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The Forsworn Retribution	By : Samson Category: +A through F > Elder Scrolls - Skyrim Views: 60892 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 3
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Protector

The Forsworn Retribution
Part VIII - "Legends in the Making"
By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson
Original Date Written: February 25, 2015

When Maximus awoke, he quietly continued resting for a few minutes, giving himself some time to get his bearings and clear the cobwebs from his head. Eventually, he eased his eyes open a crack, raising a hand to his forehead before raking his fingers through his bangs. He was nice and toasty under Sabrina’s bed sheets, and yet, it didn’t take long for him to notice that he was no longer sharing the bed, with anyone. Given that the cave’s natural fireplace was crackling and popping with renewed vigour, he felt reassured that his lady friends hadn’t gone far. Still, it was a little surprising to think that they had all woken up before him...

“Max?...Are you awake?” Sabrina suddenly asked, silently drifting towards the bed like a phantom. Maximus gave an obvious, audible sigh. Oh, boy. Here we go. He could hear it in her voice, she wanted to chat about something. In a bit of a grumble, he remarked “Yeah...But I just woke up, Sabrina. Let me actually get my head on straight before we have any serious heart-to-hearts about anything, huh? I could use some breakfast...” He could hear the amusement bubbling up in her voice. “Breakfast? I think you mean lunch...It’s barely midday, Max. You slept for a good, long while.”

“Whatever, same difference.” He remarked, slowly sitting up in her bed. She gave a warm chuckle. He dropped his hand to his lap, lazily looking over at her. She must’ve bathed and cleaned her glasses at some point, as she was noticeably lacking any dried marks from the cum she had earned, the day before. She had undone her twin ponytails, letting her waterfall of soft, black hair cascade down her back, just like she usually kept it. She had dressed herself in her usual clothing, as well, having pulled on her black silk, floral-patterned shirt, along with her matching black skirt and stockings. She was still carrying a thick, leather bound grimoire under one arm, suggesting she had been in the middle of studying something when she realized he had woken up.

If he was being honest with himself, it was a little disappointing to see she hadn’t kept on that sexy little number of a dress. The way it had shown off her curves...Mmf. Even he had been impressed, and that was really saying something. In a soft, supplicating voice, she murmured out “Listen...While the others are still out...I was hoping we could talk, for a minute...It’s about what happened with Anya, and I.” Maximus groaned. This again? His obvious annoyance put meekness in her tone. Quickly, yet lightly, sitting down by his side, she turned to face him, setting her book down on the edge of the bed beside herself. “Please, just hear me out, it wasn’t as bad as you likely think!...”

“I know that, Sabrina.” Maximus lazily commented, raising an eyebrow as he gave her a bored look. Sabrina gave pause at that remark, but quickly regained her composure and went on with her explanation, nevertheless. “I never wanted it to happen, believe me. I just couldn’t focus, and...I gave in. I knew what I needed...Blood, and to cum. I hadn’t fed in a while, and...You know...When I ran across Anya, I just used her to help me get my focus back. For the life of me, I couldn’t concentrate, and there was just too much on the line.”

Arching her eyebrows, she gave a light gesture, slowly chopping in the air with a hand. “That’s all it was, Max. It meant nothing, to me. I only did it so I could focus on helping you...Because, you do mean something, to me.” Her genuine remorse was rather clear, but still, this whole thing was already old news, to Maximus. Giving her a tired look, he slowly said her name to discourage her from continuing, but she went ahead, regardless. She brought a hand over to his thigh, gazing at him with a palpable hunger for forgiveness. “Honestly, Max...It was just a handjob and some dirty talk. She didn’t even know what she was doing, at the time. I don’t remember if I even told her my name.”

“I put her under my influence, she was little more than a masturbation toy, really...I’d never betray you, like that. I wasn’t...I wasn’t being unfaithful. It honestly hurt, a little, when Lana said that...I haven’t felt about someone the way I feel about you, in...Gods, I don’t even remember. I have no reason to look to anyone else, you give me everything I want, and more.” Maximus gave her a bit of a look, again saying her name to discourage her. “Sabrina, you’re starting to get sappy...Quit while you’re behind.” In an effort to change the subject, he quickly added “Speaking of behinds, how’s your ass? I’d say we gave that lotion a proper test run, eh?”

Sabrina answered his question, but at the same time, she wasn’t about to let the topic shift. “Not anywhere near as sore as it would’ve been, without the lotion. I’m not bleeding, but I’m walking a little stiffly...Thanks for asking.” He raised an eyebrow, about to point out that she had misinterpreted his distraction for thoughtfulness when she continued, robbing him of the chance. “So...Please, don’t be angry with me...I feel like you forgave me yesterday, but I just wanted to make sure...I just wanted you to hear my side of the story. Yes, I could’ve just masturbated, but...I didn’t want to break your order. I did it for you...I’m sorry.”

Sabrina, hand still on his thigh, turned towards him a little more. Barely raising her eyebrows, she cooed out a soft “I love you,” which just made him narrow his eyes. He swatted her hand away from his thigh, and in the same motion, he reached out and took her by the throat. She gave a light gasp as he pulled her over, but she didn’t resist, letting him guide her around. He pulled her back until she was lying down over the bed, her shoulders over his thighs, her legs still hanging over the edge of the bed. His free hand came under her head for support, his fingers sinking into her soft, wavy locks as he held her steady.

Rather wearily, he sighed out “That, right there - stop it. If I had known fucking you so much would turn you mushy, I would’ve figured out a way to use your mouth without getting nicked. At least then, I wouldn’t have to hear this nonsense. Gabby’s always quiet, the day after I give her a sore throat.” Sabrina’s eyes widened, for a moment, before her brow just barely furrowed. Somewhat indignantly, she mumbled out “It’s not nonsense, Maximus...I’m being honest!” He let go of her throat, but in exchange, he took her by the jaw, his thumb on her chin as he looked down into her eyes. Eyes still half-closed, he raised an eyebrow at her, lackadaisically remarking “And I’m supposed to believe that? Give me a break, fang-face. I just woke up, but I’m not stupid.”

A bit of stubbornness welled up in Sabrina’s eyes, along with a frustrated glimmer. She brought an arm up, getting a firm hold on his elbow. Lips pouting in a little frown, she refused to drop the subject, persisting with an obstinate mutter. “...I’ll prove it to you. Somehow, some way, I’ll prove it. I’m not lying...I’ll show you.” Maximus’ brow sank, and the corners of his mouth rose in a smile. “Is that so?” He chimed back. Sabrina gave a nod, frown intensifying all the while. Maximus let out an amused huff of a sigh. “Open your damn mouth.” Sabrina did as he bade, furrowed brow unknitting as she parted her inflated lips. He dropped his head, watching her close her eyes just before he dug his tongue into her mouth.

He knew she hadn’t been lying, at least not entirely. He could read it in her eyes, that mystical combination of dreaminess, adoration, and trust, all rolled into one. Oh, she felt something, alright. Whether or not it was something she had convinced herself of in the heat of the moment, or honestly the beginning stages of something as pointless as love, he couldn’t quite say. Maybe he already knew the answer, but didn’t want to deal with the implications. Urgh...Love. First Bunny, now Sabrina. Let’s not go down that route, Maximus. It’s a silly trip, and nothing good lies at the end. Survive, get gold, enjoy yourself and live easy - at no point in that life plan did anything even remotely resembling love enter the picture.

Once Maximus figured he had finished tongue-lashing away the last of Sabrina’s defiance, he pulled back. She opened her eyes part-way, gazing up at him in a daze. He barely raised an eyebrow, eyes shifting over into the corners as he glanced at her crotch. Yep, it never failed. Just a little make-out session was all it took for her to pitch a massive tent in her skirt. It really was too easy, with her. At least now, she’d have a suitable distraction. Letting go of her jaw, he gave one of her breasts a firm honk through her shirt, then ordered “Take care of that.” Sabrina blinked, swallowing the mixture of their mingled saliva. Free hand drifting down to her skirt, she softly asked “...Will you watch me do it?”

“Nope.” He chuckled, to her surprise. He slipped both hands away from her, then started pulling his legs out from under her. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching him get up to his feet and look around for his armour. As she pulled her skirt up and over the hump growing from her groin, she offered only a single, humble protest: “But...It’s no fun if you aren’t there, for it...” Maximus, spotting his trunks on the cave floor, grabbed them, giving her a look as he started pulling them on. Sarcastically, he retorted “Somehow, I think you’ll manage. If you really need some incentive, then eat your own cum when you’re done.”

Sabrina’s face went a little flush at the kinky instruction, but judging by the way her manhood momentarily strained against her panties, she found it more than a bit encouraging. Reaching her hand back down, gently stroking across the silky ruffles of her underwear, she quietly conceded to his order, murmuring in the affirmative. He didn’t pay any further attention to her, after that. She had gotten enough of it the other day, and judging by this psychobabble about feelings and love and whatnot, being ignored for a little bit might help keep her from getting any more weird ideas. Sure, she was fun to be around, but love? Let’s not get carried away, here.

Maximus wandered off in search of his four wayward teammates, unaware of the fact that they had split into two groups. Although Hanse and Gertrude had provided the group with some fresh provisions for their trip, the ladies had decided it wouldn’t hurt to stretch their legs and forage for a bit of extra food. Bunny went off on her own in the hopes of hunting for venison, while Gabriella and Svetlana kept a close eye on Anya and hunted for smaller rewards, a task made somewhat grating by Anya’s newfound anxiety over being out in the open. Now that she had officially deserted from the Thalmor, being seen by someone from Markarth could spell her end, as well as those of her begrudging companions.

For Bunny, things were much simpler. It was nice, being on her own for a little. Although Maximus and the others had begun to feel like more of a family than her blood relatives ever did, she still appreciated her own company, and enjoyed having a bit of time to be off on her own. She left the scrounging for berries and the occasional mudcrab to the others, and focused her attentions on the big prize: meat, wild deer prancing across the hills. It didn’t take long for her to find her quarry. In the silent stalk, she chose her mark. Kneeling close to the ground, breathing in deep of the cool air, she quietly drew one of her homemade arrows tight on her drawstring.

She waited just a moment, letting the breeze die down. As soon as there was a lull, she let the arrow fly. It struck true, piercing into the deer’s throat with a flash of red. Protruding through the side of the majestic creature’s neck, the arrow dripped life as the deer stumbled and staggered. The rest scattered as the creature let out a cry, then collapsed. Bunny smiled to herself. The hunt had been successful. Time to collect the spoils and share them with the others. She could practically smell the venison roasting over a fire, already. Standing back up, she made her way to the body, watching the mortally wounded creature twitch it’s last.

Setting her bow down on the ground, Bunny stepped up beside the fresh kill, ready to try and pluck her arrow back out of it. She doubted the arrow was salvageable, but there was never any harm in trying. Just as she leaned over the body, a faint “thunk” drifted into her ears. Her eyes darted upwards as her body froze. A second later, a whistling sound appeared, very quickly intensifying. On instinct, Bunny dove away from the carcass, falling flat against the ground to minimize her chance of being struck. She flinched and raised her head when the whistling climaxed with a vicious “boom,” startling her with the volume.

She stared in surprise at what she saw. What appeared to be a small lance of metal, about the size of a shortsword, was protruding from the earth, just between the frame and drawstring of her bow. Bunny’s heart began to race. In a panic, she scrambled on all fours towards her bow, both hands going for it once she was close enough. A familiar voice loudly declared “Don’t even think about it, Bunny.” Bunny froze up, again. She swallowed some excess saliva, turning her head to look up the hill. Her eyes subtly narrowed at the sight of Straight Arrow, nonchalantly wandering down the hillside towards her.

When Bunny noticed the weapon in her sister’s hands, however, her eyes widened right back open. It was a bow, no mistaking that, but it was the largest bow Bunny had ever seen. At least two-thirds as long as Straight Arrow was tall, the weapon was a fearsome black, suggesting it had been crafted with ebony, surprisingly enough. Where in Stendarr’s name could Straight have found the materials for such a creation? The frame was thick, yet plain and rudimentary, unadorned with decoration or ostentation. The drawstring was bulky, spooled around either end of the frame in an unusually glimmering pair of lumps, looking oddly similar to gooey spider silk.

Bunny couldn’t imagine the strength required to pull all the way back on the bow’s drawstring, and she was further awed when she saw Straight’s quiver. Like a backpack, Straight wore her quiver over the middle of her back, the no doubt terribly heavy burden supported by straps around her shoulders and waist. Jutting up from the quiver were more lance-like arrows, each looking like they weighed enough to send a struck target flying off of their feet. When Straight Arrow spotted that she had hit her target, landing her oversized arrow in the narrow opening of Bunny’s Glass bow, she smirked. Giving a nod, she commented, seemingly to herself, “Getting better!”

Bunny’s brow started to sink. Straight reached over her shoulder, pulling another massive arrow from her quiver, readying it on the bow’s drawstring. Once she was close enough, she gave Bunny a nod, ordering “Stand up, already. I’d hate to pin you to the dirt, face-first.” Bunny waited a moment. Although her blood ran cold at the threat, she didn’t feel anywhere near as afraid as she ever thought she would’ve. As she slowly pushed herself up to her feet, her hands tightened at the disturbed ground inside her bow, clutching small fistfuls of dirt knocked loose by the lance of an arrow.

Calmly, she rose to her feet, then turned to face her sister. Straight Arrow smiled with infuriating smugness. It didn’t take her long to delve into some bragging. Giving her bow a nod, never taking her eyes from her sister, she remarked “Some things never change, eh? Everything I do, I do it better than you. It’d take five of you to handle this thing. You always were a scrawny thing. You know how axes have battleaxes, and swords have greatswords? Well, I call this a greatbow. Your little arrows are needles compared to what I shoot.” Bunny kept her cool, but she didn’t give her sister the satisfaction of verbally walking all over her.

Mustering up what little courage she needed, her voice briefly cracked, but then she was saying “S-Same old Straight. You’re always trying to be bigger and better than me, at everything. Next thing you know, you’re gonna take up alchemy, too. At least your name is actually gonna make sense, now.” Straight chuckled, no longer fazed by her sister’s defiance. Her sister was no longer the person she used to be, she had certainly grown during her short time away from the clan, but she was still meek. She could still be bullied. Without missing a beat, Straight chuckled back “Judging by how quickly I’ve gotten good at archery and how I can use such a bigger bow than you, I’d probably mix up an elixir of life if I tried out alchemy. Don’t worry, though. I’ll let you have something all to yourself. Alchemy can be your thing, Brewmaster.”

Bunny’s brow sank deeper. Straight slowly lost her smile as she continued. “No more screwing around, Bunny. I’ve been following you for over an hour, now. I know you’re all alone, your friends aren’t anywhere near us...Especially not that stupid Imperial.” “His name’s Max.” Bunny snapped. Straight briefly narrowed her eyes, gave a dismissive shake with her head, and blurted out “Whatever, I don’t care what his damn name is. Listen, you have two choices: either you come with me and go back to the clan, or I get rid of you, here and now. It honestly doesn’t matter to me, either way.”

Bunny’s eyes briefly widened before her brow was sinking in outrage. Straight wasn’t serious...Was she? Shocked, Bunny blurted out “What in Oblivion are you saying, that you’d kill me? I’m your sister, w-we’re flesh and blood!” Straight gave a solemn little shake with her head. “You stopped being my sister when you turned your back on the clan and started running around with a bunch occupiers. And then, on top of that, there was that mysterious attack on Red Eagle, which you were obviously a part of. You’ve already killed some of your own kind, Bunny. They weren’t of the clan, but they were still Forsworn. I honestly don’t mind killing you, in exchange.”

Straight Arrow’s heartless declaration chilled Bunny to her core. There were a few moments of silence where the two simply stared at one another, with Bunny attempting to gauge Straight’s honesty. Eventually, she muttered out “...Why do the others even want me to go back, anyway? Just so they can kill me, themselves?” Straight, thinking she had cowed Bunny into compliance, turned from a confrontational approach to a somewhat more accommodating one. Raising her eyebrows, she commented “Not even close. We need you. We want you back, I want to bring you back.”

Bunny narrowed an eye. “Need me? What for?” Straight just gave a casual nod. Bunny gave a little shake with her head, adding “After all this time, you finally need me, for something? The clan always said I was terrible with a bow, and if you’re so good at it now, what does that leave for me to do?” Hoping her honesty would win Bunny over, Straight explained with a brief tilt of her head. “We need you for, ironically, your alchemy. We need you to make poisons, for us. We actually want to make use of your skills, and if you come back and help us, the clan is willing to forgive your running around.”

Bunny blinked a few times in rapid succession, out of confusion. “Poi...? What for? An attack?” Straight gave another nod, mumbling out “Very good, Bunny.” “On who? We never used poison, before. We never had to.” Bunny immediately asked. Straight raised her eyebrows, gravely uttering “Markarth.” The petite Breton simply stared at her sister with a dumbstruck lack of understanding. All emotion drained from Straight Arrow’s face as she, without reservation or remorse, stated “The time has come to free Madanach. The Nords have kept him locked up in their mine for too long. We need every man, woman, and child we can find, and nobody’s talents are being wasted...But you, especially, have an important role to play. We have a plan that involves poisoners.”

“Like what?” Bunny asked. Her curiosity was genuine, but probably not for the reasons Straight expected or was hoping for. Straight, however, was clever enough not to simply give away her clan’s plans when she didn’t yet know if Bunny even intended on accompanying her. Certainly, there’d be little harm in telling her, anyway, considering the alternative was death, but one never knew when wandering ears were listening in. Raising her eyebrows as well as her chin, she asked “Does that mean you’re coming back, then?” Bunny didn’t respond, right away. She spent a couple seconds trying to think of something to say, but she couldn’t find the words fast enough for Straight’s liking.

The red-headed Breton slowly began to pull back on her drawstring, urging a quiet groan to drift from the ebony greatbow. Her lips settled into a slight frown, while her eyes developed a merciless glint. “...Fine, then. You’ve made your bed. Now, you can sleep in it.” She muttered out. Bunny just stood her ground, staring Straight down. Like Oblivion would she give her sister the satisfaction of seeing her turn her back like a coward. If she was going to murder her, then she could look her in the eyes while she did it.

A sudden wolf call filled the air, the howl coming from perilously nearby. Several more arose to accompany it, quickly approaching. Straight, on instinct, turned her head, eyes widening with anxiety. The wolf pack must’ve been drawn by Bunny’s fresh kill, having caught the scent of blood on the breeze and hoping to claim the meal for themselves. Bunny didn’t make the same mistake her sister did, she didn’t need to see the wolves to know they were within a stone’s throw. In that instant, she thrust out both of her arms, throwing her handfuls of dirt directly for Straight’s face, sending a painful, blinding cloud of particles into her eyes.

Straight immediately let out a shriek, subdued into a piercing grunt in her throat. Before Straight could try to pull back on her arrow and fire it blindly in Bunny’s direction, Bunny grabbed the lance-like arrow pinned through her bow, desperately tearing it out of the dirt with both hands. She raced up to Straight and, eyes wide, teeth bared in rage, she wound up a massive swing with the great arrow, holding it by her shoulder like a club. When she unleashed that blow, Straight never knew what hit her. The clunk of metal against bone was sickeningly loud.

The end of the great arrow struck Straight in her right cheekbone so hard that her whole head swung to the side, a few bloodied fragments of teeth catapulting out through her opened mouth. She collapsed like a sack of bricks, and Bunny, more intent on escape than murder, immediately threw aside the great arrow and took off like the wind, snatching up her Glass bow in the process. “Bunnyyyyy!!” She heard Straight bellow, her voice wracked and twisted with enraged pain. Bunny never looked back. She simply kept running.

“...You there, greetings! Sorry to trouble you! Would you, by any chance, happen to be a trader?” Gabriella asked, putting on a sweet smile as she walked down the hillside. The man turned to look at her, a slightly surprised smile instantly growing on his face at the sight of the lone Dunmeri woman. It had been a little while since she had had to rely on her charms, but after playing the part of an actress for most of her life, taking a break for a couple weeks wasn’t going to make her forget. In only a minute, she’d have this man wrapped around her little finger, eating out of the palm of her hand. Who knows, she might’ve even been able to get him to part with some of his wares for free.

The man, a middle-aged Nord with a braided beard, gave a nod, his smile growing as he not-so-subtly watched her hips swing. He was dressed in rather unassuming clothes bordering on a beggar’s rags, but Gabriella was all too familiar with that kind of merchant’s smokescreen. It was a fairly common trick for merchants, clever ones anyway, to dress like they didn’t have two Septims to rub together. The ploy served to make them less tempting targets for highwaymen during travel, and also allowed them to garner a little bit of sympathy from prospective buyers before they were presented with overpriced goods. It was all part of the merchant’s game.

Unfortunately, this particular merchant must not have thought out the trick too well, because the impressive pack of wares strapped to his back gave away that he was not, in fact, a pauper. Gabriella used her disdain and amusement to fuel her illusion, letting her smile grow even wider, making her seem more approachable. Sashaying with the refined sex appeal of a life-long manipulator, she walked to the bottom of the hill, stepping out on to the stone-paved byway. She gave the merchant a cultured little wave, holding her hand up and briefly wiggling her fingers at him.

She knew she had already ensnared him when he stumbled over his words. “Um, y-yes miss, I...Ahem, I am. I have a few wares I picked up in Falkreath. I’m on my way to Markarth, you see, but only a fool passes up a serendipitous trade opportunity. Were you interested in buying?” Eyes half-closed and smouldering, Gabriella grinned a little and cooed “Well, that depends on what you’re selling. My food stores aren’t the greatest, and a lady could starve, out here...But, I think I’ll manage. Although, if you had any spices to liven a meal up, well...” The man grinned like a buffoon. “As a matter of fact, I do! Heh, to be perfectly honest, I’m surprised. Most of the Nords I deal with aren’t very interested in foreign spices, they’re perfectly happy with their garlic and elves ear. If it’s spices you want, I think I have just the thing to make you felicitous.”

Ooh, another big, fancy word. Bust out the College of Winterhold textbooks, friend, it’s sure to impress all the ladies. Flex that brain, toss out a third unnecessarily long word, it’s definitely going to make Gabby cream her pants. Years of practice allowed the Dunmer to hide her annoyance, masking it as lighthearted amusement. With a warm chuckle, she enthusiastically murmured “Wonderful! Foreign, you say? Where does it come from?” The trader was all too happy to oblige, quickly throwing himself into an explanation as he unshouldered his bulging pack, setting it down on the ground in front of his feet.

As he got to work opening the pack and rummaging around inside, he said “Elsweyr, believe it or not. Picked it up from one of the Khajiit caravans wandering Skyrim, these days. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but I actually sampled one of the bottles, myself. Tasted fantastic, and I’m still alive, aren’t I? I guess the cats don’t lie about everything. Anyway...Just one second, where did I...Ah!” With a flourish, the merchant stood back up straight, presenting a narrow glass bottle, just long and thick enough to comfortably fit in a cook’s fist. Stopped up with a wide piece of black cork, the bottle was filled with a sandy sort of ground-up substance, a few grains of it reflecting the sunlight through the glass.

Gabriella raised her eyebrows, quietly appraising the vial as she reached a hand out. The merchant let her take it, giving it a nod as he commented “Give it a smell, it’s great stuff! I have another three vials, but the fourth it just a little smaller, you know, because of my own personal taste-testing.” Gabriella pushed the end of her carefully manicured thumbnail into the edge of the cork stopper, gently popping it out. As it fell, she caught it with her other hand, then nonchalantly eased the vial over under her nose. She gave a slow sniff, listening as the merchant continued. “Each vial should have enough to spice up...Hrmm...Around twoscore heavy meals, give or take? Depends on how much you use, of course.”

“But of course.” Gabriella agreed, shrugging with her eyebrows before sticking the cork back inside. “Gabby?” Svetlana suddenly called, stepping out into view over the top of the hill. Gabriella briefly raised an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder. Raising her voice a little, she called back “I’m a little busy at the moment, Lana!” The merchant looked up, eyeing Svetlana as he commented “Erm...Yes, well, each vial would be a steal at around twenty Septims each. The fourth, the one I sampled, would understandably go for less, and if you bought all four at once, I’d drop the price to...Let’s say...”

Anya, either not having heard the merchant speak or too curious to keep herself hidden, stepped out over the rise of the hill, walking out into clear sight. It didn’t take longer than a moment for the merchant to spot her, and once he did, his eyebrows rose up. Anya, swiftly realizing her potentially fatal error, froze up like a terrified deer. She urged herself to turn around and disappear, to minimize his window of opportunity to memorize her appearance, but it took her a whole seven seconds before she could finally find the will to move her muscles. By that point, the merchant’s smile was already faltering. In a somewhat confused mumble, he remarked “Huh...Figured you were alone. That was an Altmer, wasn’t it? Never seen Elven armour up-close, before.”

The only person that would’ve been able to see the life drain from Gabriella’s eyes was Maximus, and he wasn’t there to prevent what was about to happen. Maybe he would’ve allowed it, all things considered, but nobody would ever find out the truth. The confusion in the merchant’s voice intensified as he continued. “Hey, you know what? She reminds me of those Thalmor people, I always see a bunch of them in Markarth, these days. Is sh-?” Gabriella moved in the blink of an eye. Her body twisted to the side, an arm swinging out in a short, violent arc. The merchant’s eyes widened in shock, his hands shooting up to his throat.

Svetlana’s eyes widened, her jaw falling open. Anya heard the merchant gurgle and choke, but she wasn’t about to repeat her mistake of being observable. Gabriella looked at the merchant, watching the waterfall of crimson run down his chest, soaking his rags. The man looked at her in shock, trying to stumble away from her. She dropped the vial of spices and pulled free her second Elven dagger, thrusting out her arm. His whole body lurched when the blade plunged into his abdomen. Warmth quickly splashed against her hand, running around her fingers. The merchant stopped clutching his throat, reaching out and grabbing her shoulders, marking her armour with proof of her misdeed. The first dagger, dripping red as it protruded from the bottom of her fist, came back around, digging into the center of his chest with a quick jab.

As the merchant collapsed, she pulled her daggers out of his body, taking a couple backwards steps away from him. “Gabby!!” Svetlana shouted, confused tears welling up in her eyes. Anya, confused by Svetlana’s outburst, turned back around. When she saw the corpse, her mouth fell open, a crack. Gabriella, her breathing having just barely escalated, looked down and watched the man wheeze his last. “What in Oblivion are you doing?!” Svetlana yelled, taking off in a run down the hillside. Gabriella raised her voice right back at the priestess, but she kept her cool, refusing to get emotional. “I had to, he saw Anya, he might’ve said something about us in Markarth!”

“You murdered him!” Svetlana indignantly yelled, rushing to the merchant’s side. “I had to! I didn’t want to, but I had to!” The Dunmer repeated, brow furrowing. Svetlana dropped to her knees by the merchant’s side, touching his pale face with both hands, holding his cheeks as she searched for any sign of life she could potentially nourish. A silence fell over the area, lasting several agonizingly long moments. Quietly, Anya began to make her way down the hillside. Svetlana took her hands from the man. No amount of skill in Restoration could help him, by that point.

Gabriella stepped to the side, walking to the edge of the cobbled path. Crouching down, she wiped her daggers off on the grass, removing the red from their edge. While she spoke firmly, her choice of words noticeably gave away an undercurrent of remorse. “Listen...I had to. He noticed Anya, he figured out that she might’ve been a member of the Thalmor. He was bound for Markarth. How long do you think it would’ve taken him to notice the commotion over Anya’s disappearing act? How long would it have taken for the Thalmor to decide to question wandering traders? Maybe he actually would’ve tried to alert them? I had no choice, he could’ve gotten us all killed!”

“I heard what he said! He didn’t figure out anything, he thought she might’ve looked like a Thalmor soldier, he...!” Svetlana protested, trailing off as tears began to streak her cheeks, leaving glittering trails down her beautiful face. Gabriella couldn’t respond. Seeing Svetlana so moved by the murder shocked her, to say the least. She had never seemed to care before, when bandits or Forsworn were threatening their lives. Why was this random merchant different, to her? Was it purely because he hadn’t been waving a sword in their face? To Gabriella, there was little, if any, difference, but the priestess visibly felt differently.

Once Anya had reached the two of them, she nudged aside the merchant’s pack of goods with her foot, getting it clear of the corpse. “...She’s right.” She merely stated, expression even more lifeless than Gabriella’s. The Dunmer merely glanced at the Altmer, while Svetlana stared teary-eyed at her, silently awaiting an explanation. Anya, her tone flat and matter-of-fact, said “He could’ve been the death of me. Of us. It would’ve been exceedingly simple for him to unravel my whole story, and point the Thalmor in our direction. They wouldn’t have just killed us, then...They would’ve taken us in for questioning, and you know as well as I do that we never would’ve seen the light of day, again.”

There was another period of silence. Eventually, Gabriella stood up, sheathing her daggers at her hips. “...Max can’t know about this. He doesn’t have to.” She mumbled, looking down at Svetlana. The priestess gave a single light sniffle, raising a hand to her face and wiping the tears from her cheeks. Gabriella gave Anya a short nod, adding “We can just...Roll him off the path. If anyone finds him, they’ll think he was robbed by bandits...Maybe even attacked by Forsworn. Maximus doesn’t need to know...He already has enough on his mind, right now.” Svetlana wiped her hands off on the ground, rubbing off what little blood was staining her fingers. Slowly, she rose up to her feet.

She gave one more sniffle, then nodded. Composing herself, she lightly cleared her throat, looking up at Gabriella with mist lingering in her eyes. “...Yeah, okay. I guess you’re right...You had to.” Gabriella gave a nod. “...Max does have enough to worry about, thanks to Anya, here.” Svetlana added, her eyes shifting over into their corners, giving Anya a brief, hard stare. Anya kept her silence.

Looking back over at Gabriella, Svetlana’s brow lightly furrowed. Firmly, she asserted “I won’t tell Max about this, and I can see why you did it, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with it...There was still a chance that he wouldn’t have given us away, and even if it might’ve been a small one, I have to believe that there was a chance, anyway. I have to believe that there was a different, better way...Even if it might’ve been safer for us to do it this way.”

The only thing Gabriella said in response was an assuaging “That’s fine, you don’t have to be okay with it.” The three of them fell silent, each of them waiting for one of the others to say or do something, standing around the body like a trio of confused vultures. Eventually, Anya leaned over, grabbing the vial of spices Gabriella had dropped. Luckily, the cork hadn’t popped back out in the fall, leaving the contents undisturbed. With a resigned sigh, Anya commented “Well, I suppose we’d better take his goods. That would help support the notion that he was robbed, and the whole reason we came out here was to forage for a bit of extra food, correct? If he has spices, who knows what else he was carrying?”

Svetlana gave a disapproving shake with her head, but said nothing further. Anya went to Gabriella’s aid instead, helping her quickly push the merchant’s body off of the path, rolling it down another nearby hillside to get it out of sight. Once the body was gone, Gabriella quickly found the nearest water source, a narrow stream trickling through the mountains, and washed off the bloody hand prints the merchant had left on her armour. Then, the three of them were silently making their way back in the direction of Sabrina’s den, each trying to come up with a story to explain to Maximus how they just so happened to stumble across a bulging pack of miscellaneous supplies.

They didn’t travel far before Maximus’ silhouette appeared in the distance, cresting the peak of one hill as the others descended a second. Once they were in earshot, Maximus held his arms up by his sides, calling “Ysmir’s beard, where were you three? I’ve searched half of the Reach, by this point! Where’s Bunny?” To the mutual surprise of Gabriella and Anya, Svetlana spoke up first, calling back “She went off on her own, said she wanted to hunt deer! We just went to find some smaller game, and we got lucky...We found some supplies!” Anya held up the merchant’s pack, which Svetlana pointed at with a jab of her thumb. Putting on her best smile, she added “Some adventurer must’ve lost their pack!”

Maximus didn’t respond right away, either verbally or through his body language. For a moment, Gabriella thought that that might’ve meant he knew something was off, but he quashed that fear once he was a little closer to the group. No longer needing to call out, he said “Supplies, huh? Pass it over, let’s see what’s inside.” Anya promptly handed over the pack, the three women standing in front of him as casually as they could manage, trying not to come across tense. He pulled open the top of the pack, looking down and within. After a couple seconds, he stuck a hand inside, shifting aside some contents to peer deeper within.

His brow sank. Without raising his head back up, he looked upwards, glancing back and forth amongst the three of them. He started to smile with amusement. “Some adventurer ditched this? What do you take me for, a fuckin’ idiot? This is a merchant’s supplies, obviously. I’m a lot of things, but blind isn’t one of them.” Damn it, he did know something was off. Gabriella tried to keep her cool, but she knew Maximus could read her like a book. Was there ever any point in trying to hide the truth from him? Svetlana stumbled over a couple words. “N-No, we really just found it, it was by an old camp-”

“Two strikes. Don’t go for a third.” Maximus commented, smile growing as one of his eyes briefly narrowed. Anya opened her mouth to speak, but Maximus simply held out the pack of supplies, once more. “Take it. You can tell me the truth when I get back to the cave. Go back and sort through it with Sabrina. I’ll find Bunny when I’m done, here.” Svetlana and Anya glanced at one another. Gabriella subtly swallowed some excess saliva. After a brief pause, Svetlana reached out and took the pack back, then started to walk past him. Anya followed in her wake, and Gabriella wasn’t far behind. Before she could get past him, however, Maximus reached out, lightly grabbing her by the elbow. As she stopped and looked at him, he remarked “Not you. You, stay here.”

Gabriella looked over at Svetlana and Anya, who had briefly stopped to watch the two. Maximus glanced over, and although his brow had unknit itself, his smile persisted. Rather nonchalantly, he urged them on with a flat “Go on. I won’t take long.” Slowly, the two women turned back around and resumed walking off, scaling the hill Maximus had come down from. Maximus eventually let go of Gabriella’s arm, but he didn’t say anything until the other two were out of eyesight and earshot. Gabriella watched him with wary confusion, the whole time. Eventually, she muttered out “Look, about the pack...I didn’t want to tell you because you’re already worrying about so much-”

“I don’t really care about that, that’s not what this is about.” He casually answered, cutting her off. Gabriella simply blinked, the confusion on her face mounting. Maximus was quiet, for a moment. Eventually, he simply said “We’re done. You can go.” She stared at him, the look in her eyes escalating to a complete lack of understanding. He turned to leave.

“We’re...Wait, what?”

He paused, partly turning back around, only partially facing her. His smile faded as he raised his eyebrows. His utterly blase tone simply bewildered her further. “I said, you can go. I think you’ve paid back all of your favours, by now. We’re done, you don’t owe me anything, anymore. You can go on your way.” “...You can’t be serious.” Gabriella retorted, her eyes slightly widening as she furrowed her brow, lips curving into a small frown. Maximus raised his eyebrows, turning back around all the way, fully facing her. He held his arms up by his sides as he said “I thought you’d be glad, why are you getting worked up? Hasn’t this been what you wanted, all along? I’m letting you go. You can go back to your life.”

Gabriella stared at him, a mixture of emotions running across her eyes. Maximus dropped his arms back to his sides, briefly tilting his head to the side with a shrug. “Don’t worry, it’s not just you. I’ll be telling the others the same thing, too, but I wanted to do you, first.” “Why?” She asked. Judging by how hard she blurted it out, she was quite clearly growing upset. Maximus started furrowing his brow right back at her, retorting “Because out of them all, you’re the one who has the most reason to leave, right? I don’t want anyone staying with me who doesn’t absolutely insist on it.” “Why?” Gabriella demanded, raising her voice.

Maximus narrowed his eyes. He stuck a hand into his scalemail vest, pulled out a piece of folded-up parchment, and gave it a snap in the air for emphasis. Clearly annoyed by her resistance, he impatiently stated “Because of this, and because I don’t want anyone coming with me when I do it. This is my fight, it’s always been my fight, and I’ve been dragging the lot of you along with me this whole time. You’ve all been helpful, but now, especially with the Thalmor looking to breathe down my neck, we all need to go our separate ways. It’s my problem, and I’m tired of dragging the lot of you through the muck.” Gabriella’s eyes started to sting. She recognized the parchment, it was the map Maximus had found in the Briarheart’s tent, back at Red Eagle. Just what did he intend to do?

“...You need me.”

“Do I?” He answered, stuffing the parchment back into his vest.

“You need us.”

“Maybe, but none of you need the extra bullshit that’s gonna come with this. It doesn’t balance out.” He commented, turning to walk away.

“I...I need the gold.” Gabriella mumbled, her hands tightening into fists at her sides.

Maximus paused. Reaching back into his armour, this time over his stomach, he pulled free a tiny felt satchel, jingling with a small payload. Turning to the side, he tossed the satchel at her. Gabriella caught it as it hit her stomach, her hand trembling from how firmly she squeezed the coins within. Maximus gave the satchel a point, dismissively remarking “There’s almost one hundred Septims, right there. That should buy you food every day for a couple weeks. I’m sure you can find another way to make money, before it runs out. Nobody says you can’t still do mercenary work, if you really get off on it...It just can’t be with me.”

“Oblivion take you, Max!!” She suddenly shouted, throwing the satchel back at him. He caught it, his expression unfazed by her outburst. Staring hard at him, she yelled “You’re not getting rid of me that easily! I mean, that’s it?! It’s over, just like that?! What’s wrong?!” Maximus raised his eyebrows, flatly saying “I’ve already told you. If you won’t listen-” “I need you! Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? Stop it, already! I need you, are you happy?” Gabriella blurted out, the stinging glimmer in her eyes evolving into a throbbing glisten. She started to march towards him. Once more, he fully turned to face her, just a little confounded by her stubborn resistance. He thought she would’ve jumped at the chance to get away from him, if only to keep up appearances.

Stepping right up to him, she jabbed out a finger into his chest, pointing at him as he stuck his satchel of coins back inside his armour. Staring him right in the eyes, she angrily said “I know exactly what you’re trying to do, and it’s bullshit! I can take care of myself, Max! Stop worrying about me!” He kept his cool, tiredly raising an eyebrow at her rant. She stopped pointing at him, instead punching her fist into his scalemail. Panting, she exclaimed “You protected us when the Thalmor took you, great! You don’t need to try and ditch us just because things are getting a little tough! What did we do when the Thalmor took you? We went after you! That should tell you everything you need to know!”

“Shor’s bones, you’re getting hysterical. Listen, I’m just trying to save the lot of you a whole lot of unnecessary bullshit. I’m giving you a way out-”

She punched her fist into his chest, again. “You’re not getting rid of me, that easily. You’re stuck with me!” Vexed, he stared into her eyes, meeting the defiant gaze she was giving him. They were both silent, for a couple seconds. The tension built until the glimmers in her eyes spilled down her cheeks. Without warning, she threw her arms up around his neck, grabbing on tight as she pulled herself against him, refusing to let go. He took her around her waist, holding her with both arms. He gave her a minute to calm down, waiting for her breathing to steady itself and slow back down.

Eventually, he spoke, quietly remarking “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you...You asked for it.” “Shut up.” She snapped back, just as softly. He gave a light chuckle. He gave her a light pat over the small of her back, and she slowly unhooked her arms from around his neck. Her hands stopped at his shoulders, and his stopped at her hips. She gave him a sullen stare as she brought a hand over to her face, briefly brushing the tears from her cheeks with the back of a hand. “You can be a real bastard when you want to be, you know that? Don’t ever make me cry again, for Azura’s sake. I feel like an idiot.” She muttered. Maximus let out a throaty grumble of a chuckle.

She gasped when he reached down, grabbed her by the bum with both hands, and pulled her up off of her feet. She hooked her legs around his waist, slipping her arms back around his neck, clutching tight in case he dropped her. Thankfully, her fears were misplaced, as even if Maximus wasn’t strong enough to carry her, his hands made a suitable enough seat to support her weight. “Azura! Max, what’re you-?” “Act like a child, I’ll treat you like a child. I’ll carry you back to the cave.” Gabriella muttered something contentious under her breath, and he responded by chuckling at her, giving her a few pats over the tush with one hand.

He began to scale the hill, and eventually, the two disappeared over the crest...

(Author's Note - Damn, already been a month since the last chapterD:? I’m sorry guys, I had a bit of trouble with burn-out, and I was crawling my way through stuff for a little while. I don’t want to jinx it, but I think I’m getting my groove back, slowly but surely^_^. Really hope you guys enjoyed the jolt to the plot, in this chapter. Should set up some interesting events, down the line:D.

I was hoping for some feedback on what the next sex scene would be, if you guys were up to commenting^_^. I know that the last three or so chapters have put a ton of emphasis on Sabrina. I mean, the orgy took up the last two entire chapters, and the chapter before that still put a lot of attention on her, too. Combined with the gaps between chapters, and I’m sure some people who have been patiently waiting are getting a little burned out on Sabrina, or are getting tired of seeing transgender content, in general^_^”. I know some people prefer to see vanilla content, and although I’ve liked bolondteri’s idea of a Maximus/Anya/Sabrina threesome ever since it was brought up, it’s time for a vanilla scene based on my pattern, right:o?

So, I’d love to hear from you guys, what kind of scene do you want to see next? Are you fine with me just going ahead with the threesome, or would you like to see something else, instead? Whatever it is, toss it out there, and if there’s enough of you interested in something, I can go for it:). I can just get to the threesome afterwards, I’m sure there are some of you who’d like to see some vanilla, after the long wait. Want Maximus and Anya to have some alone time? Want Maximus to pound Svetlana until she squirts like a fountain, or have a soft, tender session with Sabrina? Want him to spank Bunny raw before taking her anal virginity? Hell, want Max to lay Gabby down and make love to her? Whatever it is, I’m all ears. I just don’t want to bore you guys by sticking Sabrina in too much stuff, if you’re getting tired of herD:.

Can’t wait to hear from you, I’ll see you guys in the next chapter^_^!)
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The Forsworn Retribution