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

Chapter Twenty-Three

A/N: This week, we say goodbye to Morthal and head to Solitude! I hope you're all enjoying this story, and remember; all feedback is welcome! Thank you for reading!

Aruna shut the door of the tavern room and slipped off her boots. She sat on the edge of the bed and picked up one of the bottles of sleeping draught that the apothecary, Lami, had left for her. Bishop came into the room a moment later and she shook the bottle in his direction.

"How likely is it that she poisoned this?" she asked him.

He smiled, "ladyship, I don't think anyone in this town is stupid enough to try to kill you right now. I think you're safe."

She pulled the stopper off the bottle and sniffed at the contents, "she used too many juniper berries. They always do. It doesn't work as well if you go too heavy on the juniper berries."

Bishop sat down on the other side of the bed and pulled off his own boots, "you always have trouble sleeping?"

"Just for the last couple of years or so," she said. She downed the draught in one swallow and made a face, "an old friend of mine used to brew this up perfectly, and it always put me out. Haven't been able to find anyone who could make it like she did. Her son could make it almost as well, but...I haven't seen him in years."

Bishop stretched out on the bed, folding his scarred, calloused hands over his stomach, "how long have you needed to take this stuff?"

"Oh, is that what you meant?" she shrugged and set the empty bottle back on the bedside table, "a while."

"Mm, and how long is 'a while'?" Bishop prodded.

She looked over her shoulder at him, "why so curious all of the sudden?"

"Why so evasive?" he countered.

Aruna sighed and laid down on her side, so that her back was to him, "fine. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in ten years without a draught. Happy?"

"Wait, I've seen you sleep," Bishop said.

Aruna rolled over to look at him, arching an eyebrow.

"No, I don't watch you sleep," he said, rolling his eyes, "I mean, I've awakened in the middle of the night and seen you, asleep in your bedroll."

"If I couldn't sleep even a little, I'd be dead," she said with a slight smile, "I can't get more than two or three hours most nights, and even then, it's a light sleep. Never a deep sleep. By the way, you get up at the same time every single night to pee. Did you know that?"

"Now who's being creepy?" Bishop muttered.

"All right," Aruna said, "I answered your question. Now it's your turn."

"My turn?" he frowned.

"Yeah. Answer something for me," she said, "I'll make it something easy...what made you become a ranger?"

He snorted, "that's what you want to know?"

She shrugged a shoulder, "unless you want to tell me all of your deepest, darkest secrets."

"Not especially," he said, "all right, fine. I became a ranger because it pays and because I already had the skills for it."

"Did someone teach you?" she asked.

"I come from a family of hunters," he said, "took me out when I was young. I learned some by watching, a lot more by doing. Brought down my first giant at ten years old."

Aruna smiled, "impressive. How old were you when you left home?"

Bishop's face hardened, "young. I found Karnwyr not too long after."