Chapter Twenty Five

The clear, mountain air was of no consolation to Gaeolin as he and Inigo climbed toward Shearpoint. What should have been an easy trek South had turned into a multi-day journey east and down from the Nightgate Inn. Ever since he had woken this morning, he had felt terrible. His heart pounded as if he’d been running for miles. He couldn’t eat. Water burned his inflamed throat. The bag he carried had never felt this heavy.

Inigo covered his face as his friend slipped, causing snow to billow down upon him. “Hey! Careful what you’re doing up there. I don’t want a chunk of ice in my eye.”

“Sorry, my ankle rolled a bit.” Gaeolin scrambled up onto the plateau, lying on his back to look at the sky. It was stunning,  soft clouds rolling across the blue expanse. As Inigo joined him, he strained against gravity to resume the hike. “At least the weather seems to be holding.”

“Agreed, the sun and sky make the traveling much more appealing.” Inigo twitched his cheek as a whisker brushed the inside of his hood. “I actually like the snow. It is beautiful.”

Gaeolin was about to comment on the ice hanging from the rocks when an ear splitting roar tore into them. A Dragon crashed to the earth before them, frosty breath rolling from its nostrils and jaws. The beast spread its wings as it spoke.

“Fahliil ahrk Kaaz. Aan yuvon kipraan fah zu’u.” Elf and Khajiit. A fine meal for me.

“Krii lun aus!” Gaeolin shouted. The drake reared as the words pummeled into it’s scales. Inigo rushed the wyrm with a flurry of strikes, laughing as his blades cut the leathery wings. 

“We will make you regret the day you hatched, you smelly lizard!” 

Gaeolin swung wide, his sword chipping a bit of the creature’s armor from its face. The Dragon let loose a jet of ice before taking flight. It circled high above, scowling at them before strafing them with its deadly breath. It came around and landed before the elf. It opened its maw, preparing to lunge for the finish. 

Gaeolin dodged the strike, plunging his sword deep in the eye of the beast. It collapsed to the snow in a cloud of upset flakes. Flesh and scales began to shimmer, magics winding through the air and into his body. He stood motionless as the knowledge was absorbed. As the last of the power disappeared, he fell to the snow. Inigo ran to him, shouting to rouse him. 

“My friend! Get up! Come on, you’ve had worse fights.” He drug his companion into a standing position. Gaeolin shook his head, eyes glossy.

“I just… I’m fine..” Inigo let him go, watching carefully as he shuffled slowly down the slope. 

Gaeolin staggered. His vision began to blur. His head felt light, the images before him swirling around as if he were falling again. They were passing a boulder when the pain hit. He clutched his stomach, gasping as his body screamed in agony. Inigo drew his bow, at first thinking his friend had been shot.

“Gaeolin?”

The elf fell forward, landing in the snow where he began to convulse. Inigo watched, unsure of what to do. Gaeolin writhed. His breaths slowed as his heart rate began to become unsteady. Inigo crouched next to him. He looked up weakly. “Inigo…” His eyes were wide in terror. “What… What’s happening to…” He fell silent. The warmth left him. Inigo shook him, stepping back as the reality of what he was seeing began to stab into his chest. He sat unwillingly in the drift of snow at the foot of the stone. His claws dug into the white mound as he fought the tears.

After all the time they had been apart… Thinking he had killed him, finding out he had survived… To die like this… His fur was damp as he looked to the sky. “And what else? What more can you take from me?” He sobbed uncontrollably, cradling his head in his hands as the wind tossed snow across Gaeolin’s form.

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A figure lay in bed. She rolled onto her side, nestling more comfortably into her pillow with a sigh. She slept with peace, knowing nothing about the danger that lurked nearby. A shadowy form rose from behind her. The light of a candle flickered from the nightstand, catching in the gaunt features as the man stooped low to sink his teeth into her neck. She couldn’t fight him. Her arms pushed in vain as the blood pulsed from her vein to his waiting lips. The light of her eyes went out. 

The man stood wiping the bead of blood from his chin. As he made to leave, his face caught the full light. The gaunt features filled, color flooding the face that Gaeolin had only seen when looking into the water, or cleaning his blade. The blue eyes he’d carried all his life, however, flashed with the red of blood, and a thirst he would never quench.

Gaeolin sat up, snow clinging to his clothes as he cried out in alarm. Inigo jumped, looking to the elf in horror. Gaeolin struggled to his knees, cringing at the light that burned his eyes and stung his face. He could hear Inigo stammering, trying to speak.

“How… What did-?” 

Gaeolin flexed his hands, tongue feeling around in his mouth. He felt the fangs on his upper jaw. He didn’t look back to the Khajiit. 

“Are you okay, Inigo?”

The cat looked at him. “Of course I’m not! I thought you were dead!”

Gaeolin turned to him. Inigo took a step back, seeing the change and reacting out of instinct. 

Gaeolin gave a cheerless grin. “I am.”