[h3]Solve et Coagula[/h3]

[i]featuring [@Father Hank][/i]

[i]13th Midyear - Gilane - Hawkford Residence
Afternoon[/i]

[hr]

[indent]It was mid-afternoon by the time that Raelynn was making her way back to her father's residence. The sun was no longer at its highest in the sky, and so the air was a little cooler and more bearable. She had spent quite a bit too much time sat at the fountain reading things she really shouldn't have been, and yet there were no regrets. She was now lugging the bag containing Daro'Vasora's belongings along the floor. It was a heavy thing to carry, and she half hated the fact she'd taken on the responsibility. 

She had also taken it upon herself to grab more from the markets, and so her hands were absolutely full. To top it all off, there was a wonderful bloodstain on her thigh from Jaraleet's latest injury. She had to use her elbow to open the front door. It was completely ungainly and unlike her, she turned around, pressing her rear against the door to swing it open. As she staggered through, she finally caught sight of the bloodstain on her trousers in the mirror. Her lovely cream and gold silk trousers. Her lovely, [i]expensive[/i] cream and gold silk trousers. “Oh God's above!” she cursed, exasperated. The very motion of it caused the bag containing the Khajiit’s wares to hit the floor and a journal bounced out. “Oh God's above again!” she cried out once more, looking at the mess. “Rhoka! Lend me your hands!” There was stress in her voice all of a sudden, too much time under the sun surrounded by people had irritated her. Once Rhoka had shuffled through and cleared everything from her, she felt lighter - and instantly better. If it weren't for the damned stain, she might have smiled. “That reckless oaf…” she muttered as she ran a finger over it. It was dry now and had made the material feel almost crispy, she frowned and made her way from the hallway towards the back room. Wondering whether or not Gregor had returned. 

He had finished running his errands significantly sooner and returned a few hours before Raelynn did. The sound of her exasperated voice drew him from the back room, where he had made himself comfortable, to the hallway and Gregor opened the door to find himself immediately face-to-face with Raelynn, who looked like she had been about to open the very same door herself. 

“Hello you,” the Imperial said and smiled as he looked down on his beloved. “I heard your voice. Are you alright?”

The sight of Gregor immediately washed away any feelings of annoyance she had been holding onto, finally the smile came. “Oh I'm fine… I just had a busy morning. Goodness, I just about forgot how it can be to have things to do. I seemed to see just about everyone too,” she exaggerated with a sigh. With her hands now free, she placed them against Gregor's and wrapped her fingers up in his. “You look nice, haircut or something?” She narrowed her eyes and one of her eyebrows shot up quizzically as she tried to work it out, his hair did look good - the way it only does after a refreshing treatment. That, and it did look different to when she had left him that morning. 

Gregor hummed in his chest and kissed her, a gentle gesture meant to help her relax after the trials and tribulations of her day, whatever they may have been. “Sharp eyes,” he said afterwards and led Raelynn into the back room. “I got my black clothes back and had my weapons sharpened. Taking care of my appearance at the same time just felt expedient. Did you do anything interesting?” 

As she paced through the room she rolled her shoulders back and yawned softly, taking a seat on one of the couches. “Well,” she began as she leaned forward to undo the straps of her sandals. Entirely impractical for walking through Gilane all day and so she kicked them off, “I ran into Latro, he sends his well wishes. He was with somebody.” She tensed up to think about him again, it was unnerving how even now the shadow of their meeting lingered on her, even if he had been courteous. “Something isn't right there, I don't know what it is. He wouldn't even look me in the eye…” She moved her head from side to side and stretched out her arms as far as she could, feeling her muscles pull as she did so. She was still somewhat sore from the previous evening. 

“I got to the Hotel and collected my things, Daro'Vasora's things too… Met the new Redguard girl and we spoke for a while, and then I found Jaraleet in a crumpled heap with a new set of injuries. You know, just a regular day for me with that one around…” 

“Sevari,” Gregor said knowingly. “I met him too. He told me he was sorry for what Zaveed did to you. The way you describe him makes it sound like he means it and can’t look you in the eye because he feels guilty.” He had sat down next to Raelynn and assumed a relaxed posture, one leg laid across his knee. He was barefoot and his belongings were scattered throughout the room. There was a quiet energy to him, despite his apparent tranquility, and he looked at Raelynn intently. 

He knew that there was more to be said about her day, if he asked, but Gregor was too eager to discuss the very thing that reinvigorated him -- gave him purpose. “Raelynn,” he began and shifted in his seat. “I have a plan. After I found you in the warehouse, you made me promise two things. I haven’t forgotten about the second promise. I think an opportunity will present itself very soon to fulfil it. The others will attack the Governor’s palace tomorrow in an attempt to free Daro’Vasora. They have a good strategy; it involves a three-pronged attack on the east and west flanks of the palace itself and a depot somewhere in the city. The Dwemer will be divided, scattered.” 

Leaning forward towards Raelynn, he continued. “That leaves someone vulnerable. Someone important. Someone dangerous. You know of whom I speak, right?”

She had been stretching while Gregor was talking. Her eyes off watching something, or nothing. It was when he asked her a question that her face turned to him sharply, her eyes locked on to his, “Governor Razlinc Rourken…” she whispered softly, her heart began to race in her chest. To see the Governor suffer had been her only desire days ago, but now so much had changed. 

She could sense how excited he was, there was a glow about him and a light behind his eyes. She hated to be the one to bring reality in to play, but that was her role now. “Gregor, you're still injured… Are you sure about this? Something tells me you only get one chance…” There was nothing dismissive in her tone, but she needed to know he was serious. They would not survive another incident like that last battle he had found himself in.

“And that chance is now,” Gregor said. He spoke quickly and animatedly, using his hands to gesture while he talked. “Latro said they want to leave Gilane, that there is nothing for them here, and I think he’s right. After Daro’Vasora is rescued, we [i]have[/i] to get out of here. All of us. Rourken presented herself as being affable and graceful but we have seen how her administration behaves, the people it employs… she will be vengeful. My injuries are not so bad. The ointment that you made really helped. I could walk around the city with no problem. And have you already forgotten last night?” He smirked, bringing a boyish charm to his eyes. “My strength is back. You know that. You [i]felt[/i] it. And the trembling, well... it goes away when I’m stressed. I think it’s partly in my head and not just my nerves or my muscles.” 

He paused to take a breath. “And I have you. I’ve told you my plans now. I won’t keep things from you again; that was a mistake. With your help and with the situation as advantageous as it’s going to get, being able to plan this ahead of time, I’m confident we have a shot. For your sake… and mine.” 

Gregor’s expression changed and his eyes hardened. “I must have her.” 

She watched his hands dancing around as he spoke and she took them gently into her own, bringing them together slowly as she looked into his eyes. He was getting ahead of himself. “Gregor,” she said slowly, running her lower lip through her teeth anxiously. “Slow down.” She ran her hand over his chest, to his heart. She could feel it beating, racing, as was hers. “I want her dead as much as you,” Raelynn lifted the hand that she was holding to her lips, and tenderly kissed his knuckles, before bringing it down to her lap. [I]He didn't know.[/i]

She took in a deep breath, weighing up whether to tell him - and how, but it was his own words that reminded her that she must. [I]We don't keep things from each other.[/I] She repeated in her head. “I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, I know that, nor would I want to… But if we're going to do this, there's something you must know.” As she spoke, she squeezed his hand in her own. “Gregor, last night you asked me if there was something on my mind, do you remember?” 

That was enough to give him pause. An vague and undefinable sense of fear settled on the edge of his mind, like snowfall, and his look of excitement turned to concern. “Yes, I remember,” he said. “What’s the matter?” His hands, which had been limp in her lap, now grabbed Raelynn’s tightly. 

There would be no need to embellish her story, tell him her theories. There would only be the simple truth of it. “Ever since that night, I…” She squeezed his hand back, taking in another breath. “I have not been able to use any magicka, no restoration… No conjuring. I've tried, but it's as if it's completely gone.” She placed a hand on his cheek, her eyes staring into his, they were darker than ebony and as beautiful as always, there was a comfort in them for her. “I'm at a disadvantage.” As she spoke, she realised that she wasn't telling him no, and that they should not do it. Whatever her situation was, the level of reassurance that lay in his eyes gave her the strength to not let it stop them. 

“I have been reading, there are… ways I can help, but Gregor, without my real skills, this will be far more difficult for you.”

That was a blow, and not just to their plan. Gregor's disability had been visible and obvious and he'd had no idea that that fateful night had damaged Raelynn too. “Mara's mercy, Raelynn,” Gregor said and he felt genuine sorrow for the loss of her magicka. He couldn't imagine having to make do without. “I'm… so sorry. Do you have any idea how to get it back? For such a talented mage to lose their powers… I've never heard of that.” He sighed and took her in his arms, resting his chin on her head. “I had no idea. You've been so strong.”

She closed her eyes as he took her into his arms. She couldn't tell him that this was her punishment. To hear those words would crush him. “At first I thought it was exhaustion, I've had it before. It happened after Calen even. I don't know how conscious you were… But that night I used so much. It wasn't just coming from my hands. It was everywhere… I've never known or experienced it.” She came out from under him, her hands either side of his face.  She felt sick, vulnerable. Now that she had told Gregor it became more real than before. In those milliseconds, everything that had happened in Gilane flashed through her mind. 

“You know what? I'm done Gregor…” Raelynn shook her head, strands of hair falling loose from within a single clip that was holding it all atop her head in a pile. 

A seriousness came over her. Now wasn't the time to think about what she didn't have, what they had lost. [i]It was time to plan.[/i] She swallowed back the feelings of fear over it. “I am beyond done with this place. Whatever should happen, this ends tomorrow. She has tried to devour you and I… ” She pressed her forehead to his and kissed the tip of his nose gently - affectionately, before coming back to his eyes again. “Well tomorrow… Rourken is going to choke on us.” 

[hr]

[i]14th Midyear - early morning[/i]

Raelynn had woken first, the breaking of dawn had stirred her and it was the first golden rays through the window that brought her round from her sleep. She hadn’t slept too well. Creeping anxiety and excitement for the day had kept her awake for most of the night. Gregor was still sleeping. He always looked so peaceful when he was deep in sleep like that. She had found herself pressed against him when she woke up, as if he had pulled her close to him in his own slumber. A powerful arm was wrapped around her waist and he was shirtless, relaxed. Raelynn knew that this would be the last morning they would have like this for a while, and so she allowed herself just a few more minutes to enjoy it as the sun came up.

The Breton quietly hummed a bard’s song and stroked her fingers up and down Gregor’s arm, she could feel the rise and fall of his chest, and feel his soft breaths against the back of her neck. That was enough. She got up from the bed, tucking her covers back down with great care so as not to disturb Gregor any more than she already had. She slipped out of the bedroom barefoot in nothing but a simple robe, she yawned against the back of her hand, feeling the release of tension immediately as she did so. Rhoka was already awake, she could hear the sound of things being cleaned somewhere, Zhaib was in the courtyard sharpening his swords and daggers for the mission later. Her father was likely still asleep.

As she entered the backroom, she plucked up a book that she had left on a sidetable with the page she required folded down on itself. The recipe and instruction for a conjuration potion. There was no time to waste, she had lots to do and only so much time, and so she got to work. 

Meanwhile, Gregor slept like the dead. He did not wake up until the sun had already achieved significant progress in its daily ascent of the sky and even after his consciousness returned to him, he spent longer lounging about in bed than was strictly necessary. That said, he would need his strength tonight and being as well-rested as possible would serve him well. After he finally got dressed and made his way downstairs, Gregor peeked his head around the corner of the entrance to the opulent back room and saw that Raelynn was hard at work. He smiled at the sight and lingered where he was for a few seconds without saying anything before he collected his weapons and made his way outside, to the yard at the back of the house. He did not want to disturb her concentration and his time was better spent making sure that his body was in good condition. 

Exercises, taught to him a distant past by his father, served to limber up Gregor's muscles and release the stiffness that had crept up on him through days of inaction and recovery. He remained in the shadow of the house, avoiding direct sunlight, and made sure to drink copious amounts of water in-between bouts of his strict and intense training regime. The yard had been neatly swept and smoothed over before Gregor began and by the time he was halfway through, he had kicked up so much dust and disturbed the sand so significantly that the yard looked like the site of a street fight. He was breathing heavily and sweating like a boy on his first ever date, but his body felt better than it had in over a week, and while his limbs burned and his core ached, it was satisfying and healthy and Gregor allowed himself a grin as he swung his claymore with such force that it buried itself in the ground and remained upright. Looking up at the cloudless sky informed him that it was far past midday and he figured that a lunch break was in order. 

Having freshened up and toweled himself down before returning to the back room, Gregor knocked politely on the open door to make his presence known. “How goes the work?” he asked. 

She had been so intense in her concentration that she had not heard Gregor get up, practice and ready himself outside, or even speak to her. Her hair was disheveled and there was a layer of sweat across her brow. She was looking down into a bowl with a heavy stare and her lips were pouting out at it. She ran the edge of a copper spoon around the rim, examining the contents rigorously. It was good enough, and so she began to decant it into a glass vial before corking it.

Finally she turned around to the doorway, and was so caught off guard by Gregor that she jumped. “Gregor… You're awake!” She blinked, having finally come up for air she looked to the skylight to see where the sun was, to get some idea of the time. “I… completely lost track of time, but I'm done.” Raelynn picked up a handkerchief from her desk and dabbed at her brow with it, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her eyes widened in horror - she had still not fully dressed. “It must be about past noon by now, how are you feeling?” As she spoke, she ran her hands over the robe as if to smooth it down and appear more presentable, and less like she had spent the entirety of the day so far buried in books and potion-making.

“I feel good, I've been up for hours,” Gregor replied and laughed at the state of her. “Didn't want to disturb your concentration so I went out to the yard and went through my exercises. I feel ready.” 

He walked over to the table where Raelynn was working and looked into the bowl. It didn't look like anything to him, but Gregor had never been an alchemist. The rest of the table was filled with books, potion bottles and assorted scrolls and Gregor raised his eyebrows, impressed with Raelynn's productivity. “What have you made?”

Gregor's laughter caused her face to flush red, and it took some restraint not to scowl at him. She settled for running her fingers through her hair while she waited for the heat in her cheeks to subside.

She ran her eyes over the table, it was messy and chaotic to look at. Chaurus Eggs sat in the middle surrounded by moth and butterfly wings, mountain flowers, clusters, bone meal and ashes. “Regulars… Potions of health, stamina, magicka…” She indicated to them in a neat line arranged by their respective colours. “This one is special though,” she picked up a vial filled with a bluish purple liquid contained inside. “This is for your conjuration… You know,” she gave him a knowing glance, “it's incredibly potent… I made sure of that, it took me a long time to create this one.” She smiled at the bottle, proud of herself. “You're going to enjoy the effects of it,” her eyes glimmered with something sinister only briefly, before she placed the bottle back down on the table. 

Now that was interesting. Gregor had been in dubio whether or not it was wise to use his necromancy during the upcoming attempt on Rourken’s life but it seemed Raelynn had made that decision for him. It made sense; going after the Governor was a huge risk in and of itself and it wasn’t worth the loss of power to keep his true identity hidden from the Dwemer any longer. And there was a large chance that Zaveed had informed his superiors of Gregor’s abilities already, which meant that the secret was probably out either way. 

He looked at Raelynn with a newfound sense of… what, exactly? Gregor had already respected and admired her skills as a healer and the stunt with the Chain Lightning scroll in the warehouse had shown her resourcefulness and the strength of her will. And yet, seeing her devote herself to these preparations with such vigor and cunning raised his esteem of her even more. A smile broke out on his face and he took her hands in his own. “Thank you,” he said softly and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. More did not need to be said. 

She felt different, and couldn’t quite place the feeling, but as her eyes fell upon the fruits of her craft, she felt that their plan - that what they had discussed, would work. “One more thing,” she said, taking her hands back to reach for the last potion. It was in a black vial - the colour of the liquid inside remained unknown. It had been an aesthetic choice to store it in such a macabre looking bottle. “You need to get in - far enough in, while remaining undetected. I think you appreciate panache, so this will get you where you need to go as long as you are [i]quick[/i]. Invisibility.” She turned to look at him, the potion in her hands, her eyes locked onto his. Her stare was serious and voice commanding, “this will get you in undetected but only by sight, so remember to step softly.” 

If she had used this tone of voice with him at any other time Gregor would made a joke about it, but this was serious business and he merely nodded to show that he understood. It was brilliant -- the cacophony of the party’s rescue attempt would mask his footsteps unless he walked right by one of the guards and their numbers would be thinned out by their inevitable reaction to the other intruders. Using invisibility to hide himself from the line of sight of the few guards that might remain at their posts meant that he could be amongst them, coiled and ready to strike, without them having even the slightest clue. 

It was going to work. Gregor knew it. “I had no idea you were this accomplished of an alchemist,” he admitted. The same sinister sparkle that had alighted Raelynn’s eyes now appeared in Gregor’s and he cupped her cheek with his hand, running his thumb along her soft skin. “You are full of surprises.” 

“I've studied it for a long time. Never had cause to really use it, magicka was always enough.” She placed her hand on top of his, “if all goes to plan - we get Daro'Vasora back, we get the group back… And you get the soul of a powerful Dwemer Governess to sacrifice to the Cairn.” It seemed to her, really, that Gregor was about to gain a lot - everyone was set to gain something. She thought of Shakti and Zhaib fighting for Hammerfell, Latro fighting to free his love. “It's all or nothing Gregor. So I'll give you my all.”

Raelynn was right. It seemed like everything was coming to a head tomorrow, for everyone. Gregor hadn’t given Daro’Vasora or the rest of the party much thought. He was so wrapped up in his own goals that it was almost a surprise for him to hear Raelynn mention them like this. “Once again, thank you. I cannot properly express how good it feels and how grateful I am to have your support.” Gregor smiled sheepishly and cleared his throat before changing the topic. They had been quite sappy enough already. “Do you look forward to seeing the others again?”

She thought about it, it had felt like a long time since they had all been together for longer than a night. After today they would once again be travelling together - most likely by foot again. It had made her positively miserable last time. “They are each in their own way entirely obnoxious, and every single one of them annoys me for one reason or another…” Her words were callous, but the smile that danced over her lips betrayed them wholly. “Absolutely not,” she finished with a half-smile. 

That made him laugh. That was good; he could use some levity to manage the tension he felt, wrapped around his guts like a constrictor snake, not quite squeezing, but definitely there. “I should have known. In all honesty, I’ve been rather preoccupied and haven’t thought about it much but now that I have, I feel bad that my last words with Daro’Vasora were of a disagreeable nature. We weren’t exactly [i]arguing,[/i] but it was close.” He looked away for a second, thinking, and ran a hand through his beard. “I wonder if she is more inclined to agree with me now, about the nature of the Dwemer as an enemy, after everything she’s been through.”

“My last words to her were…” she sighed, and placed a hand on her heart, turning back to the table to start clearing the ingredients away one by one. “I wonder if she knows I'm alive. I wonder how much she has been allowed to know, if anything.” She took a cloth and ran it across the surface of the table, wiping away the residue left behind. “If I know Sora, she's probably thinking [i]’fuck the Dwemer, bunch of thundering cockgoblins!’[/i] or… well, you get the idea.” She had tried her best to mimic Sora's voice, but she wasn't much of an impressionist. At least the colourful language was about right.

“Cockgoblins, huh?” Gregor raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. “Look at you, all uncouth like that. I fear that associating with that rabble has been a bad influence on you. Shame. But you’re right. Perhaps the news of Rourken’s death will be of some comfort to her.” 

He smiled and a thought came to him. “How about you go and take a nice, relaxing bath, and after that, since words won’t do the job, I’ll show you just how grateful I am,” he said and took a step closer, looking down into her bright blue eyes, his fingers brushing against her hips. 

She narrowed her eyes and smirked at him, “is that your nicest way of telling me I look terrible and need to clean myself up?” She laughed and her fingers found his, making a note to remember him in this moment. “But alright, this might well be my last chance to take a real bath for the foreseeable future. I'll have Rhoka draw one.” Raelynn pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes to plant a kiss on Gregor's lips softly, humming against them with her chest pressed to his. As she came back down to her height, she gave his fingers a playful squeeze before making her way out of the room. Deliberately wiggling her hips as she went. “Don't go anywhere now…” she purred over her shoulder towards him, her own way of taking in one last look at him standing under the skylight, smiling, bathed in the sunlight. [/indent]