#kroniid

[freya-theirondragon]

@mlp-micoo Freya and Kroniid having some fun in the sun xD

[let-us-fly-to-neverland]

Alright I finally got the guts to post my Skyrim Fanfiction based on my character, Brii (which is my nickname and also a dragon tongue word. I thought it was cool). It has spaces in between text because I was writing it on the Notes on my ipod, and it's hard to tell when a new paragraph starts on there. Please remember, I made up the majority of this story. There's very few real references to the games. And it's really long. So, enjoy~

  My name is Brii Kroniid. It means "beauty" and "conqueror" in dragon tongue. Of course, you don't know me. I have stories to tell the world. So listen.

I'm a Wood Elf. My kind is more commonly known as Bosmer. My skin is pale, for an elf, I'm short and skinny, my eyes are dark. The deep purple war paint from The Battle Of The Forest has permanently tattooed itself around my eyes like a mask, a reminder of what happened to my family when Dragons attacked my city. My younger sister, my older brother, my mother and father, all gone within 10 minutes. I was able to escape. I travel all across Skyrim now, wondering why I ran instead of helping my family. Maybe it's because my father told me to run. Or maybe it's because when I went back to sift through the rubble, I found my mother slowly dying, and her last words were to remember them and travel until I could find a Dragonborn to help me defeat the dragons once and for all. You see, dragons were supposed to be long gone. Dead, mythical creatures, part of stories passed down through generations, along with the Dragon Priests. But they returned and took my city down as they arose. Dragonborns were supposed to be extinct with them. Dragonborn was a term for people who absorbed the souls of the dragons after killing them, and learned powers from dragon-tongue script. Dovahkin was the dragon-tongue word for Dragonborn. Little did my Mother know, I was a Dovahkin. Hell, even I didn't know it. See, us Bosmer are seen as gentle, creature loving elves. We are one with the forest and quiet, keeping mostly to ourselves, but we're known to be very hospitable to guests and new friends that travel by Valenwood. I am none of those clichés. I love animals, and I do mainly keep to myself, but that was because I daydreamed. I dreamed of traveling all across Skyrim and finding a handsome, pale, blonde High elf, who was powerful and sweet and strong, and maybe owned a huge house, to marry once I decided to settle down. I dreamed of joining the Companions, the Stormcloaks, the Dawngaurd, the Dark Brotherhood, and even the Thieves Guild. I dreamed of wearing armor and carrying a bow and arrows and elven swords. I was thriving to be dangerous and go to the College of Winterhold where all the famous wizards and witches were taught the ins and outs of the craft of magic. I dreamed of having little elf children who would hopefully look more like their High elf father. To top things off, I ended up becoming a Vampiric Lord, and was born to kill dragons and dragon priests. I'm not very gentle unless it comes to dogs and horses, even Sabre cats. I have a power to call on animals of the forest to be my ally. That's what comes with being Bosmer. The day I met Athis changed everything. I was on a different quest at the time, but since I was passing through, I thought I'd catch up on what the Companions were all about. He was part of the Companions. He was tall, handsome, and a dark elf, a Dunmer. His cheekbones were high on his face, which was narrow and strong looking. He had dark, almond shaped eyes and long dark hair that was pulled back in a leather bound. He was muscled and had broad shoulders, and was a skilled fighter. He was quick and light on his feet, using his slimness to his advantage. I never thought I'd be loving a dark elf. But here I was, watching him in a brawl at a bar in Riften after the leader of the Thieves Guild tried to kill me. I had stopped for a well needed drink, letting the pieces of the puzzle slowly fall into place and make sense. After the brawl was over, ending with the other man being dragged out by his Nord friends, the Dunmer sat next to me, grunted, and asked for some Black-Brair mead. His dark skin was dirty, bruised and bloodied. There was a deep gash above his eye that was already looking pretty nasty. "Hey, um you should really get that stitched up." I muttered. He grunted and said, "You a doctor or something? I ain't got no money. Can't pay for it." He took a swig of mead and looked at me, his dark eyes taking me in. He blinked and looked away. "Yeah, you could call me that. I did stitches for my town when I was there." I tapped the bar with my fingers and the bartender brought me another bottle. "Well then, can you fix me up here?" He was watching me now, with a sort of guarded interest. "No, I had to make my needles by hand, and they're much more painful than normal needles. I wouldn't do it here. It gets... gruesome sometimes." I drank nervously. I hadn't stitched anyone up in 3 years. I didn't know why I had offered my services. Maybe it was the 2 bottles of mead I drank before this one... I wasn't traveling today because it was my dead sisters birthday. Penelope would have been 9. My head started to pound as a million emotions flushed through my system at the thought of her. "Come with me. I got a small house up about a mile into the mountains from here. Get your stuff. I'll meet you outside." He nodded toward the door and stood, finishing off his bottle with a gulp. I nodded and started to dig through my pockets for coins. My mouth was dry and I couldn't speak. My hands were shaking. I felt a heavy but warm, gentle hand on my shoulder. I looked up. The Dunmer was standing close to me, his eyes watchful and kind, "Don't worry. It's on me." He put some gold coins on the counter and waited. I gathered my things, feeling his eyes watching me. A tall, blonde Nord woman, about a whole foot taller than me, stepped over to me and growled, "Keep your boyfriend off my brother," and raised a fist. I dropped my bags, caught her fist and swiftly broke her wrist. I thrust the heel of my palm up into her nose, shattering it, but not hard enough to push the shards into her brain. She dropped with a shriek. Everyone in the bar stopped and stared, eyes wide and low murmurs being exchanged about a Dragonborn. "You might want to get that checked out." I told her, as I turned to retrieve my things. "I'm going to find you, you wench!" the woman was still yelling. I shrugged and called "so be it," over my shoulder. The dark elf was standing by the door with a grin on his face, his muscled arms crossed against his chest, as he leaned comfortably against the wall next to the door. As I approached, he held out a hand and said, "Let me carry something for you." I shrugged and handed him my heavy duffel bag. He shifted the weight and held the door open for me. I stepped out into the cool night. A gentle breeze breathed across my skin and covered it in cold. I pulled my hood up and tightened my coat around me. The elf walked next to me with thin clothes on and boots, his dark arms blending in with the night. "You're good." He said. I glanced over at him, "What do you mean?" He snorted, "You know damn well what I mean. You are one of the best fighters I've seen. And you're a woman at that." His deep, gravely voice ebbed with an impressed tone. I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. He kept walking until he realized I wasn't walking with him. He stopped and turned around, "What?" "So what if I'm a woman? What does that have to do with anything?" I put my hand on my hip. "Well, women usually fight like they're just scolding a child. You fight like a man is attacking you with an enchanted daedric knife." He looked pointedly at me with an eyebrow cocked. I thought I caught his eyes flick over me, which made me close my coat more tightly since my skin got goosebumps. "Well.... Thank you. I think." I started walking again, his dark figure following close behind. We walked in silence until he grumbled, "My place is the left up here," and lead me up to the house. It was a cozy, one-story cottage, but had no light other than moonlight to see by. He opened the door and beckoned for me to go inside. He stopped at the door and looked around outside with searching eyes, almost like he thought someone was following him. "Quiet." He hissed. He dropped my duffel bag on the floor and glided silently through the house, shutting all the shades until not even moonlight was peeking through the windows. I sat on a stool in the pitch black. I couldn't see an inch in front of my face, and the house didn't creak. I started to panic, started to feel like the walls were closing in on me, until I felt warm breath on my lips. My heart jolted and I stayed very still. Soft lips gently brushed mine. "Sorry." He said a little breathlessly. "I think I'm a little drunk. And I'm near a Dragonborn after all." I sighed and rolled my eyes, pressing my hand against his chest to push him away. "I need you to light a fire and some candles. I need to see to stitch without killing you. How'd you know I was a Dragonborn?" I heard him stumble away from me, "Gossip travels fast, girl. Everyone 'round here knows your name," then he trailed off and started muttering to himself. I thought I heard him say something like "gossip didn't warn be 'bout how beautiful a Dovakin you are though." A second later, a bright light came from the fire place across the room. He then shuffled over to some cupboards and pulled out candles, setting them on a table and lighting them. "Is that good?" "Yeah, that's perfect." I said, pulling a towel, string, and a homemade needle out of my duffel bag. I was probably wrong about what I heard. He said it himself, we both were a little drunk. When I straightened up, and turned, he was standing right close to me, his eyes watchful and curious. I jumped, startled at his closeness. "What's your nickname? So rude of me not to ask before. I already know your full name, being a famous Dragonborn and all." "I'm just Brii. And you need to sit." I grabbed his elbow and lead him to a chair. I took my thick coat off, draping it across another chair. "I'm Athis." He was still watching me. He took a deep breath, as if deciding on something. "You're a beautiful Bosmer, I might add. If you don't mind my asking, miss, where'd you get them scars?" My skin flushed and my face got red as I tied the thread through the needle. I guess I had heard his mutters right. "Thank you." I felt my face go dark, "I got these scars years ago. Got caught up in a group of fellas who had done something wrong after I ran away from a different problem. Almost got executed." I started to stitch the torn skin together after cleaning it with the towel. "A dragon came along, attacked us before I got killed. In a way, it saved my life. Anyways, it caught my arm with one of it's nails. Well, after we killed it, me and a guy who saved me from the thing, threads of light were going from the dragon to me. They told me I was a dragonborn and that I was absorbing it's soul, and-" "Ouch! Son of a-" Athis yelped, "What was that for?" "If you want me to stitch you up right, you need to sit still. I'm trying to be gentle." "Your hands are very gentle, the needle isn't." He muttered. "Just be patient. I'll be done in a second." I told him. I took my time, breathing until I calmed down from my memories. The leader of the group that almost got me killed had complimented me on my fighting skills. He had asked me to join the Stormcloaks and rise against the Imperials. I didn't know which one I would join. I didn't know enough about the opposing groups. I cut the thread and gently brushed my fingers over it, making sure it was even. He took my fingers in his hand and stared at them. My fingers tingled. He looked up at me, deep into my eyes, reached his warm hand around my neck, and pulled my face down toward him. He kissed me, softly, gently, and it tasted like a sad sweetness, and then he released me, only keeping the tips of my fingers in his hand. I coughed once to break the silence and straightened my back, putting my coat back on. "You're very drunk and I should be going, I need to rent a room before the inn closes for the night." Athis stepped in front of the door way, blocking it from view. He was taller than me, made of muscle completely, and looked worried but dangerous at the same time, "No. It's not safe. I'll sleep on the couch, you can have my bed. The room is back there to the left." He jerked his chin towards the hallway. "What's your problem? I need to go." I muttered, trying to brush past him. His hand shot out and grabbed my arm roughly, squeezing it until it was shooting pain through my shoulder. "No!" He growled darkly. "It's. Not. Safe. You need to stay here." I stared at him, my heart beating loud. I tried to pull my arm out of his grasp, but he pulled me closer. "What the hell-" "I need to keep you safe. Trust me." His voice dropped to a velvety whisper. "Let go of me, you idiot. What do I need to be protected from? You've seen that I can fight." I growled. He sighed and clenched his jaw. "The Dawngaurd. They're looking for you. To kill. I don't know why. But I need to keep you alive. I need you." He paused, then cleared his throat nervously and added, "To join the Companions, of course." He let go of my elbow. I nodded. I knew of the Dawngaurd. I had killed many of them already. And I knew why they were after me. I couldn't tell Athis that though. "Of course. So you have to protect me." Athis nodded. "Please, stay." I sighed and looked at my feet. "Yeah. I guess I don't have much of a choice since you won't let me leave." I dropped my duffel bag, exasperated. I had to play things up so that he wouldn't guess I was hiding something. "This way." He brushed past me towards the hall, picking up my duffle bag on his way past. I blinked. He was suddenly so cold towards me. Did he already see through my charade? I didn't know, so I followed quietly. He stopped in front of an open door and gestured for me to go inside, not meeting my eyes. I stepped inside and looked around. There was a soft bed covered in animal skin blankets and a fireplace with some coals still glowing dully. "I've laid out some of my old clothes for tomorrow, if you'd like. I was a skinny lad, they should fit." Athis mumbled, as he placed my bag on the floor and relit the fire. The room exploded with a flickering orange glow. I swallowed, "Thank you." He stood and gave me a quick nod before stalking out of the room and closing the door behind him with a lonely click. I stepped over to the fire and warmed myself for a while. I didn't realize how horribly my muscles were aching from the long walk to Riften from the Whiterun stables. I slowly crawled into the soft, warm bed and quickly fell into a restless sleep. The next morning, I woke to a rooster cawing. I laid in bed for a while, wondering what to do. I slid out of bed as quietly as I could, and pawed through my bag. I took only what I needed, and found a loose floor board to put my bag into. I was hoping Athis didn't decide to burn his house down anytime soon. I crept out of the room, not making the smallest creak on the floor. I tiptoed through the main room, stopping to look at Athis. He was asleep on the couch, with a thin boar skin blanket covering him. One of his feet peeked out from under the blanket. He had his baggy pants on and no shirt. He looked peaceful. Even beautiful and fallen-angel like. I felt a pull towards him. For a brief moment, I thought about telling him I was leaving, but immediately decided it was a horrible idea. That pull wasn't feelings. It was the dark animal in me. Plus, he would have never let me leave and I had to get out of here. I quietly opened the door and stepped outside, closing it tightly behind me. And then I ran. I ran as fast and as hard as I could for miles upon miles. Living in Valenwood, where all Bosmer grow up, you learn to be one with the wilderness and to tame your endurance. I ran and walked and slept on the cold hard ground until I came upon Windhelm. Here, I stayed at an inn. Surprisingly, no one knew my name, but they were very welcoming. I stayed for months. Why I stayed, I have no idea. Athis never found me, and I was trying to work up enough money to buy a house in Whiterun. I liked that town, and was planning on leaving Windhelm when I had the money. The first week that I had been in Windhelm, I met a little girl begging me for food and to help her. Bandits had killed her parents and stolen her flower basket along with the contents she wanted to sell so she could buy food. She looked to be about Lillith's age. I did help her, and she's the reason I had been working on buying a home. I wanted to adopt her. After 6 months of visiting Sofie, I finally could afford a house and adopted her. We moved to Whiterun immediately, into a cute little house called Breezehome. I hired a housecarl, Lydia, for when I was away, which was rarely ever. Sofie had gotten me a gift, an Amulet of Mara; the goddess of love. She figured I needed a man in my life, and begged me to wear it, as it symbolized that I was open for marriage. So I did. She was a smart, kind little girl. I couldn't say no. Especially since she called me Mama ever since I took her in. That same night, the innkeeper asked me to come by and keep an eye on things. There was a party going on later that night and he didn't want any brawls going on inside. My job was to break it up or throw them out. I got there late that night, with just a dagger. I wouldn't need a big weapon to intimidate people. I had saved this town from one dragon already. They knew not to mess with me. I lounged at the bar, keeping a watchful eye and talking to the bartender about gossip going around. So far, there'd been one fight which ended in me kicking them both out. We were having a couple laughs when the bartender said, "There was a fella in here the other day, said he was lookin' for ya. A Dunmer, handsome fella, since them girls were all starin' at him." I almost stopped breathing. No, it couldn't be, I thought. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, "Did he say his name?" The bartender stopped for a minute, having to think about it, "Think he said Athis or somethin'. Anyways, I told him you were workin' here tonight so he said he'd swing by." He shrugged. Just then, I heard the door open. My back got goosebumps. I slid off the stool and hid myself in the crowd, catching a glimpse of him strutting over to the bar, looking as handsome as ever. I took my opportunity and slid out the door. I had to get away from Athis. I couldn't let him take me from my life, my Sofie. I got out of the bar and ran to my house. I burst in through the door, "Sofie! Sofie, come here sweetie!" Sofie peeked her head out from her bedroom, "Yes Mama?" I sighed and rushed to her, making up a story as I went. "I gotta go away for a while. I got word of a boy in Solitude that has no parents, and I'm going to adopt him. You'll have a brother! Lydia will take care of you until I'm back," I kissed her forehead and hugged her to me, "I love you. Be good, and help out around the house." I turned and walked away, trying not to panic. How did he find me? I shook my head and closed the door behind me. It didn't matter. I had to get out of here. Maybe I really would go to Solitude. It's far enough away that he wouldn't find me for a while. I looked both ways and slipped into an alleyway that lead right out of town. I broke into a run right into the bushes. I leaped over fallen trees, ducked under branches, swung over murky ponds. I stopped and listened to the noises of the forest, my pointed ears twitching slightly to pick up all sounds. I didn't hear any pursuit. Still, I kept a steady jog. I felt like eyes were watching me, so I started running again. All of a sudden, before I could change directions, there was a blur of black coming at me from my right. I gasped just as I was tackled by a heavy weight that gave a grunt as it collided with me. My head smashed against something hard. I let out a low moan as the mass and I rolled down the hillside, me pushing away and the mass holding me closer. We stopped at the end of the hill, the mass on top of me. "Oh God, what the hell-" The heavy weight gave a sigh, "Thank the daedras, it is you!" I felt warm gentle hands brush my face. His voice was unmistakably familiar. It was Athis. "I thought they had you." I pushed him off of me with a grunt, "Who had me? What the hell did you tackle me for?" He stared at me, "The Dawngaurd. I thought they got you. I thought you were one of them. Why were you running away?" I swallowed and stood. "I, uh. I was going for a run. I love the forest. Especially at night." He narrowed his dark, brooding eyes at me, "Don't insult me. You left after I told you not to, didn't you? And you hid from me." His eyes flicked to the amulet I was wearing, "And I see you're still single." My face reddened. I turned on my heel and started to walk away. "Wait," He called, jogging after me. He caught my elbow and turned me around, "Why'd you leave?" I narrowed my eyes at his grip and turned my anger on him, "Do you understand how crazy you sounded? You had just met me and you were talking about keeping me in your cottage because people wanted to kill me. I left because-" "I kissed you." My mouth snapped shut. "Why?" "I don't like a reason to be attached." "But the little girl you live with is an attachment." "That's different." "How?" He cocked his head, genuinely curious. "Sofie is like me. An orphan, but younger than I was when a dragon attacked Valenwood and killed my family." I muttered. He let go of my arm, "I'm sorry." "Whatever." I pursed my lips and brushed myself off. "That scar healed nicely. It was nice to see you. I should go." "No. I'll tell you what you need to do. You need to get your daughter and your housecarl to go somewhere else. The Dawngaurd will use them to get you." He was standing close in front of me now, a friendly hand on my arm again. His eyes were worried, hurt, happy, and sad all at the same time. "I need to get Sofie... Oh my-... Not my Sofie." I turned back the way I came as what he told me clicked, and ran, "Come on, Athis!" Dread filled my chest like a weight and slowed me down. Athis helped me along by looping his fingers through mine and leading me by my hand. We got back to the alleyway, and I shook my hand out of his grasp. I didn't think to look around and started for the end of the alley that would bring me to the main road. Athis swiftly grabbed my arm and pulled me back in, holding me to his muscled chest. He crouched low to the ground and right up to the brick wall, sweeping a black cloak over us to hide. I held my breath and heard the voices that I didn't realize were there. I heard my name a couple times and the words "captured alive". I shuddered and looked up at Athis. His face was pained and his eyes looked dangerously murderous. I knew I would curse myself for what I did next, but I couldn't help it. I kissed him, my hands on both sides of his face. I felt one of his hands rest on my hip. He was right. I adored him from the first time I saw him and I had left because I didn't want that to grow. It did grow, just by my thinking of him, despite my greatest efforts. I pulled back a little. His face had brightened with pleasant surprise. I held his hand. We waited a little longer, to make sure the men were gone, then started to move. We made it to my house and slipped inside. "Lydia?" I called softly. "Lydia, are you here?" Lydia tiptoed out of Sophie's room and curtsied, "Yes ma'am. Just got the poor dear to bed, she's a might worried about you." I nodded, "I'm sorry." For a while, Lydia thought that she had to call me "Thane," which is pretty much the same thing as being a master. I convinced her to just call me "ma'am" or "miss", and only refer to me as "Thane" when we had guests so she wouldn't get into trouble. Lydia smiled, "Don't worry, child. I love takin' care of her, you know that." She set her sights on Athis, tucking a piece of curly brown hair behind her pale ears. She nervously flicked her eyes to me before asking, "And who are you?" He took her hand and bowed, "I'm Athis." He stood upright and gently took my hand. "I'm here to protect you and Brii." Lydia  looked at our hands and then looked me in the eyes and smiled. "Protect us from what dear?" "Bad men. It's a long story." Athis said. I nodded. "Sofie is my top priority. I'll go sleep with her, to make sure she isn't harmed." I started towards Sofie's bedroom. "Wait," Athis called out, "You sure you'll be alright?" He looked worried. "I'll be fine." I smiled and kept walking. I opened the door and slipped in, creeping slowly over to Sofie's bed. "Sofie, sweetie, it's me. I'm home." I reached out and gently pulled back the blanket. Pillows. The bed was full of pillows. My eyes flicked across the room, "Sofie? Where are you?" I flung pillows off the bed, jumped over and tore the wardrobe doors open. No Sofie. "Sofie!" I shrieked. Athis bursted through the door, "What's wrong?" I sank to my knees in the corner, moaning "Not my Sofie," as I rocked back and forth. I felt his warm and strong arms wrap around me, lift me up, and lay me on the bed. "Stay with her, calm her down. I'm gonna try to see where they went." Athis told Lydia, and then rushed out the door. She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked my hair. It was soothing and comforting, as she hummed a haunting melody that I had once known, sung to me by my mother. Lydia was like a mother. With that thought, I calmed down faster as I became more relaxed. Soon, Athis returned with an angry look creasing his face. When he saw me, the creases softened into sadness. "I'm sorry. I have tracks but it's too dark to see them as I got farther from the lights of the town." I sat upright, "I have torches. I do. I promise. They're upstairs. I-" He rested his hand on my shoulder and shook his head, "They would only last us a couple hours. We will wait until sunrise. Let's get you to bed." I nodded weakly and stood, my knees feeling like jelly. Athis wrapped his arm around my waist and lead me upstairs to my bedroom, then tucked me in. He kissed my head and then went downstairs. I heard Lydia and him murmuring about sleeping arrangements. Lydia came upstairs and slid into bed next to me, cradling my head and stroking my hair until I passed out. When I woke up, Athis was sitting in a chair next to my bed with his face in his hands. I heard Lydia humming downstairs while she was cleaning. I let out a soft sigh and stretched. Athis sat up and slid onto his knees on the floor. "Hey," he said softly, taking my hand. "How'd you sleep?" "Pretty good, how about you?" He gave a small shrug, "Too worried about you. I got a couple hours though, so I'm alright." "What about Sofie...?" I asked. He pursed his lips and looked down at his hands for a minute. "I don't know. I got up early this morning and tried to follow the tracks, but it led to a river. They must have taken a boat." I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. My body ran cold and I slowly laid back down. "We need to find her, Athis. I have cared about her since the day I met her. I can't lose her." He nodded and stood. "Then get dressed in your thickest clothes and your light armor. I'll go get mine." He kissed me on the head and walked downstairs. I slid out of bed and washed my face in the water basin. I stared into the reflective water and took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and opened my locked chest. I dressed in the Nightingale Armor I earned when I agreed to become the goddess Nocturnal's servant, or Nightingale. It was my best armor, covering me from head to toe in a shadowy black. It concealed my face, made my eyes glow, and made me look dangerous, intimidating, even scary. I carried my light swords and my heavy glass sword, with my elven dagger strapped to my thigh. Light swords are good for single attacks, but heavy swords do the real damage on multiple attackers, quickly. Daggers are good for slitting throats when trying to sneak past and into something. All my training started rushing through my head, making it pound with fear and excitement of stretching my stealthy limbs and using the power I had trapped inside of me for so long. My fingers tingled, longing for the feel of my swords, and my legs shook with the readiness to run as silent and as quickly as an antelope. I kept my Nightingale hood away from my face and reapplied purple war paint. After this, it would tattoo my skin again in a darker shade. My black pants were fine to show, but I had to cover my weapons. I grabbed my leather jacket from my wardrobe and threw it on over my armor. I made sure my Nightingale hood was outside the jacket, so I could use it whenever. There was one thing I had to do. I turned on my heel and walked downstairs, then stepped into Sofie's room. I shut the door behind me, then rummaged through her chest. I found the doll that I had first brought to her after we moved in. I stroked its hair and then slipped it into a small empty loophole in my weapons belt. It fit snuggly over the doll, and would surely keep a good hold on it. I stood and closed the chest, then returned to the front door where Athis and Lydia were waiting for me. Athis looked up as I approached them, and Lydia curtsied. "You ready to go?" Athis asked, his eyes searching my face. I kept my face neutral and nodded. I wasn't ready to leave, I was ready to finish off the entire Dawngaurd clan. Fire burned in my veins. Or maybe that was the hunger.. "Then let's go." Athis murmured, then stepped outside with a quick nod in Lydia's direction. I slid over to her and held her hands. "Keep the house warm for me. We'll come back with Sofie. I promise." "Come back with you, too. Please. Be careful, alright?" Her wise eyes looked worried. She hugged me, then opened the door for me, shutting it once I trotted off of the porch. Athis was waiting in front of the bottom step. He turned and looked at me, his face solemn, "We should get horses," he said gruffly, "They'd get us there much faster and more easily than we would by walking. Let's go to those stables right outside the city walls." I took a deep breath and nodded tightly, "Yeah. Come on." I started walking. When we got to the stables, Athis went inside to talk to the stable master about hiring a horse while I dug around in the barrels outside. I found a couple loaves of bread, some vegetables, cheese, and an unopened Nord mead bottle. I popped it open and chugged it down, relishing the burn it left in my throat as it warmed me. I packed the food into my satchel for later. I sighed and leaned against the barrel, braiding my hair to the side so that it wouldn't be in my face on our ride to the Dawngaurd's camp. This was going to be hard. I had given up the violence. The killing. Yes, I was still nominated for Thieves Guild leader, but I didn't even steal anymore. My group did that for me. I never wanted Sofie to see me like that. I never wanted to be a killer to her. And now, I would have to be or I would lose her. I gritted my teeth at the thought. No. I wouldn't be seen as a killer, I'd be a hero. I'd make sure I was. My hand went to the doll and stroked it subconsciously after my braid was done as thoughts rolled around in my head. "Hey," Athis came up behind me, making me nearly jump out of my skin. I took a calming breath, trying to sooth my nerves, "So, what about that horse?" Athis gently took my elbow and led me into the barn, "He's letting us borrow a black one. He said it's the only black one on the right in the stables." I looked around for our horse. My eyes stopped on a beautiful black steed. His hair was a silky black like a ravens wing, and his eyes were chocolate brown. He muzzled my hand as I stroked his velvety black nose. He gave a large huff. "I know, I'm ready to go too." I whispered to him, getting a boost from Athis up on his back. He hoisted himself up behind me and said, "Quit talkin' to the horse. What do you wanna do about the Dawngaurd?" "Kill them. All of them. I apparently have no place in this world while they're in it. Therefore, they have no place in this world while I'm in it." I was almost spitting my words as anger boiled through me. Athis put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. I looked at his hand. He slowly pulled his hand away and fell silent. I tapped my heel into the horses side. It huffed and started into a fast trot. I was good at riding horses. I used to ride the goats we had on the farm back in Valenwood. My brother and I used to race them when we were just as tall as our kitchen table. Once we got older, we raced ponies. When we started to race the real horses, my mother made us riding boots and pants. She was a seamstress in our town. Made clothes for everyone. My dad made the shoes, but had to work on his other jobs more often. He was a lumberjack and a carpenter. He got my leather jacket from a man at work whose wife had grown out of it. He gave it to me, and I wear it every day. I learned how to braid my hair on my own, so that it wouldn't whip me in the face while I was being jostled around by a horse. I ran my finger along the hem of my leather jacket as I remembered a blonde horse I used to ride that had hair the color of the wheat fields when the sun shone on them. "Whoa!" Athis's call broke me out of me memories. He yanked the reins, bringing the black steed to a halt. I looked around. We weren't on a trail anymore, we were in a dark clearing in the woods. Athis slid off the back of the horse and helped me down. I looked at the sky. It was dusk, already going into night. "We need to stop and rest for the night. Seems as good a place as any. Here, take this rope and tie the horse to a tree. I'll get a tent pitched and a small fire going so we can cook." "We need to put it out as soon as we are done. I don't want any light leading the Dawngaurd to us." I said, tying the thick rope around the horse first. Athis nodded, "I know. It's only for cooking. I'll be back." I gave a short wave and lead the horse over to a sturdy looking tree. It was the only one that was sticking out from the circle of the clearing. I tied it tight and then gathered heavy rocks to place around the fire so that it wouldn't spread. I put them in a circle just as Athis came back with some wood. "Nice, didn't think of that." He nodded at me and threw the wood next to me. He went to the horse and pulled a tarp, rope, and stakes out of the satchel. He tied the rope from the tree the horse was tied to, to the closest one in the ring around the clearing. He threw the tarp over it, then staked the four corners down, letting the stitched flaps hide the inside of the tent. I started the fire and cooked. I had a bag with me that had the vegetables from the barrel and some mammoth cheese. I mixed them into some kind of yummy concoction. Athis put out the fire by filling the cooking pot with water from a nearby stream and dumping it on the fire. I crawled into the tent and looked around, "Uh.. Athis?" He poked his head in, "Hm?" "Why is there only one bedroll? Where am I gonna sleep?" I stared at him. He paused, "With me in that bedroll." I stared at him, "Um." Athis sighed, "You take the bedroll." He crawled into the tent next to me. I nodded stiffly and crawled into the bedroll. I laid there for a while. It was cold. I tossed and turned and pulled the bedroll up to my chin. I couldn't sleep. I turned to Athis with a sigh. He was asleep, using a duffel bag as a pillow. He looked peaceful and relaxed. My heart skipped a beat when he murmured in his sleep, something that sounded like "I love you" and "Marry me". A couple minutes passed and then he smiled in his sleep. And I smiled with him. My smile disappeared when a cold wind whispered through the tent. With pursed lips, I slowly reached out and touched his arm. "Athis, hey." He sighed and slowly opened his eyes, blinking a couple times. "Hmm?" His dark eyes were beautiful and sleepy and stared at me the way I stared at the stars when I was young and a dreamer. "Come, get in here with me. I'm chilly." I told him. Athis gave me a sleepy grin, making my heart skip again. "Or I'm just that cute." He got into a crouch and slid into the bedroll beside me. I smiled as he wrapped his warm, dark arms around me. I snuggled in closer and muttered, "A little of both." I felt Athis give a happy sigh, then kiss the top of my head. Before I drifted off to sleep, I heard something that he probably meant for himself only. He whispered, "I love you. I ache for what you're going through. I will be by your side, if you would only let me be this close all the time..." I was too close to the edge of sleep, so all I could manage was to sigh and say, "Hmm" before drifting off to sleep. I woke in the morning to the smell of something cooking. Athis wasn't next to me. I stretched and sat up. It was still a little dark out, probably just the beginning of dawn. I got up and stepped out of the tent. Athis straightened up quickly. "Hey, I uh, made some, y'know, breakfast. With the mammoth cheese." He sounded nervous. I stood there and cocked my head, "You okay?" He cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. "Well.. You sorta talked in your sleep last night." I nearly stopped breathing. "What? What did I say?" He wouldn't look at me, and it looked like he was blushing. He looked pleased with himself. "Well uh, you cuddled closer to me and then said my name, and then told me you loved me." I clenched my jaw and put my hands over my face. "Oh no." I moaned and walked backwards into the tent so that I could hide my embarrassment. I heard Athis say, "Damn, shouldn't have said nothin'." I heard his footsteps coming towards the tent. I sat down and sighed, and just closed my eyes. I could tell when Athis had come in. I could feel him watching me. "Look, I shouldn't have said that." He crouched in front of me and took my face in his hands. I opened my eyes and looked at him, unblinking. "But I love you too, okay? You're beautiful and amazing and I was told to keep things between you and I strictly professional, but I can't. I love you." He leaned forward and kissed me. I leaned back and pulled away, crawling backwards a little ways. "You don't understand, this is terrible timing. You don't even know everything about me." His expression killed me. He was clearly hurt, "What is there to know?" "You don't know why the Dawngaurd are after me. I do." "So tell me, why are they after you?" I hesitated, "I'm a Vampiric Lord. I was captured by a clan of Royal Vampires and they took me to their castle. My choices were; become one of them and become a Lord, or be killed. I had heard about some sorcerer out in the marshes that was studying how to cure Vampirism. So I chose to become a Lord. I'm still one today. They're after me because they formed the Dawngaurd to be Vampire hunters." I fell silent. Athis was just watching me, saying nothing. He sighed and closed his eyes, as if preparing himself. "How long has it been since you've fed?" I looked down at my hands. "Weeks." "And that's why you look like you've been in pain all the time." "Yes. Your blood smells delicious... And I've vowed myself to keep control." I looked up now, searching his face. His eyes were still gently closed. I could hear his heartbeat with my enhanced abilities, and see his pulse on his smooth, dark neck. My mouth watered as the beast inside planned it; I would use my Vampire's Seduction power on him, making him do as I pleased. I would make him my eternal servant by then drinking his blood, binding him to me, then using my Vampires Thrall power on him to complete the ritual. I was so hungry. My fingernails dug into the ground, trying to resist, when Athis opened his eyes. "Do it." I blinked in surprise, the beast momentarily retreating. "What?" Athis nodded, "I've read about Vampires and what sort of powers they carry. Vampires Thrall, Seduction, etcetera. Do it. On me. You know we won't have time for you to stop when we are there. So do it, Brii." He had inched closer, making the amazing smell of his blood worse. He put his hand on my hand and stared deep into my eyes. I closed my eyes and finally nodded. He was right. I didn't want to be so hungry that I would end up attacking Sofie on accident. And there would be no time to stop in a Dawngaurd camp. There'd be hundreds more coming after me. I opened my eyes and stared into Athis', then whispered the words for the Seduction spell. His eyes glazed over immediately and spell took over. It made him kiss my hand and then sit very still. The spell made his head droop back so that it showed his dark neck. I could see the pulse. The beast inside took over me, gently touching his neck before leaning forward and kissing it. The beast wrapped an arm around one side of his neck and held his head, the other arm snaking around his body, before sinking its teeth in slowly. The blood was like a burst of a delicious warm fire as I drank more and more. I could hear his heartbeat growing a little faint. My head screamed at me to let go but the beast wanted more. I was not the beast though. I tore myself away and crawled quickly out of the tent, panting. I was shaking. I had to go back and finish the ritual if he was going to fully live through it. I slowly went back in, Athis was still in the same spot, a little paler than usual. I licked the wound, healing it with a special venom that vampires have that heals rather than hurts. I sat back on my heels, "Athis." The Seduction spell made his head come back straight up to stare at me with glossy eyes, "Yes, m'lady?" I leaned forward and whispered the Thrall spell into his ear. He sighed and said "Of course, anything for you, my love." I kissed his forehead. This was how Vampires got their prey to snap out of the spells. Athis took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. "Wow. I feel really weird." He said. "Because you are now my thrall. You're bound to me. I can tell you what to do and the spell will make you do it." I said, sitting crisscross in front of him. He looked up. "Is there any way  someone could resist?" "Not that I know of... Why?" "I don't want to be ordered to leave. Don't do that to me." He begged me, his eyes hard yet pleading. I looked down at my hands, "I can't promise anything." He clenched his jaw, his eyes going flat. "I will resist, no matter how much it hurts me." He stood, "We need to go. Time to save your daughter." I looked up as he stalked out of the tent. I sighed and rolled up the bed mat, tying it up and carrying it to the horse. I strapped it to one side, then strapped the duffel bag to the other side while Athis packed up the tarp-tent. I knew I would have to send him away. I had thought about it. I would give myself, a Vampiric Lord, in exchange for Sofie to leave with Athis, both unharmed. Only, now there was a kink in my plans. Athis was my thrall now. It's known that if the Vampire is killed, the Thrall will feel excruciating pain, and vice versa, only if the Thrall died, the Vampire will feel pain, but not half as much. I bit my lip nervously. I'd figure something out. I would manage. My hand went to the doll in my belt and gently brushed its face. If I got there and they killed Sofie, I'd order Athis to run and then I'd kill every Dawngaurd soldier there until they somehow managed to stop me. After slaughtering them all, I'd take Sofie's body and either have a proper burial or try to bring her back. I hadn't decided on that detail yet.

    Alright, well that's all I have of my story so far.... I'll post more when I write more.