All Roads Lead To You (A Skyrim Romance Mod fanfic)

Chapter Four

  It didn't take long before Bishop began to feel restless. He passed most of the first day sleeping in his rented room, only rousing to let Karnwyr outside. The next morning, he went downstream, out of view of the town proper, and bathed in the stream. The icy water was unpleasant, save for when he submerged his burned shoulder into it. The numbing relief he felt made it all worthwhile. He dried off as best he could and dressed in a relatively clean outfit of a black tunic and black pants, then spent the remainder of the day fishing from the bridge. The sun was almost warm on his back and he watched lazily as Karnwyr bounded in and out of view in the trees across the river. It was such a peaceful, quiet day that it was hard to imagine a dragon could swoop down and send everything to hell at any moment. In spite of the peaceful surroundings, Bishop still hadn't been able to shake the uneasiness in his gut. It made him restless and wary; it felt like something threatening lurked very close by, but nothing seemed out of place. He hated it.  

The day after that, he and Karnwyr went hunting. He didn't really need to hunt, but he wanted to do something other than sit around and get drunk all day, which seemed to be his only other option. He felt better when he was out in the woods, away from people and in his element. He even almost managed to forget that sense of impending danger that had plagued him since his conversation with Alvor. As the sun began to set, he and Karnwyr emerged from the woods, hauling their kills for the day. They made it back to Riverwood just in time to sell some pelts before the shops closed, then returned to the inn to sell the rest of the meat to the innkeeper there, who was only too happy to oblige; apparently, the threat of dragons had scared off a lot of hunters from the area, and supplies were running low. Bishop and his wolf ate an early dinner then went outside to escape the crowded tavern. Bishop leaned against the building as Karnwyr loped down the path, searching for chickens to harass. Suddenly, Bishop heard voices and glanced across the way to see two men, obviously drunk, trying to pick up a woman who was headed toward the inn. Bishop smirked at their ridiculous catcalls, wondering if they had ever been successful. The woman seemed completely oblivious to them as she climbed the steps of the inn. She looked up and seemed startled to see him standing there, watching her. He recognized her then as the woman he'd seen in the tavern a few days before and looked at her with some interest. 

"Not your type, huh?" he said, nodding to the two idiots on the path, who were now arguing with each other over whose muscles were bigger.

She frowned and followed his gaze, "oh, them," she said, "they've had too much ale. They'll be passed out in puddles of their own vomit before long. Doubt they'll even remember where they are when they wake up."

Her voice was low and clear. Bishop liked the sound of it. She turned and met his gaze again, and gave him a curious look.

"Haven't I seen you around here before?" she asked.

Bishop shrugged, then winced. Damn shoulder.

The woman frowned again, "are you injured?"

Bishop waved a hand, "it's nothing. You're a traveler?"

She raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

"What could possibly be so important to make you crazy enough to roam Skyrim with dragons everywhere?" he asked.

Inexplicably, a look of surprise crossed her face. Then she gave Bishop a smile. He didn't know what he'd said to make her smile like that, but he thought right then and there that he'd figure it out and say it again if he got the chance. Her smile did some not-so-unpleasant things to his insides.

"I suppose I could ask you the same thing," she said, and Bishop detected a genuine note of relief in her voice that only made him more curious, "you're obviously not a local, either."

He started to shrug again, caught himself, and shook his head, "how can you tell? Is it because I don't smell like fish? Or maybe because I don't have that empty soulless stare that people get when they cram themselves into a little town with a bunch of other miserable bastards?"

She laughed, and Bishop warmed to her a little more, "not a high opinion of provincial life, hmm? Well, your highness, forgive me if I've offended your delicate sensibilities."

He snorted a laugh, "your highness?" he repeated, "now that's offensive."

"And not a high opinion of nobility, either," she sighed in mock disappointment, "such high standards. So, that must make you..." she narrowed her eyes in thought, then grinned, "a traveling bard."

Bishop laughed, "close. Ranger."

"Ah," she said, and realization brightened her face, "then you would be...Bishop?"

He raised his eyebrows, "seems I have a reputation."

"You certainly do," she agreed.

"So, what have you heard exactly?" he asked.

She smiled again, "that you're an ill-tempered womanizer who starts fights when he drinks too much and has no respect for authority, but people tolerate you because you're a good hunter and tracker and help keep the town fed."

Bishop laughed, "I see you've been talking to the guards around here."

"Are they telling the truth or are they being unfair?" she asked playfully.

"They're...pretty accurate," Bishop admitted, "although I think the womanizer part is a bit of a stretch."

"Is that so?" she said wryly.

"You know all about me," Bishop said, changing the subject, "but I've heard nothing of you, which is strange, considering."

"Considering what?" she asked, her smile fading.

"Considering you're a pretty lady traveling alone through Skyrim in spite of our little dragon problem," he said, "I'd have thought you'd have the whole town whispering by now."

Her smile was enigmatic as she said, "who says they aren't?"

Bishop could feel that strange sense of danger creeping over him again, and he wondered if this woman was more than what she seemed. It would be just his luck if he took her to bed tonight only to wake up to a hagraven attempting to disembowel him. That had happened once before and wasn't something you forgot. But he was intrigued now and wanted to see where the night would go. So he gave her his most lupine grin and invited her to drink with him. A shrewd expression crossed her face, but she accepted and followed him into the inn.