Skyrim IV: The Ghost of Hamvir's Rest

Chapter Twelve: To the Shrine of Clavicus Vile

   "I just made sure that Lucia will be fine while she spends a few days with Carlotta Valentia and Mila." I say, rubbing my eyes as I stand with Allie's reins in my hand. Across from me, stood Karliah, her hood and mask up , Serana, once again where her old Volkihar armour, Aela, her warpaint fresh and dark. Sinding stood by his horse, with Arodil, handcuffed to the saddle. My husband gave me a sympathetic look and I blinked, not wanting to think of what more we could talk about later. Serana took my hand into hers and said, "I'm sure she will be fine. And if the dog is correct, we should be at Haemar's Shame in no time." 
   Barbas trotted up, his tail wagging as he panted. "The dog is correct and thinks we should stop delaying and get a move on. The faster we get to Haemar's Shame, the faster you break that ole spell on your headless friend, get your axe and I can once again be reunited withy my master."
  Aela mounted her horse after tying Uriel's reins to her saddle horn. "He's rather annoying, isn't he." 
   Karliah pat her horse's neck. "You have no idea." Sinding helped me unto Alsfigir's back and and then climbed up. I wrapped my hands on his side as I look down at Barbas. "We follow you, Barbas. Make sure we can see you." 
  Barbas gave a sharp bark like a laugh, "You mortals, no sense of fun."

  Despite us being on horseback, Barbas was very fast. Between taking the form of a dog, and being part of a Daedric Prince, he was faster than most. Our horses trotted along to keep up with the dog. I felt myself growing more tired and closed my eyes as I rested my cheek against Sinding's back.  I tried not to let the feelings of fear overcome me as I rested. The bouncing of the saddle started to churn my stomach and my eyes flew opened and I said quietly so only Sinding could hear. "Sinding, I need to get off."
 Sinding whipped around to look at me in surprise, "Beg pardon?" He said, but I was already dismounting Alsfigir before she halted and rushed into the nearby woods and keeled over as I puked my breakfast up. I could hear the voices behind me, but not as much as my pounding heart.  I coughed and wiped my mouth on my sleeve. Pressing a hand to my belly, I say to baby, "Could you please be a little more gentle to your Mama? I'm trying." 
  I heard the sounds of footsteps behind me and  I turn to see Sinding standing a few feet from me. I give him a weak smile, "Please tell me you didn't see me just now?"
 Sinding whistled and I could see Allie move from the path back towards us. "Is she alright?!" I could her Aela call and my face burned. 
  "Everything is fine." Sinding called back as he approached me. His hand touched my stomach and he said softly, "I saw everything, and it just makes me love you more." He pressed his forehead to mine and I close my eyes as he says. "If you can't travel, if you get too sick from riding, we can go back. Aela can lead this party, along with Karliah." I shake my head.
"Tanii, look at me." 
I slowly open my eyes and look up at him. Sinding gently cups my chin. "I will help you in this. We are in this together. This is my family now, and I'm going to protect you, Lucia and our little one. I promise."
  I slowly nod as I whisper. "Maybe it's better if I walk for now. The others won't be happy. Barbas will definitely not be happy." 
  Sinding smirks, "I can care less about what the dogs wants. We are doing him a favor." 
  He grabs Allie's reigns and says, "We can walk. It won't take long to let the others know." I nod as we head back towards the road. Barbas's ears perked up. "What's the hold up?"
  "Taniaae is feeling ill,  so we will follow but more at a slower pace. We will meet you at Haemar's Shame." 
  I could see Aela's face grow still but Karliah intervene, "I will stay behind with the Dragonborn and their prisoner, the elf." She turned to look back at the silent Arodil. "That way the Dragonborn and her protector won't be alone in case something happens." 
  Serana nods, "That is fine, Aela and I will go forth and follow Barbas to Haemar's Shame, and we will wait for you there. Sounds like a good, steady plan." 
  I give her a smile in thanks as Barbas barked, "Sounds fine by me, see you mortals soon." He bounded off without giving so much as a bark. Aela rolled her eyes and says, "See you there." And she rode off after the beast with Serana on her heels. I look over at Sinding and whisper, "Thank you." 
  He gives me a small smile and turns back towards Arodil.  Aela was quick when she untied Uriel's reins and left the prisoned elf with us. Sinding sighs and steps over towards him and ties his horse's reins to the saddle horn of Allie's saddle when Arodil says. "You are different, you know?" His eyes drifted from Sinding towards me. I swallow. "In what way, Arodil?" 
  He tilted his head for a moment, but slowly shook his head, deciding to not respond.
  I sigh and turn back towards Karliah, still masked and astride her horse.  Before I'm about to thank her for deciding to stay, she holds up her gloved hand. Only her lilac eyes stayed visible as she said, "You do not need to thank me, Taniiaae. I refuse to leave our Dragonborn on her own, even with her protector of a husband and a fettered prisoner. I feel you have had enough pushing against you lately that you could use the extra support. Your friend Serana is a good one, taking the Companion away with her and the mongrel." She didn't say anything more after that. 
   She slowly lead the way, as Sinding and I walked behind her. Sinding held Alsfigir's reins that also lead Uriel behind us. I realized that we were a more quiet group. Sinding was always more silent than I was, until we got closer, but Karliah was exceptionally quiet. Maybe it was due to being alone so much. 
.........................................
        It was nightfall when we stopped. Karliah and Sinding decided to have us stop in a small woods. We had been able to cross into Falkreath Hold before we took cover for the night. If I knew better, Aela probably was already waiting for us at the cave, but I didn't care. Arodil was handcuffed with his chains posted into the ground, but enough room for him to be comfortable. I was laying against Sinding's shoulder, my head resting against it. I had closed my eyes, not enough to let sleep over take me, but enough to feel at peace. My stomach had stopped spinning from the effects of the pregnancy, but I still felt weak and tired.  
  I could hear footsteps crunch along the forest floor and I assume it's Karliah. That was before I actually fell asleep and didn't remember much more.
        
       
  ~Sinding~

    Taniiaae's breathing slowed as Sinding watched her sleep. The slow rise and fall of her breathing,  her face in sleep was peaceful. But she looked exhausted, more than usual, and that worried Sinding. He knew when he married her, that she wasn't a normal girl, and he loved that for her. But seeing her push herself of the sake of others, that concerned him. 
    "She seems exhausted." Said a soft, raspy voice. Sinding turned to see Karliah put down some logs for the fire. Her hood and mask were no longer concealing her face. She had a very pretty face, youthful with striking eyes. 'Like Tanii.' Sinding thought, caressing his wife's hand. Arodil said nothing as Karliah sat down in a crouch. Between Sinding and Taniiaae on one side of the camp, and Arodil on the other. 
  Karliah studied the sleeping girl and said, "You love her." 
Sinding quickly looked up in surprise as Karliah whispered, "And she loves you. I know that kind of love, I've felt it."
 Karliah stared at the fire and said. "His name was Gallus. He and I were part of a small guild of Thieves called the Nightingales with a colleague named Mercer Frey.  I know you hate the Daedra, Sinding, but the Nightingales, we were worshippers of the Daedric Mother, Nocturnal. She---she took care of us...and she loved Gallus." 
   She swallows, and Sinding sees her eyes become glassy as she said. "Gallus and I, our relationship started out normally, like partners in a trade....but, one night, he helped save my life, and everything changed."
  "Taniiaae had saved my life..." Sinding said, "She did the moment she met me. The darkness in my life disappeared because of her."  He looked at her sleeping besides him, the way her long lashes touched her face. She seemed so young and vulnerable at that moment. 
    "Gallus was that way to  me, and I thought he would always be there. That we would always be together." Karliah said, "But one night, he was ambushed by our mutual friend. Mercer Frey killed Gallus...." her voice catches and she takes a shaky breath. "He destroyed my name, telling my guild that I was the one who killed Gallus, and he took over as guild leader. Taking Gallus's life and role the same night."  
  Sinding's eyes widened and he watched as Karliah brushed a tear away. "I didn't even have time to bury Gallus during that time because I had to run for my life. If only I had been at Snow Veil Sanctum when Frey lured Gallus by himself. He knew.....he had told me he always wondered about Mercer....but I never saw it coming...." 
She looked up at Sinding, who swallows. "I'm very sorry for you loosing your loved one, Karliah. I truly am."
  "I am too." Karliah says, looking back down at the flames of the campfire. She clasps on to a ring around her finger tightly. 'A gift from Gallus?' Sinding wondered when the Dunmer looked back at him and said, "Protect your wife with everything you have. Do not fail where I have, Sinding. I took my love and happiness for granted, and it was taken from me."
  Sinding nodded, "I'll protect Taniiaae and my family with my life." 
"Please do that," Karliah said, "Because sometimes, fate has other plans. Protect your wife no matter what, and succeed where I failed."

     ~Serana~

'Haemar's Shame seemed like any other cave on outside,' Serana thought as she and Aela followed Barbas down into the dark cave. It had been almost a day, and Taniiaae's party still hadn't showed up. The dog wouldn't stop yapping about wanting to go down at least into the Shrine, so Aela decided that they could at least go in to wait for the others.  Serana didn't agree with this decision, but from what she could tell, Aela did what Aela wanted. So they went down into the Cavern and pass the Cavern into the Shame. Serana's mouth's dropped a little as they walked into the room where a small balcony stood. And beneath the balcony was a set of stairs leading into the Shrine. But from where her and Aela stood at the edge, they could see perfectly the Shrine ahead. 
   On a low, stone pedestal, was a large statue about fourteen feet high. It's body was carved to look like it was draped in toga robes, leaving parts of it's chest bare. The face appeared young, like a young man, and had long, shoulder length hair, with two curved horns sticking out of his head. His face was looking upward, and in his left arm, which he held outstretched over his head, he held a bizarre mask. It was made to look as a man's bearded face, with horns sticking out of the front of his head. Serana's breath caught, the shrine reminded her of some of the different shrines that her father, Harkon had worshipped Molag Bal at. But they were all Daedric Princes. 
  The statue's right hand was lowered by his side, almost as if to be touching something that was meant to be there, but wasn't.  
   Aela crossed her arms, "So...this is your Master, dog?" She asked to Barbas as they started to walk down the stairs and get closer to the shrine. 
 "Hey, don't make assumptions!" Barbas barked, "He's meaner than he looks." 
As the three walked down to the statue,  a loud voice in a strange dialect spoke.  "Oh come now, mutt, I can't help that you are just so annoying. I get so tired of your constant 'nagging'. And now you bring two mortals who smell like the Others? That's not going to work in your favor at all." 
  Serana looked up in shock. The voice was coming from the giant statue. 
"Oh come on, Vile." Barbas snapped, "They are here for other reasons, even though I told them that they won't be getting what they want unless they help us." 
  "Help? I don't need help." The Voice of Clavicus Vile boomed from the statue.
"Well, you are weaker now without me, so I know you could use my help. And I need them." Barbas said, sitting down. 
 "Fine, I'll listen to what you have to say, but doesn't mean I'll agree to it." Vile said, his voice on edge, "BUT only after why these two mortals explain why they are hearing smelling like Hircine and remains of Molag Bal." 
  Serana's stomach lurched. She realized that those who were under the influence of the Daedra or the Princes themselves could still sense the traits of old curses. Serana wished that she could cleanse herself from any traits of Molag Bal and the horrors that her father put her and her mother through, but instead she listened as Clavicus Vile says, "Why is one of Hircine's lot here? Ole' Hircine usually wants nothing to do with me, too busy hunting and killing prey for his glory."
  Aela looked at Serana and then said, "If you have a problem with me, than you will have a problem with the woman who wants to speak to you." 
"Why would any of Hircine's dogs want to speak to me?" Vile snaps. 
"She's no werewolf anymore," Serana lashed out, "She's the Dragonborn. And she is coming with one of acolytes of Nocturnal to speak to you." 
  "Ohhhh Nocturnal, she's such a BORE!" Vile's voice booms, "But Dragonborn, now you got me interested...." he hesitated. "Fine, I'll consider what she says, but I refuse to speak until she gets here." 
  "Glad you are willing to listen to reason." Barbas whimpered. 
"I SAID I REFUSE TO SPEAK UNTIL SHE GETS HERE!!" Clavicus Vile's voice shook the cave in anger. Serana looked over at Aela and said, "I guess we get comfortable."