Thin Ice • A Skyrim Fanfiction

02.

     "How is he so resilient when it comes to torturing me?" Allura muttered under her breath.  She lay spread across her bed with her nightgown almost consuming it.  She scanned her room for a brief moment; stone walls and wooden dressers and tables, decorated with candles that brightened the room incredibly.  As they moved around the room, her eyes stopped abruptly when they met the Stone of Barenziah that she had kept on the dresser adjacent to the door.  It glistened and reflected the light from the candles as it danced above its case.
     Her mind quickly drifted to the Guild.  Being a rookie, she had a lot to learn and a lot of hardships to overcome, and she knew that.  She had such little involvement with the Guild and much involvement with other groups (such as the Brotherhood) that she didn't have the time to prove herself worthy; the other thieves thought of her as a no-good wimp who didn't deserve her armor, and it sparked a furious fire inside her.  She always wanted to be known as the best in everything, whether it be something as menacing as stealing or killing or anything else. She, unfortunately, figured that being Dragonborn wasn't always enough to get what she wanted.
     She swung her legs over the side of her bed and dragged herself over to the Stone.  She slowly reached for it with her right palm and hesitantly slid it under the jewel.  It lifelessly fell into her hand and sparkled.  Sighing, she returned to her bed and sat with her legs pulled up against her chin.  Her grasp on the Stone tightened as she stared at the wall in front of her.
     The large wooden door on the opposite side of the room slightly unsealed itself, startling her. She felt an ominous presence, and shuddered once she spotted Vilkas peeking into the room before pushing the door completely open.  He stood in the doorway as if waiting for a reaction before discussing business.
     And he got one.
     "You know, you can knock," she forced through clenched teeth.  She hissed at him like a vile frostbite spider, and her words acted like venom, paralyzing him.  He could feel himself freeze in place.  His mind was engulfed by the breakdown he had just moments ago, and he tried his hardest to shake it off for now.
     "Look, there's something for you.  From the courier."  He walked toward her (quite nervously) and revealed a folded letter that he held between quivering fingers.
     Tentative at first, Allura leisurely wrapped her fingers around the letter and slid it out of his grasp.  "Thank you," she murmured.  Her thumb glided across the page as she unraveled it.  It read:
     Allura, this is an urgent matter.  Business at the Guild requires your attention, and fast.  More details will be explained in person.  Please come as soon as you are able to.
- Vex
     Her brows furrowed in bafflement.  "What would they want with me?" she wondered aloud.
     Hopping off the bed, she folded the letter and rested it on the dresser alongside the Stone's case, where she dropped the Stone to free her hand.  She scurried for her beloved enchanted daedric armor that she wore whenever she went on any expedition.  She hastily tore through her wardrobe until she found her full set.
     Vilkas stood there, his heart racing. He twiddled his thumbs and leaned against the wall, in an attempt to distract himself. He certainly could have left Allura to do her business, and he wanted to, but a strange element about her was very compelling, and forced him to stay.
"Are you all right?" Allura turned to face him as she carried her daedric helmet to her bed. Setting it down with the rest of her armor, her eyes linked with his.  She found a hopeful yet shy gleam lurking in his eyes.
     "Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"I said yes, now, didn't I?" he snapped, his eyes still locked on hers.  Her back tensed up and her limbs locked in place; she began to feel trapped.  The bright gleam she once saw quickly turned to one of anger.  Those eyes of his were so sharp that she felt they'd pierce her heart any second.  She turned red in the face unwillingly, and cursed under her breath before returning to her wardrobe.
He regretted what he had done, as he realized that she must have somewhat cared for him; otherwise, she would have never asked in the first place. His eyes began to water, but he stood his ground. He would not let himself fall apart in front of her.  He thought that surely the Divines would punish him for this, if not himself.
     Allura then felt his inner flame grow.  It flickered with an intensity that matched that of the Sun's. She felt she'd get burned if she strayed too close to him, and took his sudden outburst as a warning.  A lump formed in her throat.
     "You m-might want to leave now," she apprised him with a cracked voice, and without turning to face him.  She reluctantly began to slip off her nightgown, and he flinched. Not at her, but at her words. It was the first time in their months of knowing each other he had ever heard her stutter. All he could feel in that moment was absolute guilt.
     "I...understand."  And with that, he left her room and closed the door behind him.