Chapter Ten
As I wonder the night streets I take more notice of everything I pass as though I’ll never see these things again. The large tree and its beautiful branches, the healing temple and the inn that my friends and family have spent many wonderful nights together laughing and making fools of ourselves. I pass my dear Lydia’s house, she has no idea on anything that’s happened this evening and she may never see me again if it goes all wrong. I stop to think for a moment, no I must see her; I owe her more of a friendship then that.
I gently tap on her door, my usual tap so she knows it’s me. Will she still be awake? Of course she will, this is Lydia she never sleeps till dawn. Clunk, the door is being unlocked and Lydia slowly opens the door. I walk through the door way and we say nothing to each other Lydia just looks up and down at my armour, then shuts the door behind me and locks it. “You need a drink.” She says walking over to the table at the back of the room.
Lydia’s house was small compared to the Companions home. The fire place and cook pot was straight in front of you on entering the house and the house only had room for a small table near the door and then a larger dining table at the back of the room. Round the corner was a smaller room but it was always locked so I never knew what was behind that door. Up stairs had the master bedroom which I’d spent many nights in when Lydia saw me too drunk to go home and she had a smaller bed room nearest to the stairs.
“Here you go.” She says handing me a goblet of wine. “So are you going to tell me why you’ve looking like your going into battle?” We sit around the fire and I tell her my adventure of the evening and my plans. She listens to every word and says nothing until I am finished. Then Lydia being Lydia spoke. “So let me think about this clearly. Your plan is to walk across Skyrim alone searching for the Hunters hide out...” “I know where it is.” I quickly interrupt. Lydia continues. “So you plan to enter the Hunters hide out and rescue Roar and then leave all without being seen while wearing the loudest and shiniest armour known to every creature living?” I look down at my armour, she was right. “I haven’t thought this through have I?” I sigh. Lydia bursts out laughing. “Lydia, how can you laugh at this moment? I’ve come to say good bye and you sit there and laugh at me.” “Amber I’ve always laughed at you, why do you think I love you so? Wait here, if your really wanting to save your husband let me help you.”
Lydia rushes up the stairs making every wooden floor board creak as she goes while I finish off my wine she gave me. As I’m topping up my goblet with more wine she returns with something in her arms. “Here have this.” She holds out a black cloth. “What is it?” I ask sounding a little drunk. “It’s a robe, it will keep you hidden in the dark and let you move silently.” Lydia smiles. “Hurry put it on.” I do as she says and leave my armour on the floor.
This was a much better idea; I’ve never really been the one to sneak around since joining the Companions. They tended to storm into places and kill everything in sight, sneaking around was not an option. With me now being able to hide in the shadows I may just be able to rescue Roar and actually live through this, then again I may not. I sit back down next to Lydia and we finish off the bottle of wine together. If I’m heading towards death I may as well do it drunk.
“You were not planning to live through this adventure were you Amber?” Lydia sadly asked. I paused for a while then answered. “Not without Roar.” “Would you have me come with you?” Lydia asked choosing not to look at me. “I must do this alone Lydia, I never want to see anymore of the people I love dying. I would rather die now instead. If I don’t return, please Lydia be happy and live a full and happy life with lots of wine and plenty of men.” We both laugh a sorry laugh together and hold our goblets in the air and say together. “For a long life with wine and men!” We drink and then I hug my dear friend as if it’s the last hug I shall ever give her, and then I leave her company and Whiterun wearing my new dark robe.
The full moon lights my path quite well and I know it will be another day and then night before I reach the Hunters hide out where Roar should be. I walk past the stables and head out West and then I stop. If I use a horse I could reach the hide out quicker. How big is the fine for stealing a horse? No I’m being stupid, may be it’s the wine making me have these thoughts or this robe. I couldn’t possibly manage to steal a horse. If anything went wrong then how useful would I be to Roar in jail? Will I be useful to him anyway? No this is silly the wine is making me question my own judgement. I am going to rescue Roar and before I know it we will be back with our family and I’ll be boasting of my great adventure to everyone. Still all this could happen quicker with a horse. Goddamn it, fine I’ll steal a horse, they don’t need all of them tonight anyway. I may even be able to return it.
Stealing a paint horse was actually easier than I expected, returning it may be the bigger problem but I will worry about that once I’ve returned, if I do. I knew I was coming nearer to the Hunters hide out and it didn’t help that the sun was starting to rise over the mountains. Time to sneak on foot now. I jumped off the horse and tied it to a tree and then every step I took after that was carefully done. Hopefully if I return my foot prints will lead us straight back to the horse. Hopefully no one else will find my foot steps. There it is the door to apart of the cave, the only way in I know of. Please let Roar still be alive, I dismiss the though of the things they could of done to him.
Comments