Penn paused in her work when she heard a distant rumble. She'd just been outside not all that long ago; the skies were clear, not a single sign of a storm approaching. She heard it again, and realized it wasn't coming from outside anyway. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere... below them?
Something must have stirred up the Forsworn, she realized. But Lenny hadn't reported anyone approaching, so it couldn't have been the Thalmor or the Legion. She wasn't the only one to have heard the commotion either, as she was met at the stairs by Jenny, Watevra, and Lloyd, each of them wearing curious expressions.
"What do you think that is?" Jenny asked.
"The Forsworn are fighting something. Lenny's on lookout duty and he hasn't said anything though, so I have no idea who kicked the hornet's nest."
"We should go check it out," Lloyd suggested. "Just in case."
"I think you're right," Penn agreed, and led the way down into the cavern. The thundering sound grew louder the closer they got, and increased in frequency. They could soon hear angry screaming from the Forsworn, and hurried the rest of the way. What they found was... unexpected.
The entirety of the Forsworn camp was being held at bay by a lone intruder in tattered black robes, throwing spells one after another to fend off his attackers. Jenny was the first to jolt into action, running up to his side and casting chain lightning. Penn was close behind her, conjuring a flame atronach that swooped into the madness. The Forsworn finally gave up at the arrival of reinforcements, fleeing the cavern. The intruder wobbled on his feet, then toppled over. Watevra moved quickly to catch him, and was shocked to find his side soaked. When she pulled her hand away, it was covered in red.
"Oh no," Jenny gasped.
"It's not too late," Watevra said, hefting their 'guest' into her arms. "Jenny, go get my supplies ready." Jenny nodded and sprinted back to the temple, Penn following closely.
"Do you need help?" Lloyd asked.
"Thank you for offering, honey, but I got this. I'd appreciate you watching my back in case those lunatics come back." Lloyd nodded, keeping watch as she carried the injured man up into the temple. He put the bridges back up as they passed. "Didn't think we'd be seeing him again so soon..."
"He looks like he's been through hell."
"He probably has," Watevra sighed. She finally made it into the infirmary and laid him on the operating table, then cut away his destroyed robes. She looked him over, then more closely inspected the gash in his side. Jenny sighed as she ran her fingers through his matted hair, making a face at the tangles.
"I wonder how he found us."
"He's smart, of course he would have figured it out. I'm more surprised that he didn't rat us out when he had every opportunity to. Hand me that canister, would you?" Jenny passed it over silently. "Something wrong?"
"I'm just... having a hard time with this, is all. He's been our worst nightmare for years, slaughtering so many innocent people, and then he shows up on our doorstep half-dead. By all rights we should have just left him, and yet... Here we are trying to save him."
Watevra smirked at her. "You were the first to come to his rescue."
"Because we're better than the Thalmor."
"Hold him up, would you? I have to bandage his side." Jenny carefully lifted him into a sitting position, watching as Watevra quickly wrapped gauze into place, then laid him back down. The two women didn't even glance up as the Knight stepped into the room to watch them, too busy swiping salve over the rest of his injuries. Watevra uncorked a vial and lifted him into a sitting position again, slowly tipping it against his lips. He came to with a start, coughing and spluttering. "Shh," she soothed. "Drink it, it'll help with the infection." He drank it down as instructed, lacking the energy to protest, and drifted back into unconsciousness.
'How bad is he?' the Knight signed as he approached.
"Pretty bad, but I think he'll live," Watevra told him. "He's got a bad gash down his side- he must have got it fighting his way out of the Embassy, and then it reopened when he was fighting off the Forsworn. That's the worst of it, at least. He has a mess of other, smaller injuries as well, and is just very weak in general. I don't think he's had much opportunity for rest since his escape."
'I doubt it,' the Knight agreed. 'It's a miracle he managed to lose them at all. Work your magic, Watevra, this is one ally I do not want to lose.'
She smirked at him. "Mmmhmm. You say that, but I'm onto you." She laughed when he flipped a rude gesture at her, Jenny joining her in her giggles. "But, you're right. If he agrees, he'll be a huge help." She sighed softly as she turned her attention back to the unconscious half-blood lying on the table. "But I'm not sure we've won him over just yet."
YOU ARE READING
Murphy's Law
Fanfiction[Skyrim Crossover] As if Skyrim wasn't already hectic enough, with its inhabitants fighting both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire. Now there's dragons, too, and Emmet finds himself unwittingly roped into the whole mess. What else could go wrong?
