No Elves in Sovngarde Book Two, NEIS continued Options

[Elisabeth Hollow]

No Elves in Sovngarde Book One is here, and is currently being spiced and touched up, bit by bit.

For those who don't want to read the first book, or need a refresher on what has previously happened, I have included a brief summary of the first book, which will be written later, when I'm not freaking out about how to write a summary.

I really am terrible with summaries. To prove my point, here's my summary of Toy Story:

"After sitting here with my fingers frozen above the keyboard, all I can say about Toy Story is that it made me terrified of having toys as a kid, and gave me nightmares. The only thing I took away from that movie is that you shouldn't judge others by appearance. Except the bad kids. They wear skulls so you can identify them easily."

-shakes head in shame-

Anyways, I've got a prologue written up. The summary should be up, hopefully, within the next few days or so. Or when my computer's plate isn't so full, lol.

Enjoy!

[Elisabeth Hollow]

So my updates are becoming less and less far apart, but till not as regular as they used to be. That's due to the influx of my workload, then suddenly losing my job.

Tis good, though. I needed the break. And the sleep. I slept a LOT, hahahaha!

Anyways! Thank you for your comments, patience, and of course, continuing to read.

@Acadian: Yeah, I'm sort of playing catch-up with Kayla's side of the story. Erik and Mjoll are caught up, I'm just showing Kayla's journey on her wait to their "present."

@KC: I LOVE the Command spells. Just adore them. There are others I'd like to delve into, but can't with Kayla, since she isn't too much into magick. Maybe with another character...hmmmm...

@Grits: Definitely struggling. Shes trying to hang onto what she views as a sliver of humanity while battling with her thirst. Part of her wants to accept what she is and embrace her new identity, but the other part, the Kayla part of her, isn't going to accept it and will continue to fight it.

@jack cloudy: There are some good and decent Legionnaire soldiers in Skyrim. They just didn't stop by Kayla and Emelia's cave, lol!

As for the passage of time, like I mentioned, I'm just playing catch-up with Kayla and Emelia. Soon they'll be on the same page as Erik and Mjoll.



What happened before: Mjoll saw the spirit of Onmund behind his and Kayla's old home.

Mjoll threw open the door to the Bannered Mare, breathing raggedly. Mst of the patrons jumped, startled, but turned back to their drink and conversations. Erik stood up and met her halfway across the room.

"Mjoll, what happened?" He asked.

"I saw a spirit," she said, gripping Erik's arm. Lydia came up beside him, trailed by Sorex.

"Thats Onmund."

Erik's brow furrowed. "Kayla's husband?"

"Yeah, as in, the one that her sister tore apart. He started showing up and doing that about a year ago. The priests are stumped by it. They say he's just an echo, not an actual ghost, so there's nothing that can be done."

"An echo?" Mjoll repeated. "That explains why he didn't attack when I came close. He just sort of...disappeared, and wafted away."

"He'll do that. Some of the local kids even have contests...well, they DID have contests...on who could get the closest before he disappeared. But with the curfew and the recent murders, no kids are allowed out after dusk."

"Who lives at that house?" Erik asked. 'An echo?'

"We do," Lydia said. "When I came back, I bought the house from the city. Apparently the person Kayla had sold it to didn't like an apparition flickering in and out of sight at night. So I bought it, really cheap, and ignore him." She grinned. "I'm not superstitious."

Lydia continued. "Anyways, you two should relax tonight. Have a few drinks, maybe rent the same room to avoid spending too much."

Erik shot her a sharp look, and she grinned. "Hey, just looking out for my second-favorite redhead." She pinched his cheeks and laughed when he swatted her away. Erik didn't miss the look of sadness that flitted across her expression momentarily.

"We should go. The smell of piss and vomit makes me nauseas. Bye, you two! Come see me before you leave." Mjoll waved goodbye as the couple sauntered out the door, their arms linked. She turned to Erik when the door closed.

"What are we going to do about a third member?" she asked as they slid into their seats at the table. Erik shook his head, his green eyes crinkled with worry.

"I don't know, Mjoll. I really don't know. If Uthgerd doesn't straighten up, then nothing."

Mjoll sat straight up. "Wait a moment. I think..." She grinned, her face illuminating beautifully.

'She's lovely.' Erik thought.

"There is a wizard in Riften. Marcurio. He has been hired by several adventurers who say he is wonderful when in battle. Maybe that's the edge we need, Erik. Fight magick with magick."

Erik pursed his lips, then shook his head. "I don't like magick."

"Neither do I, but Erik, think about it. If we have a mage on our side, he can sense any magickal traps we come across. Remember that one trap? The shock one on the ground that none of us could sense because we don't use magick? The one that nearly killed me? We were stuck in that cave for days, waiting for me to recover. We can't do that again."

Erik thought for a moment, swishing his mead around in the silver tankard. "Let me think about it." He took a large gulp of his mead as Mjoll drank her wine down.

"I don't blame you." She said. "Wizards are unpredictable and difficult to deal with. But if we pay the man, he should comply."

"Payment only goes so far." Erik ordered another drink, and Mjoll did the same. "You can pay a man five hundred septims to accompany you, but can't force him to stay once things get out of hand."

"That is true." Mjoll admitted. "But from what I've heard, this man doesn't back down."

"Then why is he in some tavern in Riften, begging for mercenary work?" Erik asked before downing his beer. Mjoll sipped her wine thoughtfully.

"I've heard he's a bit over-zealous when it comes to his spells." she said. "And a bit of a know-it-all..."

Erik groaned. "I HATE know-it-alls. He's out, then."

"Erik, he might be just what we need. We need to be offensive...or...what's the word?"

"Mjoll..."

"No, no, I know what it is..."

Erik gulped the rest of his beer down and waited for Mjoll to remember the word. When he realized she couldn't, both of them already had several drinks on them. He decided to switch topics at that point.

"So, how's Aerin? Gotten any letters from him?"

"No, oddly enough. I think the courier is having difficulty finding me. No matter."

"What's wrong?"

"He...seems to have feelings for me that I do not return. I explained this to him in my last letter, and...I expect he stopped sending me letters. But like I said, it doesn't matter. He's in Riften, and I'm here."

Mjoll couldn't interpret the look Erik was giving her. It looked like a mixture of disappointment and relief to her, but she could be wrong. She hadn't told him he was the reason she resisted Aerin's advances this past year.

But that did not matter. Erik didn't return her feelings, like she didn't return Aerin's. Everything came full circle for her. She suddenly drank the rest of her wine and stood up, startling a drunken Erik.

"Whoa, you going somewhere?" He asked.

"I'm going to bed. You should too, we...probably shouldn't have gotten so drunk."

Erik grinned at her and she laughed and pulled him up. The Nords were sharing a room, but decided against sharing a bed. They each looked at the bed, then each other.

"You take the bed." Erik said. "I'll sleep on the chair."

"No, I took the bed the last inn. You take it."

Mjoll looked at Erik, a slight smile on her lips. Erik raised his brow.

"You have this weird loo-"

Mjoll shoved him onto the bed, causing him to yelp in surprise. She laughed and uncharacteristically pointed her finger at him, which he promptly growled and grabbed, pulling her down next to him. Erik could almost see Lydia's brow raising, with that grin of hers spreading as Mjoll erupted into yet another uncharacteristic peal of laughter as she grabbed his head in a headlock and gave him a noogie.

Erik flailed for a moment and pretended to pass out. Mjoll laughed and let go, then shrieked as Erik suddenly pushed her off the bed with his feet. Both of them held their stomachs as they laughed, letting out a year's worth of tension, with Erik on his back on the bed, and Mjoll on her side on the floor. Mjoll stood up and shakily went to the washroom, still laughing.

When she came back, Erik was out of his armor and under the bed covers, half asleep. She had taken off her own armor in the washroom and slipped in next to him without thinking. Their bodies molded to each other for warmth as they fell asleep.