Apathetic (Project Nemesis)

{2}

Middas, 1st day of Sun's Dusk, 4E 200
...

Freezing air bit his skin, forcing him to open his heavy eyelids in search of warmth. He jousts himself into sitting position, eyes adapting to the dim light. The thief found himself in a small tent, no bigger than two people at a time. A small blazing stone sat in the middle, radiating heat like a damned atronach, yet no fire were lit on the stone. Astonished, he tries to touch the stone. It felt like any normal stone. Cold. Now he is truly sure he had come to a different realm.

"Morning. Mind getting out of there?" Her cold tone snaps him out from his train of thoughts, which were crashing together with no plausible explanation five seconds ago. Still dizzy from the long sleep, he stood and exits the tent. Hoping for fresh and warm weather, freezing air slaps him out of haze instead. The entrance to the cave they camped in is nearly blocked by snow and ice.

"We're in Winterhold. Not the city, of course." She answered his confused stare, pulling some ingredients from the tent. She seems unbothered by the bitter cold. Enjoyed it, almost. Passing the camp with zero attention to the shivering nord.

"Where's Delvin? And Mercer? The other thieves?" Fear crawled into him. No, he already lost her. He can't lost the Guild too.

"The horse can't carry two unconscious people at a time and I didn't bother to try. Be grateful that I saved your life." Frowning, she starts to ground some alchemy ingredients next to the stone. Brynjolf sensed that this is the end of their short conversation.

He inhaled some frosty air and went back inside the tent, sitting near the entrance to be warmed enough by the strange stone. Warm and cozy, he let his mind work again. Not going to lie, he is losing his mind right now. Mostly about his friends back at Riften. Vex, Delvin, Tonilia, and many others!

The woman continued pacing around the cave to collect items. Absorbed in her work, she nearly tripped over rocks and stones for multiple times.

"Alright lass. I might be a bit crazy right now. So please sit down and tell me what's going on."

"No. We need to get your strength back and continue to Markarth as fast as we can. I found som-"

Tired from the cold and seeing her moving tirelessly like an ice wolf, he grabbed her gloved hand as she passed their tent. In result, she paused in her tracks, eyes staring to her warm hand.

"Let. Go." The harshness as she jerked her hand away startled him. Brynjolf sighed, rubbing his face vigorously.

"Lass, I'm a human. I don't care if you're werewolf or a vampire with that cold resistance, but I'm a human. So come in, and talk with me. I'm not going anywhere with you until I have my answers." And thats final. He slapped himself mentally, for sounding like a mother. He had no idea what is she capable of and he straight out told her what to do.

She squints, threw her alchemy bag next to the entrance and sat in the tent. With his gigantic nordic self taking up 75% of the place, there's almost no place for her. But with her lithe build and small body, the tent is barely enough for the two of them.

"You have 10 questions at most. The sun is rising and I'm very tired. I won't answer any more questions if the 10 is gone." She rubs her touched hand. Part of him are wondering what's beneath that mask and why she hid it completely. There's that urge to do something when you're not supposed to do it, and it annoys him so much. He would have stared at her face for another era if she were oblivious of it.

"Nirn to Second. Hello?" Slender fingers flicked his forehead to drag his soul back to the mortal cocoon called body. He blinked and smiled, apologized briefly.