Wanderer

Chapter Twenty-Four

~~~~~~~Asdis P.O.V.~~~~~~~
I had practically sprinted the entire way to my destination. Granted, it was not too terribly far, but it would have taken much less time and energy if I had ridden a horse. By the time I arrived at the mouth of a cave, secluded within a small mountain range, I was physically exhausted. It would be silly of me to say I was mentally exhausted too because I have been for months.

I crept into the cave, unsure if there were any traps or spells ready to blow me to bits. It was damp and dim, but I couldn't risk a flame that might give me away. Small voices directed me in the correct direction, and I hoped they were the voices I was looking for. As I neared the voices, a glimmer of hope burst through my heart as I recognized them.

"Shh, Silva, it's alright. He's gone now."

"I want to go home."

My heart broke as Silva wept into her brother, terror evident in her voice. I scanned a large cavern, only a table with some food and what seemed like to be a holding cell. Something moved inside, and I lost all sense and sprinted to the cell.

Inside, Lancion huddled in the far corner, Silva clinging to his chest as wet tears streamed her face.

"Oh my babies." I whispered, a small sob escaping my lips as they noticed me. Silva leapt from her brother's arms into mine that were outstretched between the bars. I ran a hand over her matted hair, kissing the crown of her head. "I'm here, baby. I'm here."

Lancion wrapped his long arms over Silva and me, joining our embrace. I kissed his cheeks, brushing the hair from his eyes. "I found you." I half sobbed.

I broke the embrace and began to fiddle with the lock, hoping to be able to pick it and get them out of there. After a few tries, the lock finally came loose and I practically tore the door off as Lancion and Silva rushed through to give me a proper hug.

I felt my bones ache and my muscles throb as I embraced them. I realized how tired I was, and did everything in my power to stay upright.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." I said, picking Silva up and handing her to Lancion. "Falkreath isn't far. It's Stormcloak territory now so it should be safe." I explained, leading them out of the cave.

We met the mouth of the cave and sunlight hit our faces. Lancion smiled, setting Silva down.

"The sun. I forgot it was warm." He said, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Lancion, I'm sorry. None of this would have happened if I had just stayed home. I-"

"Enough, Asdis. Asking you not to save the world is like asking birds not to fly." He said, offering a small smile my direction.

I returned his smile and gave him a short hug. "Come on, let's get going." I said, leading him towards the entrance.

As we walked out, an unsettling feeling pitted my stomach. This was too easy, especially for Ivan. I glanced around the small knoll, taking note that there was no wind and the birds were silent.

Something was wrong.

A scream made me snap my head away from the mouth of the cave. Lancion and Silva were suspended high between two trees, caught in a net. My heart pounded as I looked around for a rope to cut them down.

"I'll admit, I was impressed with how quiet you were. You've improved your skills, Asdis."

I whipped around, fear striking my heart. My drawn sword lowered as I took in Ivan's appearance. He wore plainclothes, his silver hair was trimmed short, and presented no weapons. Regardless of his seemingly innocent facade, I knew he was more dangerous than he was letting on.

I did not respond, but looked out of the corner of my eyes for something to let Lancion and Silva free.

"Come now, darling. The children and I were just getting to know each other." He said snakily, approaching me with a relaxed stride. I gripped my sword, trying to steady my shaking hands. His emerald eyes danced with malice as they pinned me to my spot. I took a step back, barely noticing a rope tied to a nearby tree.

"Why are you so hesitant? Didn't you miss me, pet?"

I shot a glower in his direction, "Don't. Call. Me. That."

With a mighty swing from my sword I cut the rope, successfully freeing Lancion and Silva from the suspended net. They landed gracelessly next to me. I heaved Lancion up and shoved my sword into his hands.

"Travel Southwest, you'll find Ulfric in Falkreath. Keep Silva safe." I said, launching the girl into his arms. "Go!"

Lancion didn't look back, but sprinted towards Falkreath, his sister clutching his shoulders as he ran. I broke out into a run the opposite direction. I knew Ivan didn't want them, but I wanted to make sure there was as much distance between him and them as possible.

I leapt between trees, my heart pounding in my ears as Ian chased me through the thick forest. A small part of me knew it was futile to run, he would catch me eventually. But I was dead set on escaping him and keeping my children safe. As I sprinted through the woods, a sense of hope filled my stomach as I noticed a small cottage not far. However, I lost my footing and tripped over a root. Before I could recover from my fall, I was being dragged back into the wood with no one to help.