Tullius the Younger

The Nord stared at me, shocked. "Captain. What should we do?"

The captain sighed. "What in Oblivion are you doing here?"

"How are you doing Mariana?" I said. “You look good.”

She frowned. “Tell the general.”

The Nord nodded and scuttled off.

“We don’t have to bring him into this, do we?”

“I’ll bring in whoever I like,” she said, crossing her arms. “This is my town.”

The Nord returned. “Captain, the general wants you to detain him in the keep.”

Mariana’s frown deepened. “Me?!”

The Nord shrugged.

“Fine.” She threw me an annoyed look. “This way, and don’t even think about running.”

“You’d call the archers?” I said, feigning outrage. “On me?”

“Shut it.”

“So stern,” I said. “I kinda like it.”

As we left, I saw the general give one of his famed speeches. When he saw me, his face contorted in annoyance, before his legionnaire’s mask returned.

In the far off distance, I heard an odd roaring, very dissimilar to the usual sounds of the mountains. “What was that?”

“I said, shut it.”

We reached the keep, and as we entered the door I was greeted by rows of beds.

“Mariana, it’s lovely to see you,” I grinned. “But do we have to get to bed immediately? We haven’t even caught up yet.”

“Gods, do you ever shut that mouth of yours?” she grunted.

“You know I don’t,” I said. “Now, can you please untie me? I mean, this knot is really bad. Would’ve done it differently, that’s for sure.”

“No.”

We sat for a moment, Mariana showing me her best not-talking-to-you-routine, until the Nord stormed in.

“Captain, it’s… it’s a…”

“Breathe, Hadvar.” Mariana said. “What is it?”

“We’re under attack… By a dragon.”

“A what?”

“The general. He wants you to take him to Solitude.”

Of course, right back to the place I tried to escape.

“Me?” Mariana said. “But, the town…”

“The general has taken command,” Hadvar said. “I’m sorry. I have to get the townspeople to safety…”

He left, and Mariana followed him outside. She came back almost immediately, and pulled out her dagger.

“So this is how it’s going to go,” she commanded as she cut my bindings. “You’re going to shut up, you’re going to follow my orders, and there’s not going to be any funny business.”

“Well, you know,” I said. “Those first two things made me think there was going to be funny business.”

She grunted and pulled me to my feet, so we came face to face.

“Funny business means sex,” I said.

“I know what it means,” she said, annoyed “That’s why I said it. Now put on some decent gear, and hurry up. We’re getting out of here.”