Chapter Fourteen

Casavir

As much as he tried he couldn't erase the thoughts he had of her day in and day out. You know that you truly love someone when you can't abhor them for breaking your heart. He hoped he would be able to move on with his life, but the further he moved south, the more he heard strange stories about the captive Dragonborn. By the Gods what had he done by leaving her side? He searched for days, days turned into weeks. Finally, after a month and a half, he heard some useful information about a man named Thorn and Falkreath. Breanna had a hold in Falkreath; she was the Thane there, he decided to visit her land, perhaps her steward would know something.

There was quite the commotion over at the next hold Pinewatch when it came into view, his eyes locked onto her, the woman who came to him in his dreams. The woman he loved, she sat on a log staring at the ground wrapped in a cloak. He dismounted in shock and he ran to her. He found she was half starved, deep purple bruises all over her body, from what he could see. Rope burns in her flesh, and she was mumbling words he couldn't understand. He laid hands on her to heal her, to understand what was wrong so that he could help. As his magic seeped into her she screamed and cowered away from him, at the moment his magic had touched her he felt the horror she went through and she was trapped in her mind. His heart broke into a million pieces as a Forsworn warrior pulled him back.

Casavir looked around, his eyes found their target, Bishop. He strode over fist clenched and punched him right in the face. Bishop let Casavir beat him, he didn't blame him, hells he blamed himself as well.

"I told you to protect her!" Casavir yelled on his second punch to Bishop's jaw. "What have you done?!" he accused, knocking Bishop to the ground with a third punch. It was no use continuing since he wasn't even fighting back, that pissed Casavir off even more.

"What happened to her and who are you?" Casavir asked the Forsworn warrior since Bishop was busy being a fucking mute as he pointing to Breanna then to Cael, anger still in his tone.

"I am Cael, Breanna came into my care before she was taken with several of my village's women. In the process of tracking the kidnapped women I ran into the Dark One who was able to locate where the women were taken." He explained.

,

"How did she come into your care Forsworn?" Casavir interrogated shaking his fist, now that the anger was dissipating he could feel the pain in his fist.

"It is a tale of cleverness and beauty, she was full of pain and sorrow locked away in her wolf. I suspected she was running and hiding from someone" Cael divulged, looking towards Bishop.

"I made plenty of mistakes on my part, but the one I regret the most was not killing that bastard Thorn the first time around. I deserved the beating you gave me, hell I'd do it myself but it would look ridiculous." Bishop mused, spitting blood from his mouth.

"What happened here?" Casavir asked, but he was afraid he already knew. He felt the horror and sickness that was fresh in her mind. He closed his eyes and prayed silently to his god.

"Thorn was a slave trader, dealing mostly in trading women for sexual pleasure. Accept there is nothing pleasurable about him" Bishop admitted, licking the split on his lip.

"How long?" Casavir asked through gritted teeth and clenched his fist, but he felt he knew the answer to that as well.

"At least a month," Cael admitted.

"And your clan? Why are you not with them?" Casavir asked Forsworn.

"My people are on their way back to our village," Cael answered.

"And why are you not returning with them?" Casavir continued, he had been away for quite some time and needed answers.

"It is true I have a duty to my people, but I also have a duty to my mate" Cael challenged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Your mate?" Bishop scoffed.

"Yes, Dark One. My mate. She came to me with a broken wing and I alone held and loved her, I helped my Sparrow soar in the skies once more. Before she was captured by the man you exposed her to and I will help her fly again once more. She is lost now but she will rise above the ashes a phoenix, beautiful and strong." Cael exclaimed.

"And how, pray tell, do you expect to do that?!" Bishop argued taking a swig from a bottle of mead then cursing as the liquid touched the open wound on his lip.

Casavir

"It's because we are men, no matter how gentle we were with her, we are men, we need a woman, Sapphire!" Casavir exclaimed remembering what Breanna had told him a long time ago. He mounted his horse and rode to Riften as fast as he was able to.

He didn't know the secret entrance she used but he knew you could get there through the ratway. After running into several criminals which he dispatched he finally found The Ragged Flagon. Casavir ran his fingers through his hair, what was he doing? He stuck out like a sore thumb. A lamb in a den of wolves, but this lamb was a lion in disguise.

"Vekel doesn't like strangers snooping around the Flagon." A burly looking man said blocking his path to the bar.

"I need to speak with Brynjolf, you can either go fetch him or you can get out of my way!" Casavir challenged.

"Alright, but stay out of trouble, or there's gonna be trouble." Dirge commented stepping aside.

"What does a 'yes man', doing down here looking for Brynjolf?" Another man asked from one of the tables.

"Do you people know who your Guildmaster is?" Casavir asked anger boiling just under the surface.

"Aye, the saucy red haired vixen" Delvin said, taking a swig from his mug.

"For a band of thieves you are sorely lacking in the information department. Heard any rumors lately about her?" Casavir spat, slamming his fist on the table to get his attention.

"We are privy to all sorts of information, whether any of it is true or not, well that's another story." Delvin continued, Casavir was about to wring his neck when Brynjolf showed up.

"What's the meaning of this?" Brynjolf asked.

"I need to speak with you in private about Breanna," Casavir urged. Brynjolf narrowed his eyes and motioned for him to follow into one of the back rooms.

"I've heard whispers of her being captured, are they true?" Brynjolf asked.

"Yes, she is safe now but she's not well. I was hoping Sapphire would be able to help her." Casavir inquired.

"Sapphire? Shadows preserve us! No!" Brynjolf exclaimed realizing the significance of why he was asking for Sapphire's help. "I'll go fetch her and explain the situation, wait here," Brynjolf continued rushing off to collect her.

Casavir returned with Sapphire who helped Breanna to her hold at Lakeview Manor and shut her in one of the rooms. She would see no one, only Sapphire.

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"She's been in there for days and will only see Saphire. It's like we are waiting for a baby to arrive," Casavir noted sitting down on a nearby bench. Bishop stalked over rage burning in his eyes and roared at Casavir and began to throw punches at his chiseled righteous jaw.

"Easy, Dark one! He didn't know" Cael cautioned, pulling Bishop away from Casavir.

"Wait, What?! By the Nine, she's…" Casavir stammered holding a cloth up to the cut on his cheek.

"No, Knight, she lost the child. I fear that is why it is taking her so long to recover," Cael confessed and Bishop jerked away from his grasp and went to the other side of the room. Slamming his fist into the wall before walking out of the house. Casavir followed after him calling him to a halt, which he refused and continued until Bishop was completely surrounded by the forest.

"Bishop! I had no idea! I'm sorry." Casavir apologized. "I have no idea what happens between you. How did she come to be in the care of the Forsworn? He asked.

"I went along with Thorns assumption that I was going to betray her and hand her over to him but I had no intention to. It was a ruse. She took out two men and made an escape. Thorn went after her and I followed. Thorn is as much a tracker as I am but you know Breanna she's a guild master thief and she can hide in shadows. If she doesn't want to be found you won't be finding her. I was surprised to finally pick up the tiny scrap of information when her wolf showed up in the Reach." Bishop explained.

"She's a clever lass that's for sure, had I'd known she was in the company of idiots I might have joined her sooner but someone has to run the guild since she's out most of the time." Brynjolf said leaning against the tree.

"What the fuck do you want?" Bishop cursed at him. "You want to throw a punch at me as well?"

"No, you're doing an excellent job of beating yourself up already." He said moving away from the tree and stepping out into the clearing with them. "How is she doing?"

"The same. She refuses to see any of us, only Saphire." Casiver said in a low tone. He had come to know that Breanna in fact had many lovers and they all in turn loved her. He wondered if she would ever just choose one of them or would she forever have a circle of men to call on. Strangely he was alright with this. He wouldn't mind serving her in whatever form she needed serving. She was after all one of a kind and seeing as how she tends to slip to the shadows she was going to need someone to advise her on more noble adventures.

"I'll have the guild keep their ears to the ground, any information about this Nord Thorn comes to me, I'll pass on. We of course look after our own." Brynjolf says

"Thanks, Brynjolf." Bishop says reaching his arm out to him.

"This Thorn doesn't know he's pissed off the wrong people. Cause there will be darkness to pay." Brynjolf said grasping Bishop's forearm. "I'm sorry for your loss." He said with sympathy. Bishop could only nod a thanks before releasing his grip. Brynjolf nodded to Casavir before he headed off.

Cael joined them as Brynjolf left. "Do we have news?" He asked.

"Nothing yet." Casavir replied.

"Bishop, you are acquainted with this man, where would he go? What would he do?" Cael asked.

"He'd fall back to a secondary location and regroup, but attack fairly quickly since it's something that you wouldn't think to do. He's somehow he got it in his mind that Breanna is his and he will do anything to get her back. We'll need to protect her as well as try and quickly find his secondary hideout." Bishop said thoughtfully.

"I suggest you and Cael try and scout out the other hideout and I will remain here. I'm not much of a scouter and my armor makes it hard to move through the forest without being heard." Casavir suggested.

"Who the fuck put you in charge!" Bishop exclaimed.

"If we want to eliminate the threat to Breanna then we must work together, Dark One. The knights suggestion makes sense. You and I can move much more swiftly through the forest then he can." Cael said, supporting Casavirs suggestion.

"Sure take his side, you skirt wearing pansy." Bishop said insulting Cael.

"This is actually called a Kilt, lets go look for this Thorn…" Cael responded unfazed by his crassness. It seemed to be his way, he projected his anger. Cael was angry too, angry and grief stricken but he had the discipline to hide it well. Unlike his comrade.

Bishop

He wasn't happy about leaving Breanna, he still needed to clear things up between them. Deep down he felt she might spirit off again never to be found. But first he needed to kill that low life Thorn. It enraged him that he was paired with the Forsworn but he at least had to admit Cael was a good tracker and fast specially when on his elk Yakul and he spent quite some time chatting with Karnwyr.

Traitor, he thought.

"Thorn is moon born so watch your back." Bishop warned Cael.

"I thought as much, not many would have been able to sneak up on her without some sort of extra power. You think Hercine is involved?" Cael questioned out loud.

"Fucking Deadra!" He's cursed. "Uncertain she did fuck up his hunt but it's not clear if he was upset or pleased by how it unfolded. Being the bloodborn that she is you think she would have his favour." Bishop chimes in.

"There is a ruin up ahead let's take a quick rest." Cael suggested.

"No! Not here." Bishop said with steel in his voice. This was the ruins he had shared with her that stormy night. He didn't want to relive those moment just yet. Suddenly a hooded figure with a bow steps out.

"You Bishop and Cael?" He asked, his bow lowered.

"Depends, who's asking?" Bishop growled already annoyed.

"I'm Rune from the thieves guild. The man your looking for is up at Knifepoint Ridge. I'd tell you to be careful that the place is crawling with Bandits but you both have the look of death in your eyes so good luck." Rune said and left.

"Guess being part of a guild has its perks." Bishop says moving passed the runes.

"The guild is like her family. Speaking of which, Dandi you can stop following us in the shadows." Cael said and Bishop turned quickly aiming his bow. Dandi stepped out from behind a tree, her hair was in braids and she wore the similar coloured pattern that Cael wore symbolizing they where from the same clan.

"Lower your bow Dark One, I'd hate to explain to Breanna that you killed her sister in law." Cael said with a bit of a smirk.

"I hope your useful cause I'm not going to save your ass if you get into trouble." Bishop said turning and walking away.

"Do I even want to know what his problem is?" Dandi asked petting Yakul.

"It's complicated." Cael said offering his arm to his sister so she could join him on Yakul's back. "I asked you to return home with our people." He scolded her as he nudged the elk forward.

"I did but I also have a score to settle brother and I have every right to settle it." She defended herself.

"Aye, you do." He said looking ahead.