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

Chapter Forty-Nine

"So?" The shirtless man looked past Aruna at the Thalmor. "I did what you asked. Where's my gold?"

"What use does a Skeever in a sewer have for gold?" the Justicar said, her sneer evident in her voice.

The man's face went red. "You filthy cheats! You owe me gold! You'd better pay up before I—"

An Elven arrow whizzed past Aruna's head and sailed into the man's chest. He sputtered, looking down in disbelief at the golden shaft of the arrow protruding from his body. He tried to take a breath but found that he could not. He stumbled forward onto his knees.

"Good shot, ser," the soldier said. "Looks like you hit a lung."

The man looked up and met Aruna's eyes; desperation, despair, and pain twisted his face. He fell over onto his side and began to wheeze and gasp. Aruna took a step towards him.

"Don't move," the Justicar said sharply. "Drop your weapon."

Aruna didn't move but neither did she drop her sword.

"There's an arrow aimed at your back," the Justicar said. "I'll shoot you before you have time to turn around. Drop your weapon and surrender."

"Surrender?" Aruna said, bemused. "Why don't you just kill me?"

"All in due time, Dragonborn."

Aruna knelt slowly, making a show of lowering her sword to the floor. Her eyes darted around, searching for something she could use. She glanced up and saw clay pots suspended precariously from the ceiling. Oil stained the rims of the pots. She gently laid her sword on the ground.

"Now stand up and turn around," the Justicar said. "Slowly."

Aruna obediently rose to her feet. She raised her head.

"Yol tor!"

As the pots exploded into flames, the Thalmor shouted and Aruna dropped to her knees, her vision going black once more. She felt pain coming from everywhere, and for a moment, it was all she knew. When her vision cleared, she was on her hands and knees and the doorway was ahead. She crawled over the shirtless man's body, which now lay still. She hurt all over and she could smell burned hair and singed flesh and wasn't sure if it was her own or the Thalmors'. She could still hear them yelling and she heard something cut through the air close to her right ear. An arrow hit the stone wall and clattered to the ground in front of her.

Keep going, she thought. Just keep moving.

She made it to the doorway and grabbed the splintered wooden frame, using it to help her get to her feet. She turned to see flames and broken pottery littering the ground between her and the Thalmor, and the soldier frantically trying to put out flames on his arm. The Justicar, her face scorched red, was nocking an arrow, glaring murderously at Aruna. Aruna ducked into the passageway as the arrow barely missed her. She stumbled forward, trying to put some distance between herself and the Thalmor; the flames wouldn't keep them at bay for long, and now they were really pissed off. She moved as fast as she could manage, her breathing labored and her head pounding. Her vision was blurred at the edges and she blinked and shook her head, trying to clear it. She ducked into tunnels and took unexpected turns as she tried her best to make it harder for the elves to follow her. 

Suddenly, her legs gave out from under her and everything went dark.

By the time Delvin returned to the Ragged Flagon, Bishop was out of patience.

"Bishop!" Delvin greeted him as he took a seat at the bar beside him. "Of all the faces I never thought I'd see again..."

"I need healing potions," Bishop said curtly. "Strongest ones you have. Sell me as many as you can so I can get out of here."