The Stranger Beside the Fire

4E 201 | Late Sun's Dusk | Eighty-Five Days Since Arrival

Recovery became an exercise in humiliation.

Tsukihana walked Markarth's stairs until her legs stopped trembling. She trained only footwork in the inn's rear yard while Katana struck the ground beside every mistake with a wooden rod.

When not training, she questioned miners, merchants, priests, and anyone careless enough to speak. Missing workers had vanished inside a sealed shaft. Guards moved crates into Understone Keep after midnight. Three masked travelers had watched closely whenever someone mentioned the Dragonborn.

One evening Tsukihana ate beside a black-armored stranger near the inn hearth.

He had damp dark hair, pale blue eyes, and a sword worn by use rather than display. He examined the structure of her outfit and the two blades without pretending not to.

"That armor was not made in Skyrim," he said.

"No."

"Akaviri?"

"Farther east."

"And the blade?"

"Mine."

The stranger almost smiled.

A fight began across the room. Before the miners drew their knives, the man said, "Sit down."

The fire bent toward him.

Both men sat.

Tsukihana's eyes narrowed. "That was not advice."

"It was effective."

He introduced himself only as Noctis.

The name followed her from Helgen, Riverwood, checkpoints, and songs. Yet legends were distorted things, and the man gave no surname.

Noctis knew she had been gathering information. He had followed one of the masked strangers north of Markarth and watched the man kill eleven Forsworn after they disappointed him.

Then he offered a hunt.

A wounded dragon had nested near Karthspire. Forsworn worshippers occupied the surrounding ruins. Noctis needed support and believed the hunt would test Tsukihana's recovering body.

Katana arrived in time to say no before hearing the full proposal.

Tsukihana convinced her with the truth: if the marks returned, she needed witnesses capable of stopping her.

"If you collapse, he carries you," Katana said, pointing at Noctis.

"Agreed," Noctis replied.

Katana recognized the dragon pendant beneath his cloak and the scales caught in his armor. Noctis gave her a small warning shake of the head.

Tsukihana noticed the exchange but not its meaning.

They left before sunrise.

On the road, Tsukihana asked how many dragons Noctis had fought.

"Enough that counting stopped helping."

Ahead, Katana muttered, "She will understand when he starts shouting."

"What did you say?" Tsukihana asked.

"Nothing," both answered.