“What exactly are we doing up here?” Erandur asked, slightly short on breath as he trudged up the mountain path. Ahead of him, Nandita looked over her shoulder, her face flushed but still cheerful.
“There’s a group of trolls that’s been causing trouble down in the towns,” she explained. “Apparently some hunters tracked them up to the top of this mountain, but they were afraid to actually go deal with them. That’s our job.” Erandur nodded in agreement, looking around at the dark that enveloped them.
“I understand, but…” He gestured around them. “Why wouldn’t we wait until morning to do something like this? You’ve never liked fighting in the dark, especially outside.” The Redguard girl paused, giving him an opportunity to catch up.
“Well, I consider it my duty as Dragonborn to keep Skyrim as safe as possible,” she said, throwing in a little dramatic flair for good measure. “As soon as I can, I go and deal with trouble, no matter where it is.” Before she could continue, she turned back to the path, only to find that they had reached the mountain’s flattened peak. “…Oh. We’re here.” Erandur frowned, peering over her shoulder to find that they were standing on a cold, rocky clearing.
“There aren’t any trolls here,” he remarked, raising his hands to cast a Candlelight spell as he stepped forward. “Not even any caves or boulders for trolls to make their home in.” He turned back, frowning at his companion. “Care to explain, Nandita?”
“I can’t,” Nandita insisted, looking around as well. “I know it was this mountain, I saw the hunters myself. Maybe the trolls…migrated?”
“Do trolls migrate?”
“I don’t see why they wouldn’t.” Erandur sighed, taking a seat on a smooth stone. Smiling nervously, Nandita went to join him, gesturing out at the view below them. “On the bright side, take a look at that. Isn’t it beautiful?” Erandur blinked, looking from the forests in the distance to the auroras gleaming above their heads.
“It is,” he agreed, allowing himself a smile. “We have enough to set up camp here, if you want to rest before we head back down the mountain.”
Once they had made makeshift bedrolls out of their clothes and started a gently crackling fire, the two traveling partners lay down to watch the stars. Nandita, for her part, was quietly thrilled, and Erandur couldn’t help but wonder about the broad smile on her face.
“I didn’t know you were so interested in the sky, my friend,” he teased, rolling onto his stomach to look at her. Nandita looked over at him, her eyes soft.
“I don’t get to relax very often. When I travel at night, I’m usually looking at the road more than the sky.” She returned her gaze to the lights above them. “You shouldn’t stay at the Temple, Erandur. You’re missing out on views like this.”
“Don’t bring this up again,” the priest sighed, lying beside her and giving her hand a squeeze. “Let’s talk about something else.” Nandita eyed him expectantly, and he cleared his throat. “Have you settled down yet? Do you have someone to go home to when you’re not out adventuring?” The girl’s face grew hot, and she glanced away self-consciously.
“I have…a housecarl. And a dog. They live in Solitude,” she said bashfully. “I’m too busy to get married, you know that. I work for the Companions, I do jobs where I can find them, and I worry about you. That takes up enough of my time.” When Erandur remained silent, she sat up abruptly, her eyes flashing. “Maybe I haven’t settled down yet, but I have the sun shining on me every day. Do you?” Erandur lay a hand on her shoulder, giving her an affectionate rub.
“Goodnight, Nandita,” he said simply, pulling his robes closer around him and curling up on the mat. Nandita pouted at him, but settled for moving up beside him and letting sleep take her away as well.
F!DB/Erandur: "Scenery" 2/?
Date: 2015-07-03 01:09 am (UTC)“There’s a group of trolls that’s been causing trouble down in the towns,” she explained. “Apparently some hunters tracked them up to the top of this mountain, but they were afraid to actually go deal with them. That’s our job.” Erandur nodded in agreement, looking around at the dark that enveloped them.
“I understand, but…” He gestured around them. “Why wouldn’t we wait until morning to do something like this? You’ve never liked fighting in the dark, especially outside.” The Redguard girl paused, giving him an opportunity to catch up.
“Well, I consider it my duty as Dragonborn to keep Skyrim as safe as possible,” she said, throwing in a little dramatic flair for good measure. “As soon as I can, I go and deal with trouble, no matter where it is.” Before she could continue, she turned back to the path, only to find that they had reached the mountain’s flattened peak. “…Oh. We’re here.” Erandur frowned, peering over her shoulder to find that they were standing on a cold, rocky clearing.
“There aren’t any trolls here,” he remarked, raising his hands to cast a Candlelight spell as he stepped forward. “Not even any caves or boulders for trolls to make their home in.” He turned back, frowning at his companion. “Care to explain, Nandita?”
“I can’t,” Nandita insisted, looking around as well. “I know it was this mountain, I saw the hunters myself. Maybe the trolls…migrated?”
“Do trolls migrate?”
“I don’t see why they wouldn’t.” Erandur sighed, taking a seat on a smooth stone. Smiling nervously, Nandita went to join him, gesturing out at the view below them. “On the bright side, take a look at that. Isn’t it beautiful?” Erandur blinked, looking from the forests in the distance to the auroras gleaming above their heads.
“It is,” he agreed, allowing himself a smile. “We have enough to set up camp here, if you want to rest before we head back down the mountain.”
Once they had made makeshift bedrolls out of their clothes and started a gently crackling fire, the two traveling partners lay down to watch the stars. Nandita, for her part, was quietly thrilled, and Erandur couldn’t help but wonder about the broad smile on her face.
“I didn’t know you were so interested in the sky, my friend,” he teased, rolling onto his stomach to look at her. Nandita looked over at him, her eyes soft.
“I don’t get to relax very often. When I travel at night, I’m usually looking at the road more than the sky.” She returned her gaze to the lights above them. “You shouldn’t stay at the Temple, Erandur. You’re missing out on views like this.”
“Don’t bring this up again,” the priest sighed, lying beside her and giving her hand a squeeze. “Let’s talk about something else.” Nandita eyed him expectantly, and he cleared his throat. “Have you settled down yet? Do you have someone to go home to when you’re not out adventuring?” The girl’s face grew hot, and she glanced away self-consciously.
“I have…a housecarl. And a dog. They live in Solitude,” she said bashfully. “I’m too busy to get married, you know that. I work for the Companions, I do jobs where I can find them, and I worry about you. That takes up enough of my time.” When Erandur remained silent, she sat up abruptly, her eyes flashing. “Maybe I haven’t settled down yet, but I have the sun shining on me every day. Do you?” Erandur lay a hand on her shoulder, giving her an affectionate rub.
“Goodnight, Nandita,” he said simply, pulling his robes closer around him and curling up on the mat. Nandita pouted at him, but settled for moving up beside him and letting sleep take her away as well.