Wood creaked as the caravan moved through the lands. The ground shook with each step the mammoths took. The ground crunched beneath each step, as calculated as each was. These beasts were massive creatures and one false step could lead to hours of recuperation for a mammoth. If said mammoth didn’t die in some strange twist of events. Ilthallan had joined up with a few other travelers and wrote in his book. 

	“Il!” Someone yelled as they came running up. His cart was the fourth or fifth in the line of the caravan. Each was chained and tied to another. There was some kind of magic that allowed each to follow the lead cart. His horses were tied on leads to the back of his cart, although he hadn’t needed them in weeks. “What is it?” He said standing up alert. 

	A girl, well a little girl to him, came running up to his cart. Zenotha was someone he saved from bandits. She was a slave and he freed her. She wasn’t really that young compared to him but she acted like she needed someone to watch over her. “What is it Zenotha?” He asked curious as to why she was running to his cart. “I told you, you are free to do what you like.” 

	“I want to be by your side!” She yelled over the noises of the caravan and loud enough for everyone else to hear her. “Come and sit then.” He said as he reached down to her helping her up into the seat. She grasped his hand and almost flipped into the seat. It seemed that she didn’t require his help and did these things, on occasion, to make people believe she and he were lovers. He grumbled and sat down looking into his book. 

	“What are you reading?” She asked as she moved close against him. He tried to move away but that only made her move closer. He could feel her breath on his neck, goosebumps formed as the hairs stood on end. She was quite beautiful but he couldn’t take advantage of someone or have them interfere in his plans. He wouldn’t… 

“If you must know I was drawing the caravan. Each and every person.” He admitted as he handed her a picture of herself. He had gotten a still image of her burned into his head when she was standing on a hill. In the drawing she seemed like an entirely different person. Confident and proud. Perhaps that is how he made her feel. 

	“Wow, this is me?” She said looking down at the image and pointing to herself. 

	“It’s how I see you sometimes.” He acknowledged as he took it and placed it into a satchel. “You are fortunate that I was there when those slavers were attacked.” He said changing the subject. Her face wrinkled in the cutest was as she crossed her arms. “Those assholes!” 

	They exchanged a few more conversations and she professed her love to him… yet again. “I have told you I...” She stopped him from speaking by placing a finger on his lips. “I’m a persistent woman.” She reminded him and he rolled his eyes. “I can’t have a woman slowing down my business.” He said and started to cross his arms, he looked like a little kid pouting. Her face began to tear up and this is where she always cut him down. 

	“Please… anything but that.” He said… said anything… “Gah!” He thought as he noticed her face smirk. “Anything?!” She asked excited. “Then tonight we get married before the gods.” She explained as if it were final. He was going to protest but decided that shutting his mouth may save him. He looked at the town of Whiterun. His caravan was moving closer and they could see a group of Giants. These Giants were moving along a group of Mammoths. 

	“BUNNY!” She exclaimed almost blowing his eardrum, as she spotted a bunny. Sure enough there was a bunny but sadly the caravan had taken it that she would spot the food and they would hunt it. Il could hear a string being pulled and with a wave of his hand the bunny vanished. “You know that they use you to kill the cute animals’ right?” Il said as he looked at her. She let out a smile knowing he only wanted her happy.

	“Why I didn’t know you cared.” She said playfully blushing slightly. “You know that if we marry you would only be the first, right?” He asked playing his own game. Her face got red as she thought of them being married. “I didn’t think I would be enough to please you anyways.” She admitted as she held his hand. He didn’t mind holding her hand, he actually found her warm and sunny. This land though is sunny and cold as a frost giant’s tit. 

	He actually moved closer to her while they approached the city. All the food he had was from other lands and probably should have gone bad but didn’t. Luckily for him Zenotha was an able spell caster and had placed an enchantment on the food allowing it to stay fresh for longer. He laid her head against his shoulder and let out a sigh.

	“So is this a yes?” She asked him while holding onto his chest. “We don’t even know one another all that well. Rushing into something like marriage is sudden. I feel like you do have feelings for me but I have just recently lost some loved ones.” He admitted as he looked at her. He had never spoken of his past to her and she looked waiting for more of it. 

	“My mother and father were my world. They taught me how to live. But a few months ago they were taken from me. Someone said that they were dabbling in forbidden magic and they were executed. Apparently they had mountains of evidence and took them to be made an example of.” He said as he looked out to the mountains. His eyes weren’t focused on the mountains but on the memory. 

	“Now I’m here trading goods to make a living. If you want to be with me I want to know more about you as well.” He said as he looked back at her. He wrapped his arm around her to keep her warm. A blanket was wrapped around them both and she let out a sigh. She obviously didn’t want to share anything about her life but didn’t want to press him any further. Finally they reached the outskirts of the town.