Chapter 22: Maidenless
Gerdur and I lay, entangled naked with sweat under the sheet, her head resting on my chest, as I ran my fingers through her hair.
"Darius…" she whispered, her low voice low, like wind through pine needles, "We can't do this."
I glanced down at her, the faint red flush still on her cheeks, "And why is that?"
She pulled herself upright, the sheet clutched against her chest. Her eyes were distant, not cold, but ruminating.
"You know why." She didn't raise her voice, but lowered.
"I've never made you promises," I said, sitting up beside her. "You knew what I was when we met."
"Did I?" she murmured. "I can't pretend that it doesn't matter."
I reached out, touching her wrist gently, "Why?" I whispered, "What is it?"
Gerdur shook her head, refusing to tell me, "What are you so afraid of?" I said quietly.
She looked at me, a painful expression on her face, "Every time you walk away, I'll have to wonder if you'll come back. And if you do come back, it'll always be with blood on your hands. I know that because I've lived that life." She removed her hand from my grasp.
She turned to face me fully now, her tone even, "And that's why this needs to end."
I searched her expression for a way in, some faltering, some tremor of hesitation, a crack, but there was none. Just the quiet strength of someone who had made peace with their decision.
"You're really doing this?" I asked.
"I-I love you," she whispered, "But as long as you're out there chasing monsters, saving people, whatever it is that drives you… We can't be together."
The finality in her voice struck deeper than I'd anticipated.
I stood, wearing the shirt, my back to her. "Don't expect me to change," I muttered and turned to her with a frown on my forehead. Her eyes trembled for a moment before she turned away
I exited the door, and exhaled heavily, Fuck this, heartbreaks hurt the same as they did in my world I shook my head, and began to walk mindlessly, pondering on it more than necessary as it continued to bother me.
It was too abrupt for my liking
I stopped when I heard a familiar voice call my name.
"Darius!"
I turned to look at Alvor's porch. The man stood beside his forge, hammer in hand, face warm despite the soot that painted his arms.
"Leaving already?" he asked as he stepped closer.
I made my way up to him, trying to force some civility back into my voice. "I've got something to return to the Jarl."
Alvor scratched at his cheek, glancing at my gear, brow furrowed, deep in thought.
Before he could say anything, the door creaked open behind him, and Sigrid stepped out, brushing a lock of her red hair behind her ear. She looked surprised to see me, but her expression softened, and instead of running away.
She stepped close and reached for my hand with both of hers. "Darius…" her voice was soft, eyes lowered. "Thank you for saving her."
I squeezed my finger just a little too long. "Just doing what any man would've done," I said with a smirk. "Still, I appreciate your appreciation."
Alvor clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. " Lad, if you hadn't shown up, I don't even want to imagine what might've happened to that poor girl." He gave me a proud look, then turned toward the forge, grabbing a set of tongs from the bench.
I let my eyes drift to Sigrid, catching the light shimmer of sweat on her collarbone from the heat of the sun. "You know," I said, keeping my tone just above a whisper, "I'm kind of sore from saving damsels. Wouldn't mind a soft touch to help ease the tension."
Her breath hitched, her expression reminiscent of the one she had when we found ourselves in the cellar, she tried to move back, but her hands were still tangled in mine.
I pulled her closer, as I glanced over to Alvor, lost in the constant hammering of red-hot steel.
"Don't go into the dark, you're quite the sight in this shimmering sun, Sigrid. I'm amazed he hasn't melted just standing near you."
Alvor stopped hammering.
He looked up slowly from the forge, his eyes settling on us for a heartbeat longer than was comfortable, and in that moment, I felt his eyes wander over everything that was taking place. Then, without a word, he set his tongs down, muttered something about needing to check on the back stock, and walked off behind the house.
I watched him go, slightly—no, very confused. Cuck?
Sigrid let out a breath through her nose, freeing her hands from mine. "I already said, I'm spoken for, I can't do this," she said, backing away.
I leaned in closer, "Too bad, my eyes are already set on you." I said and caught her lips with mine, and for a minute, she lost herself before pushing me back.
Suddenly, my eyes widened as a system prompt came into view.
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I was already out of Riverwood, wearing my armor for the road to Whiterun, I needed to return the tablet, and—
I looked around, trying to find Lys, but she was nowhere in sight. "Seriously?" I muttered to myself.
Maidenless? I chuckled bitterly as I increased my pace, walking toward Whiterun.
System Prompt: [Quest] Dragon Rising:
Reward: 30 AP
Timelimit: 5 Hours
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By the time I reached the outskirts of Whiterun, smoke had already begun to stain the sky. A heavy column of black rose in the distance, curling up from the west like the finger of a god pointing toward the chaos flying in the sky.
I ran in the empty fields of green, toward the smoke, blocked by the bumpy terrain.
When the watchtower came into view, I froze mid-stride.
Half of it was gone. Stone scattered like kicked-in sandcastles. The eastern ramparts were blackened to ash, the resting quarters roof crumbled on top of the resting men.
Bodies littered the slope—some in armor, others half charred and twitching. One soldier crawled with no legs, his eyes hollow, his scream silent.
My eyes twitched, as my hand began to shake. Am I even strong enough?
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