Stin

Healing

Shameless self promo: I have a new book that I've been brainstorming for the past several months that I am excited to work on. the first chapter of Of Daedra and Dragons is up! It's a Miraak x F!Dragonborn cause I am a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers pairing.

Another note: This chapter was originally split into two chapters, but I have decided to combine this chapter with the Politics of War chapter due to both of them being filler chapters.

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The bow slips from Ayla's fingers and clatters to the ground as her hand flies to her the mostly-healed wound on her side. The arrow she shot missing its target, protruding from the hay behind the dummy. Its been months since her injury and she has been itching to get back into the fight but Nahmi, the lead healer, refuses to let her, declaring that she is unfit to fight for another month or two. However, Ayla had convinced her the previous week to a deal; if Ayla can properly use a bow and swing her swords without any severe pain, then Nahmi will give the all clear.

"Kul Rah," she curses loudly after the pain starts to fade, a glare aimed at the unharmed dummy that seemingly taunts her in silence. The Thalmor have Auriel's bow and she has no idea where it is, so reclaiming it is practically impossible and the thought of the Thalmor using it to wreck havoc across Skyrim just adds to her frustration.

"You good?" Taliyah's voice cuts through the silence and Ayla takes a deep breath, standing up taller as her arm falls to her side.

"I let that bow slip through my fingers and now innocent people are dying because of it," Ayla breathes out, turning to look back at her friend, "and I am stuck here and any chance at jumping back into battle two months sooner has just been squashed,"

"You got shot with a bow that fires explosive arrows and almost died from it, Ayla. An injury like that cannot heal in a week, you must know that,"

"I should be out there look for that bow!"

"You need to heal and recuperate!" Taliyah snaps back, staring at Ayla until she turns away from her, "Kharjo is doing an amazing job at leading the soldiers into battle in your absence, trust me, the war will not be lost in your absence,"

Ayla remains silent for a few seconds before nodding, "I want every person not heading into any immediate battles to start tracking the bow," she says firmly as she walks past Taliyah and towards the stairs exiting the training chamber, "and I do not care if Nahmi has cleared me yet or not, when that bow is found I will be the one taking it back,"

"And I won't stop you, but until then you need to take it easy. Lead from here and let Kharjo lead the soldiers into battle," Taliyah says firmly, arms crossed in front of her chest. Ayla stares at her for a few short seconds before nodding. As much as she hates to admit it, she is no use in a battlefield in her current condition.

"Have we made any progress at all in locating the bow?" she asks as the pair makes their way up the stares and out of the training room.

"Hardly. Scouts in each Hold are keeping their eyes peeled but so far have seen very little Thalmor activity, well, save for the Rift but even there it is minimal,"

"They have to be hiding it then," Ayla thinks aloud as they traverse the halls of the base, "since there have been no reports of the bow being used when the Thalmor is attacking a village, I am certain they didn't take it for that purpose,"

"They did use it against one of the dragons," Taliyah points out, not even attempting to pronounce the name.

"Then they had to have taken it as a defense against the dragons and I," Ayla mutters as they round a corner, "the last time the bow has been used was when the Thalmor attacked the base and there were three dragons fighting them and I was there as well. Since I sent Odah and Aaryah to the Throat of the World, the bow hasn't been used since, not even on a wild dragon,"