Northbound Pilgrimage II

Chapter LXII - Noble Intentions

Aeyrin woke up to sharp sunrays stinging her eyes.

It was so unpleasant. Her eyes felt strangely achy already and now the sensation was even worse. She did not dare to open them. She knew that the holes in the roof of the cornerclub had gotten even worse than the last time they had been staying here. The sun would likely shine straight at her. And judging by its probable position, she suspected that it was sometime around noon already.

She shifted on the small rickety bed slightly, but the weight on her did not allow her much movement. Bishop was still asleep with his body lying on hers, face buried in her cleavage. She could barely move and he was really heavy. How did she not mind him falling asleep like that last night? She was surprised that she hadn't shoved him away all night.

Well... it hadn't been the entire night after all. They only went to sleep after sundown when the rest of the Dunmer returned to their homes. As mild as their inebriation had been for the first part of the night, it went downhill right after Bishop's arm-wrestling competitions and Aeyrin's talk with Calixto. Everything after that was just a blur of songs, laughter and alcohol.

She certainly didn't feel very rested. A calm day spent at the Candlehearth might do them some good. They always needed to recuperate after a night at the cornerclub.

She let out a groan at the sting in her eyes and the raspiness in her throat and she raised her hand to rest it in Bishop's hair idly. A part of her wanted to wake him up, but another one wasn't ready to start functioning fully yet either.

Bishop started to mumble something inaudibly while she began slowly raking her fingers through his hair. Before he even appeared to be fully awake, he began nuzzling his face over and over into her breasts. She hadn't even changed her clothes for the night and she wasn't exactly sure if he was more nuzzling into her flesh or into the soft fabric of her fancy shirt.

Aeyrin tried to shift again, but she still couldn't move at all under Bishop's weight. He finally noticed her discomfort though and, with a loud groan, he nuzzled her flesh one last time before he moved his hands onto the bed to support himself and managed to flip over next to her onto his back.

She let out a deep satisfied breath, but she didn't feel like getting up or opening her eyes yet. So instead she curled herself around Bishop's form and rested her head on his shoulder tiredly.

Bishop, however, was already awakened by the movement.

"We should get up," he grumbled morosely through his parched throat.

Aeyrin only groaned again and pressed herself tighter into his arm. She knew that he was right. She needed something to drink, and preferably some good food too, but it all sounded like too much work just then.

Bishop contemplated staying in that bed for a while longer, but the more aware he got of his surroundings, the more annoyed he was at the hardness of the bed and the sounds of someone, probably Malthyr, snoring on the other side of the room.

He wrapped his arms around Aeyrin tightly and pushed them both off the bed together in order to sit up with her still in his arms. Aeyrin groaned in annoyance again, but she didn't stop nuzzling into his arm.

"Come on, I need some food. And mead," he chuckled at her. He could feel her nod in accord against him and he tilted his head to press a kiss on the top of her head before he murmured in her ear once more.

"Besides, we still have some... unfinished business from yesterday."

...

"There you two are!" Ambarys chuckled when they made their way downstairs at last, after a long time of convincing themselves to move. "Finally managed to move?"