The next day was taken up with my sword lesson. Amren had been ecstatic to have his father's sword back, and happy to hold up his end of the bargain. When he finally called it a day, I knew I needed to collect for the bounty, but Amren had said I'd need to go to Dragonsreach for it, and see the steward. I definitely didn't want to go there, so I hunted for Dre. I found him at some place called the Drunken Huntsman, sitting in a dark corner. I'd seen enough men in the inns to know when one had been drinking for a while, and Dre had that glassy eyed look. He looked up when I called his name, and oh yeah, he'd had a lot to drink.

I groaned, how was I going to get him back to the inn? Well, maybe he could make it. I grabbed his hand and pulled, cursing quietly at his weight, "C'mon muscles, let's get you to bed." He gave me a drunken grin. "I knew you liked me." Oh boy. By the time I got him up to our room at the inn, I'd stomped his feet twice. I might not have minded the groping from him sober, but not like this and not in public. My temper was boiling as I shoved him into the bed, and he finally got the idea. Or was just too drunk. He nodded off without another word. Later, when I came back up, he was snoring like a bear. It was all I could do not to smother him with a pillow.

Dre was still out when I got up, not even trying to be quiet about it, I was grumpy from too little sleep. I had to go see the steward myself, and hoped I didn't run afoul of the Jarl. Thankfully, I got in and out, even though some dunmer woman gave me a hard look. She only turned away when she saw me approach the steward that the housemaid pointed out. I learned then that the most lucrative part of bounty hunting would be from the bandits themselves, because that cheap steward only paid a hundred gold for us risking our lives to do the job. I went back to get something to eat, and Hulda told me Dre was in the bath. I hoped he soaked his head.

11

I was walking around the market when Dre caught up with me. Neither one of us said a word about the night before. I hated holding on to a mad, it wasn't in me, so I just shoved his side with my shoulder and let it go at that. When I glanced over, he smiled, a small one of chagrin, but it was enough. I had just finished talking to a woman, named Ysolda, when a hand grabbed my arm. "You're coming with me. I should have known better than to listen to you. The Jarl wants to see you. Now." I was being hauled along by the very guard I'd spoken to when I got here. "But Captain, why would he want to see me? I didn't do anything! I'm just a poor, simple..." "Enough of your nonsense! He wants to see you and that's that." He was muttering angrily about tricky women as I looked around for Dre, to see him following with a frown. Blast and bugger the damn guard, all he had to do was pass on the message about the dragon. If it really was a dragon, because I didn't see it, not really, though Ralof said it was.

The Jarl was not pleased, not with me or the hapless guard. Apparently I should have come and told him the news myself, and the guard knew it. He said if I wanted to stay in Whiterun I would do as he said, and take care of a small chore for his court wizard. There was a wizard here? Oh I wanted to talk to him! The Jarl stomped his foot at me, and I jumped, paying attention once again. For the news I stammered out, however belated, he gave me a blade, an axe. I briefly wondered how much I could get for it, then found myself following him to see his wizard, with Dre right behind us.

How much did I want to stay in Whiterun, that was now the question. Dre was no help, he laughed every time I looked at him, until I was glaring with temper. My predicament, and the story behind it, amused him to no end. It didn't amuse me, Whiterun was a good place to work from, for now at least, and that loony Farengar wanted me to go into some musty old burial crypt! To fetch a stone that may or may not be there. And was dangerous. He wouldn't even talk to me until and unless I brought the stupid stone to him, the obstinate blockhead.

I'd seen the place from Riverwood, and it didn't look like a place I wanted to go, in fact, it gave me the crawlies. Dre finally stopped laughing enough to tell me he'd go with me, if I decided that way. I rolled my eyes. How kind of him to offer, seeing as we already had an agreement. I wanted to pound something, I hated being forced into anything. We'd get no more bounties from Whiterun, and I would have to move on too, if I didn't do this. "We'll go in the morning, I hope it's worth it." And that it didn't get me killed, but I didn't say that out loud.

12

Dre was quiet by the time we finally got out of that horrible place, too quiet. I shouldn't wonder, it made me quiet too, but fights never seemed to stop him flirting or teasing before. We hadn't been a team for long though, and I tried to remember that I really didn't know him, or much about him. The teasing would have been a welcome cheer to my soul though, after what I'd seen and fought in that barrow.

The dead that weren't really dead, bandits, spiders, and a strange wall that whispered to me. It gave me the briefest, yet worst headache ever, when I walked up to examine it, after we killed that last shambling thing Dre called a draugr. Though it hadn't really shambled I thought, it had really been quite fast at trying to kill me. But that wall seemed as if...as if it gave me something, something I should know but couldn't figure out.

I was lugging what had to be the damned stone Farengar wanted, and the claw that belonged to Lucan in Riverwood. I knew it had been stolen, he and his sister had whined and argued enough about it that the whole town knew he'd been had by a thief. I cheered a bit then, he'd surely pay a goodly sum to get it back. If not, then he wouldn't get it back. I thought about Dre again, and knew that sooner or later, I would weasel out of him what was wrong. At least, I hoped so, but it made me nervous. Would he stay, or would he go when we sold our spoils? I didn't like thinking about it, he was fast becoming more than just a teammate. I frowned at that, I hadn't planned on liking him. It was unsettling.

13

I wanted to laugh out loud, Camilla had really turned on the charm with Dre. I was only listening to Lucan with one ear, the other on Camilla as she tried so hard to keep Dre's attention. He barely responded to her, which was why I wanted to laugh, she looked so put out that he didn't fall under her spell. If only Sven and Faendal could see her now. I made what deals I could with Lucan, and yes, did get a very good price for his beloved claw. Behind Dre as we left the trader's, I looked back with a nasty smirk and wink for Camilla, and did laugh once we were outside. Dre looked questionly at me, "What are you laughing about?" but I only grinned at no one in particular.

Back in Whiterun, I was ready for a bath, food and bed, but I wanted shut of the damn heavy stone, so to the Jarl's Dragonsreach we went. As we neared the wizard's room, I spotted him. He was speaking with someone leaned over looking at something on his table. I presented the stone to him, glad to be rid of it. He turned and spoke to his visitor of it, remarking happily, if more than a bit condescendingly of my success at getting it, when the visitor stood and looked over.

My jaw dropped, as did hers, and we both spoke at the same time, "What are you doing here?" She snarled, I growled. "Delphine." "You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that?" I near bit my tongue through, "None of your business where I go or what I do." I looked at Farengar and was about to let him know what I thought of his 'company', when the Jarl's housecarl rushed in to fetch Farengar. Delphine's face frowned into even more wrinkles as she took the opportunity to leave, which I would have also had the Dunmer woman not stopped me with a "You need to come too, the Jarl wants to see you." Her tone brooked no refusal, and I growled again as Dre and I both followed her up a nearby staircase.

14

Some little while later, as we walked, Dre spoke. "You sure you want to do this? I mean, going after bounties is one thing, but this? I don't like it." I was shaking with fear and anger. "Of course I want to do it. Who would pass up the chance of being eaten by a dragon!" I was screaming. "Gods no, I don't want to do this, but he didn't give me much choice now, did he? Rewards me with one hand, while threatening me with the other, his high and mighty lordship does. It would be a shame, he says, if I became so uncomfortable in his city that I couldn't stay, or visit. Too damn good at reading people, the bastard."

"He knows I want to at least stay in the area. He wants..." Words stuck in my throat as we neared enough to see the smoke and flames now coming from the watchtower. All I wanted to do was run, and then Dre said, "Here comes that woman and her troops." It was small comfort, at least I wouldn't get eaten alone. Maybe the dragon would eat them first and get full before he got to me. I said it aloud. Dre snorted a laugh, and I punched his arm for it, then heard someone shout. "Look out, here he comes again!" Oh Gods...I grabbed Dre by the hair and pulled him into a brief, hard kiss, then readied my bow. "Don't let that thing eat me!"