Chapter Fifteen

Cael sent Yakul off as they neared the camp. It was packed with members. "Maybe we should wait for the cover of darkness before we attack." Cael suggested, checking his gear.

"What, kill them in their sleep?" Bishop asked venom in his voice.

"That's not a bad idea, could get to Thorn faster. If his men are dead in their beds." Cael said.

"Fucking amateurs." Dandi said and walked past them adjusting her clothing so that the round curve of the top of her breast lifted out of her top. "Wait here…" She commanded and walked right up to the gate the bandits cheered and let her in without a fuss.

"Guess we can't beat a pair of tits." Bishop said with a chuckle.

"Watch it Dark One." Cael warned.

Several hours later Dandi motioned for them to enter the camp. All the bandits in the yard were sprawled out all over the place.

"Dandi what in God's name did you do?" Cael asked.

"I put a sleeping potion in there ale, come on, let's find Thorn. The men say he's inside planning his next move." She said leading them to the crumbling castle building.

"The only thing he's gonna be doing is choking on his blood" Bishop said, opening the door and checking out the first room. It was empty.

"It's a mine." Cael said, examining the area.

"Are you well versed in mining?" Bishop asked.

"No but our people fight over lands for their mines. I'm well aware of what mines mean and what men are capable of doing for them. We need to find who we are looking for and get out of here before those men wake up or more return from hunting or a patrol." Cael said the experience in his voice. Bishop nodded.

The group moved deeper into the cavern then paused when they heard movement.

"Come on out. I can smell your stench when you enter." Thorn said, standing up from a chair. Bishop didn't take a second invitation pulling out his bow and notching an arrow in it he steps out to see Thorn and loses it and several more in his direction. Thorn dodges a few but one hits him in the shoulder.

"I thought you had better aim then that Ranger, you certainly do in bed." Thorn goads, snapping the arrow off.

"I'm going to kill you for what you did." Bishop growls and charges Thorn pulling out his knife. Thorn was unarmed but his eyes brought on the change and he swiped at Bishop with his Lycan claws.

Cael notched his bow and loosed a few arrows at Thorn but then abandoned it out of concern for hitting Bishop. Dandi moved in and cast a few minor spells before her mana depleted to try and distract him. Thorn growled and was unfazed by the female, he knew Bishop was quite deadly with his knife. However he was uncertain of the skills of the forsworn chieftain. He swiped at Bishop, making him take a step back, then turned on Dandi raking his claws over her shoulder.

"Hagravens teeth, his claws are sharp, and he's faster than he looks." She said stumbling back to tend to her wound. Cael moved in to square off with him like Bishop, his war axe in hand. Thorn snapped at Cael to back off but he didn't finch.

He raised his axe taking several steps into Thorns space and swung down. The blade made a 'thunk' sound as it impacted Thorns arm. Thorn grabbed the axe and Cael and threw him across the room. With Thorns distraction Bishop stuck his knife into his abdomen and twisted, Thorn roared and tried to swing Bishop away but he grabbed a fist full of Thorns fur and with his knife he pulled it out and stabbed him several more times in the gut in quick rapid movements. Thorn punches him in the face once then pulls back to punch him again before Cael grabs his arm. Thorn throws himself into the wall to try and shake the two men.

Between them and the loss of blood Thorn howled and Bishop kept stabbing, moving his knife up to the chest where he was finally able to push his knife between the ribs piercing his lung. Thorn weakened and slowly the wolf left him the bloody mess of a man.

"She carries my seed now. The seed of two wolves and a dragon." Thorn says with a laugh. Cael punches him and Thorn continues to laugh and then coughs

blood.

"What you did is unforgivable even from the Gods and the Deadra. You think Hircine will praise you for your disgracious acts on his chosen champion, a blood-born?" Cael said.

Thorn gave a twisted smile. "Hircine favors the hunt, I hunted and claimed my prize, I'll get to taste my prize again on the hunting grounds."

"You'd have to go through us.." Two Nord Companions said in unions wiping blood from their great swords.

"If Breanna is going to the Hunting grounds will follow and hunt you alongside her for all of eternity, over and over again. " Vilkas said with his own twisted grin the wolf in him rising to the surface. Thorn had an irritated look on his face.

"If you were stalling for more men to show up, we took care of them. It's just you and us, Lad" Brynjolf said slipping his dagger back into his boot coming up behind the twins.

"Let's finish this so we can get out of this dump." Dandi said nursing her shoulder. Farkas offers Bishop his great sword to take his head but he declines it, shaking his head then burying his knife in Thorn's neck killing him.

None of them said a word on the road back to Lakeview Manor. Dandi took her leave back to the Reach after Cael had seen to her wound. As they rounded the bend and the manor came into view.

"Don't you all have someplace to be?" Bishop said annoyed. Cael patted Bishop on the shoulder and smiled. "Don't mind this one he is not used to being part of anything. Enjoy the company of your brothers, Dark One." Bishop's jaw flexed. Brothers, he thought. He was used to relying on no one but himself and his wolf Karnwyr. These men were here for Breanna all connected for her. Hell he wasn't denying she was special. Of course she had other lovers. He knew that, but it wasn't something he was fond of thinking. He was a lone wolf and wanted his mate to be as well. Guess he had some choices to make, but first he needed to make things right between them.

Breanna

In her lonely haze she found herself sitting out back watching the sunrise over the mountains as it reflected on the water. She thought of its beauty, it's the first thing she thought was beautiful in a long while.

"Princess?" Bishop inquired about joining me in my general area. Of course, he would be up. I was finally able to function a bit normally around men.

"Did you kill him?" I asked, still continuing to watch the sun.

"I did." He replied simply.

"How?" I inquired, wanting to know more.

"It was too quick…." He broke off. Thinking of the baby.

"I wanted his death to last for days, and the killing blow would have been waiting for you to deliver." Bishop continued pain dripped from his words, my eyes examined him, his jaw was clenched and his hand balled into fists. A tear slipped from my eye and a sob escaped my lips, I could feel the waves of emotions slip from him. He made a move towards me, his presence and his mind pushed at me and I flinched and flung my hands up, he froze and pulled back. A look of horror in his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" I stammered, I could see the pain and sorrow in his golden honey eyes.

"Hey now, there is no need to apologize. It's not your fault, when you're ready you can come to me" he interjected, changing his tone and gave me a small smile.

"Will you do something, something only you can do, Bishop?" I asked, looking up at him.

"You name it, Princess. Anything for you," he vowed, kneeling where he stood to get down to my level.

"Will you find a small urn at the back of Pinewatch? Will you find it and bring it here? I want it on my land to be remembered and not forgotten." I requested pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging them.

"Of course Breanna," Bishop said, lowering his head, then turned to leave.

"Bishop…" I called out over my shoulder at him. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Thorn told me the truth." I apologized. He nodded his head.

"I don't blame you, Darling. Rest and recover. I will be here for you" He confessed.

"You know, I will meet him again," I sobbed and covered my mouth with my hand.

"Who, Princess?" He inquired.

"Thorn… He was a werewolf. I will meet him on the hunting grounds where not even Hircine will stop me in hunting him down and make him pay for everything he did to me, over and over again" I vowed. My eyes glowed with the power of change as I slammed my fist down on the log breaking shards of it.

"I have no doubt that you will Princess, no doubt at all. Your two pups said the same as well." He agreed then turned to leave.

"Wait, Vilkas and Farkas? When did they say that?" Breanna inquired.

"They followed behind to make sure we weren't ambushed. Brynjolf too. Said they would follow you to the hunting grounds to help hunt him for all eternity." Bishop explained looking over his shoulder and saw her give a faint smile then a frown before he left.

It pleased her that they would follow her to the hunting grounds but worried her that they would give up Sovngarde for her. She didn't want them to lead their own path and not damn their decision on her.

She was returning to her room when she rounded the corner and ran into the comforting arms of Cael. She froze, he froze. She looked up at him, his cool blue eyes looked down at her. A memory of a moonless night of tenderness. He has always been so very gentle with her, his smell was so inviting. She embraced him, something she didn't think that she would be able to do for some time. She was already in his arms and she didn't feel threatened, he kept his arms at her side and did not encompass her.

"Beautiful Sparrow, I have missed you greatly. I am glad you have returned to my embrace" he whispered, against the top of her head then placing a light kiss on her forehead. She went to speak but the words caught in her throat and she just began to sob uncontrollably. Cael finally moved to embrace her when her knees gave out, he held her to his chest and lifted her in his arms. She weighed nothing since being half starved and he carried her up the steps of the porch and back into the bedroom. He laid her on the bed but she still continued to cling to him needing his calming spirit. He settled in next to her and she cried herself to sleep.

Cael

Sapphire had told him that she had taken some air. The last time he had seen her she was a broken mess. He partly blamed himself for not watching over her with better care, he knew that the Dark One hunted her but he was unaware that something even darker was lurking in the shadows for her. He grieved for her as much as he did for her unborn child he had planned to raise as his own. Cael wanted no, needed to see her make sure with his own eyes she was well and recovering. He was about to walk around the corner when her bright red hair flashed before him and her bony frame crashed into him.

Breanna

She woke to the familiar male scent of Cael, he had called her beautiful and held her while she cried herself to sleep. Beautiful? She was a sack of bones and bruises. She was lucky she had the strength of the wolf in her bones or 'he' would have broken them. She threw her feet over the edge of the bed and looked down at her arms. The bruises still married her skin deep purple ones around her wrist where the shackles had dug into her skin. She heard the deep rhythmic breathing of Cael behind her on the bed. He had shushed her as she sobbed and he apologized for not taking better care of her, of not protecting her. She was ready to spend her life with him, he was overjoyed at the prospect of being a father, even though the child wasn't his. He mourned just as much as she did. She crossed over to the other side of the bed he was sleeping on and lightly caressed his face. So young but so full of responsibility. He chose to stay for her. A tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

She walked the length of the room and gazed out the window. At first she looked at my reflection, one side of her face was deep shades of purple, the swelling had gone down and she was finally able to see out of that eye. Cuts and scrapes as well as a deep purple braided band across her neck. She felt strange, A mixture of feelings that she felt nothing. Finally She looked out the window down below in the yard she saw Bishop hard at work. He wore only his leather pants as he finished digging a small hole and gathering a small urn and placed it in the small hole and began to cover it with dirt, his whole body started to shake with rage or grief she knew not. He beat his fist into the ground next to the grave, she could feel his heart ache with pain like hers did. Her body reacted before she could fathom what she was doing. She was outside and in his arms, he needed her in this moment and she needed him. He actually wept something she had never seen him do.

His sorrow slowly turned into something else and he began to kiss her face and as he captured her lips. The cut on his lip scratched at hers and he pressed her against the back of the house. Her eyes went wide and she pushed at him.

"Stop!" She hissed, but he pushed back pressing at her with his hardness. He needed a woman's comfort, her comfort. But she was not yet ready to give it.

"You should do what she says, Dark One," Cael said from the corner of the back of the house. Bishop froze. He looked down and saw the fear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me" he rasped and released her stepping away. She moved to Cael who stepped between them, and they glared at each other for some time.