22nd of Frostfall, 4E 201

     I write this as we bump along on the way back from Riften. We had found Esbern in the Ratway, which is to say a warren of sewers and passages below Riften.

   We left more dead Thalmor behind us down there and one dead Khajiit in the town square. Thankfully as she attacked one of the guards saw her draw her  knife and shot her with a few arrows. I saw Bishop palm a piece of paper, which he later gave to me, it was a note saying that the "target" should be eliminated.. and I would guess I was the target.

   I took Esbern to the Inn and go him a good meal, while Bishop went to see about taking a carriage back to Riverwood or at the very least Whiterun. Esbern wasn't in the greatest of shape, but not bad either.

    We should make Whiterun in a day or so, the way is rather mountainous and the horses slow.  Bishop and I could have walked faster, but it would have Exhausted Esbern. 


     He is not so gaunt looking as he was when we first started the trip and has taken on some color as well.

    Bishop and Karnwry are ranging around the carriage, sometimes I don't see them for hours. I know I am rarely out of his sight for long.


    We are on the downward slope to Whiterun and I thought about something. Why was my family attacked? Grief hit me hard, but I fought it down. Who was not as important as why. In our world of political intrigue mercenaries were easy to buy.. so who, not important.

    I would have to give it more thought, but when I could manage to distance myself from the pain and grief a bit more than I could right now.

17th of Frostfall, 4E 201

   We finally made it to Riverwood and gave Delphine the information that the Thalmor had had  and the news that I was probably now enemy number one. She read the Dossiers that I gave her, I had not given her the one on herself or Ulfric Stormcloak, I just didn't think she needed to know. 

   She did say that she thought that I should go and find her friend Esbern as fast as I could.  I told her as a storm was brewing, we would leave in the morning. She looked a bit impatient until Bishop pointed out that we would have to camp in the mountain's anyway and it would simply be faster to stay here and leave in the morning.

  So I am writing this before we take off this morning. Nothing grand has happened, I just felt the need to write down bit's and pieces so that I might remember later that I needed to do a few things.

15th of Frostfall, 4E 201

    It has been an extremely busy time and I sorry to say once I got back home I forgot my journal. But well their is a reason for that!

    We got back to Whiterun on the 6th and planned on leaving the very next morning and had actually walked out the door, when we were attacked by a Forest dragon.. might I say these are my least favored types so far?! 

   Needless to say, after that fellow was dead I went back in the house and took a nice long soak in the tub, I also had to clean up my leathers. I asked Bishop if he could not make me a second set, that way if one got really soiled or damaged, I would have another set.

   He did start working on it while I was washing and soaking the goo out of me and my armor.  The leather was still a bit damp when we left the next morning.

   Delphine said she had a contact at the Thalmor Embassy and he would try and get me an invitation. I should not hurry as it might take him some time.

   Well we didn't exactly take our own sweet time getting to Solitude, but we didn't dawdle either. Malborn said he had not as yet had a good opportunity to get an invitation, not without more hazard than he was willing to take.

  As we walked out of the Inn, I needed to sell some of the loot we had gotten off bandits, a man in plate armor came up and asked if I was Dragonborn.

  Up shot of that one was I got an invite to a Ball at the Blue Palace. I did not really want to go, but I saw it as a way to get an invite to the Thalmor Embassy.

  Bishop was happy with neither and said he wasn't going to the Ball... he did and we danced, he's actually rather good at it. Casvir the Paladin that had asked me to the ball, was slightly put out, but handed me a rose and said that any time I needed aide, all I had to do was ask.

  The Next day Malborn met me in the late evening with an invitation to the Embassy party, it  had worked. Two day's hence I was invited to the Ambassador's get together.

  I had gotten the information that Delphine wanted and more, but I wanted to stop here at home and write down some of the most important going's on before I forgot them.

  Bishop worked some on my new set of armor, but said it would take longer, as he was tanning the leather himself, rather than buying it. So it wasn't a matter of just putting the pieces together and did I want it exactly the same?

  

4th of Frostfall, 4E 201

  I sit here listening to a snow storm, it's thundering!  I did not even know it could do that! Live and learn right?

  We got to the Inn right as the snow storm struck and so did a Frost dragon. Fighting a frost dragon in the middle of a white out is not what I would call fun <sigh>  and of course dear reader, Delphine got there right after the dragon died and the light show ended.

  Figures right?  And she wanted to go up the mountain and check out the dragon mound. I told her to go right ahead, I had just fought one dragon, their was a blizzard raging outside and I wasn't going to blindly walk into a trolls lair or dragon's maw because she was impatient. 

  That was two days ago, we fought a dragon there and reader, you will never believe this one!  That huge black dragon that I saw over Helgen it was bringing the other dragon back to life! 

  It was a very hard won fight, but win we did... or I would not be writing this! Delphine answered all the question's I had about her and what she thought was going on.

  Somewhere over the year's Delphine lost her objectivity, she could only see one enemy, the Thalmor. They must have something to do with the dragon's returning, she was insistent on that. I think she might be a few eggs shy of a full dozen.. You seriously don't want to know what Bishop thought of her.

  I agreed to meet her back in Riverwood and she would have some idea how I would get into the Thalmor Embassy. 

   It's been a pleasant two days, I spent the day playing cards, playing my lute and finding out what was going on in the world. Bishop helped by asking some people that had traveled through High Rock about "Some to do with the royal family".

   They said it wasn't "exactly the Royal Family" but family and that most of them had been massacred in a three day period. The King was in not happy with such an unsanctioned act and the family that had hired the bandit/ thug's was mostly in prison.

  The worst of the Death's were the Lord Captain's Son and his promised wife and the majority of her family. A few were guest's of the King, with guards following them everywhere, to make sure an assassin did not get them. Which one of the women said was how one of the youngest was killed, while playing in the Royal garden, with the King's youngest.

  I saw Bishop looking at me from the corner of his eye and I nodded once.  I kept my face neutral, but I was screaming inside. Sabrina, dead... those liquid blue eye's often hidden by soft black curls, never to laugh again. She was the only one of us young enough to play it the King's Daughter. 

  Something in me analyzed what was said and I realized they all thought I was dead. It wasn't a bad thing, except to what was left of my family. I could do nothing right now, but I would look into it all later.

  At the end of the song I was playing, a soft tune from High Rock, on of the travelers had requested, Bishop stood up and held out his hand for me and apologized, saying that morning would come early and we would need to be on the road before the sun rise.

  I cried myself to sleep, held in warm arms. I told Bishop silly stories of my siblings. I knew that once everything was settled down and I could be sure all was well, I would send a letter to the king about how I had escaped.

30th of Hearthfire, 4E 201

  We got to the farm early in the evening and because the last couple of days were.... frustrating to say the least, wanted nothing more than to spend time alone. Soon as we walked through the door, there was Lydia, all smiles and "Happy to see you My Thane." Bishop was growling behind my back.

  I smacked his hand away and told Lydia I was happy to see her as well.. and could she go into town and get some fresh provisions?  and perhaps take a day or three?

  She looked back and forth between the two of us and then said she would be more than happy to head into town. She'd be back when the Mannered Mare ran out of Ale or Uthgerd decided to pick a fight.

I don't think Lydia made the garden gate before my feet came out from under me and Bishop was heading to our bedroom. I am sure I might have growled at him a few times, before he had me purring  like a well contented kitten. 

 I loved both the bath in our room and the pool outside.  We slept under the star's more than once, while the weather was fine. I would read aloud and play my lute, tell him stories of my youth.  He told me stories also, but they were a bit dark, it did not take much to understand why he distrusted everyone.

  As the sun crested the mountain's across the tundra, Bishop, Karnwyr and I set out to hunt something for dinner. I'm pretty sure any of the three of us could have taken down any number of tasty meats on the hoof, but I think for the "boys" it was more about getting out.

  It was a good day, Karnwry chasing rabbits and deer, frisking about like a pup and Bishop relaxed and happy. I was content, the day was bright, the scenery more than beautiful, with the play of light from the sun playing peek-a-boo with the clouds.

  It was a perfect day, that is until we got back to the farm. A courier was waiting at the gate, I thanked him and gave him a few pieces of gold. Then skimmed the missive and told him to come back by mid-morning and I would have a response for him to take back.

  I sighed and walked into the house, Bishop followed behind. I handed him the letter and then walked into the kitchen and started to cook some venison.  

  I thought best when doing something that required little thought. I cut the back-strap into medallions and fixed up a marinade of wine and spices, then set the medallions to soak for a few.  I set about chopping various vegetables and then made some dough up for flat bread and changing half the dough a bit made up a batch for sweet rolls and set that aside to rise.

  I seared the venison and then put it in the oven with the flat-bread, using the same pan as the venison, I mixed up some gravy. Then when the bread and venison were almost done, cooked the vegetables. 

  Over dinner Bishop and I talked about Delphine's apology, he basically said screw them all, I didn't need her bull shit. I truly did not, but I did need to find out why, why me, why were all the dragon's coming back. 

  In my gut I knew it had something to do with that large black dragon that had attacked Helgen. I didn't like the woman, fellow Breton though she be. The note the courier brought said that she would take the evidence of my being dragonborn from the dragon that was dead outside the Inn. 

  Not like you could miss the bones, but I knew she would never trust in me unless she saw it with her own eyes. So we would leave for Riverwood in a day or so and then off to where ever this dragon mound was.

28th of Hearthfire, 4E 201

   I stared at the ring in my hand, it wasn't just a lump of metal, but a thought, dream, desire that passed from one hand to another. To my people a ring was as binding as a contract, was a contract in fact. 

  By his words, Wolves mate for life and the fact that the ring had a wolf's head on it, to my people would mean that he wished to be mated to me til we died.  Mated to, but not necessarily only to..hmm no I could not really see him sharing, but would he expect me to? 

  I didn't know if I loved him, I knew I had very strong feelings, some of which were simple lust, but the deciding factor was what my Great Aunt always said, " Can you  imagine your life with out him? Can you live with his flaw's, because they will only magnify any time you are irritated with him. But most important, is he the kind of person that would be your friend, tell you your ass is getting to wide, but hold your hair as you puke up your gut's?"

  Bishop was all of those things, but I had no problem hearing him say that my butt was getting too large.  

  In a blink of an eye, I thought of all these things, my mind racing. Mind made up, I dug my left hand in to my belt pouch and found the tiny but well hidden pouch sewn in next to a seam and pulled out my Great Aunt's promise ring.

  I looked at that ring in the palm of my other hand, He would not know what the different triple braided metal strands meant, The Rose gold, two heart's bound to one life.. The White gold, two people bound in the same cause or purpose.. The Black gold, Two lives bound til death.  The knot in the center looked like a flower at first glance, but was meant to hide the tiny crystal shard that could be en-spelled.

   "Among my people a contract or promise is one-sided if an exchange is not made. My Great Aunt had a matching set made for her and her Love, they wore them til their death. Hers was given to me, as I always admired it."  Truthful, but not the whole truth, I loved the craftsmanship, but it was the idea behind the ring I had truly loved. Those two shards in the ring were bound together by a spell, blood from both people the binding, it would allow the one to caste their life essence to the other, call it a final strike at whomever had managed to land a killing blow at. One would not outlive the other.

   Bishop looked at the ring in my hand and then, frowned.  "It has a bit of magicka in it, it will expand to fit your finger." He nodded and put it on, I did the same with his.

   "Does this mean we can get naked now?" His voice was deep and soft as he pulled me close.

   " Oh indeed it does, though not right here where all can see", then I pulled myself closer to him and as our lips met, I rubbed against him like a cat and felt his heart start beating quicker.

   "Let's go home Princess".

P.S.
   You'd have thought that in three days of travel, we could have had a night to ourselves, but no.




  

27th of Hearthfire, 4E 201

  We left for Riverwood before the light of day, the road between the towns generally safe from all but wolves. I did tell him thank you for the armor again, it was soft as butter, but thick enough to do the job. 

  We had no sooner come around the last bend in the road, when I heard a now familiar sound.  It was familiar enough that Bishop cursed and Karnwyr whined, I wasn't any to happy myself.

  Thankfully most of the citizen's stayed under cover as the frosty breath of the dragon froze whatever it touched. The town did loose a couple chickens, which seemed to make the Nord's angry indeed. 

  It took a good two hours, but finally the dragon crash landed across the river from town and arrow's shot from many bows to put the beast to rest. I walked across the river to absorb the dragon's knowledge and power in the form of it's soul. 

  The townsfolk thanked me and all offered to buy me a round at the Inn, after the clean up was done. I smiled and agreed, but said the main clean up I wanted to do was a bath.

  I asked Delphine for the "Attic room", knowing their wasn't one... which she said and gave me another room. She followed me in and said to follow her . I did, Bishop closed the door behind us and then took up a spot leaning against a post by the stairs.

  Five minutes later I was storming out of the room, prove to HER that I was Dragonborn, go and slay a dragon where she chose because.. I was so angry I barely heard what Bishop said before slamming out the door.

   "Wench, had to walked out the door to hear what the screaming and roaring  was you would have seen her absorb a dragons soul And not pissed her off. "

   I left town going up the hill towards Helgen, as that was the quickest way out and I didn't want to talk to anyone right then. The sheer gall of the woman, I "needed to prove being Dragonborn" to HER.. She could rot in Oblivion for all I cared.

  I was half way to Helgen before I calmed enough to start thinking clearly again. I knew Bishop was behind me, though I could only hear Karnwyr's panting.

"Lady-ship, a moment please." the hesitant tone in his voice was unusual enough that I stopped and looked at him. "I have something I'd like to show you, if you don't mind the walk." 

  As I didn't mind and wanted to get out and see some of this vast land, walk we did.  The bandit's in Helgen didn't last two minutes and I knew my magicka skills had increased some.  I would need to learn some new spells.

  Early evening a few days later, we were on the path to a tower, more bandit's to fight, but they were much easier than the Dragon that had started the day.

 On one of the landing's Bishop stopped and looked out over The Rift and started telling me about finding Karnwyr here and the man that meant more to him than his father and... trust. How much he trusted me and he handed me a ring. It was a battered ring, with a wolf's head on it.

  I looked down at it in the palm of my hand. A simple thing a ring, but the meaning could be many things depending on one's culture. 

  Now was the time to tell him who I really am, not like I was the daughter of the King of High Rock, no.. not that. Distant cousin, yes, but only because the rich merchant side of the family married into a very prominent but poor Noble family. 

  So I told him of my family, how I thought they were probably all dead and if it had the King's sanction I could not ever go back home. The political and social games that the "Houses" played. How if any thought that I was still alive assassin's would follow me til I wasn't.

  I could feel the warmth coming from his body he was so close, he ran his hand from my shoulder down my arm and took my hand in his and tugged lightly til I had turned to face him. Then placed my hand over his heart, both of his covering mine.

"Lady-ship, it doesn't matter that your Nobility, I knew that anyway, it's in every line of your body, every word you speak. The present is the only thing that matters to me." He leaned down, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine as he placed butterfly kisses along my cheek, then whispered softly, " What's mine I protect and I dare them to try and take it away. Wolves mate for life Lady-ship, decide what you want, cause I know I want you."  

  

23rd of Hearthfire, 4E 201

    It took two days, but Lydia and I finally got everything moved to the Estate, really a "Gentleman's Farm". Bishop was absent most of the time, though he would pop in about the time that we were leaving to go to the Farm, then show again when we are ready to go back to Whiterun for another load of stuff.  

  Most if it was unique loot items, that I wanted to use as decorations, Breezehome was just to small. 

  I got a lot of thing's done and talked to a good many of the citizen's of Whiterun, all of whom wanted to know about the "Dragonborn". Some of them asked me to do small neighborly favor's for them and I agreed.. though Bishop was none to happy about that. Being Dragonborn, doesn't pay really well or so far it hasn't.. well in real gold, not in thing's that people gift me. 

  I left today to just arrange things and take stock in what we would need. I knew I had to go to Riverwood and see this person that took the Horn. 

  Bishop was down in the Basement in the smithy most of the day, though I didn't hear much clanging and banging, but then.. leather armor wouldn't have as much as metal.

  Lydia was down there with him, this actually made me nervous. I settled to a nice bath and book, with a bottle of wine. Whoever had built this house or remodeled it was a hedonist, hot water steamed out of the spigot, from pipe's that ran just under brick's that were layered under the coals of the forge.

  I  had just pulled the chain again and sighed as the hot water gushed in, when I felt more than heard Bishop in the room. I looked up and forced myself to stay relaxed and look him in the eyes. I saw exactly what I expected to see hunger, desire and something else, something that I could not really define and it made me look down in confusion. I heard him grunt, then heave a huge sigh.

   "Princess, damn it woman, I want you and I make no bones about it, well except the one in my pants. While I would like to strip and climb into that tub with you and have my way with that hot little body, I can see you haven't decided what you want yet. You need to make up your mind. These are for you."

   With that he had turned around and walked out, pausing once, his body twitched like he was thinking better of leaving, then his footsteps resumed at a quicker pace and  the front door slammed.

  Dinner that night was a strained affair, but I did thank him for my new armor, perhaps not the thanks he wanted, just a kiss on the cheek. 

  Dear reader, you have to understand I really like Bishop, but I need to know I can trust him, not just with my body and heart, but with my life. I expected assassins, it was almost a given and I knew I would have to explain or force him away and really, I'd still much rather crawl up that hard lean body.

  Post script.. by the way, I was correct about the armor, but though not "fine" it was well crafted.
   

20th of Hearthfire, 4E 201

    The trip to Whiterun was quiet in more ways than one.  I had much thinking to do and Bishop seemed to be thinking hard about something as well. I caught his looks now and then and if he wasn't have an internal argument with himself about me, then I'm a skeevers uncle. 

  
  We arrived back in Whiterun and a courier met the carriage. He had three thing's for me, a long package and a heavy envelope and a lighter envelope.

  All in all I got two letters and a package from the courier. I walked over to a brazier to read them in the early evening light. I handed Bishop the long package, asking him to unwrap it for me. One letter was from the Jarl of Falkreath Hold, I had met the man a few times and really didn't care for him. Whatever he wanted could wait. That letter I threw in the brazier.

  The second letter also held a key, it was from the Steward in Markarth.  He stated that a man I had helped had passed away but not before getting all of his affairs in order. For my help he was giving me a small farmstead in Whiterun. 

  I heard Bishop's intake of breath and looked up at him. He was staring down at the sword in his hands. I took the step over and looked down at it,  it was a fine blade, I picked it up out of Bishops hands and tested the balance.

  I would never have chosen the guard, but holding it I knew, this was a blade that I could use and would allow my skills to shine. I didn't think anything could spoil so fine a gift.. but Bishop managed it..

  "Must be nice getting gifts from all your admirers, what's the key to, a Castle?" His lips were compressed and thin, his face too blank, eye's hooded, but his shoulders where hunched and rounded forward.  I did not say what I wanted to, what first came to mind.. I think, no, I know that he was feeling slightly inadequate, he could not complete with gold. 

  "No, a farm on the edge of town and the man bequeathed it to me".  He blinked as he realized what I was saying, with out saying it. Nothing I could do about the sword, Captain Jack had sent it to me, it had belonged to his Mother, the note said that it belonged in a woman's hands again.

  As I turned into town, an idea hit me, but I said nothing, time, I would need a little time and a good opportunity. 

  Well it took less time that I thought it would, but as we entered the gates of Whiterun, the guards were fighting something. I cast a Flame Atronach spell and a ward around me, cause I could not see anything. Bishop and Karnwyr had better luck.

  My opportunity came when I ran strait into a Master Vampire, he didn't cause the slice that made my armor top and pants un-patchable, but Bishop would never know. The thin slice of skin, that I healed just as he rounded the corner, was a small price to pay... he had paid with his...umm life? death? next life.. what ever one calls it.

  The tear and hole in my armor got a good look through narrowed eyes, as he hauled me over to the temple and got the Priestess to look at the wound. She said it was mostly healed, but at the glare she got, she caste a simple heal spell, I winked at her and handed her a couple gold.

  Giving a dramatic sigh, I poked my finger in the hole. " I guess, I'll have to dig out my old armor.", I looked at Bishop, " It's serviceable, but not really good, much patched from fighting the first dragons. Adrienne is really good at weapons and heavy armor, but not light. I guess I'll have to see what she has, it will have to do."  I shrugged and turned away, but caught the thoughtful look on his face. 

  I smiled to myself, I remembered he had told the Fletcher in Solitude that he made his own arm's and armor, only that knife was made by someone else and it had been taken from a bandit. 

  No matter his reasoning, I knew he could make me some armor, I could only hope that it suited my personal sense of style.. I could almost be that the cleavage would be low. 

 I snickered to myself, men are most piculiar. He had made comment's about my person (reader I am laughing at myself) including how he would like to cute off my armor and have his way with what he found underneath. And before you think badly, he has not once touched me in an unpolite way. He hated the way other men oogled me though. Makes sense right?

  My Aunt always said, " If you've got it flaunt it, but remember anything on display is for sale."