Chapter 16

If anyone ever tells you that getting hit in the back by a frost troll is a pleasant experience, they’re lying to you. I slammed face first into the rock wall of the cave and felt blood gushing from my nose. I saw stars for a moment. The troll apparently simply ate whatever bodies that the Thalmor threw down here and must have thought I was another easy meal, which meant that for a moment, he simply, stood bellowing his thanks for the food presented to him.

His mistake. I got turned around, wiped my nose with the back of my gauntlet just so the blood wouldn’t run into my mouth, and shouted “FUS RO DAH!” right into him. He then slammed into the other side of the cave and fell to the ground, stunned. I didn’t make the same mistake he did, wading into him in a fury.

From a far distance, I heard voices saying, “Stop, it’s dead, that’s enough.” I stopped swinging. I had chopped the troll into pieces, it’s blood and intestines strewn throughout the cave. “Remind me never to get you mad at me,” Malborn said. “I apologize profusely for any disrespect I may have shown you in the past.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I think I got a bit carried away. Let’s ... I’m going to have to rest some before we get out of here. Can you two take watches and wake me if something comes along?”

“Yes, ma’am. We’ll watch over you.”

I pulled my bedroll out and collapsed into it. I barely remembered to drink a healing potion before falling into a short, hard sleep. The smell of cooking meat woke me up. “Ah, good, you’re awake. The troll had recently killed a deer in here, and the cold had preserved the meat. We got a small fire going, melted some snow for drinking water, and cooked some of the meat.”

I still felt a little fuzzy. “How long was I out?”

“Only a couple of hours. Etienne here was able to sneak back up and bar the trap door from underneath, so hopefully they won’t know where we went.” The former prisoner gave me a little salute. “Apparently he does things like that for a living.”

“A second story man?” I asked.

“Yes, ma’am. Of sorts, anyway. I decided that North Point wasn’t for the likes of me. Or maybe the town patrols decided that. Either way, I’ve managed to find me a new home in Riften.”

“Let me get something to eat first. Are you going to be able to get back there, to Riften I mean, on your own, or will you need our help?”

“Your pardon, ma’am, but so long as I avoid the Thalmor, I’ll be fine.”

“All right, that’s fine. One question, why are you calling me ma’am?”

Malborn spoke up. “That’s obvious to anyone who’s spent any time in Skyrim at all, listening to the Nords talk. You’re not from here, yet in a very short time we witnessed you use that Voice thing they have. That means you’re special.”

“Malborn is right. And that armor you’re wearing like a second skin? It’s worth a small fortune, at the very least. Add in the weapons you carry? You’re someone worthy of respect. If I didn’t know better, I’d guess you were the Dragonborn.”

I lowered my head so they couldn’t see the blush that hit my cheeks. “That’s something we’ll discuss at a future meeting if we have one, okay? In the meantime, let’s eat and get out of here.”

We ate quickly and left the cave. Malborn headed for Windhelm, Etienne went towards Riften, and I started down the road west. After a little while, I recognized where I was by seeing the statue of Meridia. I made my way without trouble down to Dragon Bridge, and caught a carriage there back to Whiterun.

I opened the door to Breezehome in the early hours on the 14^th of Hearthfire. This had been an incredibly busy month. I was trying to be quiet, since it was early and I hoped Lydia would be asleep in her bed. Instead she was waiting in the chair by the cook fire, half dozing. She looked up when the door opened, drawing her sword just in case.

“Martina!” The smile on her face made the room seem bright as day to me. “Oh, Gods, you’ve been hurt. Here, let me help you.”

“I’ll be fine, my shield-maiden. I just need some more rest is all.”

“Rest my ass. Your armor is filthy, your weapons are covered in dried blood, and your nose looks like it ran into a door. Here, let me see that. Do you have a healing potion handy? This is going to hurt.”

“OUCH!”

“There, drink the potion, and it should heal back normally now. Let’s get you out of those things and into bed ... to sleep for now.”

I found myself staggering from fatigue. “Yes, dearest.” I let her help me up the stairs to the bedroom. I fell asleep before she even got me into bed.

It was early afternoon when I woke. My armor was cleaned and oiled, sword and bow ready, with a meal and drink waiting on the table in the bedroom. “I’ve put your extra things away, my Thane. I presume that your mission was successful, and we need to see Delphine as soon as possible. Our traveling supplies are ready.”

“So eager to get on the road again, Lydia?” I smiled. “Ah, you know me to well. As much as I would like to spend the rest of the day, or week, lazing here in bed with you doing wicked and debauched things with and to you, we need to go.”

I had a thought. “It is still early enough that we won’t be traveling at night, isn’t it?” She nodded. “Good. We’re going to end up in Riften, and the home of those vampire hunters is supposed to be near there. We may go talk to them while we’re in the vicinity.”

I got ready to go. As we stood at the door, ready to leave, I turned to Lydia, took her in my arms, and gave her a deep kiss. “For times to come, my dear.”

We left Breezehome and headed for Riverwood. The trip went smoothly and we arrived just before dusk. Delphine was waiting for us, and quickly led us downstairs. “You made it out alive. Did you learn anything useful?”

“Yes, the Thalmor aren’t the ones behind the dragon attacks. They’re trying to find out information about them as well.”

“Really? That seems hard to believe. You’re sure about that?”

“Yes, I’m sure. They’re looking for someone named Esbern.”

The shock in her voice was evident. “Esbern? He’s alive? I thought the Thalmor must have got him years ago. That crazy old man.” She shook her head. “Figures that the Thalmor would be on his trail, though, if they’re trying to figure out what’s going on with the dragons.”

“Why would the Thalmor want Esbern, aside from the obvious that he’s a Blade?”

“Esbern was one of the Blades archivists, back before the Thalmor smashed us in the Great War. He knew everything about the ancient dragonlore of the Blades. Obsessed with it, really. Nobody paid much attention back than. I guess he wasn’t as crazy as we all thought.”

“Okay. That makes sense from what I’ve found in this dossier on him they had. And just so you know, you’re on their kill on sight, then kill again just to make sure you’re really dead, then burn whatever is left just to make sure it took, list, according to your dossier. But in any event, it looks like we’re heading for Riften.”

“Riften, eh? Probably down in the Ratway, then. It’s where I’d go. Talk to Brynjolf. He’s ... well connected. A good starting point, at least. Oh, and when you find Esbern, if you think I’m paranoid ... you may have some trouble getting him to trust you. Just ask him about the 30^th of Frostfall. He’ll know what it means.”

“Okay. We’re not going out at night, we’ll head out early in the morning. Can we have a room here?”

“Of course, Dragonborn. Please, take my bed.”

“You know there’s room for all three of us in it, Delphine.”

“I’m ... I’m flattered that you would consider me. But ... but I’m so much older, worn.”

“I see the beauty of a warrior maiden who has fought for her Emperor, for her liege, and for her heart. Come, let us take both rest and pleasure in our shared company.” I took Delphine by the hand and led her to the bed while Lydia shut the door to prying eyes.

“Dragonborn...” Delphine couldn’t say any more as I took her head in my hands and began to kiss her cheeks, softly running my lips over her eyes, and then down to her lips. Unbidden, her hands came up to my breasts.

“Oops, minor details here. Dragon scale armor does not make for great foreplay,” I teased. “You’ll have to work at it a bit if you want to touch something softer.”

“Oh, my, yes. Here, let me help you with that, my lady. I’m ... I’m unsure of myself. I’ve never been attracted to a woman before. Not like I am to you.”

“I think you’ll find that it’s part of her Dragonborn blood. It drives me crazy at times, I’ve even had to put dried tundra cotton in my armor to keep how wet being around her makes me from ruining it.” Lydia said, while she quickly stripped her armor off.

Delphine found herself on the bed between Lydia and I. We began kissing her, sucking her breasts, rubbing her thighs, playing between her legs. “Oh, divines, is this what I’ve been missing all these years?” she moaned.

We each reached crescendo multiple times with fingers, tongues, even legs when we scissored together rubbing our groins against each others bodies. Finally we collapsed together and slept.

Morning time and a voice shouting through the door, combined with knocking. “Delphine, it’s Orgnar. Are you all right this morning? You never sleep this late.”

Delphine roused herself. Raising her head from where she’d fallen asleep on my belly, she yelled out, “Don’t worry about me. Just cook up some breakfast.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Delphine giggled. “My, oh, my. I’m giddy as a schoolgirl this morning. I think it’s been at least twenty years since I’ve let my guard down like I did last night.”

“Let’s make sure it’s not another twenty before it happens again. In the meantime, I do hate to break this up, but Lydia and I need to go find Esbern. And I can’t do that if you’re rubbing your fingers around on me like...” I hushed as Delphine leaned in and started licking my button again. Esbern could wait another hour.

It was mid-morning by the time we left the inn, full and rested. There was no carriage in Riverwood, so we walked back to Whiterun. A driver there was ready to take us to Riften. All he could talk about while we rode was about how much he liked Black-Briar mead.

The first part of our travels were along roads and paths that Lydia and I were well familiar with, from going to Ivarstead. We crossed the Darkwater river, then found ourselves going up and over a mountain pass that we’d never been on before. I could see off to our left a dragon flying around a mountain crest rising from the middle of what looked like a volcanic plain. We also passed near a mining town called Shor’s Stone.

Finally we arrived at Riften. The setting sun made the leaves on the trees glow as if they were on fire, it was such a pretty sight. We walked up to the gate to enter the town. One of the guards stopped us. “Hold there. Before I can let you into Riften, you need to pay the visitor’s tax.”

“Visitor’s tax? What’s the tax for?”

“For the privilege of entering the city. What does it matter?”

“So you’re trying to shake down Imperial citizens who enter the town? Is that your game? Will that tax help pay your widow?”

“All right, keep your voice down. Give me a moment to unlock the gate and then leave me alone.”

The first thing I saw when entering the town was a couple arguing off to the side of the road. An Imperial man was arguing with a Nord woman, a warrior by the looks of her armor and weapons, about the Thieves Guild. None of my concern at the moment.

A large, burly man stood beside the road watching. As Lydia and I started to pass him by, he spoke up. “I don’t know you. You in Riften looking for trouble?”

I simply glared at him, looking him up and down. Finally I spat out, “What’s it to you?”

“Don’t say something you’ll regret. Last thing the Black-Briars need is some stranger sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. The Black-Briars have Riften in their pocket and the Thieves Guild watching their back, so keep your nose out of their business.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, tough guy. Now why don’t you go back to holding up that building before one of us gets hurt, and it wouldn’t be me.”

“You aren’t worth my time, bitch. Piss off.”

I held my hand out to stay Lydia from attacking him, shaking my head no. He wasn’t worth the trouble it would cause, and I learned enough from this stupid lackey. An inn lay ahead of us across a bridge. “Come, let us get some refreshment.”

We entered the tavern, the sign said it was named The Bee and Barb. A priest stood in the middle of the room, sermonizing to the patrons. “See what your debauchery has done? The dragons are returning because Lady Mara is upset with you. Put down your flagons and embrace the teachings of the handmaiden of Kyne.”

An Argonian came up to him. “You need to leave. We’re not kicking you out, just keep the sermons at the temple and let us all sin in peace.”

I laughed at hearing that, then made my way to the bar, Lydia by my side. A female Argonian was tending bar, and she quickly set us up with food and drink. I looked around the room, listening to the conversations flowing around me. Several people were complaining about the Black-Briars, others about business in general. I saw a familiar face from the party at the Thalmor Embassy, with an obvious bodyguard standing by her.

She met my eyes. I could see hers widen slightly with recognition. Her mouth turned into a slight frown. She visibly made herself turn back to her meal, saying something to the man sitting with her. The look of shock on his face as he turned towards me was amusing. I could only imagine the tales that Maven had spread about that party.

I asked the barkeeper where the entrance to the Ratway was. She looked around the room and I saw her catch the eye of a man on the other side of it, who nodded before she told me where it was located, on the lower level of the city. Finishing our meal, Lydia and I headed that way.

A small brazier was at the entrance to the Ratway. Two women were warming themselves by it. “Ladies, is there something I could do to help either of you?”

“Only if you want a good time, warrior woman, and have the gold to pay for it.”

Oh, they are that kind of ladies. I just shook my head. “No, thanks. I don’t have enough cure disease potions available.”

I thought one of them was going to say something, but changed her mind after really seeing our armor and weapons. Lydia watched behind us as we entered the Ratway, to make sure we weren’t followed. I carefully started down the stairs into the sewer. I could hear voices from ahead, arguing and scheming.