Esbern turns to look at me, his eyes wide with surprise. "You… you're a mage?..." he asks.
Before I can answer, a smirk creeps across his face. "Of course... So that's how you and that innkeeper managed to take down a necromancer."
I groan, pressing my palm against the bite wound on my forearm, I cast healing on it, already feeling the wound starting to close.
"No, actually... Farengar taught me a few spells only yesterday. We took down that necromancer thanks to Delphine, the innkeeper. She did most of the work, I just got a lucky opening and finished him off."
The wound closes completely, it feels easier to cast the spell now, after having practiced it several times already.
Esbern narrows his eye. "You're joking, right?"
"No, I'm not joking." I answer.
Esbern straps his sword across his back and crosss his arm, his expression letting me know that he's having a hard time believing me. "So let me get this straight—you'd never cast a single spell before yesterday, and now you can throw fire and mend wounds?" He asks.
I answer. "Well, yeah... Apparently I already had the aptitude for it, but I've never had anyone to teach me before. But the Jarl agreed to have Farengar teach me a few spells, as thanks for the help with the necromancer in Riverwood."
I walk over to a nearby rock, and sink down onto it with a tired grunt. "My legs are killing me..." I say, taking off my boots to let my feet cool off.
Esbern follows after a moment, taking a seat beside me on the rock. He tries to act casual, but the slight stiffness in his movements betrays his fatigue- marching at that pace in full armor can't have been easy, even for him.
He lets out a long sigh. "Hmph. You don't say…" He pauses, then gives a slight nod. "Alright, well this could actually make a difference..."
There is a moment of silence, before Esbern speaks again. "Do you think you'll be battle ready against another necromancer? With your magic I mean."
I lean back on the rock, look up at the skies and sigh. "I don't know... I haven't had enough time to get in much practice yet, I'm hoping there is still time when we get to Rorikstead. There might not even be a necromancer there yet, if there is going to be one there at all."
Esbern raises his voice, as if troubled by what I had just said. "What makes you say that?!"
I massage my weary feet while answering. "Well, like I said, I'm hoping. Oh yeah, that feels good..." I say while hitting a sore point on my foot with my thumb.
"Focus!!" Esbern snaps.
I flinch slightly. "Alright, alright!... Well, in the letter, it was written that their order would send necromancers to small towns, as if it all was still being planned out... So, if the letter was written recently, then we might have time."
Esbern rises to his feet, gazing toward Whiterun with longing. "No... we have to finish this quickly," he mutters.
I raise my eyebrows. "What's wrong Esbern, what's the rush?"
He walks over to the wolf I had killed, and pulls my dagger out of its ribs. Turning to me, holding it out toward me. "I have to be back in Whiterun within a week. Erina, my wife... She's pregnant, I have to be there."
I take the dagger from his hand and wipe the wolf's blood off on some moss on the rock, before putting it back into it's sheath.
"Alright, we'll try to finish our mission quickly... I know being there when your child is born must a big deal... But it's more important that we survive this!"
"No, you don't understand!" Esbern responds immediately.
He pauses for a moment, his gaze fallen to the ground. "I was out on patrol when... When my wife was going into labor with our first child. Our newborn daughter died during childbirth... I will not let Erina go through that alone again!"
Esbern lifts his head and his eyes meet mine, they burn with determination. "I will end this quickly!" Urged by his own words, he gets up on his feet and starts marching again. "Come on, let's go."
I sigh. "Here we go again!..." I quickly spend the rest of my magicka on healing my legs from weariness, I pick up my bow and strap it onto my back, before jogging after him.
We march on for about half an hour, Esbern has held a steady tempo again. I notice that he's got a slight limp to his step. I stop. "Let's take a short rest" I say, not asking.
Esbern turn to me with a dead serious expression. *No, it's just another half an hour until we arrive in Rorikstead. Let's go!"
I lean onto the remains of an old cobblestone wall by the side of the road, and cross my arms. "No, I need to rest, and so do you!"
Esbern walks uncomfortably close to me, close enough to smell his breath. He then tries to command me. "We go, you can rest later!"
I sigh. "Look, I can tell that your feet are hurting, you won't do your wife any favors if you can't properly dodge the next attack an enemy throws at you. That could mean death for the both of us."
Esbern's nostrils flare as he stares at me, tension thick in the air. For a moment, I think he might argue further, but then his shoulders drop ever so slightly. His eyes, though still hard, reveal the truth- he is in pain.
He steps back with a grunt, breaking eye contact. "Fine," he mutters, "Five minutes."
Esbern lowers himself onto a flat stone by the roadside with a slow, deliberate motion. The way he stretches out one leg confirms it, he's been fighting through pain. He adjusts the straps of his boot, but the tightness around his jaw says enough.
Esbern has been kind of an asshole, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to heal him, but I get that he might be grumpy because he's desperate to get back to his wife.
I sigh again, figuring that I should help him out. "Want me to heal that?" I ask, eyeing his foot.
Esbern glances at me, clearly caught off guard by the offer. He hesitates, pride and pain at war in his expression. After a moment, he exhales sharply through his nose. "…Yeah," he says, quieter than usual. "If you can spare the magicka."
Thanks to the amulet I got enchanted by Farengar, my magicka has already been completely full for a little while, after healing my arm and feet.
Esbern shifts slightly, pulling off his boot to reveal the swollen and bruised foot, he must have had some injury before we left Whiterun.
I walk over to Esbern and kneel down by his feet, placing my hands on his ankle.
I cast the spell and heal until his foot is completely healed. "There, how does that feel?" I ask.
Esbern blinks, then flexes his ankle experimentally. He rotates it, presses down with his heel, then slowly rises to his feet. He stomps the foot lightly on the stony road. "It feels… fine. It doesn't hurt at all!" He says with a surprised expression.
While he tests his footing, I cast healing on my own legs, mostly for the practice this time.
Esbern eyes me curiously. "Were you hurt too?"
I shake my head. "No, just some weariness. But healing takes care of that too. No reason to walk on tired legs when I can feel fresh. Besides, I need the practice."
Esbern is silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry..." He mutters.
"For what?" I ask, fishing for a more sincere apology.
Esbern exhales slowly, glancing away before speaking. "For treating you like dead weight." he says. "I figured you were just some green fool the Jarl dumped on me. Thought I'd be babysitting the whole trip."
He looks back at me, eyes steady now. "But you held your own in battle. And… thanks... For the healing."
I laugh. "Thanks, I appreciate that. But I AM just some green fool, so please keep the tips and warnings coming, ok?..."
Then my expression turns serious. "And I'll do what I can in battle! I have flames, healing, and telekinesis—though I've yet to see if it's of any value in a fight."
I pat my pack lightly. "And I've still got a Lesser Ward tome to study. That one's a priority. I'll need it if we run into another spell caster."
Esbern mutters thoughtfully, and puts a hand on his chin. "Lesser Ward…" His eyes narrowing slightly as he considers the name. "What kind of spell is that?... Wouldn't hurt to know each other's strengths—it could make the difference between defeat and victory in a battle."
I can't help but smile, it's the first time he's spoken to me like a partner instead of a burden. "Lesser Ward is like a magical shield," I explain. "It blocks incoming spells, though it's only a novice level spell, stronger magic can overpower it."
Truth be told, I haven't even opened the tome yet, so I make a mental note to study it as soon as I get the chance.
Esbern nods, thinking it over. "Hmm… well, that gives us options during a fight. I don't know any magic myself, but I'm fast on my feet despite the heavy armor, and I can handle my great-sword with ease in close quarters."
He glances at me, and there's a flicker of pride behind his usual stern gaze. "I'll take the front. Not many can outmatch me blade to blade. However, I'll leave spellcasters to you, and should I be swarmed—be my support!"
I nod my head in agreement. "That seems like a solid plan! I also got 2 minor magicka potions, but I'm not going to use them unless we're in a pinch!"
Esbern grins, his earlier gruffness fading under a fired-up glint in his eye. "Alright then." he says, standing up. He drives his fist into his open palm. "Let's put an end to this necromancer! Ready to go?"
I nod, more motivated to get going myself. "Let's go!"
We're finally getting along better, maybe the rest of our team-up won't be so bad after all.
We start marching again, our pace quick and steady. Having had both a break, and my feet refreshed with healing, I'm ready to reach Rorikstead without stopping again.
The rest of the road brings no more danger or unique sightings, just more mountains and tundra. The housetops of Rorikstead finally comes into view.
"There it is." Esbern says. "At least the town is still standing."
"Yeah..." I answer, a bit of dread in my voice, it hits again that none of the inhabitants will recognize me. "Hey Esbern... I got a favor to ask you..."
"Hmm? What is it?" Esbern replies.
I had to make up a lie again, unfortunately. "My name is Ragnar of Rorikstead, but the truth is, I was only born there. My parents settled in Riverwood when I was but a child, but the name Rorikstead got stuck as the residents of Riverwood kept calling us that. I would appreciate it if you don't use my full name here, no one would remember me anyway."
Esbern raise his eyebrows. "Then why did the Jarl send you here?"
I shrug. "I told him about it, but he insisted that I go anyway... So, do you mind not mentioning it?" I ask, hoping that he would see my predicament.
"There's no point in using that name if it only cause proble, let's just get going." He answers briefly, making me lower my shoulders, seems like it won't be a problem.
"Thanks Esbern!" I say as we keep on moving.
Eventually we reach the first farm of the village, it's neither walled nor protected, not until now at least.
The first person we see is a high elf tilling the ground on the nearest farm.
"Well that's a rare sight..." Esbern comments, not used to seeing high elfs take on any humble jobs, if you can call it that.
The high elf lifts her gaze from working the fields, as soon as she notice us she stops what she's doing and head over in our direction.
As she's getting close, it's easier to get a better look at her. The haircut is kinda weird, the hair is pulled back into two buns at the back of her head, but the rest of her is not a laughing matter. Her skin is a rich, golden-brown hue, and her eyes shimmer like amber. There's an undeniable elegance in both her stride and her figure. It's my first time seeing a high elf in person, so I can't say if they all carry themselves like this, but if they are, the game has not done them justice when it comes to appearance.
"So... Whiterun does know how to act fast!" She says to us, hinting at past disappointments.
"Pardon?" Esbern replies shortly.
The high elf exhales with a sigh. "The graveyard, naturally. That is the reason you've come, isn't it?"
Me and Esbern share a quick glance at each other, realizing that there might already be a necromancer at large. "What about the graveyard?!" Esbern asks the high elf with urgency.
She lifts her eyebrows slightly, a trace of worry in her eyes. "Kaleb, one of our young men ran to Whiterun yesterday. He was going to inform the Jarl, hoping to get someone to conduct an investigation here, someone has dug up a few of our graves! Is that not why you're here?"
"WHERE'S THE GRAVEYARD?!" Esbern asks with a raised voice, making the high elf flinch.
She lifts a hand, indicating the hill overlooking the village. "It's just up there, at the top."
Esbern immediately storms off toward the hill. I'm about to follow, but the High Elf reaches out a hand to stop me, almost pleading.
"Wait! Kaleb—have you seen him on the road here?!" she asks, her brows furrowed with worry. Perhaps he was her boyfriend?
"No, I'm sorry, we haven't seen anyone on the road..." I reply gently.
Her eyes fall to the ground. "Oh..."
I cast a glance at Esbern, he's already far ahead of me. I quickly put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sure Kaleb is fine, but we need to investigate this matter!... Sorry..."
I run as fast as I can towards the hill, leaving the high elf to her worries. Hoping against what I already know in my heart. There is another necromancer here!