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The Road to Ruin	By : pirouette Category: +A through F > Elder Scrolls - Oblivion Views: 2483 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I neither own nor am affiliated with Bethesda or TES:Oblivion, and am making no money from this fic.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
The
Road to Ruin, Chapter Seven: Old Familiar Places
[A/N: Thanks to Lennanightrunner for the brilliant sex scene idea, and
One More Altmer for yet again allowing me to use her Nord pirate joke, which is
only getting better with time.]
Caleigh, Baurus, and Cyrus
returned that night, and I was relieved to find that they burst through the
main doors laughing. Clearly, no long-term harm had been done at dinner.
Jauffre and I had been having a talk about what I had learned from the Mysterium
Xarxes, and as they approached he moved to stand in front of me.
�Welcome back,� he said.
�What is the status?�
�The spies are dead, the
citizens uneaten, and no one is missing any belongings,� Caleigh said dryly. I
was heartened by her humor and turned to greet them hopefully, but she still
refused to look me in the face. Worried about being judged.
I couldn't blame her�I knew what it was like. Cyrus and Baurus tried to smile
at me reassuringly, but it did little to improve my mood.
�Excellent
news. Do we have any idea what they were planning?�
The Redguards glanced at one
other. �Grandmaster, why don't you let us fill you in?
Caleigh is tired.�
Jauffre made a point of
making eye contact with no one. �Very well. Bosmer,
you are excused.�
Her eyes darted to me,
finally, and she giggled. It was only then that I realized I was still wearing
her bearskin.
We sneaked meekly out of the
Great Hall and headed for my room. Neither of us spoke until the screen had
slid shut behind us, as though the paper allowed us more privacy than had been
available in the hall.
�I assume,� she said softly,
�that since you're wearing my clothing you can't be too horrified about my
eating the Camorans.�
I cast the bearskin aside
and drew her to me. �There is nothing you could do for the sake of your
religion that is any worse than what I have done for mine.�
She pressed her face into my
shoulder. �What can a priest do that is worse in the eyes of your kind than
cannibalism?�
I sighed and moved to the
edge of the bed, sitting down heavily. �I have been meaning to tell you.�
She sat down next to me and
waited. I took a deep breath. �Before I became a priest, I ran away from my�er.
My father's farm and joined a Daedric cult.� Her hand found mine and squeezed it,
so I continued. �I was bored with my life, and tired of the countryside
surrounding Kvatch. So I became a follower of Sanguine and spent years doing
his bidding. A decade, in fact.�
I forced myself to look at
her, and was relieved to find that she had not recoiled. Instead, she was
smiling softly. �The Lord of Debauchery,� she murmured. �I should have known.�
I laughed nervously. �What
does that mean?�
�It explains how you get
sometimes during sex.�
�Ah.� I felt my cheeks
flush, but she ignored it.
�What made you turn to
Akatosh?� Another hand squeeze.
�Suffice it to say that I
made a stupid decision, and many of my friends died as a result. I fell out of
Sanguine's favor, fled like a coward back to Kvatch, and joined the priesthood
to atone.� I was terrified she would ask for more detail, because I knew I was
not ready to give it to her. Thankfully, she did not.
We sat in a comfortable
silence for a few minutes. Eventually, she groaned and buried her head in her
hands. �Martin! I'm thinking back to those days we were on the road, and now I
feel terrible for how I was teasing you!�
�Caleigh!�
I laughed, pulling her to me again. �Don't you dare. I
have no regrets about anything we have done.�
�Why?� she asked, looking at
me suspiciously.
�Because I
love you.� The words were out of my mouth before I quite realized what I
had said, and I am sure that had I slept they would not have been spoken at
all. Still, the instant I admitted it to her I felt lighter.
�What?� she breathed.
�Should I not?� I lowered my
mouth to her neck and nibbled gently. �Do
you not?�
�No,� she groaned, tilting
her head back to give me better access to the skin under her jaw. �I do.�
�You
what?� I purred, licking along her ear.
�I love you,� she murmured,
grabbing my face in her hands and kissing me deeply. Her lips sparked my desire
for her, and soon I had shoved her over and onto the bed. I straddled her,
pinning her wrists with my hands, running my tongue along her neck and
shoulders. She groaned softly and bit at her lip, clearly determined to make
sure no one heard us this time. Her face looked absolutely beautiful when she
was trying to be quiet, so I did my best to make it difficult for her. I nipped
at her breasts through the cloth of her shirt, tightening my grip on her hands
as she arched against me. My teeth found her nipples and applied gentle
pressure. She bucked against me violently, and I laughed.
I let her go to see what she
would do, and she proceeded to strip us both with a determination that made me
smile. She flipped me over while my guard was down and straddled my stomach,
leaning over to demand another kiss. My hands played over her breasts as she
teased my lips with her tongue and ran a hand through my hair.
�How many women have you
slept with?� she asked me, and I felt my face redden again. Three years ago, I
would have told her �not enough.� It was reassuring to discover that I had
changed, at least a little.
�I am honestly not sure,� I
said, and to my relief she giggled at me.
�Do you prefer humans or
elves?�
I felt a trace of an old,
familiar smile flicker cross my face. �That depends on the situation. There's
more of an Altmer or Imperial woman to go around.�
�Hmmm,� she purred, licking
my neck. �Have you ever been with an Orc?�
Hazy images seeped into the
forefront of my mind, and I groaned as Caleigh bit me on the shoulder. �Oh,
yes.�
�A
Redguard?� She brushed her lips with mine again.
�Not a Redguard woman, no.�
I reached for her hips, but she batted my hands away.
�But with the men?� She
wiggled against me teasingly, and I smacked her on the backside.
�Yes, once or twice. Why?�
�Do you miss it?�
I laughed and grabbed her to
me, managing to roll her over with only a little struggle. She pretended to be
angry, but her lips pressed against mine hungrily all the same.
�Caleigh, I didn't even
remember what sex felt like after my time in the Priesthood. I don't
know if I miss men or not.�
She pouted at me. �Fine. Then tell me which Blade you'd rather sleep with.�
�No,� I said firmly,
dropping my head between her legs in an attempt to distract her. She began to
pant as I tongued her forcefully, but refused to drop the conversation.
�How many people have you
slept with at once?�
I nipped her thigh, entered
her with my fingers. She groaned, but looked at me insistently. �How many?�
�I can't remember. Sanguine
is the Lord of Drunkenness as well, you know. Most of my memories of that time
are vague.� Well�the good ones were, at least.
She arched her hips against
me, and I thought I had finally won, but she had one final question. �Who was
the last person you slept with before me?�
My cheeks began to burn
again, which I hoped she could not see from her angle. �That one was a group
effort.�
She groaned. �What, a group
of Orc bandits?�
�Nords,� I purred, licking a
long, slow trail up her thigh. I prayed that she wouldn't press further. That
had been the day Jauffre found me, and I was in no mood to remember the rest of
it.
I suddenly had a delicious
idea. �So tell me,� I said with a smile, �If you could take any Blade
here, whom would you choose?�
She looked at me
thoughtfully, then shook her head as she realized I
was positioning to take her myself. �No, you can't possibly expect me to
t�anh!�
�Who?�
I asked again, grabbing one of her legs to me and leaning back to gain a little
more leverage. She made a small strangled noise in the back of her throat.
�Steffan,� she gasped, and I
almost lost my rhythm to my laughter.
�Him?
Why?�
�Because
I'd love to take him down�down a notch.�
I allowed myself time to
listen to how she responded to me, and focused on how warm she was. She had her
lower lip pressed between her teeth in an effort to remain at least somewhat
quiet, and I found seeing how hard I could get her to bite it hypnotic. I
waited until she was moaning more insistently, then
spoke again.
�I could probably order him
to do it, you know.� I kissed the leg I held to me and stifled a smile when she
gasped and shook her head.
�Or would you prefer someone
younger?� I slid my free hand through her curls, moving downward toward my
favorite spot. She moaned and bit her lip again as she felt my fingers against
her. �Ferrum? I'll bet you could teach him a thing or
two. I hear he's been stationed here for two years without leaving the walls.�
�No!� she managed, throwing
her head back. I felt her tighten around me and knew she was close.
�Then who?
Be serious,� I insisted, and smiled at the look of dazed panic on her face.
�I��
My fingers played against
her more insistently. �Tell me.�
Another
loud moan. When I bit at her knee, she whispered a name.
�Say it again.�
�Baurus,� she gasped,
flushing as I smiled down at her approvingly.
�Again.�
And so she climaxed while
saying his name, and I wondered merrily if anyone had heard. When she'd come to
enough to be angry, I smiled down at her, and she shoved me over with
impressive agility. I expected her to pin me, but instead her hand closed
insistently around my shaft.
�That was mean,� she
growled, running her tongue along my length and licking me clean. I groaned and
felt my muscles go weak as she applied gentle suction and hummed happily. She
really was uncannily good at that. Her tongue flicked at me ruthlessly, sliding
over my skin, coaxing me closer and closer to the brink. When I came, she
closed her lips about me and swallowed politely.
�If that was supposed to be
punishment, I'm going to be mean more often,� I
murmured, pulling her upward to lie against my chest. She giggled and kissed my
neck, and we drifted off to sleep.
That night I dreamt of the Mysterium
Xarxes. It burnt through my thoughts and filled my mind with a nightmarish
haze, and I woke covered in sweat and feeling much like I had the first night
after Kvatch. I didn't know it at the time, but from that day forth restful
slumber would be a stranger to me. I rose without waking Caleigh and moved to
the library, where I sat down and did battle with the Mysterium Xarxes
once more. I needed to know how to get the Amulet back. But the words swam, and
the answers eluded me.
It was Baurus who pulled me
back into reality. As his hand closed on my shoulder, I felt as though the sun
quite literally skipped forward in the sky.
�Sir?�
�What is it, Baurus?� My
voice sounded thick with disuse.
�It's time for supper.�
I stared at him in horror. Supper? �How long have I been reading?�
He looked down at me,
suddenly concerned. �Since you woke up.�
I forced myself to relax and
smile as though amused by the entire event. �I fear I have lost track of time
again. Will you do me a favor, from now on?�
Baurus grinned�she was
right, he was rather attractive. �Anything, sir!�
No, no. I tried not to think
of Caleigh. �When I am reading, will you let me know what time it is every hour
or so?�
He nodded. �Of course! But I'm under orders from Caleigh to keep you
out of the library for the rest of the evening.�
I rose and stretched my
aching back. �Very well. Let's go eat.�
The next few days were much
more successful. With Baurus providing both an interesting mental distraction
and helping me maintain my sense of time, I was able to protect myself from the
worst of the book's power. I soon learned that there were four items needed to
open a portal to the realm where Mankar Camoran had escaped with my Amulet, a
place of his creation which he had egotistically named his �Paradise.�
I was heartened by my progress, but my heart sank when I finally deciphered the
nature of the first item: a Daedric artifact.
I was going to have to send
Caleigh away.
At first I tried to stall,
but the knowledge put me in such a foul mood that Jauffre pulled me aside and
asked if she and I had gotten into a fight. When I explained the situation to
him, he sighed, but I also caught a flicker of pride in his expression.
�Would you like me to tell
her?� he asked, but I shook my head.
�No, I will do it myself.�
I forced myself to do so
that night after dinner, when we were tangled together at the foot of my bed.
She listened quietly as I explained why I was sending her away�no Blade, no
matter how loyal, would willingly betray Talos and perform a task for a Daedric
Lord. And Caleigh was the Hero of Kvatch, after all�it was possible that would
make it easier for her to gain their attention. As I said it, I realized why it
had been so easy for me to gain Sanguine's favor. He must have loved bringing
the Emperor's bastard into his fold.
There was a long silence
when I finished talking, but she did not pull away from me.
�Caleigh?�
�I know. I'll go tomorrow.�
�Promise me one thing,� I
said, trying to keep my voice light.
�Yes?�
�Do not seek out Sanguine. I
do not want him to have you.�
She giggled. �No, I know
just where I am going.� But when I asked her which Lord she was planning to try
her luck with, she would say no more. She left at dawn, waking me this time
with a kiss, and then fled with that same look of relief on her face. The walls
of the Temple felt higher and
closer than usual for the rest of the day.
With Caleigh gone, I had
little else to do but return my attention to the Mysterium Xarxes.
Baurus and Jauffre forced me to limit my studies to a few hours of each day,
insisting that I needed to walk around, get fresh air, and eat. But even when I
was pulled away, I could feel it whispering in the back of my head, begging me
to return. After the first week of her absence, I understood better the
mechanism of the spell, and was beginning to have an idea of how to cast it
myself: I would have to bind myself to the book. That detail I vowed to keep
hidden from Caleigh and Jauffre. Even if they could understand the full
meaning of the words, which was unlikely given their lack of magical
background, there was no reason to worry them needlessly.
The second week of her
absence was spent swapping stories with Baurus on the battlement as we watched
the road for her return like a pair of wives on a widow's walk�a description of
his devising. I also deciphered the second item of the four needed to get to
where the Amulet had been hidden: the blood of a God. Jauffre and I
spent hours trying to work this one out, and in the end he reluctantly told me
about the Shrine of Sancre Tor. The armor of Tiber Septim�my ancestor�a man who
managed to become a God, was kept there. But though Jauffre had the key, he
feared to send anyone, because�
�I have heard the stories,
Jauffre.�
�Martin, no Blade ever sent
there has yet survived.� He refilled my wine glass and leaned back with a sigh.
�Then we shall have to send
a thief,� I whispered, ignoring the angry shouting in the back of my head: By
Akatosh, was I going to be the one to send her to her death? Or was I doomed to
be trapped behind these walls without her forever?
�If you send her, she will
die. That shrine has claimed hundreds of men and women already.�
�If she uses stealth, she
may succeed where they have failed.�
He smiled humorlessly.
�Stealth, which worked so well at Dagon's Shrine.�
�None of your Blades would
have made it out alive,� I snapped. �And shall we think back to the Oblivion
Gate at Kvatch?�
There was a pause. �Martin,
I am just trying to make sure you realize this might be the death of her.�
�What else would you have me
do?� I rubbed at my eyes wearily.
�I suppose nothing can be
done,� he said finally. �When she returns, do you want me to tell her myself?�
�Yes,� I replied, and felt
endlessly weak.
But she didn't return.
Captain Steffan and Baurus were resolutely ignoring each other again by the
middle of week four. Even Cyrus had begun to look uncertain when her name was
brought up at dinner. We'd had no word, but if the Hero of Kvatch had died,
rumor would have surely reached us by now. No one said it, but I knew they all
were wondering if she were really coming back.
Every time I opened the
pages of the Xarxes it mocked me with her absence, and I could make no
progress. All it would show me were images of her dying brutally in any number
of ways, each more graphic than the last. When it saw how little of an effect
those had on me, it switched tactics. My mind was soon filled with thoughts of
her seeking out Sanguine after all, and of the Lord putting her through her
paces out of a sense of vengeance for my abandonment. No act was too depraved
for the Xarxes, and at night I would lie in bed and wonder�were those
thoughts stemming from the evil contained within the book, or was the Xarxes
pulling them from the depths of my own mind? I forced myself to stop spending
time with it, and took up researching the Amulet of Kings. But that proved far
less engrossing.

Oh, now that�s just
insulting.
Stop that.

I was soon out of ways to
distract myself, and the walls of the Temple
closed in even further. By the end of the week I could stand it no longer. I
needed to get out, into a city, even if only for a few hours. I threw the book
I had been staring at onto a table and stormed for my room. Baurus dogged my
heels worriedly.
�Sir?�
�I'm getting my blade. You
and I are going to Bruma.�
He stopped cold, turned, and
ran to report to Jauffre without another word. Perfect! I rummaged through my
things and found the sword Caleigh had given me at Kvatch. I belted it around
my waist and looked around for her bearskin, just to complete the image. It was
nowhere to be found. That bothered me far more than I expected it would.
Jauffre chose that moment to
stride through the door. �I hear you are planning an outing.�
�Yes, and I don't care how
many Blades you decide to send with me. I need to get out of these walls.�
He sighed and sat down on
the bench behind me. I looked up, saw that Captain Steffan, Baurus, and Cyrus
were with him, and bristled. So, it would be that way.
�Martin, you can't leave the
Temple.�
�Why not?
What's wrong with Bruma?�
The Blades exchanged a look
among themselves. That was not a good sign.
�The Mythic Dawn know you are here,� Jauffre admitted. �As far as Caleigh
could tell, they are planning to send Bruma the way of Kvatch, which would
leave the Temple exposed. If you go
down to the city and are recognized....� he trailed off awkwardly.
�I would be responsible for
the razing of two cities. Just say it.�
�Sir,� Baurus sputtered, but
I cut him off.
�Why didn't you tell me of
this earlier?�
�I felt you had your hands
full with the book.�
�Would you have spared my
father the stress?�
�Your father would have seen
it coming.� He looked me in the eyes and watched the twin feelings of
uselessness and ineptitude overwhelm me.

He wasn�t being all that
fair, you know. We had the Amulet.
It probably would have
helped my confidence to know that a bit sooner, actually.

�I grow tired of your
attempts to protect my delicate sensibilities,� I snapped, storming from the
room. They followed me, close enough to take me by force if need be, but far
enough for us all to maintain the pretense that we were having a civil
encounter.
When we entered the
courtyard, I strode purposefully for the battlements. I believe that had I
moved for the stairs, they would have tackled me outright and locked me in the
armory. Jauffre, Steffan, and Cyrus held back and allowed Baurus to follow me
alone. I unbelted the sword as I walked�there was no point in wearing it within
a fortress full of Blades.
�I'm sorry, sir,� he said
awkwardly, and I shook my head and looked longingly down at the city.
�No, I understand. I just
hate that I am trapped in here�and she is out there doing only the gods know
what!� The last five words I shouted as I hurled the blade over the wall.
It arced into the air, caught the light briefly, and then careened down the cliff
face below. Baurus looked at me, horrified, as the sound of its descent echoed
away from us.
�What? It is not as though
there are no other weapons here.�
�Are you actually worried
that she's not coming back?�
The scorn in his voice
wilted my anger away. �No,� I lied. �I just wish it were me.�
He sighed and rested his
arms on the battlement. �You're not the only one. I've always hated this
place.�
Silence stretched out
between us, and eventually we moved back inside. My captors seemed reassured by
the calmness with which I accepted the extent of my confinement. Still, there
was a double guard posted on the gates for the rest of the week. This meant
that when Caleigh returned, the news was shouted loudly enough to tear me away
from the Xarxes. I ran from the Great Hall and into the courtyard, and
this time no one stopped me, because they were lined along the battlements,
staring down at the road with open mouths and shocked faces.
She was riding a unicorn
up to the gates.
After a stunned silence, the
order was given to let her in. The beast reared nervously as the doors swung
outward, but she soothed it skillfully. Though she was in torn trousers and
what appeared to be a man's shirt, she had never seemed more beautiful. Her
cheeks were flushed from the ride, and she was smiling. She guided it up the
stairs patiently, but it balked again when she reached the stables. When the
unicorn reared again and almost threw Caleigh, Captain Steffan palmed the hilt
of his sword nervously.
�I wouldn't draw that,� she
warned, soothing the mare again and walking her calmly through the door of the
stable. �Celeste hates weapons.�
�Celeste,� Jauffre said
dryly. �What happened to your paint?�
Caleigh's smile faded, and
she refused to answer.
�Sister, did you bring us
more wine?� Baurus called, striding forward confidently to give her a hug. As
he picked her up and squeezed her, she giggled and gave me a suggestive smile
over his shoulder that filled my mind with less-than-appropriate images.
�No, but I have something
almost as good.� She smiled at everyone and bent to rummage through her pack.
It was then that I saw the
staff slung across her back, and felt its power call to me. The small sigh that
escaped my lips did not go unnoticed by Baurus, but his knowing smile told me
he entirely mistook the cause. She stood and turned, arms full of�
�Cheese,� Jauffre said at
last, staring at the wheels Caleigh held in her arms.
She grinned. �I am told
these are good cheeses, too. Met an innkeeper who was
something of a connoisseur.�
�Are they stolen?� he asked
mildly.
She shook her head.
�Are you lying to me?�
She nodded, and to my
surprise Jauffre chuckled.
They couldn't leave us alone
quickly enough. As soon as only Baurus was in earshot, I made her tell me
everything she had been doing while we were still in the courtyard. She told us
she went to Hircine first, the Lord of the Hunt, but
when she saw the unicorn he wanted her to kill, she couldn't follow through.
Instead, she stole it away and rode for the Shrine of Nocturnal. She completed
that Lord's task with no issue, but the unbreakable lockpick she was given as a
reward proved too enticing to bring back to me.
�So then I just rode around
for a while, looking for another shrine. Eventually, I stumbled upon
Sheogorath's.�
Baurus and I exchanged
glances, but she didn't notice. She reached for the staff and handed it to me
without a word. The instant I touched it, I felt a shock run through my arms,
and my vision was momentarily taken by angry eyes. Daedric
eyes.
You're not mine, mortal!
You are for Dagon! Give my girl back her little toy!
In the back of my head, the Xarxes
laughed, and I let the staff fall from my hands with a clatter. Baurus looked
at me uncertainly, but I pretended that everything was normal and hoped that he
would attribute my clumsiness to nerves.
She picked it up and rested
it across her lap comfortably. �His task was actually a lot of fun.�
Baurus shook his head.
�Caleigh, be careful who hears you say that.�
�Why?�
He was at a loss for how to
respond, so I cut in. �Most people never manage to get Sheogorath's attention.�
�Doesn't that make me
special?� She grinned, and then realized we were being serious.
No, but it just might
make you mad. I pushed the thought out of my head and ruffled her hair
reassuringly. She was a Bosmer. It meant nothing. Perhaps her deeds at Kvatch
had been enough to wake even the Madgod from his confused slumber.
Baurus excused himself to
get us all a bottle of wine, and Caleigh rested her head on my shoulder and
inhaled deeply. �Has it been terrible, being trapped here?� Her voice was full
of an understanding that did little to soothe me. After all, she could leave
whenever she wished.
�I can�t believe I used to
think the priesthood was monotonous.� I ran my hands through my hair
angrily. She moved to stand behind me and began rubbing my neck and shoulders,
willing me to relax. It was surprisingly effective�I predicted that within days
she would have me completely lulled back into complacency at my confinement.
Dinner that night was
unusually lively. Caleigh filled everyone in on her travels, though she took
our advice and made no mention of Sheogorath. The cheese was well-received, and
soon the hall was full of drowsing Blades. I had asked Jauffre not to tell her
about Sancre Tor until I sent her to him�I needed her for more than just one
night. For the first three days, I hardly let her sleep at all. In the few days
afterward, I almost managed to forget I had a task for her and convince myself
that this time, she would be remaining with me for
good.
One day we found ourselves
alone on the battlement, enjoying a frigid mountain spring. Caleigh quietly
related to me a piece of information she hadn't passed on to the others yet.
She had taken a detour to Kvatch to see how the townspeople were doing in the
hopes that she would be able to bring good news back my way. They told her
they'd heard a rumor that the Chapel of Dibella in Anvil had been attacked. She
thought that perhaps the Mythic Dawn were behind it,
so traveled to the city to see what she could learn. There, she stumbled upon a
man the locals referred to as the Prophet, and he told her the attack wasn't
cult related�rather, the gods were at war with an old enemy called Umaril the
Unfeathered. Whether he was a ghost or something else entirely, she was still
unsure. Either way, he was powerful, and the chapel had been brutally defaced.
It would be a long time before Dibella could be spoken to from there again.
�I wanted to tell you
because I know you worry that Auri-El isn't listening,� she finished. �He is.
He just has problems of his own. They all do.�
I sighed and looked out over
the forests below. �You are saying we have a Daedric Lord working to destroy
our land while someone else entirely attempts to destroy our very gods?�
�Yes. Umaril, and whatever
power is backing him, saw his chance and took it.� She picked at the stone.
There was something else.
�Caleigh, what haven't you
told me?�
She laughed. �You're not
going to believe me. The Prophet convinced me to go on a pilgrimage. I visited
all the wayshrines of the Nine, and asked their forgiveness. I am now a Bosmer
without sin.� The last sentence was accompanied by a raised eyebrow.
�Now that
you need to tell to Jauffre.� I threw an arm around her comfortably, and
she giggled.
�Jauffre is most of the
reason why I did it. He's good at making me feel like a bad person.�
�Was the pilgrimage before
or after you stole the cheese?�
�Before.
The Nine don't seem to mind that I steal.�
I laughed loudly enough to
startle the gate guard. �You should tell him that, as well.�
�He'd call me a blasphemer,
especially when he heard the next part.�
�Oh?�
�They made me a Knight,
Martin. I'm supposed to re-gather their Relics and defeat their foe. Auri-El
told me that it was only proper for the right hand of the Emperor to become
their Crusader, as well. I have�well.� She sighed. �There�s this priory, and
people keep showing up and pledging themselves into my service.�
It took me a long time to
come to terms with how jealous that statement made me.
�How does Y'ffre feel about
this?� I asked at last.
She shrugged. �None of this
will force me to go against the Green Pact. I won't tell Jauffre that, though.�
I didn't respond, so she
snuggled against me. �Don't be upset. We have time to deal with both these
things. After all, there hasn't been a Gate since we met.�

She shouldn�t have said
that.
Believe me, I know.

Two days later, the night
lit up with the same sickly-red sky that had signaled the beginning of our
nightmare in Kvatch. That was two days before the evening guard ran screaming
into the Great Hall, causing Baurus to summon me and Caleigh from my room, groggy
with sleep and only partially clothed. We were both offered cloaks as we looked
out over the walls.
�Is that�� Baurus began,
pointing down toward Bruma.
Caleigh took one look at the
Gate and began to scream, which was all the confirmation they needed. Jauffre
was shouting orders instantly, and Blades began running every which way,
filling the air with chilly metallic noises. A runner was instructed to send
word down to Bruma, and Cyrus volunteered to lead a group of men to meet the
first wave of daedra. As the gates were thrown open and the rest of the guard
lined the battlements, preparing to defend my life, if need be, Jauffre turned
to Caleigh. Her eyes widened when she saw the severity of his expression, and
she shook her head desperately.
�No!�
�Bosmer, we need you to
close that Gate,� he said firmly.
She looked at me pleadingly.
�Don't make me do this, Martin. The nightmares just stopped!�
I put my arms around her and
stared angrily at Jauffre. He had no idea what the first Gate had done to her.
She could not go through that again. But there was also no
other way. Images of the dead in Kvatch came rushing back into my head,
and I felt suddenly ill. She had to close it. If she didn't, Bruma would fall.
I opened my mouth to tell her so, saw Jauffre's shoulders relax�
�I'll go,� Baurus said.
�Tell me how it is done and I will go.�
She had been trembling, but
at his words she froze completely. Her eyes met mine, and we had one brief
moment of understanding before they went utterly vacant. Without a word to
either of us, she left to collect her armor.
�I'm going with her,� Baurus
growled at Jauffre. �I had to sit there at night and listen to her nightmares
when we were in the Imperial City
together. She's not going back in there alone.�
�You may be right about
that, at least.� Jauffre murmured, looking toward the road. �I had spoken to
the Bruma guard about this eventuality, and if I know their Captain, he's on
his way to collect her now.�
Jauffre was not wrong. Soon
the sound of hooves drifted up from the road. Four riders drew to a stop at the
gate, and their leader dismounted, removing his helmet and tossing it
carelessly to one of his men. He looked upward, spied us at the top of the
courtyard, and began to climb.
�Greetings!� he called,
striding up the steps three at a time. Jauffre muttered under his breath and
stepped in front of me. Only then did I remember I was standing barefoot, in
trousers and a cloak, looking more like a follower of Lord Sheogorath than the
Heir. I drew the material around me and told myself to at least act
dignified.
�Captain Burd,� Jauffre
smiled thinly.
�Where's our Hero?� he
grinned. �I haven't seen her recently, and I'm dying to have some fun tonight.�
The doors of the Great Hall
opened as if on cue, and she walked out wearing a suit of elven armor, the
origin of which still remains a mystery to me. It caught the light of the fire
as she adjusted a gauntlet absently, and for a moment her hair shone the same color
as the rest of her gear. It would have been a heart-wrenchingly beautiful
moment if her face hadn't still been blanked by fear. Baurus took a step
forward, but Burd was already striding toward her.
�Bosmer!� he called, and she snapped to in surprise.
�Nord!�
She practically flew across the courtyard, all thoughts of the Gate gone. I
took more notice of him, then. Tall, blond, young. Good looks. When he caught her hand in his, I almost took up
Jauffre's blade.
�Burd, what are you doing?�
she giggled. Giggled!
�I take it you've noticed
the Gate outside my city.�
She nodded.
�Well, I'm headed inside,
and I was wondering if you wanted to come along. It seems silly to do this on
my own with the Hero of Kvatch in town.�
She blinked at him, and I
saw tension lines form around her eyes.
�Teach me how to save my
city. You were headed for the Gate, yes?� He looked her armor over
pointedly, though he could have done without the small smile.
�Well, yes....� she
muttered, looking suddenly guilty.
�Take me in with you. Show
me how it is done.� He grabbed her other hand in his, and Baurus made a
disgusted noise in the back of his throat. She stared up at him for a moment,
then pulled her hands away and moved toward me. Burd's eyes followed, and rested
upon me for the very first time. He was resplendent in his armor,
face pleasantly flushed from the hard ride from the city. I was bare-skinned,
and very cold. Not the most imposing first impression I had ever made.
Caleigh looked at me, eyes even wider than usual, then threw her arms around
my shoulders with a quiet sob and pressed her lips against mine. I drew her to
me, wrapping us both in Baurus' cloak, and stroked her hair, willing everything
to be normal for just one moment. Praying that Akatosh would
prove to me that he was still paying attention by keeping his Crusader safe for
just a little while longer.
�Don't you dare die,� I
whispered into her ear. She laughed thickly and hugged me as tightly as she
could. I spared a glance at Burd. He was not smiling.
She pulled away from me
reluctantly, preparing to leave. Baurus took a step toward them, intending to
make good on his assertion, but she shook her head. �No, Baurus. Your place is
by Martin's side.�
He shook his head.
�Caleigh��
�No! Keep him safe. I don't
want to have to worry about either of you.�
He sighed and shook his
head, but neither she nor Jauffre would be moved. Caleigh vaulted up behind
Burd on his bay horse and held onto his waist as they regained the road.
Jauffre gave the order to close the gates, and the reluctant groan they made as
they were pulled shut echoed along the cliff-side. The eerie red light of
Dagon's Oblivion made it possible to track their progress for much longer than
was ideal. I saw them arrive at the Gate. Saw Caleigh take
the lead. Saw her walk toward the center of the coalescing flames and
disappear from me. Once they were gone from sight, Baurus escorted me back
inside to the fireplace so I could warm myself.
�You know, I think I might
actually have an idea of how you must feel every day.� He looked at me sideways
to see if I would be offended by this admission. I wasn't, but it also did not
make me feel less terrible.
�I didn't even know they
knew one another,� I muttered, staring into the flames.
�We worked with him in Bruma
when we were dealing with the spies. But with all due respect, sir, I'd be more
worried about losing Caleigh to the Gate than to the Nord.� He shook his head
at me in disappointment. When I didn't respond, he added. �I'm serious. She
sees only you.�
I chuckled, and considered
telling him that wasn't necessarily true. But it would be unfair to him to let
him know she thought him attractive: he wouldn't act on it, and in any case I
had no intention of letting her go. Perhaps when I became the Emperor, the two
of them could�damn you, Jauffre.
�I'm sorry, Baurus.� I said
at last.
�Sir?�
�That she
and I�well. I'm sorry.�
He stared at me,
embarrassed, and then laughed. �I gave up on her the instant I saw her hug you,
sir. And besides,� he added, �she's not the only one here I want. So I have
plenty to mope over.�
I wondered which Blade had
caught his fancy. Jena? Or possibly Cyrus, if his tastes ran in that direction as well.
But I did not ask, and he did not volunteer the information. Baurus would not
allow me to return to the courtyard even when I had dressed fully, so I was
forced to pace the halls and pray. The night passed on, and no daedra came.
But neither did Caleigh.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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The Road to Ruin