Winter's Night

I blinked. "Very well. Let her have the room. I'll find another place to sleep. How much?"

I looked at Darvis with a bit of confusion, "No, I will not be taking the room, give it to Darvis."

I frowned and looked at Sanaria. "I will not allow myself to take that room with the knowledge that you will be sleeping Divines-know-where. I insist, you take it."

I furrowed my brow, "And I cannot in good concience take the room with you nowhere to be."
"If I may save us all some time why don't you both take the room." Larin said.

I sighed and nodded. "It seems we'll get nowhere if we don't both take the room. You still haven't told me how much though."

"Well, since Skyrim is no longer in danger because of you two, how about half price at 50 septums." Orgnar said.

I blinked. "50 Septims is -half- price? You're joking, right? This had better be your nicest room you're talking about." I started racking my memory for bargaining tactics, preparing to fight for a less outrageous price.

"All right you big old git you'll give us fifteen or we walk." I said.
"You always drove a hard bargain, and now I can't turn you away." Orgnar said with a smile.

I looked at Sanaria with a broad smile; I intended it to be more of a grin, but it came out... Differently. I stepped forward and dropped a pouch of 15 gold coins on the counter. "You can count it if you want."

"I'll trust you, the rooms over there." Orgnar said while pointing to a room. We opened the door to what looked like a small room, a nightstand, table, and a bed where the furniture the room contained. "...one bed...I swear if this is a joke I'm going to eviscerate that man."

I shook my head. "I hope for his sake it's not." I took a quick glance at the room. "No chair? Really?" I sighed. "Guess I'm sleeping on the table or the floor."

"No, I don't care about proper but you take the bed." I said already knowing how it would turn out.

I turned and shut the door before speaking, to avoid having to bother the rest of the patrons with what I knew would become an argument. "I wouldn't be able to get any restful sleep knowing you're on the floor. I insist." I spoke in the gentlest voice I could muster.

"It's because I'm a women isn't it? I'm just as tough and travled as you are." I replied.

I scoffed. "It's not a matter of who's tougher or more well-traveled. It's simply a matter of, I'm a man, you're a woman, so it's only proper that you get the bed at my expense. Besides, I've slept in worse conditions. You deserve it more than I do, Miss Charges-With-Daggers." I grinned at that last name for her, remembering how she charged Alduin with naught but a dagger.

I sighed, "Look, I've slept on stone floors, in pits filled with who knows how many kinds of poisonous creatures, and in the most uncomfortable chair you've ever seen, and I don't care if I'm a woman you are taking the bed or so help me I'll tie you up and put you there myself!"

I rolled my eyes. "I've slept in Dwemer ruins crawling with machines out for my blood, I've slept within eyesight of Falmer, and I've slept in the company of Werewolves and Vampires! So ancestors help me if I cannot sleep on the ground for a few hours!" I shook my head and began to review draconic words in my head. "And your plan will only work if you can tie me up first." A grin slowly spread across my face.

I looked at him and tried to keep a straight face, but ended up laughing at his expression. "I really don't care about this do you?" I asked him.

I rolled my eyes again. "I don't care, so long as one of us gets the bed. That is, unless you -want- us sleeping together." I laughed at the absurdity of the thought.

My face exploded into a shade of crimson that I never knew existed, "I, well, it's just, your a great guy, I don't, it's, you see..." I just lowered my face.

The grin faded and I tilted my head slightly as I watched her face turn crimson. I was almost worried for a second. I pulled back my hood as she stuttered, and pulled down the mask that covered my mouth and nose as she lowered her face. "Get your thoughts together. I can wait." I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall patiently, my black hair having grown longer over time, now just barely brushing my shoulders.

I moved and sat on the bed, wanting the conversation to be at an end I laid my head on the pillow.

I simply shrugged and slumped rather ungraciously against the wall. "Well, if you want to say anything, I'll be right here." I shut my eyes and allowed my mind to roam free as dreams began to envelop my senses.

I was just sitting in my house, when I smelled the smoke, next thing I saw was my room in flames. I ran down the stairs and out the door, and saw my town in flames. Stormcloaks ran about, looting the area, and as I looked around my attention was drawn up. Against the bright lights in the sky I could see a figure someone who directed them. The figure drifted toward me and I found myself in the hall of Dragonsreach. "WHO ARE YOU WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS!" I shouted at her, for the figure was female. "I am whoever you wish I would be." The figure spoke and it was not one but many voices. I drew my sword and charged at her, using a horizontal cut I sliced her neck. The hood came of as the head flew through the air, and I gasped as I saw my face. All I remembered was waking up to Darvis' face in a puddle of sweat.

Darkness. Nothing but darkness. Darkness and shadows surrounded me and, as I cast my gaze about the scene, or rather, lack of one, I smelled the scent of freshly spilled blood. It made me want to gag. It made me want to turn and flee, to be anywhere but here. I looked down at my hands. The familiar claws were there, blood dripping off them, falling to the ground. My eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. I saw a figure, robed in black, mangled and dying in the corner, blood seeping from several long gashes, flowing towards the center of the room. Flowing towards me. It was as if the figure's blood was crying for vengeance, for justice. As if the very life force of the boy - for it indeed was a boy - was trying to sap my own. I turned to try and flee, but found myself bound to the spot by some dark magic. I realized that, as I began to walk towards the boy, who seemed more and more familiar with each step I took, I was not in control of my own body. Forced to watch the events unfold as if I were but a helpless spectator, a powerless pawn. A dark chuckle escaped my lips as I finally reached the boy. I kicked the body, and the mangled body rolled over in response, revealing the pained face of Gavyn. My very own apprentice. My Mouth in the council of the Telvanni. The boy who was like a son to me, and I was helpless as I felt my arms move. I saw the claws as my arms lifted to eye level, and then they thrusted downwards. I heard a scream of pain. There came a sense that he was still alive, as if this weren't an attempt to kill him, but rather a twisted form of torture. Torture to him, and to me. And I was entirely powerless to stop it.

Despite everything I had been through, everything I knew...

I was powerless.

...

I bolted up to my feet in the room, glanced down at my hands. I noticed that my left hand had shown its claws. My right seemed perfectly fine though. I growled quietly and turned to cover my left hand from Sanaria's vision, should she happen to be awake. I glanced over and was relieved that she wasn't when I awoke. Yet still I stood, my back partially facing her as I struggled to will the claws to return to normal. It was also a relief to see that they were devoid of blood. Even so...

What did that all mean?