What Happens In Solstheim

Chapter 14

Everything was sore, ether throbbing or aching as she attempted even the smallest movements. Farah frowned and pried open her eyes, blinking several times to focus before looking at her surroundings.

She was in a small room, just big enough to fit in a bed and a dresser. There was a room on her right where she could make out the flames of a fire dancing in a pit. Two figures were seated around it, a woman and a man. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.

Wait.

That's her man.

"Tel...Teldryn?" She winced at her own voice, weak and hoarse.

The Dunmer's head jerked up to her and in a blink of an eye he was at the side of the bed, "Hey there."

"Where am I?"

He flashed her comforting smile, "You're back in the village. We're in the shaman's hut." He noticed her relaxing when hearing where she was, "You're safe, Red. You're back."

"Help me up, please." She held her breath as he carefully helped her sit up. Everything hurt. Farah looked down at herself, seeing that she was wearing only her underwear with several bandaged wrapped around her. Her back and torso felt sticky here and there, a sign that someone had applied a health potion to her wounds.

"Easy now." Teldryn kept his hand on her shoulder to prevent her from standing up, "I'm not even going to start by telling you how many injuries you have."

Feeling it, she thought.

The Dunmer grabbed a pile of warm, soft clothes from the dresser and helped her dress, first inserting her legs into the trousers and helping her pull it up to her hips and then slipping the cotton shirt over her head. Once she was dressed, he knelt in front of her and brushed the hair out her face. Next thing Farah knew, he was braiding her ginger locks to the side expertly.

"There." He smiled, "Now I can look into your eyes again."

It took a moment or two, but the Dragonborn surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck, holding her close to her in the most desperate hug he ever experienced. Her warm breath fanned against his neck and he nearly melted against her warm touch.

"And this?" He asked.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." She answered and tangled her fingers in his streak of raven hair, "There was a moment that I almost thought that I wasn't going to make it out alive."

His body shivered just thinking about it, "But you did make it out alive, Red."

"Only because Miraak threatened to kill you." She mentioned, "The mere thought of you alone gave me the strength to push on."

He didn't know what to say to that. Teldryn could only stroke his thumb over her cheeks and tilted her head up, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. It was brief though, for Frea decided that it was the right moment to welcome the Dragonborn back herself.

She cleared her throat, getting both the lovers' attention, "I apologize if I'm interrupting anything."

"Not at all." Teldryn told her and gave Farah a look that said 'we'll continue this later'.

Frea awkwardly sat next to Farah on the bed, folding her hands in her lap before speaking, "I also apologize for how harsh I had been to you. I was blind with hate towards Hermaeus Mora for killing my father, that I took it out on you. Please forgive me."

Farah sent her a smile, "I was never mad. I, too, have lost someone in the past. My sister, to be honest. I know the pain of having a piece of yourself ripped away with the death of the one you love."