Northbound Pilgrimage II

Chapter LV - Secrets of the Dwarves

"Divines, they are really attacking innocent people in the streets."

Aeyrin shook her head incredulously when they closed the temple's door behind them.

"Uh-uh. That's not what we're talking about now. That's old news anyway," Bishop shook his head at her instantly.

What? What did he want to talk about, after what they had just witnessed?

Aeyrin gave him a questioning look, but before she could ask, he already posed his own questions with surprising eagerness.

"You went in there. What were you doing there? What's going on inside?"

She couldn't help but burst out laughing at the questions. Was he really that interested in that inner sanctum stuff? She certainly had other things on her mind right after seeing that stabbed woman. Then again, Bishop did want to stay away from all these issues with the Forsworn. It was understandable that he quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.

Besides, it wasn't as if she was not dying to tell him about that strange luxurious bathing chamber in a temple of all places. But first, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease him a little.

"Ah, are you worried that they wanted to teach me their Dibellan ways? Don't be. It was just a small orgy. I didn't even get to participate much," she smirked at him teasingly.

"Very funny," Bishop rolled his eyes at her. "It better be a joke, princess," he growled at her and suddenly his hand landed on her buttocks with a light smack. He didn't retrieve the hand, however, and instead he used it to yank her into his embrace with a possessive squeeze. She was sure that he wasn't really worried about her being serious, but he still couldn't help but react this way.

"You don't get to be jealous when you were getting pawed at by a pretty priestess," she snorted at him. She was just joking around... kind of. She still couldn't help being a little insecure about it, silly as it was.

"Hmm... yeah, she was pretty," instead of refuting the claims, Bishop smirked at her maliciously.

"Hey!" Aeyrin punched him in his chest in retaliation with a pouty look on her face. That really didn't make her feel any better.

He only laughed at her while he squeezed her to himself more firmly. His hand kept kneading her asscheek while the other tangled in her hair, making a fist, before he dipped her head back to look her in the eyes. "What? You had your little orgy. What have you got to pout about?"

He enjoyed the sight of her pouting face for a brief longer before he leaned his head down to give her a quick but thorough kiss.

"Hmm... I'd much rather have a different priestess paw all over me," he snickered at her, but it only earned an annoyed groan out of her.

"I'm not a priestess."

"Who says I was talking about you?" That earned him another firm punch into his pecs, but he was still only laughing in response.

"Come on now, love. Some boring healing could hardly match your magic fingers," he murmured in her ear before he gently nipped at the tip of it. "Now tell me, what is going on in that damn place?"

He was really curious about that, apparently. The years of rumors and whispered secrets among the citizens of Markarth must have really grabbed his attention. There was no reason to frustrate him any longer though, especially since Aeyrin was pretty eager to share the information herself.

"There was... a bath house... I think. There were all these tubs with people in them and the priestesses kept hovering around and massaging people and... bringing them food. I don't think that was the inner sanctum though. There were a lot of other doors there," Aeyrin lowered her voice conspiratorially, almost subconsciously, as she reiterated the story.