Rona's Story: An Epic Skyrim Romance

Chapter 75 Sky Haven Temple

Bishop stood at the edge of the ridge by the cave and whistled sharply out towards the path they'd first crossed. In minutes Karnwyr came racing up the dirt road and skittered around some very startled forsworn all the way up the hill to them and threw his front paws onto Bishop's chest. He smiled, scratching the wolf and then pushed him off. His eyes traveled back to Cael and his hateful glower returned.

Rona ignored him though as she watched a slow procession of people carrying the wounded into the cave in front of them. Cael led the way inside, motioning for them to follow. They went in and found a spacious cavern with an upraised wooden landing built into it. There were women, children and plenty of warriors sitting by and laying on old bedrolls as two shamans worked on healing the wounded, focusing their attention to those in the worst shape.

While most of the women and children were only scratched up and bruised there were plenty of warriors with severe burns, terrible frostbite and deep gashes on their bodies, a few were still bleeding heavily as the healthy among them did their best to apply salves and provide potions until the shamans could get to them.

As they walked up the stairs and stepped around all the distraught people, Rona stopped in front of a pair of small children and a woman who were seated beside a man who was covered in burns. Half his face had been scorched and his eye was essentially sealed shut as the skin had literally melted together.

Rona found herself kneeling beside the family, and asked, "May I heal him?"

She wasn't sure how these people felt about magic, although she did see the shamans using some kind of healing magic, it wasn't quite the same as what she'd learned in restoration school.

The woman, who had tears in her eyes nodded quickly and Rona pressed her healing hands to the man's body, doing the best she could to mend him. She did not have the power to heal dragon's fire, only to heal dragon's frost. She could not remove the terrible magic the dragon had shouted over the man. The two small children were crying and calling out for their father. As her healing magic swept over him he took a deep breath of relief and the woman, she assumed must have been his wife, caressed his cheek and looked on at him lovingly.

Rona cast a grand healing over them all, mending the small scrapes and cuts on her and her children.

"Velvyn," her father urged, "We must go..."

She looked back at him, forlorn and said, "We should stay and heal them."

"There's no time," Delphine insisted.

Rona relented and got up, moving along with them. Anu led the way ahead while Rona fell back behind the others though she noticed Bishop was lagging the furthest behind all of them with Karnwyr, staying alert and keeping his angry gaze steadily on the forsworn Chief.

Cael came up walking alongside her then and smiled down at her. "That was kind what you did for them. To offer your healing hands to us... I feel very fortunate to meet an outsider that has such a gentle heart."

Rona blushed again and turned her head away and she mumbled, "Please, don't think anything of it." He seemed pleased to be making her blush so fiercely again. She tried to change the subject, steer it away from his flirting and asked, "Why does it seem so odd for someone to want to help you all?"

He raised a brow at her and asked, "You do not find it odd?"

"Should I?"

His smile widened and he asked, "Do you know who we are?"

She averted her eyes and rubbed her forearm, "I'd never heard of the forsworn until today."

He laughed lightly, "I see. So it is ignorance that lends your kindness to us." She frowned at him but his smile only widened further as he said, "Forgive my impertinence, Rona, but I never thought to meet someone so open-minded in Skyrim. I do not mean to say that you are ignorant, only that your view of us has not been stained by those who would rather see us dead - like your scowling companion there," he motioned his head back to Bishop who was still staring fiercely at the back of Cael's head with his arms crossed. Cael's mention of him only deepened his glare even further.