Chapter Text
Teldryn had finally arrived back in Raven Rock, after being dismissed by his patron, for making a mistake he knew he could never fix. He had nearly killed her by staying behind. By her, he meant the dragonborn. He hadn't known why she needed a follower in the first place, but he was glad that she chose him.
He sat down in his usual spot, lost in his thoughts, when someone had approached him. It took him by surprise, to say the least.
"I'd like to hire you." The man said. He was a nord, with brown hair which went to his shoulders, that didn't look brushed. In fact, he didn't look clean at all. You could tell by the stench, and Teldryn was surprised he could smell it through his armor. He couldn't hold back a gas reflex, but tried to muffle the sound. He really wanted to say no, he wanted her to come back, he wanted to follow her again and help her, but he couldn't refuse a customer. Teldryn had figured he could deny giving the Nord service because of the last time he went with a Nord.
"I'm sorry, I'm not available for hire right now." Teldryn had finally managed to say, after being lost in his thought and seeming so rude for not speaking. The Nord uttered an insult that Teldryn couldn't make out, but shrugged it off as the Nord left.
He just kept sitting in his spot, thinking to himself, remembering all the good times he had with his partner, when she thanked him for being there, and for not being a coward, like she was most of the time. He remembered the one time a giant had ambushed her at her house, and she got scared and ran inside to stay safe while he fought. He remembered coming in with a limp, that she couldn't fix with a spell, so she shouted at him with what he thought was unrelenting force, which she told him about a lot, and although it hurt even more, he was able to get back up and she wouldn't stop saying how she was so happy he was okay and how she loved him.
The fact that she so openly stated that she loved him so much always caught him off guard. He never knew if she was kidding or if she was serious, but he was glad she appreciated him. He appreciated her too, because she would take routes he had trouble walking on, so of course, she waited until he caught up so they could continue their journey. She seemed to like his company, so he was really unsure why she dismissed him .
Then he remembered why. It was the most unfortunate timing they've ever had. A giant and a dragon were fighting. He knew that she didn't want to get caught up in it, but she looked at him and gave him the most comforting smile, as if they'd make it out of this without a scratch. He was really nervous. He'd fought off strange creatures, some seemingly invincible, with her. Dragon priests, ash spawn, you name it and they've probably fought it. So why was this a big deal for him? Why couldn't he do this? He froze in fear, completely unable to move, as if he had been paralyzed. He heard battle noises and watched as the dragon fell dead, but the giant was still alive, and hopefully she was too. He swung his giant club and stomped and almost killed her. All Teldryn could do was watch. He was filled with shame and fear, not only because he couldn't fight, but because he was unaware of how she would react. He was snapped back into reality by the giant falling dead, and then she had walked towards him, covered in cuts and bruises, the look of disappointment more than apparent on her face. She dropped her weapon on the ground and looked straight into his eyes. She only said two words, but they struck his heart more than anything. "Go home." She said, in probably the most stern voice he'd ever heard come out of her. He had taken a boat back to Solstheim, and had tried not to cry on the way back.
When he finally snapped back to the present time, the owner had shook him, worry apparent on his face. Teldryn had been there well past 1 am, which was when the place closed. He lost all track of time. When he was finally awake enough, he was told to go home. The way back, his mind was all fogged up, and he couldn't think straight. It was as if all his thoughts had been jumbled together and nothing made sense. Before he knew it, he had arrived at his house, more exhausted than he thought.
He took off his armor and dressed in something more comfortable. He didn't worry about eating, he wasn't hungry. He crawled under his covers and went straight to sleep.