"It's getting rather late to be traveling."

"So it is."

"You're not worried at all about the dangers of traversing a foreign area at night? We've run into a pack of wolves and a bear so far, there's more than a good chance we'll run into more hostile entities of that kind—or worse."

"We'll deal with that if and when it presents itself as an issue."

"It's also the time of day where most reasonable people stop what they're doing for a meal, too, need I point that out—"

"Oh, you're hungry, then? You've heard of eating on the road, haven't you, thief?"

"Helgír—"

"I still think your actions are foolish, Dragonborn."

"Think what you'd like, I'm going on, and so is Helvia—"

"Helgír."

"Hm?"

"I think we should stop as well. I'm getting tired—"

"You too?" Helgír sighed, finally stopping, "Very well. We'll stop and set up here for the night, then."

I could practically feel Nightbrook's air of smug triumph as he made his way towards Snjall, who'd been temporarily converted into a pack mule. He grabbed his bedroll, snagging mine as well and tossing it to me, to my surprise. I caught it, and he grinned, remarking, "You're getting better at this sort of thing, Helvia."

"I have to be, with you around. Do you ever hand things to people normally?" I teased, putting my things down on the snow-blanketed earth.

Nightbrook just laughed at my comment, the sound almost musical as Helgír rolled his eyes at our antics, throwing his stuff down almost angrily before going off in search of firewood. The cloaked thief then took that time to go through Snjall's saddlebags, clearly looking around for the food. I took this time to get my bearings and take in the area where we'd be camping.

We still had a ways to go, from the looks of it, but it was to be expected, as we'd only arrived at Ivarstead in the evening, and it would be ridiculous to expect to make a lot of progress. Our place for the night wasn't too terrible of a spot to stop either; it might not have been as nice as staying at an inn, but what it lacked in amenities and convenience, it made up for in beauty. Save for our tracks, the snow on the ground was unmarred. The clearing was more than large enough for three people to comfortably stay for the night in, with tall, ancient pines sheltering us from the worst of the winds. There was a mound of stacked stones on one side of the clearing and one of the Dragonborn pillar carvings on the other, giving some distinct character to the area around us. A set of carved steps was not too far away from the pillar, which we would continue to traverse up the mountain when the morning came. The sky was clouded, the light of the stars just barely shining through their smoky cover, dulled but peaceful.

"Pleasant enough night out here, isn't it?" Nightbrook's sudden comment jolted me from my thoughts. "I thought by this time we'd be buried in snow."

I turned to face him. He was sitting comfortably on his still rolled-up bedroll eating a piece of bread quite leisurely, seeming to be enjoying himself. I took a seat on my own, following his lead.

"Yes, it is nice out here..." I replied simply.

There was a small stretch of silence, but it was a comfortable one, almost as if we had known each other for years and were close friends—though, the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous the notion became. I didn't know his actual name, or anything about him. I hadn't even seen his face. At this thought, I simply had to ask him about it.

"We're out of the cities now, you know. Why do you still have your hood up?"

"Aside from practical reasons, like protection from the elements?" He answered the question with a question, continuing, "I'm used to anonymity, and I am content to keep it that way."

"It's hard to trust someone when you don't even have any way of knowing if they're the same person or not."

"I'm sure you can tell by my voice, and my mannerisms."

"Come on. Please?" I sounded childish at this point, but I honestly didn't care.

"I'm afraid I cannot sate your curiosity, Miss Abgrall," Nightbrook said with finality, now looking quite interested in his meal.

I sat there glumly, momentarily thwarted, when a childish, simple, yet new tactic came to mind. I grinned wolfishly. Nightbrook noticed this just as I got up, looking as if he was about to ask me what I was doing when I lunged at him, aiming to pull down his hood.

Unfortunately, Nightbrook moved out of the way at the last second, sending me sprawling over his bedroll as he took off, laughing as my face came into contact with the snow. I let out a noise of frustration and quickly flipped myself upright, standing to face him, ready to dart after him in whichever direction he decided to flee.

"I beat you in our last game of this, do you really think you can best me this time?" Nightbrook challenged, though his tone was light and friendly.

"It's worth a try!"

I charged at him again. Frustratingly, he didn't even really move; he just sidestepped, causing me to miss him yet again by just a fraction of an inch.

The infuriating man was grinning again, goading me on with his smug smile. I wasn't getting anywhere with this. It was time to try a different tactic.

The next time I made a pass at the thief to take off his hood, I intentionally tripped myself, sprawling face-first in the snow. I let out a fake growl of frustration and just lay there. I heard a distant peal of laughter from Nightbrook, and his teasing, "Giving up so easily, are we?"

I heard him walk closer, his movements muffled only slightly by the snow. I grinned to myself. My plan seemed to be working. Waiting until he was just a little bit nearer, I risked a glance up and saw him standing over me. He bent over to offer me a hand, clearly a gentlemanly gesture to help me up. I took it, but not before I knocked his hood off with a triumphant noise. He let out a surprised yelp and disappeared, but not before I caught a glimpse of silvery-blonde hair and wide yellow eyes. Yes, he was definitely a mer.

"Hah! What was that about giving up, eh, Nightbrook?" I called out.

I heard a slightly annoyed sigh in response, causing my already broad smile to grow even larger.

Nightbrook finally reappeared on a low branch on one of the pines, his hood once again covering his features, clearly displeased and somewhat wary of me now. "That was a low way of going about it, but clever," he admitted, adding, "I would ask that you remain content with that glimpse you caught. You won't be getting another look anytime soon."

"... By the Nine, what are you two doing?" I whirled around to face Helgír, his arms filled with firewood and a confused and disapproving look on his face. "And what on Mundus are you doing in a tree, thief?"

"Miss Abgrall can explain that well enough, as she's the reason I'm up here."

"... Know what? I don't even want to know," the Dragonborn sighed, shaking his head. He dropped the firewood down in the center of the campsite, lining it with stones he found on the side of the mountain path before bending down to light it with some flint.

"Not going to set it on fire with your breath? It'd be easier," Nightbrook suggested as he came down from the tree, sounding a little disappointed.

"No, I'm not," Helgír responded simply, managing to create a large enough spark to catch the kindling in the fire. He stepped back, standing clear of the growing flames.

However, Nightbrook was clearly not going to let this subject drop. "Why don't you use your abilities as Dragonborn, Helgír? I'd think—"

"I have my reasons. I suggest you drop the subject," Helgír remarked coldly, ending the conversation to go get food. It was then I realized I hadn't gotten any either, and so I followed suit, claiming a chicken dumpling for myself. I then returned to my seat, consuming it contently.

Finally, Nightbrook broke the silence. "Well, since I'm guessing you're touchy on the subject of your past as well, Dragonborn, I won't ask. Helvia, I must confess, I am rather curious about your background. How is it you came to be traveling with this individual?"

"There's not much to tell," I responded, feeling self-conscious. "I've spent most of my life on a farmstead in High Rock. I began my travels recently, with my initial destination being the College of Winterhold. I had it in my head that I would be able to get there on my own with no problems, but bandits proved that assumption of mine wrong pretty quickly." 

"That's when my path crossed Helgír's," I continued, not daring to risk a glance at the dour-faced dragonborn as I continued, "He's the only reason I'm still alive, frankly. I've learned a lot traveling with him, about what it takes to survive in the wild, as well as about Skyrim and her people. I'm grateful to have met him."

I made no reference to my strange entanglement with the Forsworn. No need to talk about something I still hadn't really figured out myself.

"It is most fortunate you were brought together, then," Nightbrook remarked seriously. He paused for a few seconds, then continued, "Forgive me, but I feel compelled to ask: are you happy with making this diversion? Or have you only come along out of a sense of duty?"

"What are you getting at, thief?" Helgir interjected. I glanced up at him. I was shocked at his expression—not one merely of irritation, but also of concern.

Nightbrook waved a hand at him dismissively, his full attention clearly on me.

"I... I don't know," I sighed, staring into the fire. "It's funny. I thought I had everything planned out nicely when I first set out from home, but so many variables keep changing. I hadn't realized how complicated life can get when you start trying to plan it out yourself."

Nightbrook chuckled. "I have yet to meet anyone who would disagree with you there."

"Anyhow," I continued, "I guess I've also realized that the destination isn't that important to me, anymore. When I left home, I wanted a change of scenery, a chance to learn more about the world, the ability to hone and develop skills of interest to me. For all I know, the College may not even be the best place for me to do that. But here, among friends, traveling somewhere I would never have an excuse—or the means—to visit otherwise... This is more than enough for me."

"Well said, Miss Abgrall. I apologize for putting you on the spot, there."

"Think nothing of it," I assured him, thought I also chose that moment to withdraw a book I'd stashed in my bedroll, effectively signaling I was finished with the conversation.

I wasn't sure what Nightbrook's aims were with his previous line of questioning, but I didn't enjoy being used to provoke Helgír—if that was indeed his intent. The dragonborn had been moodier as of late as well, though. He hadn't struck me as so thin-skinned and defensive when I had first met him. It was obvious his title and innate abilities upset him, but I could not fathom why he was continuing to take such an obstinate, negative position about himself, especially now, as we were making the trip to see the Greybeards. I realized that I may have made things worse by allowing Nightbrook to invite himself along—an inquisitive thief who simply could not leave well enough alone, his boredom leading him to find enjoyment in eliciting reactions rather than having any productive end to his machinations. I sighed inwardly, feeling a tinge bad for not having more seriously considered Helgír's feelings about an addition to our company—but not for long, as I recalled how needlessly frigid and brusque he'd been toward Nightbrook even with no provocation.

However, the more I thought about it, I found I was actually somewhat glad of Nightbrook's questioning. It had made me realize why I had been alright with a detour of this magnitude from my intended path, one that promised to continue to lead further away from it, too, if the trajectory of my trip thus far was anything by which I could make such a judgement. I still found I would like to spend some time in the College of Winterhold, someday, or at least visit long enough to determine whether I would benefit from it, but it had become less of an immediate priority for me as of late.

A muffled, placid silence took root, only interrupted by Helgír adding a log to the campfire. Ignoring the uncomfortable dynamic between the two men, the night was otherwise quite peaceful. It was a significant departure from traveling with Toralf. Stifling a snicker, I wondered what he would think of the thief. I got the feeling he would've taken to Nightbrook rather easily, and the two,collectively, would quite possibly pester Helgír to his limits. It was probably for the best that we weren't responsible for him anymore, but I couldn't help but miss his energy and exuberance—even if I didn't miss his self-important airs.

"I wonder how Toralf is doing..." I wondered aloud, mostly talking to myself.

"Toralf?" Nightbrook asked, "Was he a member of this company prior to my joining?"

"Yes," Helgír answered. "He was... a character, one might say. Your company is almost preferable to his."

Nightbrook grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment, Dragonborn."

Helgír visibly flinched at the use of his title, and I wasn't the only one to notice that.

"You know, you shouldn't be ashamed or afraid of that title. Regardless of what you've done or the fears you currently harbor, you've got the gift you have for a reason, Helgír. Gods know what they're doing when they choose their champions," the mer said quietly, his tone of voice oddly kind for the way the Nord had been treating him.

"And how would you know that?"

"I have a feeling you wouldn't believe me, even if I told you," Nightbrook replied with a wry grin.

"Of course. More secrecy," Helgír shook his head slightly. "I'd like to thank you for that, but I can't really put any stock in a thief's vague promise, now can I?"

There was a moment of tense silence before Helgír spoke up again. "...I'll take first watch."

This left me alone with Nightbrook again, who stood as well.

"Where are you going?" I asked as he started to walk away without an explanation.

He stopped for a moment, turning his head over his shoulder to look at me as he answered, "I'm off to see if I can find any caches of prized goods within the area. You never know what brings pilgrims to the Seven Thousand Steps, hm?"

He chuckled at the slightly scandalized expression on my face. Before I could respond, he continued, "I jest. I merely intend to take some time to enjoy the serenity of this place. It's not every day one comes to a remote place like this. You needn't worry about me coming back. I'll be around well before morning."

Nightbrook vanished yet again, somehow leaving no trace behind him as he left, not even footprints.

Who was he, really? The more I learned about him the less I seemed to know, and it was infuriating.

By the Nine, I'll figure you out somehow, Nightbrook... I swear it.

___________________________________________________________________________________

If, after reading this chapter, you still don't know who my secret ship is, you're crazy.

Also, I've recently gotten a crazy idea, but I have come to like it quite a bit. The idea? Character Q and A.

How it would work is you'd ask any of the characters in Mage any question you can come up with - It has to be appropriate, make sense, and not be an attempt for me to give away spoilers in order for me to answer it - and I'll answer them from the perspective of my characters. I'd either do it in the bottom A/N of the chapters of Mage, unless I can come up with a better spot for it. But would you all enjoy that if I did something of that nature? I'd like to hear some feedback on that, even if you think it's the stupidest thing ever.

Well, as always, please do leave a vote and/or comment if you enjoyed the chapter, and see you next time! Good adventuring, dear readers!

-AA