Warrior's Heart: Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Moonsugar

      He had always hated that bear pipe. It was carved to look was roaring, trying to intimidate a potential threat. He would sometimes have nightmares of it as a child, of a giant bear towering over him, big enough to swallow him alive.

      Ingdor sort of resembled a bear.

      And sometimes, only sometimes, there was another creature in his dream. A dragon. It would fly over head, then land behind the bear. However, usually by this point, he would have woken up. But he didn't need to know how the dream ended, because he already knew one thing:

      Dragons are stronger than bears.

     

      "There are rumors of a rebellion starting Skyrim." Juniper said as they stared off at the Imperial City in the distance "They started some time after that incident in Markarth. The Jarl of Windhelm was promised that if he disposed of the forsworn, that he would be given the freedom to worships Talos. But-" She paused for a second to fix her cloak. "But the Thalmor had him and his men thrown in prison anyway."

      "Who is the Jarl of Windhelm?" Zeno asked.

      "A man named Ulfric Stormcloak," She started "Don't know much about him other than that. Although, from what I've heard, Windhelm isn't the most pleasant place in Skyrim." She sighs, her breathe forming a small puff of fog in front of her "What do you think it's like?"

      "What?"

      "To have a home, to have a-" She stopped, and looking down at the ground. There was silence for a moment or so, her next words stabbed right through it like a knife. "A family."

      "Well..." His words trailed off, not exactly sure how to respond. "I guess some people are just lucky..."

      "Yeah..." She plopped herself down on the cold ground, "Lucky..." Zeno sat down beside her, the lights illuminating the city below. "Sometimes I wonder, why our mum left Alf and I." She fiddled with her cloak a bit. "And what my life would've been like if she hadn't." To be honest, Zeno had often wondered the same. He wouldn't have to deal with Ingdor, but then again, he also would've never met Alf and Juniper.

      "Well, if she hadn't, then we would've never met." He replied, in an attempt to make her feel somewhat better.

      "I guess," She sighed, looking up at the night sky. "I remember, back in Riften, sometimes the sky would be dancing with these beautiful lights," A small smile came across her face. "A priestess of Mara once told me a story of a painter who had painted them across the sky for his love." She paused. "I've never seen them here in Bruma." She sighed.
     
      "Is this your way of telling me you want me do something amazing like that for you?" Zeno asked, Juniper grinned a little. "How do you know I already haven't? Maybe I put those up in the sky for you." He pointed up at the twin moons.

      "Wow, you chucked a couple of rocks in the sky? Just for me?" She said, a sarcastic tone in her voice "You shouldn't have."

      "You're so picky." He laughed.

      "I should head back soon, Alf is probably getting worried," She began to get up. "You coming?"

      "Uhh... No..." He replied as he also got up "I need to... Go pick something up for Edda..."

      "Well then," She started "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

      "I guess so."



      "Ah! If it isn't the bosmeri thief!" The Khajjit said, a strangely shaped pipe seated in his lap, filling the tent with a pinkish smoke. "Who fancies the violet-eyed sister of the dunmeri conman."

      "Rai'ze, I don't really have time for the ten hour greetings," Zeno said, ducking into the tent, the ceiling too low for him to stand up.

      "I see, I see, you just want what you came here for, yes?" The Khajiit reached into his satchel, and produced a small purple vial, but stopped. "She is quite beautiful isn't she?"

      "What?"

      "The violet-eyed Dunmer, I can tell you think so by the way you look at her." He chuckled, twirling the vial in his paw.

      "What does this have to do wi-?"

      "It's too bad she's a Dunmer."

      "What?"

      "It's too bad she's a Dunmer." He repeated. "Many are not that accepting of such a relationship between two different kinds." A lazy smile came across his face "But, it happens none the less. Orcs and Noblemen, Thalmor and Reguards, Rai'ze has even had one himself with an Argonian lass by the name of- What was is again? Oh yes, Dances-In-Moonlight." His smile grew bigger. "Rai'ze loved her more than Nord loves mead, he even had somehow obtained three flawless amethysts. However, her parents where not happy to hear of the union, which may have been for the best, just imagine the children!"

      "Rai'ze I really don't have time-"

      "However, it made this one realize one thing: love between two different kinds is like moonsugar." He continues "It's sweet, it's spicy, it's exicting, it's forbidden, it's addictive, everyone has at least had a taste, and if anyone finds out you're-" The vial is slapped out of his paw, and shattered on the rug, his eyes narrowed on the Bosmer. "Ruined..."

      "I really don't have time for this." The Bosmer said dryly.

      "Well for that, it's going to cost you extra." The Khajiit pulled out a second vial "After what happened in Bravil, trade has been hard."

      "Fine, whatever," He tossed a copper amulet at the Khajiit, and snatched the bottle from him. "I don't really care at this point." He began to leave, when the Rai'ze stopped him again.

      "Wait, bosmeri theif!" The elf turned back, an annoyed look crossed his face "I thought of another way it is like moonsugar." The Khajiit said, staring down at the amulet to make sure it is real. "The withdrawal is worse than death itself."



      "Alf... Alf, wake up!"

      "Juni? What is it?" He asked, rolling over onto his back to face his younger sister. Just as she opens her mouth he hears it: Bang! Bang! Bang!

      "Someone's at the door."

      "What? Who?" He asked, but she just shrugged. "Alright," He said, getting out of bed, grabbing his sword, and pointing it at the door. "Stand back." Bang! Bang! Bang! came from the other side again, but louder and more rapid. He wrapped his hand around the door's handle, pausing a moment before swinging it open. "Tory?"

      "Alf, could I speak to you for a moment?" She said, her voice shaking almost as much as she was. "Alone?"

      "Tory-"

      "Please?"

      "I..." He looked back at Juniper, which she responded to with another shrug "Alright." Tory gestured for him to follow, he hesitated before returning his sword to the side of his bed and following her. Once they where a far enough distance from the shack, she wrapped her arms around him and soon her lips where touching his.

      "I'm running away." She stated the second after they broke the kiss.

      "What?"

      "I'm running away." She repeated. "To Morrowind."

      "Tory-"

      "I can't take it anymore, I can't take my fiance, and I can't convince my parents to cancel the wedding." She said, trying to blink back her tears. "Please, come with me."

      "Do you think the people in Morrowind are going to be anymore happy about a Nord and Dunmer union?" He said, letting go of her.

      "Fine," She said, her voice growing tight. "I'll go by myself."

      "And just how are you planning on getting there?"

      "I'm sure Wildeye Stables has plenty of horses."

      "Where are you going to get the money to pay for one?"

      "Who said anything about money?"

      "You're just going to steal a horse?" He said, baffled. "You think you are going to get away with that?"

      "Oh, says the one who sells people 'Elixirs Brewed by Tamriel's Greatest Alchemists.'"

      "Do you even know how get to Morrowind?"

      "I just have to keep going east, how far can it be?" She turned and began to leave.

      "You're going to get yourself killed!" He called to her, she spun around.

      "Then come with me." She said. "What is keeping you here?"

      "I don't know if you noticed, but I have a little sister to look after."

      "Bring her along, you always brag about how you saved her from an abusive headmistress in Riften and brought her here."

      "And what about Zee? Are we just going to leave him?"

      "We'll bring him along too."

      "And what about your brother and fiance? I can imagine they won't be very happy about this."

      "Well they don't get a say in the matter." She grinned "Now, what do you say?" There was a moment of silence before he responded.

      "I say you should go home." He replied, her smile disappeared as she looked down at the ground. But then, he took his hand and tilted her chin up so that she was looking straight at him. "And pack your bags."



      "I swear, one of these days the guards are going to have to come over and break up one of those damn fights." Edda said, as she heard a loud crash come from the other room.

      "Maybe, you could just put a sleeping potion in the wine," Zeno said, not looking up from the book he was reading "It'd calm them down a bit."

      "Yeah..." She mutter, taking her gaze off of her mixing bowl, and glancing back at him. "What are you reading?" He didn't reply, and instead just held it up so she could see the cover, 16 Accords of Madness, v. VI was written in gold letters. "Read me a couple lines."

      "The tiny bird lightly hopped along the snout of the furious Daedroth." He started "Sheogorath looked on, quietly mirthful, as the diminutive creature picked at a bit of detritus caught in scales betwixt the fiery eyes of the larger beast-" Another loud crash.

      "Keep reading."

      "With howling fury, the were-thing blinded itself trying to pluck away the nuisance. And so it continued for hours, Hircine looking on in shame while his finest beast gradually destroyed itself in pursuit of the seemingly oblivious bird, all the while chirping a mournful tune to the lonesome range..." He paused. "Is something burning?"

      "The souffle!" She cried, running over to the stone oven, pulling out something black and deflated. "Oh no, how long did it say to keep it in for?" Zeno picked up the book labeled Uncommon Taste from the counter and paged through it.

      "Umm... Twenty-five minutes."

      "And how long has it been?"

      "Well, judging from the trajectory of the sun and moons... About an hour."

      "Why does Ingdor make me cook for these stupid parties?" She sighed, placing the charred dish on the counter. "A mudcrab could cook better than me."

      "Now that's just silly, how would a mudcrab even hold a spoon?" A small smile came across Edda's face. "Why do you even put up with him? Why don't you just leave?"

      "Oh yeah, and where would I go?"

      "You could go to Morrowind..." He said, as happy as he was to finally leave he felt guilty for leaving her. They where planning on leaving the next morning, and he wasn't sure how she would react to his sudden disappearance.

      "No... I... I can't..." She shook her head. She suddenly stopped "How long did you say it was in for?"

      "About an hour."

      "Didn't I send Egil to go get me a bag of flour right before I put it in?" She said. "And he's still not back." She turned to Zeno. "Could you go look for him?"

      "Do I have to?"

      "He might be hurt!"

      "From fetching a bag of flour? Although, he'd probably hurt himself with a healing spell. Fine, I'll go" Zeno said, grabbing a lantern from the counter. "I wouldn't be surprise if I found him holding a bag and trying to find Lavender and Thistle under the snow."


      "Egil? He called, holding out his lantern in front of him. "Egil?" There was no answer, he continued to walked toward the shed. "Eg- Son of a bitch!" A ball of fire hit his left hand, knocking the lantern out of it. A burning pain shot through his hand, he looked down, it was blistering and red. He glanced over at the lantern, steam was rising from it, and it left a large hole in the snow. That's when he heard something behind him. "Hello?" Next thing he knew he was pinned to the wall of the shed. He couldn't see their face very well, but he could vaguely tell that they were an elf.

      "Where is she!?" They screamed at him. "Where is she!? What did you do with her!?" They readied a fire spell, Zeno could see their face in the dim light, and he recognized it.

      "Alf?" He choked out, Alf released his grip on him. "What are you doing here?"

      "They took her, Zee!" Alf cried, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. "They took her!"

      "Who? What are you talking about? Who took who?"

      "Juniper! They took Juniper!"