#blackrexch

“The guards keep mentioning that Dawnguard shit,” Ayalea said as she dropped her bow and quiver and satchel on the table with a loud thump.

She’d just returned from the city after meeting with a fence she’d come in contact with through Delvin. She undid her cloak and tossed it over the back of one of the chairs and kicked off her boots, walking through their cave barefoot. Moving in front of him, she crossed her arms over her chest and let out a sigh.

“I think we should go poke around,” she said. “I’d rather know what we’re up against than have them decide to figure out what’s making all the exploding noises when you’re fucking with your Dwemer stuff.”

Who would have thought that being attacked by a vampire would lead her to helping another Vampire stop a prophecy about Vampires conquering the sun? Azariel certainly couldn’t make heads or tails of the events leading up to their trip to the College of Winterhold. Still, they needed to find out more about the Elder Scrolls, and that meant seeking someone knowledgeable about it. Dexion hadn’t been any more help since reading the scroll back at the fort.

And of course there was the Dragonborn. The man was constantly chatting things up with his housecarl, who clearly didn’t want to be here. Not to mention the man seemed more than willing to let other people do his job for him. Azariel couldn’t stand him, he was perhaps the worst Nord she’d ever met.

So there they were, entering the Arcaneum, with Azariel being the one to do all the work. At least Serana was more helpful.

“‘Ey! Snow Baby! Find out about the Elder Scrolls would ya?” Azariel glared back at the Dragonborn, ice blue eyes narrowed in distaste.

He pulled away, surprised at the reluctance with which he did so and moved his hands from her jaw to her shoulders, especially when her lips were so soft.  “I was worried,” the Dwemer admitted sheepishly, “It is not as though I think you are unskilled, but many bandits at once may overwhelm even a vampire.”  

His shopping trip had been nothing short of a small adventure, but he was happy to report that he hadn’t fallen into the drainage system again, and they were mostly restocked with food and drink and potions.  He’d even managed to get a good deal on a few soul gems from the general goods trader by bartering a small amulet he’d thrown a simple enchantment on, so he was feeling a bit proud of himself.

“But it is good that you are back and in an entire unit,” Aerendac said, “Even better that the bandits have not survived.”  Pesky little buggers, always crawling out of the proverbial woodwork like rodents or insects only larger and much more aggravating.  “I am wondering about the late wave of them.  Will they come here, do you think? To set up a den?”

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times with her lips parted slightly in shock. Her hands fell from his chest after a few moments and dangled at her sides, and she took a step back. Still in shock, she stared at him as he spoke, carrying on as though nothing had happened.

Did she imagine it? Her mind reeled, not comprehending any of what he was saying. Looking down at her bow, she tried to put together the timeline of what she did since returning from her job. Clearly she was missing something. 

She came in, Aeren voiced concern about the bandits, she made a smart-ass remark, she walked over to the table, she put her things down, he stood up, he tilted her head up, he kissed her. Right? She didn’t get hit on the head between entering her home and standing in front of him, did she? Was he just ignoring it? Maybe he regretted it and was just pretending it didn’t happen. Or did he not register what he did?

“What?” she finally managed, blinking at him. She took a moment a picked up on the last few of his words. “No,” she replied, unmoving, her eyes still wide. “I, uh, left them... um, dead.”

three word starters

Madlen froze. Eyes widening, she resisted the urge to peer over her shoulder at the sound of the man’s voice. She hadn’t counted on anyone being down here. She hadn’t even heard the stranger approach. But then, she’d been rather too engrossed in picking mushrooms to pay much attention to her surroundings.