes on mounts on the wall. Or maybe he bought those. They weren't sure. He did leave some flowers in for decoration, but surprisingly enough, it was all a bit simplistic and humble. They expected Raven to be the type to enjoy some lavishness and luxuries. Maybe he was just out of money though.

He gestured for them to sit by the dining table and they did while Raven walked over to a cupboard to pull out three bottles of mead and three tankards.

"So, this place seems lived in," Aeyrin smiled at him. "How are you doing here?"

"And what are you smuggling in those fishes?" Bishop laughed. That had to be it.

Raven gave them a small smile while he poured the mead before he could finally sit down too and pull out his notepad and sharpened charcoal to write.

.

No smuggling. Just fishing.

.

"Really? Why?" Bishop smirked and Raven was quick to respond right away.

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You said I could fish from the back balcony.

.

"That was a joke," Bishop laughed, leaving a bit of time for Raven to react. He did tell Raven he could pass his time here that way, but he wasn't really serious.

.

Well, I tried anyway. And I actually like it. It's so fucking relaxing. And I can sell the fish then. I got better contacts than those saps at the fishery anyway.

.

"Oh, you're using your contact for fish trade? I did not see that coming," Aeyrin gaped at him. His underworld contacts? Really?

.

Everyone needs food and the Guild buys a lot from me. Also pays me sometimes to hide stuff, but that's not important. They've been doing good. I've been doing good. Not with them, but here. I like it here.

.

"I'm glad you do, really. You look so… different," Aeyrin smiled at him. He did look different but not in a bad way. He just looked a lot more… normal. Was that a strange word to think? She wasn't sure how else to call it. He still had his charming smile and handsome face, but he could easily disappear into a crowd now.

.

It's been good for me, I think. To get away from it all, even if not entirely. They're still friends, you know?

.

"Yeah, of course. You can always do business with them without having to be in," Aeyrin nodded thoughtfully. That may have been the best way to do this, honestly.

"So things are good? Bryn's doing a good job of it?" Bishop pried. He was pretty sure he knew the answer to that, but he still wanted to ask. And it was kind of worrying to have to wait for Raven's long response.

.

Yeah. I talk to him often. The Guild loves him. I think he'll be good for the long haul. He even got some of Karliah's men to stick around and some of her contacts. He even returned the Key and said she was reunited with Gallus. I don't know if he knows or just assumes but he said it.

.

"That's… good. Good for her, at least," Bishop nodded. Even after all this, he wouldn't wish it on her to be separated from the one she had done all this for. The one she cared for the most.

"I'm glad they can be together," Aeyrin sighed. She still wasn't sure if she had forgiven Karliah, but nobody should be separated from the people they love by a vengeful Prince. Not even their zealous followers.

.

Me too. I know it was all shitty, but I still cared about her. She deserved good things.

.

"So, anyway," Bishop promptly changed the subject. That was enough about Karliah. Talking about her still made him uncomfortable. "You've just been fishing here and getting into the commoner life?"

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Kind of. And I've been doing some other stuff. Looking for some people I wanted to see. But I'm enjoying the quiet and peace.

.

That was nice to hear. And he really seemed to be making this place his home. And making money too. That was good.

.

What's new with the two of you?

.

That was a good question. Aeyrin was just getting ready to show him the ring, but before she could, Bishop eagerly grabbed her hand and presented it to Raven himself with a very smug and victorious smirk.

"Uhm… yeah, that happened," Aeyrin chuckled softly.

Raven took her hand from Bishop and examined the ring a bit. He gave Aeyrin a soft smile and a nod before he turned his attention to Bishop. For him, he had a deep scowl reserved, apparently. And he began scribbling with his free hand right away.

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You better not fuck up and treat he right.

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"Hey! Fuck off! I love her, I'm gonna treat her right," Bishop scoffed.

"Yeah, I don't think you need to worry about that," Aeyrin giggled and she nuzzled herself to Bishop's side in their seats.

Raven looked at the two of them a bit more as they sat there. And in a moment, he released Aeyrin's hand again with a small smile directed at the both of them, his other hand still on the notepad.

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I'm happy for you two. I really am.

.

"Thank you, Raven," Aeyrin beamed. "We're glad you're happy here too."

"So, you coming to the wedding or what?" Bishop snorted. He knew Aeyrin would want him there – they were good friends. And surprisingly enough, Bishop didn't mind him there either. Not anymore.

Raven's eyes went wide at the invitation coming from Bishop, but he nodded eagerly.

"It's gonna be on the eighteenth of Last Seed on Lake Ilinalta. We'll send everyone invite letters too, probably," Aeyrin smiled. "And… I guess you could invite some people from the Guild too. Like… Bryn." Bishop was pretty close to Brynjolf. It would be nice to have him there.

"Yeah. Bryn's good. Not the whole Guild though – it'll be on boats and shit, there won't be that much space. But Bryn and you… and I guess you can invite Sapphire." Bishop shrugged. He liked Sapphire and they've been through enough shit together. But that was probably it.

Raven nodded at them in accord. He seemed excited.

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Alright. Tell me the story. I know you want to. How did you get engaged? And do you want some food?

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"What do you have?" Bishop prodded and Raven wrote a short message in response.

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Fish.

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That… made sense.

"Alright. Food and we'll tell you everything," Aeyrin beamed in excitement. She really loved telling the story. It was perfect, even if it was an accident.

And spending their evening here with Raven sounded like a great idea.

…

The rest of their evening was pleasant, even despite the few quips that Bishop and Raven exchanged.

Now their insults suddenly never seemed malicious. They were friendly. Like brothers bickering. Not like Bishop and his other brothers, but maybe like Bishop and Jules. Or maybe a brother-in-law. That made sense. Jules and Raven had been quite serious after all, even if not married.

Raven and Bishop actually did talk about Jules that evening. Not for long, just one note. But Raven scratched his beard at one point and Bishop chuckled affectionately at how Jules used to do that. He and Raven then seemed to be lost in wistful thoughts before they both suddenly looked uncomfortable and Bishop changed the subject. Aeyrin still thought it was very sweet.

They only left Honeyside in the early morning hours, when it became really impossible to resist sleep. They said their goodbyes to Raven and headed over to the Bee and Barb to sleep. And the next day, it was time to head out again.

The journey all across Skyrim took a long time, as always. They avoided Whiterun Hold and Falkreath and took their familiar road – north through the Eastmarch Tundra, past Nightgate Inn where they stayed for the night, then around Dawnstar, resting in Morthal very briefly through the late night, and then to Haafingar at last. It was safer for them to rest in cities, probably. Although they weren't all that sure.

Though they could not go to Solitude just yet.

It was almost time again. Almost another full Secunda. And with the cure not yet in sight, they still needed to stay away from the city for three more nights.

But first, it was not a bad idea to stop by Dragon Bridge to see how Maro's hunt was going.

Unfortunately, that bore no more fruit. Maro said they were working on some things and he thanked them for the report of the old wizard assassin's attack and subsequent death in the Rift before their Falkreath 'adventure', but he had no new information.

So the two of them went to find a hiding place to camp at in a somewhat somber mood.

First they cleared a pond of mudcrabs, but it was too close to Dragon Bridge for Aeyrin to transform. Too dangerous. Then they thought they found a place in an abandoned destroyed house inhabited by two bandits, but after disposing of them, they realized how open the place was. And not too far from the roads. It wasn't ideal.

They passed the Steed Stone which had some pilgrims camping there – that was not going to be usable either. But then, finally, they found a place. An old crumbled abandoned tower, barely visible from anywhere and they could easily hide inside. It was perfect. There was an Imperial military fort right above it, filled with soldiers, but the tower was closed off from the view from up there.

Everything was going smoothly. Bishop couldn't convince Aeyrin to take her for another hunt. Not with the soldiers able to see them from above when they were outside the tower. She had a point. It was too dangerous. If the soldiers saw, they might just go on a hunt. Even if they had bigger concerns, they would surely not want a werewolf around their base.

So they set up a bit differently, with Aeyrin chained and hidden in the tower and Bishop camping right outside. He kept the door open so that he could talk to her and feed her and also rest with her. She stopped complaining about that one.

And she was so fucking comfortable.

He loved sleeping like this. He would have much preferred sleeping with her naked elven form in his arms, but this was great too. It was like resting on a huge stack of furs. She was a bit too warm for his liking though – he preferred the cold, but it was still great. Better than staying alone at a safe distance. That was just annoying.

Aeyrin told him about her talk with Kodlak and he was so fucking glad the old man said it too – she needed to accept this before she could get rid of it. And he was happy to see that she was really trying. She kept trying to notice the sharpened senses stuff and even though he knew she wanted to protest the first morning she woke up still in chains but with him lying on top of her, she held herself back. She knew it was helping her to know she still controlled herself with him so close.

Bishop was nervous for their first stay in the wilderness in one spot for more than one night. Especially after they had finally 'shown' themselves in Riften. The Brotherhood could always strike unexpectedly.

He made sure the traps were set up properly. He was constantly vigilant, when he wasn't sleeping in Aeyrin's fuzzy embrace, but nothing happened.

That was good. Maybe the Brotherhood left him alone already. They surely had other things to worry about with Maro after them.

If only.

But those were concerns for another night. Right now, he was just going to enjoy his last night this month sleeping on her like this. Not that he wasn't excited about sleeping with her when she turned back, but this was more rare.

He nuzzled his face into the fur of her stomach with a pleasant groan. They'd spent a nice night this way. He cooked some meat for her, he gave her her necklace back, he talked to her, first wondering if by any chance the wedding wouldn't coincide with the transformations, but luckily that was not gonna happen. The wedding was a few days after that. He had to take out her calendar to make sure, but yeah. He was never good with dates.

He didn't even know that the eighteenth was when they met. He had no memory of the date. He knew it was in Last Seed, he knew exactly how she looked, what she was wearing, ill-fitting as it was, what he noticed first about her, the first words they exchanged. But he had no fucking idea what the date it was or what day of the week it was.

He liked that she figured it out though. It was nice to have the wedding on the same day. Two years ago. Fuck. He could hardly believe that. Two years. They've known each other for two years and they've been together for the most of it every single day.

The most stressful, dangerous and nerve-racking two years of his life. And that was saying something.

Best fucking two years of his life.

He liked the idea of celebrating the wedding with their friends and Aeyrin's father-person and good food and drinks. It was gonna be a good day. But he could not wait for what came after. They should really do that honeymoon shit. They should really just lock themselves in the cottage and spend a whole fucking month there, naked, in bed, not seeing anyone or doing anything but fuck, drink and eat. That was the life.

Aeyrin let out a soft grumble from deep within her throat as she stirred a bit. It was almost dawn. Bishop could feel it behind his eyelids. He roused himself some time ago and just enjoyed this after a half of a good night's sleep, but he knew they would rest again for a bit after she turned back. Aeyrin used to be completely drained after the transformations. Now she was good with just two or three more hours of sleep. Though it may have been more because she slept in her wolfy form too, unlike before.

Bishop kept nuzzling into her fur contentedly in the serene morning scene. He could feel the rays of the near-summer sun on his cheek already. She would turn back soon. And this time he was awake for it. The past two nights, he wasn't and it was always a shocking wake-up. He practically fell on top of her, but she didn't seem to even notice. Well, this time he would spare her. He was awake, he might as well get off her and wait until she turned back. Then he could just remove the chains right away.

His eyes opened slowly, but suddenly, he noticed something.

There was a guy!

A fucking guy was crouching by one of the triggers to their traps and trying to disarm it.

Not just any guy. He had black heavy armor on, but he couldn't be heard, likely muffled. But Bishop recognized the armor instantly. Black with golden accents and a familiar symbol on the chest.

A Vigilant!

Fuck!

The man noticed Bishop looking at him promptly and he stopped tinkering with the tripwire. There was no bypassing it – Bishop had rigged it properly between trees into a Z shape to prevent going over or under. But it was more noticeable that way. At least that guy stopped trying to mess with it now though. He made a soothing gesture at Bishop with his hands.

"Shh, don't move. Or she'll wake up. I'll get you out of here," he whispered.

What?

What the fuck? What did he think? That a werewolf kidnapped Bishop and trapped the camp without even killing him or eating him, just to sleep next to him? Or did that guy think someone tricked Bishop to make camp with them and then revealed themselves to be a werewolf? It was really that inconceivable to this guy that someone was just… friendly with a werewolf.

But what now? If he left, he might tell on Bishop that he fraternizes with werewolves. Would the Vigilants do something? Would they find out who he is? Would they figure out that it was Aeyrin? Her golden fur and black eyes were somewhat telling.

But before he could make sense of this, before he could decide on what to do, he felt the shifting by his side, the strange quick transformation that always seemed to catch him off guard.

Fuck!

In a mere second, Aeyrin was there again, in her elven and naked form. She curled herself into a ball instantly without leaving Bishop any room to react. And in that motion, she practically showed herself to the man entirely. Not just her body, though that was annoying too, but her face.

Bishop's eyes went back on the Vigilant. He saw the recognition in his expression.

Fuck. He knew. He recognized her. As many might. Maybe this was even someone from Vuaerion's unit who had fought alongside Aeyrin before. The man was no longer tinkering with the trap. He let out a gasp before he looked at Bishop again.

He must have seen it in his eyes. He must have realized exactly what was going on. That this was no man tricked by a werewolf. That this was a man ready to protect that werewolf.

Because the next thing the paladin did was turn on his heel to run away.

To tattle.

Shit! Fuck!

Aeyrin began to stir as Bishop started to scramble up on his feet. The man had a head start, even in his armor. But Bishop could catch up with him. He could. He just needed to disarm the trap first. And then…

Before the man disappeared from view entirely, suddenly he turned back towards them and a beam of light shot from his hand, straight at Aeyrin. Bishop recognized the spell – it was the one she used to kill vampires and undead and shit like that. Pfft, it wouldn't hurt her.

But now, as the spell hit her body, she let out a sudden scream of pain and there was a large burn over her chest and stomach in place of the light. Her flesh was practically sizzling.

Holy fuck! What?!

Was that a werewolf thing? Did it make her susceptible to these spells? Fuck. Bishop was so fucking useless right now! Why didn't he protect her from this? She was naked and half-asleep!

What the fuck is wrong with you?!

He instantly focused on Aeyrin. He couldn't even help it. He was panicked and he went by instinct. And his first instinct was to check on her. Her eyes were now wide open and she was breathing in fast and shallow breaths. Her whole torso was covered in magical burns. Fuck. She needed a healer. She needed one quickly. And a good one. She wouldn't want this to scar. There was nothing Bishop could do about this now but to give her a potion.

Fuck! The Vigilant! Where was he?

Bishop quickly looked back, but he could not see the man anywhere anymore. Maybe he could track him. But he couldn't leave Aeyrin here like this. Shit. Fuck!

"Bish. Aah, what…" she stammered, her voice shaking, as were her hands and her whole body in fact. She couldn't even move properly. It must have hurt so fucking much.

Dammit, fuck the Vigilant. She needed help.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm really sorry. Just hang tight. I'll get you a potion and we'll get you to Solitude."

He ran off towards one of their packs and located two potions. She might need more, even if she was woozy after. That was alright.

He rushed back towards her and pressed one potion to her mouth. She still seemed in shock, but she began to drink eagerly until she downed the whole thing.

"Are you better? Do you need another?" He looked at her in concern.

"Still… burns," she whimpered. She looked like she wanted to touch her burns, but then she quickly changed her mind before she got too close with her hand. Smart. No touching. But she needed to get dressed and… fuck he didn't know what to do.

"Alright. One more." He pressed the second potion to her lips and let her drink. It was gone soon enough and Aeyrin gave him an uncertain nod. She was a little better, probably.

"W-who?" She asked after her breathing calmed a little bit.

"A… a… I'm so sorry, I couldn't see him, I was asleep and didn't notice. He was muffled," Bishop let out a disparaging sigh. This was one reason why they shouldn't be sleeping through the transformations that he did not think of. Fuck.

"Assassin?" Aeyrin gave him a startled look. It was a fair assumption to make, but this could actually turn even worse.

"A Vigilant."

Aeyrin's eyes went wide at Bishop. A Vigilant saw her? She felt the burn after she was back in her body – did he see her turn?! Did he know who she was? Did he recognize her? She felt the panic swell inside her and if she didn't feel the traces of the burning on her chest, she would be feeling the one that began behind her neck much more intently.

She dared to look down at herself at last. Gods. That was horrible. The red burn covered so much of her skin! On the sides and between her breasts and her whole stomach. She really needed healing, but what about the Vigilant? Where was he? Bishop apologized to her. That meant only one thing.

He got away.

But what if he hadn't? They couldn't just kill a Vigilant to protect her. That was despicable.

"I'll find him. He can't move that fast. I just… fuck, you need a healer," Bishop groaned. It was so infuriating right now that she could do nothing with magical burns herself.

"No. No, don't… don't look for him," Aeyrin shook her head wildly. She couldn't make this decision. She couldn't have him killed for her own sense of safety. She had to just… wait to see what would happen and then deal with that. Maybe he would tell the other Vigilants, but maybe her identity as the Dragonborn would protect her. Maybe. She had no idea what could happen, but his life wasn't worth it. He was just doing what he thought was right.

"But… what if he tells?" Bishop scowled.

"Then we… we'll deal with what comes. Don't… don't kill him. Don't look for him," she gave him a desperate look. She really couldn't have that on her conscience. Not to protect the monster inside her.

"Fine. Fine, let's just get you to a temple. Now." Bishop quickly dropped on his knees by her side and began to unchain her. They needed to be quick. Unchain her, help her get dressed and then disarm the traps. It was gonna be fine. Everything was gonna be fine.

Aeyrin tried to help. She tried to move around the camp, but any sharper motion made the burn worse, despite the numbing of the potions. The worst part was dressing herself.

Bishop determined that a tight shirt was a bad idea, so they took the old one of his that she tended to sleep in sometimes. But regardless, she couldn't bend to pull on her boots and trousers – Bishop had to help her with that as she lied down. And then when they put on the shirt, the pain was horrible. She could feel it stick to the burn.

What else was there to do though?

She had no armor, no pack, Bishop was lugging it all while they waded through the snow back to the road. She could see him watching for tracks in the snow sometimes, but she always tried to distract him. As dirty of a tactic as it was, when she hissed in pain, he was instantly on alert and fussing over her.

She had no idea what this could all bring.

But she would not compromise her morals for that beast.

Ever.