“Is it midday already? How long have I slept?” – Hauk was crawling out of a low tent in the Hidden Camp. “Is this Sedor?” – he pointed at an Ayleid ruin nearby. “I feel like I drank too much last night… The dreams I had – you wouldn’t believe!”

He sat by the fire with Lena and Jowan, stretching.

“Careful with that” – Lena touched his side. “It hasn’t properly healed yet.”

“Whaa–?” – Hauk looked at her suspiciously.

“Some of those dreams…” – Jowan started cautiously – “they were not all dreams, I think.”

Hauk stared at them.

“Ok, stop beating about the bush and tell me what happened.”

“You… died” – said Lena. “I had to repair your heart – it was pierced – so be careful with that scar in your side.”

“Riiiight…” – Hauk touched the scar. “Yes, I see. This explains Sovngarde. Except… they didn’t let me in. Said someone wanted me back… They’d let me in if that person stopped searching.”

Lena turned bright red.

“I am sorry, it wasn’t easy… It took me such a long time… And I did stop… once” – she looked at Hauk apologetically. “I couldn’t have done it without Yen.”

It was Hauk’s turn to go bright red.

“You went after me..?”

Now Jowan was getting hot under the collar.

“Stop it, both of you!” – he jumped up. “It was all my fault, I opened the portal! Sacrificed two bandits to do it, too! Sithis will be pleased now.”

“What?” – Lena and Hauk said in unison, staring at him.

“The more I do it, the closer he gets” – said Jowan, sitting down. “It’s not that I do it a lot… But I had to this time!”

They sat in silence for a while, letting it all sink in. Just what each of them was willing to do for the others, including Hauk of course – he died, remember?

“Well…” – Lena took their hands. “I think that makes us friends.”

…

“Do you want to spend another night here?” – asked Hauk, getting up. “Or shall we get going?”

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” – asked Lena, looking uncertain.

“I didn’t say let’s go fight some more bandits” – he winked. “I was thinking more along the lines of following the road to a town – Bruma or Cheydinhal – and spending the next night at an inn.”

“I wouldn’t say no to a bed inside a house” – seconded Jowan. “And I’ve never been to Bruma.”

“Bruma it is then” – Lena got up too.

The road to Bruma was remarkably devoid of fights, not counting a few wolves. The views were magnificent and the fresh mountain air did everyone a lot of good. They reached Bruma in the early evening.

“Jerall View Inn, I think” – Hauk looked at Lena and Jowan. “They’ve got better beds.”

“And food” – added Lena. “Unless you wanted to go drinking at Olav’s first?”

“Drinks first” – said Jowan decisively. “Then eat and sleep” – he gave them a wide grin.

…

“Iver!” – a tall Altmer girl ran up to Hauk and squeezed him in an embrace, kissing him before he could say anything (he didn’t try). “Where have you been? It’s been ages!”

“Ummm…” – Hauk’s attempt at replying got swallowed in another kiss.

Lena and Jowan were watching with amusement, as well as the rest of the clientele at Olav’s.

“Ahem” – Olav touched the girl on the shoulder. “Camia? That’s not Iver.”

Camia jumped back as if she got burned.

“What?! How?”

She was shifting her gaze from Hauk to Olav and back, Hauk looked perplexed but otherwise rather pleased with himself. Olav cleared his throat again.

“This is Hauk, Iver’s twin brother.”

Camia went so red, it couldn’t be healthy.

“Here – sit down” – Olav pushed a chair towards her. “They look completely alike, so don’t blame yourself for the confusion.”

“I am very pleased to make your acquaintance” – said Hauk. “And to find out that my brother has such a charming friend.”

“Oh I’m so sorry” – Camia found her voice. “Gods know what you must think of me!” She went red again.

“I wouldn’t worry” – said Lena. “Hauk gets it all the time.”

The look of outrage on Hauk’s face was enough to diffuse the situation. Everyone laughed.

…

“…and then he zapped that ogre with such a force, that it just fell over and died!” – Camia was telling the story of how she met Iver. Apparently, he saved her from some ogres out in the wilderness.

“Yeah, that sounds about right” – confirmed Hauk. “Iver was always good with his shock spells. But if I may – what were you two doing there in the first place?”

“Hauk!” – Lena protested. “What kind of a personal question is that? Ignore him, Camia.”

“Well, we were looking for rubies, of course” – said Camia as if it was self-explanatory. “In the Red Ruby Cave? To bind Fire Atronachs with long term binding” – she explained seeing that it wasn’t in fact self-explanatory. “I’m from the College of Winterhold. I met Iver here in Bruma – the Mages Guild kindly sent a battlemage to help – that was Iver.”

“And did you find any rubies?” – asked Lena knowing that the answer would be “no”. Cave names were never so obvious.

“No, strangely enough, we didn’t” – said Camia, still surprised by it. “Just the ogres.” She looked at them all and didn’t see any of them surprised. “Say, you look like you know your way around caves…”

“Err… rubies are rare…” – Lena started.

“If we find any, we’ll be sure to save them for you” – interrupted Hauk. “I’ll have Iver bring them over to you in Winterhold. A trip will do him good.”

Camia blushed but accepted the offer with thanks.

…

“So what are you going to do about the rubies?” – asked Lena when they were on their way to the Jerall View Inn for the night.

“I have a few at home” – winked Hauk. “From Skyrim, in fact. They are a lot more common there, but Camia didn’t seem to know that. Iver needs to go see her, or else he’ll be fit to join a monastery soon.”

Did anyone think that Bruma was the city of romance? No? Then they should reconsider.