Skyrim One-Shots (FT: My Travellers Of Tamriel)

Camping After An Adventure

Six adventurers continued their journey across Skyrim.
The sun was dipping, now.
Low over the horizon.

The six of them rode four horses, four on two of them, and two on one horse each.
Two dogs accompanied them as well.
Sceolang, an armoured Husky, and Barbas, a Daedra-dog.

Erlirria and Miraak rode Aura, a pure white Unicorn, heading the group.
Khayla and Serana shared Shadowmere, second in line.
The final two flanked the first.

Inigo rode Rusher, a black stallion, on the left.
Lucien rode Clive, a beige Daedra-horse, on the right.
Sceolang lit the way with the lantern on his collar while Barbas brought up the rear.

Erlirria looked towards the sun, then back at her friends.
It was painfully obvious they were all very tired.
Khayla kept dipping her head, Serana working to keep her awake because she was nocturnal.

Inigo kept yawning as well, not to mention the fact Miraak was slouching over her slightly.
As if sitting up was that difficult.
"Alright, I think we should stop for the night. I don't wanna get us into any trouble when we're this tired." Erlirria said.

"Good call, my friend." Inigo yawned again. "I think I might fall out of the saddle if I am awake any longer."
They veered off the road and onto a raised grassy plateau in order to make camp.
They dismounted and started setting up.

"Lucien do you have any firewood spare?" Inigo asked.
"I do! I made sure to get some more when we stopped in Whiterun." He said, digging into the sack on Clive's back to pull out some wood.
Lucien and Inigo set up the fire together, the latter unloading the wood while the former set it alight with magic.

"Serana, do me a favour and help me get the supplies for the tents out?" Khayla asked, her green eyes glowing in the dimming light.
As she and Serana began unloading Shadowmere and spreading out bedrolls, Erlirria slid off Aura's back, helping Miraak down as well.
"By Akatosh, you look like you're going to pass out any moment, Miraak." Erlirria said.

Miraak simply yawned.
"Were you up again last night?" She asked.
He shook his head. "No, I wasn't. I don't know why I am tired..." he yawned.

Erlirria rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. We can at least get some sleep now and wait for the sun to come back up." Erlirria said.
"You can lay down, Aura. We're going to rest now." She said, placing a hand on the Unicorn's muzzle.

The group finished setting up, three large tents, lined with hay and furs.
A crackling fire at the centre of the camp.
The four horses with their tacks and saddles removed and blankets to keep them warm.

The dogs curled up, the lantern on Sceolang's collar having been extinguished and removed.
And six bedrolls, two in each tent.
The group sat around on three large logs that Clive had been hauling.

"Is anyone hungry, or is everyone just craving sleep?" Erlirria asked as she poked the fire.
Inigo yawned again. "I am not hungry, my friend. I think I am just going to turn in." He said.
Erlirria nodded to him as he got up, "Anyone else?"

Khayla also got up, along with Serana and Lucien.
Leaving only Erlirria and Miraak.
"I know you're tired, why are you still up?" Erlirria asked, she was warming some mead in a tankard over the fire, sipping it comfortably.

Miraak didn't respond for a few moments.
"I didn't want you to be lonely. Well- not again, anyway." He said.
Erlirria almost choked on her mead, pausing mid-gulp.

"I- I'm sorry?" She asked.
The older Dragonborn turned towards her.
"Did you not feel lonely when you thought you were the only Dragonborn?" He asked.

Erlirria was taken aback at the question, then looked back to the flames, her eyes dilating.
"I suppose I did." She said. "I just-" She paused.
"I never realised just how badly I wanted someone else to relate to me. And not just another Dragonborn, but also having some 'grand destiny." She said.

"And do you think I fit both of those descriptions?" Miraak asked.
Erlirria was quiet.
"I guess so. But I never expected that I'd meet the First ever Dragonborn, nor did I first believe that I will be the Last."

"And why's that?" He pushed.
"I didn't even know who you were when your cultists jumped me. I though the other Dragonborn were all dead. But- when I realised that your name was in Dovahzuul, I thought there was a chance that you were like me, and that you were still alive."
"That's why you went to Solstheim, isn't it? To chase that hope." He asked.

"Yeah, now that you say it." Erlirria said.
An idea reminded itself to her.
"Speaking of which, I never did ask you how you found out who I was."

Miraak let out a single 'heh'.
"I felt a chill in the air the night I believe you killed Alduin, I heard the Dragonrend Shout, even in Apocrypha."
Erlirria raised her brow. "And? What did you do?"

"Well, I figured the Nords of my time were dead, so I began digging through all the knowledge in Hermaeus' library until I found it."
Erlirria quirked her raised brow. "Found what?"
"My prophecy- well, more accurately, your prophecy. Just mine, but rewritten." He said.

"You found the Last Dragonborn prophecy?"
"I did, and it told that the Last Dragonborn would slay Alduin with the Dragonrend Shout, to rip him from the skies." He said.
"So you knew I'd already done it, and you sent your cultists to- what- try and kill me?" She asked.

"I wanted to 'test the waters'. To see how powerful you were, and what lengths you would go to in order to find me."
"Well, you found that out in the most colossal way." Erlirria smirked.
"Heh, yes. You appeared through the pages of a Black Book and I was so surprised that I lightning-bolted you to the ground."

Erlirria almost burst out laughing. "You used magic out of surprise?!"
"It was a reflex!" He laughed.
Erlirria finished her mead, patting the ex-priest on the shoulder.

"I'm tired, now. I'm going to turn in, you coming?" She asked.
Miraak looked up at the tapestry of stars, as well as Masser and Secunda, the two moons.
"I will join you soon." He said.

Erlirria left him gazing at the stars.