Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Arrow, Bequeath my Heart ❯ Chapter 10
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Oreana Date 
Non Anime: Sonic Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Hentai / Fantasy | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 12.14.2013 | Updated On: 12.14.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 174 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Sonic Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Hentai / Fantasy | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 12.14.2013 | Updated On: 12.14.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 174 | Status: Completed
With Troy doing his best to keep up his magical studies with Sara-Li, Thunderhawk grew more and more impressed and proud of his students. However, in the many months that followed with Troy’s return, it seemed the boy was starting to show off a bit more and put anything Thunderhawk had to actively teach him on the side. It made teaching a nightmare for the jarl after awhile. Watching Troy conjure his lightning wolf with a simple gesture of his hand, Thunderhawk crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the boy send it to attack the practice dummy that was its target. With the magical creature doing as it was ordered to, Troy did his own victory pose for the effort before turning to his teacher with a smirk.
“What about that, old man? Can you conjure such things with your fire or ice powers?” Troy asked, a cocky smirk hooked upon his muzzle.
Sara-Li couldn’t help but blush a bit at Troy’s snarky behavior. Frowning at him, she snapped at the man who was courting her. “Troy!”
Thunderhawk narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at Troy’s words before slowly uncrossing his arms to motion his right hand about in a semi-circle and then raising his hand upward to focus on his own magic. The ground began to slowly spurt embers before becoming active fire and combining together to make a life sized figure made completely of fire and armored with basalt. The creature hummed in content as its soulless eyes empowered only by the fire magic stared straight ahead until the creature took content in spinning slowly in the air that it hovered about.
Seeing the surprise on both their faces, he did his best to relax his expression so as not to come off as boastful in return. “It’s called a Fire Familiar. I’ve yet to master my ice one, but I never truly bothered as this one did just fine for now.”
Sara-Li gazed at the elegant creature in awe, a smile hooking her muzzle shortly after. “It’s beautiful…the way it hovers and moves about, you would think it was dancing.”
The guardian managed a small laugh, his spirits and attitude lifted at Sara-Li’s enjoyment of it. “You think so?” Watching the creation spin about and even glide across the ground a bit in front of him, the guardian started to notice the similarities and laughed gently with a shrug of his shoulders. “I guess it does look like it is dancing.”
Troy huffed at the creation after finding it in him to wipe away the bit of shock that was once there. He knew any comeback he could possibly have in the situation sounded far too uninventive to really use, so he merely bit his tongue.
“Besides, Troy, while what you can do is all well and good, I would like to know if you’ve managed to master that defensive spell I asked you to work on.” Thunderhawk motioned his hand once more, and just like that, the creature sighed and suddenly fell apart and back to the earth. Seeing the boy look away from him, he gently frowned. “Troy, we’ve been through this…this sort of thing is im—.”
“I know it’s important, but it’s only important to you!” Troy snapped angrily, his fists clenched firmly at his side. “I don’t need anything defensive if I can attack and strike down my enemies in one blow!”
“Not everything you come across is going to be an easy ‘strike’, Troy,” Thunderhawk said, disapprovingly. “Besides, what if you went adventuring with someone? Would you really risk their life over the idea that your power will outweigh someone else’s?”
Troy hated it when the jarl tried to act as though he were constantly putting the young teen in his place. His blood boiling, he grit his teeth before gesturing angrily at the elder. “I will do what I want, Thunderhawk! What I do with you in terms of magic study is of my own free will, and since I’ve learned enough as is, I don’t even need your help anymore! I’ve improved without your guidance for a year!”
“You improved with the help of my books and what I taught you from the past!” Thunderhawk snapped back, starting to feel flustered.
“I’ve learned what I need to survive out there! I don’t need your help anymore!” Troy retaliated, his maroon fur prickling with irritation. He was finding it hard to even attend classes anymore as it felt like the guardian was doing everything he could to make Troy feel as though he hadn’t even progressed at all. With a wave of his hand, he grabbed up the books he brought with him from the library and headed out of the room with an angry slam of the door.
The sound of the door shutting gave Thunderhawk some slight relief as he lowered himself down in the nearby chair with a soft sigh of dissatisfaction. His face in his hands, he tried to recollect himself when he felt Sara-Li touch his shoulder. Looking up in her concerned, violet eyes, the old man smiled with a shake of his head. “Forgive me for my outburst,” he apologized, reaching over to grab her hand and hold it tightly. “I just hate to see a student of mine fall so hard after coming so far.”
Sara-Li managed a smile to the elder as she knelt down to get a better look into his eyes. “It’s not your fault. Ever since Troy and I started seeing each other, I’ve noticed he’s become increasingly…agitated.” She looked off to the side with a somber look, which she did her best to replace before eyeing him once more. “Even with me, sometimes…”
Thunderhawk situated himself better in the chair with a concerned smile to her. “How is that going anyways? You’ve been dating for awhile now, and it feels like you two are a perfect match from my point of view. You seem to balance him out pretty well.”
Moving her periwinkle hair from her face a bit, Sara-Li shrugged. It was the best answer she could honestly give. “I thought I loved him…and, I don’t know, maybe I do, but there’s something off about him lately. While it’s sweet, in a weird way, I just feel he tries too hard to impress me, and at the expense of others, no less.” She hated to tell the jarl such a thing. Thunderhawk had been so supportive of the two getting together that he did everything he could to try and put them in situations with one another to encourage their union. Lately, Sara-Li just wasn’t feeling too delighted in the idea.
“Isn’t it every young man’s dream to show off for the woman they love?” said Thunderhawk, gazing up at Sara through his wild, Mohawk bangs.
Hoping her blush at his words were well hidden, she tilted her head to the side with a curious and almost devilish smirk. “You’ve impressed someone before, haven’t you?”
Thunderhawk laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest, lounging in his chair as he thought back on simpler times. “I had to get a wife somehow, my dear. I killed a dragon in front of her.”
Sara-Li couldn’t help but giggle at the idea that any woman would find that romantic. “That sounds…lovely, and very bloody.”
“I know you’re trying to be witty with me, Sara-Li,” Thunderhawk chuckled, cocking his bushy, brown brow at her playfully. “However, it did impress Shazi-Ah enough to have her be my bride.”
“I am surprised you didn’t just offer the heart or something to her,” Sara-Li said teasingly as she lowered herself down beside his chair, as if she were a child eager to listen to him talk about the better days. “So what happened to your wife?”
Thunderhawk intertwined his fingers behind his head as he remained relaxed after the stand off with Troy. “Old age claimed her,” he answered softly, as he inwardly hated he had outlived her. “She meant the world to me, and I hated outliving her, but I know I cannot go just yet even to join even my daughter, who is now with her.”
“Do you even know when you’ll pass on?” Sara-Li had noticed that he seemed to retain the same appearance after the loss of his daughter after all these years. It was as though only emotional impact made him age at all.
The guardian rolled his shoulders with a shrug of his brow. “Whenever the Goddess will have me, I will gladly follow then.” Looking over at the window, he sighed with a stretch. “I shouldn’t keep you, Sara-Li. I am afraid I’ve got nothing else to teach you for the day, and I am sure you don’t want this old man taking up your time.”
Sara-Li rolled her eyes playfully. “I don’t mind talking to you, my Lord.” She hesitated when she raised her hand a bit but eventually placed it on his thigh to rest her cheek there. She could feel the muscles tense slightly, but paid it no mind for the moment as she just wanted to spend time with him. “My parents received word from a friend of ours back home. He said that the man who was taxing us so harshly is possibly going to be removed from power in a year or so…”
Feeling the young maiden there on his leg, the jarl cleared his throat slightly and did his best to relax the muscles in his thigh. He wasn’t expecting her to get that close and personal to him, and with all the eagerness to get him to date his student, he was doing his best to ignore any emotion towards her that could entice such a thing to happen. “Is that so?” He was praying inwardly his voice didn’t sound strained when he said that. “Your father didn’t mention that to me. Are they considering heading back to Marrowind…?”
The young echidna sighed to herself, looking at nothing in particular before shrugging her shoulders. “He’s…talked about it. He hasn’t made it official yet.” Moving her cheek from Thunderhawk’s leg, Sara-Li gazed up at him with a pitiful expression. “I don’t want to move back. I’ve lived here for some time now, and I have grown to like Skyrim, regardless of the dragon problem it has. Besides, you keep us safe. We are protected. We don’t have that back home.”
Thunderhawk’s old brow wrinkled with sadness at the idea of her having to leave as well, causing him to reach down and stroke her head gently. “I would hate for you to leave too, my dear, but I cannot demand your father make you stay. I am sure he considers it for the sake of your brother’s health.”
“Perhaps,” said Sara-Li, as she kept her arms overlapping upon his left thigh. A bit of guilt seemed to wash over her at that moment. “I must admit that I’ve…not told Troy about it. I am worried what he’ll think.”
Thunderhawk lidded his eyes and smiled tenderly down at Sara. “You owe it to him to tell the boy the truth, yes? It would only seem fair to a man you’re courting and vise versa.” Cupping her chin with his fingers, he got Sara-Li to look at him. “I know if the one I loved were going away, I’d rather prepare myself for the worst than the sudden news of it come crashing down upon me.”
Looking into Thunderhawk’s cobalt colored eyes, Sara-Li prayed that the blush across her muzzle wasn’t apparent. She tried to bring herself back to her senses as she grabbed his wrist to pull his hand from her with a small smile. “Thank you, sire.”
“Thunderhawk,” he was quick to correct. “You’ve called me by my royal title enough times today.”
Grabbing onto her dress, Sara-Li moved it out of her way as she took to her feet with a playful shake of her head. “It feels so weird calling the King of Winterhold by his name still. Even when I try to break myself into it slowly, you never let me.”
Thunderhawk smirked, “Nope. I don’t plan on it, young lady.” He winked at her before getting to his feet with a grunt. “But I better head to my royal court to talk about a few things, and you should be heading off to prepare for dinner, I wager.”
“Of course; thank you for the lessons, Thunderhawk.” Sara-Li still bowed respectfully to the ruler before taking her leave of the room.
With the door soon closed behind her, Sara held the books in her arms close to her chest with that blush raging like a wildfire upon her cheeks. What is wrong with me? she thought to herself, gazing over her shoulder back from whence she had come. He’s an old man, but I cannot help but feel such a strong attraction to him—more than anything I feel for Troy. Sara-Li sighed, trying to brush the emotions away from her. Maybe if I find Troy…it will go away…
Sara-Li made her way through the many corridors and areas of the college until finding Troy’s room at last. Opening the door slowly, she peeked inside to see the boy resting there while idly casting. She could tell from his posture and look on his profile that he was still angered. “Troy…?” she called, opening the door a bit further.
The boy sighed as he was quick to release the lightning spell he was tampering with. “Come in.”
Venturing into the room, Sara-Li shut the door behind her before sitting down beside the young lightning mage. “I was checking in on you to see how you were feeling.” Hearing the irritable huff, Sara-Li furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong? Thunderhawk doesn’t do what he does to show off or even make you feel inferior. He’s trying to teach you what he knows, so that you can be as good as him, if not better.”
“Maybe, but to me he always seems so damn condescending,” Troy admitted, resting his arms on either side of his legs. “He makes me feel like I am incapable of handling myself without the use of one single spell when I learned so much on my own! He has verbally admitted that I am a strong lightning mage, and yet he doesn’t show it!”
“We all have to strive to improve, sweetheart,” said Sara-Li kindly. “We can’t just expect to start off great, or feel that what we’ve learned is ‘good enough’.”
Troy grumbled with a roll of his eyes. “Is that why you’ve come here, Sara; to give me a lecture?”
“Not…really,” sighed the young woman as she wondered how to exactly tell him the news. “I came here to tell you that…my parents have been debating heading back to Marrowind because of the taxes probably going down.”
“What!” Troy exclaimed, turning to look at her with a disappointed frown. “Why!”
“My brother’s health may be stabilized thanks to my help, but Winterhold isn’t ideal for him, Troy,” said Sara-Li, having a hard time looking him in the eyes for an extended period. He looked so upset over the idea, but Sara had no say in the matter given her only being seventeen. “If the taxes will be lowered, I know my family will return home.”
“And you won’t fight this!” Troy exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders to get Sara to look at him. “I-I don’t want to lose you…! You keep me sane, Sara-Li, in a world that tries to drive me crazy day in and day out! I love you…!”
Smiling at his words, Sara-Li wanted to agree that she felt the same about him, but it was becoming so hard to feel that way. She hoped that maybe a small lie might do for the time being, but the ‘I love you’ caught in her throat like a portion of her meal she couldn’t swallow completely and threatened to reject her. Upon her opening her mouth to try and say something, she was caught off guard by his lips touching hers. “T-Troy…” she mumbled against the kiss, which soon became a bit more aggressive and unwelcoming. “P-Please don’t…”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his shaggy, white hair nearly falling in his eyes as he tilted his head curiously. “Am I not allowed to love you?” When Sara-Li didn’t answer, Troy moved to her neck to start kissing her there suggestively. “Will you really deny me this when I might lose you forever…?”
Biting her lower lip, she tried to tell herself just to deal with it until she felt Troy trying to work on removing her dress to expose her breasts. A hot, embarrassed blush across her face, she started to struggle against him with a whimper of displeasure. “St-Stop that, Troy…! Please, st-stop…!” Her eyes widened when she felt the forceful grab to her wrists and her back soon on the hard, stone floor. Losing her breath from the impact, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to coax herself into the thought once more given the other alternative there was.
But in her attempts to do so, the images of Thunderhawk flooded her mind and her heart began to squeeze at the idea of losing her purity to a man she no longer felt attached to. Her eyes widened tearfully when she finally found the courage to use her magical light spell to force Troy backwards off of her. “I SAID STOP!” she screamed, grabbing onto her dress, which was torn to the point now that it was having a hard time keeping her decent and her breasts concealed.
Nearly flung across the room, Troy shook his head to recollect himself from the sudden attack. His icy-blue eyes gazed to the woman he loved with a shocked and sorrowful look, which tore at Sara-Li’s heart. “Wh-Why would you do that…! I thought you loved me!” Troy roared angrily, standing to his feet in a defensive pose, which made the young woman quiver.
“I…!” Sara-Li wasn’t even sure what to say or even think at that moment. Keeping her torn dress up a bit to hide her body, she quickly moved to the door only to be grabbed by Troy. “Let me go!” she shrieked, feeling sick to her stomach at this side of her lover she wasn’t used to.
The high priest, Baltheer, had been traveling through the corridor when he heard the arisen voices behind Troy’s bedroom door. Listening to them a bit closer, the old healer reacted quickly and threw open the door in hopes to stop whatever was happening. “What’s going on here!” he demanded to know, his pastel purple eyes glaring harshly at Troy who had Sara-Li’s wrist in a death grip as he straddled her there on the ground.
Surprised by the intrusion, Troy released the tearful Sara and stepped away from the court figure as well as the woman he claimed to care so much for.
Baltheer turned his gaze from the young man to the terrified Sara-Li there on the ground. Kneeling down before her, he helped her to stand with a worried frown. “Are you alright, little dove?”
Sara-Li was crying into her hand she was able to use without it hurting, managing a nod best she could. “I-I’m f-f-fine…” she said through her choking sobs.
Looking to the wrist that Troy had earlier, Baltheer noticed that it appeared red and bruised. “Come,” he whispered tenderly, helping her keep her dress up. “I should look you over just to be sure.” With Sara-Li preoccupied with her sadness, the brown echidna frowned furiously at Troy—an expression, which was hard for him to even show to people unless he was livid. He knew he could threaten the boy or lecture him, but all Baltheer knew was that Sara-Li needed his focus at the moment, so he ignored the idea as he helped her out of the room.
Getting Sara-Li back to his own chambers, the priest gently placed her injured hand on his palm. “Can you move it?” he asked, a bit concerned about the bruising that had formed.
Sara-Li attempted, but flinched in the process with a small whimper with the pain that followed behind her lame attempt. “It really hurts…he grabbed me so hard…”
Baltheer pressed his index and middle finger gently against the wounded area before focusing on his healing magic to work on restoring it back to normal. “I should have that boy reported to the jarl for this sort of action.”
“Please, Baltheer,” Sara-Li begged, her eyes threatening to spill over with more tears. “It-It was just the heat of the moment…he won’t do it again….”
The old priest moved his dark plum colored hair from his eyes for a moment with a shake of his head in disapproval. “He nearly raped you, Sara-Li. I don’t like to talk down on anybody, but that boy has become increasingly problematic for awhile now. Do you really think he’ll stop…?” When Sara threatened to look away from him, he moved his head at a better angle to try and catch her sorrowful eyes once more. “Besides, what he did is unforgiveable. If he truly loved you, he wouldn’t dare do something so horrible.”
She was quiet. What else could she say? It seemed everything was going so well for nearly a year now, and now Sara-Li was struggling with emotions regarding the jarl of Winterhold. It was a big mess, and she wasn’t sure how even the high priest would react if she admitted to him in confidence how she felt about Thunderhawk.
“I know it’s none of my business, dove,” said Baltheer with a furrow of his old brow as he continued to focus on his magic, “but I do not wish to see you injured or worse.” With the warm magic finally done with its job, Baltheer gently moved her fingers a bit. “How does that feel? Any better?”
Sara-Li nodded.
Cautiously, he applied a bit of pressure to her wrist to see if that did anything. “And that?” Baltheer asked.
Sara-Li nodded once more before removing her hand slowly from Baltheer’s.
“I should find you a new dress, Sara, before you go venturing about the grounds,” said Baltheer with a worried frown. His fingers, adorned with many rings, touched under her chin gently to get her to look at him. “Please, all I am asking is that you be careful and consider the idea of telling Lord Thunderhawk what happened.”
She managed a broken smile to the priest with a hesitant nod. “I…I will consider it…” Inwardly, she just wanted him to stop poking her about the idea. She knew Baltheer was concerned, but Sara-Li felt it was her problem and it was her fault for causing Troy to act out the way he did.
When the priest left her in peace, she embraced herself there in the chair with a sigh. “I didn’t mean to upset him,” Sara-Li said softly to herself. “Did I really hurt him that badly…? Troy, I am so sorry…but I don’t know how I can even pretend to love you anymore.” The idea of breaking up with him at that moment terrified her, causing her to dig her nails into her upper arms. If just denying him physical love would cause him to lash out in such a way, what would denying him the entire thing cause him to do? “I’ll just…I can’t...” Resting her forehead on her knees, she cried softly. “I’ll just have to keep pretending…no matter how hard it is…”
“What about that, old man? Can you conjure such things with your fire or ice powers?” Troy asked, a cocky smirk hooked upon his muzzle.
Sara-Li couldn’t help but blush a bit at Troy’s snarky behavior. Frowning at him, she snapped at the man who was courting her. “Troy!”
Thunderhawk narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at Troy’s words before slowly uncrossing his arms to motion his right hand about in a semi-circle and then raising his hand upward to focus on his own magic. The ground began to slowly spurt embers before becoming active fire and combining together to make a life sized figure made completely of fire and armored with basalt. The creature hummed in content as its soulless eyes empowered only by the fire magic stared straight ahead until the creature took content in spinning slowly in the air that it hovered about.
Seeing the surprise on both their faces, he did his best to relax his expression so as not to come off as boastful in return. “It’s called a Fire Familiar. I’ve yet to master my ice one, but I never truly bothered as this one did just fine for now.”
Sara-Li gazed at the elegant creature in awe, a smile hooking her muzzle shortly after. “It’s beautiful…the way it hovers and moves about, you would think it was dancing.”
The guardian managed a small laugh, his spirits and attitude lifted at Sara-Li’s enjoyment of it. “You think so?” Watching the creation spin about and even glide across the ground a bit in front of him, the guardian started to notice the similarities and laughed gently with a shrug of his shoulders. “I guess it does look like it is dancing.”
Troy huffed at the creation after finding it in him to wipe away the bit of shock that was once there. He knew any comeback he could possibly have in the situation sounded far too uninventive to really use, so he merely bit his tongue.
“Besides, Troy, while what you can do is all well and good, I would like to know if you’ve managed to master that defensive spell I asked you to work on.” Thunderhawk motioned his hand once more, and just like that, the creature sighed and suddenly fell apart and back to the earth. Seeing the boy look away from him, he gently frowned. “Troy, we’ve been through this…this sort of thing is im—.”
“I know it’s important, but it’s only important to you!” Troy snapped angrily, his fists clenched firmly at his side. “I don’t need anything defensive if I can attack and strike down my enemies in one blow!”
“Not everything you come across is going to be an easy ‘strike’, Troy,” Thunderhawk said, disapprovingly. “Besides, what if you went adventuring with someone? Would you really risk their life over the idea that your power will outweigh someone else’s?”
Troy hated it when the jarl tried to act as though he were constantly putting the young teen in his place. His blood boiling, he grit his teeth before gesturing angrily at the elder. “I will do what I want, Thunderhawk! What I do with you in terms of magic study is of my own free will, and since I’ve learned enough as is, I don’t even need your help anymore! I’ve improved without your guidance for a year!”
“You improved with the help of my books and what I taught you from the past!” Thunderhawk snapped back, starting to feel flustered.
“I’ve learned what I need to survive out there! I don’t need your help anymore!” Troy retaliated, his maroon fur prickling with irritation. He was finding it hard to even attend classes anymore as it felt like the guardian was doing everything he could to make Troy feel as though he hadn’t even progressed at all. With a wave of his hand, he grabbed up the books he brought with him from the library and headed out of the room with an angry slam of the door.
The sound of the door shutting gave Thunderhawk some slight relief as he lowered himself down in the nearby chair with a soft sigh of dissatisfaction. His face in his hands, he tried to recollect himself when he felt Sara-Li touch his shoulder. Looking up in her concerned, violet eyes, the old man smiled with a shake of his head. “Forgive me for my outburst,” he apologized, reaching over to grab her hand and hold it tightly. “I just hate to see a student of mine fall so hard after coming so far.”
Sara-Li managed a smile to the elder as she knelt down to get a better look into his eyes. “It’s not your fault. Ever since Troy and I started seeing each other, I’ve noticed he’s become increasingly…agitated.” She looked off to the side with a somber look, which she did her best to replace before eyeing him once more. “Even with me, sometimes…”
Thunderhawk situated himself better in the chair with a concerned smile to her. “How is that going anyways? You’ve been dating for awhile now, and it feels like you two are a perfect match from my point of view. You seem to balance him out pretty well.”
Moving her periwinkle hair from her face a bit, Sara-Li shrugged. It was the best answer she could honestly give. “I thought I loved him…and, I don’t know, maybe I do, but there’s something off about him lately. While it’s sweet, in a weird way, I just feel he tries too hard to impress me, and at the expense of others, no less.” She hated to tell the jarl such a thing. Thunderhawk had been so supportive of the two getting together that he did everything he could to try and put them in situations with one another to encourage their union. Lately, Sara-Li just wasn’t feeling too delighted in the idea.
“Isn’t it every young man’s dream to show off for the woman they love?” said Thunderhawk, gazing up at Sara through his wild, Mohawk bangs.
Hoping her blush at his words were well hidden, she tilted her head to the side with a curious and almost devilish smirk. “You’ve impressed someone before, haven’t you?”
Thunderhawk laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest, lounging in his chair as he thought back on simpler times. “I had to get a wife somehow, my dear. I killed a dragon in front of her.”
Sara-Li couldn’t help but giggle at the idea that any woman would find that romantic. “That sounds…lovely, and very bloody.”
“I know you’re trying to be witty with me, Sara-Li,” Thunderhawk chuckled, cocking his bushy, brown brow at her playfully. “However, it did impress Shazi-Ah enough to have her be my bride.”
“I am surprised you didn’t just offer the heart or something to her,” Sara-Li said teasingly as she lowered herself down beside his chair, as if she were a child eager to listen to him talk about the better days. “So what happened to your wife?”
Thunderhawk intertwined his fingers behind his head as he remained relaxed after the stand off with Troy. “Old age claimed her,” he answered softly, as he inwardly hated he had outlived her. “She meant the world to me, and I hated outliving her, but I know I cannot go just yet even to join even my daughter, who is now with her.”
“Do you even know when you’ll pass on?” Sara-Li had noticed that he seemed to retain the same appearance after the loss of his daughter after all these years. It was as though only emotional impact made him age at all.
The guardian rolled his shoulders with a shrug of his brow. “Whenever the Goddess will have me, I will gladly follow then.” Looking over at the window, he sighed with a stretch. “I shouldn’t keep you, Sara-Li. I am afraid I’ve got nothing else to teach you for the day, and I am sure you don’t want this old man taking up your time.”
Sara-Li rolled her eyes playfully. “I don’t mind talking to you, my Lord.” She hesitated when she raised her hand a bit but eventually placed it on his thigh to rest her cheek there. She could feel the muscles tense slightly, but paid it no mind for the moment as she just wanted to spend time with him. “My parents received word from a friend of ours back home. He said that the man who was taxing us so harshly is possibly going to be removed from power in a year or so…”
Feeling the young maiden there on his leg, the jarl cleared his throat slightly and did his best to relax the muscles in his thigh. He wasn’t expecting her to get that close and personal to him, and with all the eagerness to get him to date his student, he was doing his best to ignore any emotion towards her that could entice such a thing to happen. “Is that so?” He was praying inwardly his voice didn’t sound strained when he said that. “Your father didn’t mention that to me. Are they considering heading back to Marrowind…?”
The young echidna sighed to herself, looking at nothing in particular before shrugging her shoulders. “He’s…talked about it. He hasn’t made it official yet.” Moving her cheek from Thunderhawk’s leg, Sara-Li gazed up at him with a pitiful expression. “I don’t want to move back. I’ve lived here for some time now, and I have grown to like Skyrim, regardless of the dragon problem it has. Besides, you keep us safe. We are protected. We don’t have that back home.”
Thunderhawk’s old brow wrinkled with sadness at the idea of her having to leave as well, causing him to reach down and stroke her head gently. “I would hate for you to leave too, my dear, but I cannot demand your father make you stay. I am sure he considers it for the sake of your brother’s health.”
“Perhaps,” said Sara-Li, as she kept her arms overlapping upon his left thigh. A bit of guilt seemed to wash over her at that moment. “I must admit that I’ve…not told Troy about it. I am worried what he’ll think.”
Thunderhawk lidded his eyes and smiled tenderly down at Sara. “You owe it to him to tell the boy the truth, yes? It would only seem fair to a man you’re courting and vise versa.” Cupping her chin with his fingers, he got Sara-Li to look at him. “I know if the one I loved were going away, I’d rather prepare myself for the worst than the sudden news of it come crashing down upon me.”
Looking into Thunderhawk’s cobalt colored eyes, Sara-Li prayed that the blush across her muzzle wasn’t apparent. She tried to bring herself back to her senses as she grabbed his wrist to pull his hand from her with a small smile. “Thank you, sire.”
“Thunderhawk,” he was quick to correct. “You’ve called me by my royal title enough times today.”
Grabbing onto her dress, Sara-Li moved it out of her way as she took to her feet with a playful shake of her head. “It feels so weird calling the King of Winterhold by his name still. Even when I try to break myself into it slowly, you never let me.”
Thunderhawk smirked, “Nope. I don’t plan on it, young lady.” He winked at her before getting to his feet with a grunt. “But I better head to my royal court to talk about a few things, and you should be heading off to prepare for dinner, I wager.”
“Of course; thank you for the lessons, Thunderhawk.” Sara-Li still bowed respectfully to the ruler before taking her leave of the room.
With the door soon closed behind her, Sara held the books in her arms close to her chest with that blush raging like a wildfire upon her cheeks. What is wrong with me? she thought to herself, gazing over her shoulder back from whence she had come. He’s an old man, but I cannot help but feel such a strong attraction to him—more than anything I feel for Troy. Sara-Li sighed, trying to brush the emotions away from her. Maybe if I find Troy…it will go away…
Sara-Li made her way through the many corridors and areas of the college until finding Troy’s room at last. Opening the door slowly, she peeked inside to see the boy resting there while idly casting. She could tell from his posture and look on his profile that he was still angered. “Troy…?” she called, opening the door a bit further.
The boy sighed as he was quick to release the lightning spell he was tampering with. “Come in.”
Venturing into the room, Sara-Li shut the door behind her before sitting down beside the young lightning mage. “I was checking in on you to see how you were feeling.” Hearing the irritable huff, Sara-Li furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong? Thunderhawk doesn’t do what he does to show off or even make you feel inferior. He’s trying to teach you what he knows, so that you can be as good as him, if not better.”
“Maybe, but to me he always seems so damn condescending,” Troy admitted, resting his arms on either side of his legs. “He makes me feel like I am incapable of handling myself without the use of one single spell when I learned so much on my own! He has verbally admitted that I am a strong lightning mage, and yet he doesn’t show it!”
“We all have to strive to improve, sweetheart,” said Sara-Li kindly. “We can’t just expect to start off great, or feel that what we’ve learned is ‘good enough’.”
Troy grumbled with a roll of his eyes. “Is that why you’ve come here, Sara; to give me a lecture?”
“Not…really,” sighed the young woman as she wondered how to exactly tell him the news. “I came here to tell you that…my parents have been debating heading back to Marrowind because of the taxes probably going down.”
“What!” Troy exclaimed, turning to look at her with a disappointed frown. “Why!”
“My brother’s health may be stabilized thanks to my help, but Winterhold isn’t ideal for him, Troy,” said Sara-Li, having a hard time looking him in the eyes for an extended period. He looked so upset over the idea, but Sara had no say in the matter given her only being seventeen. “If the taxes will be lowered, I know my family will return home.”
“And you won’t fight this!” Troy exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders to get Sara to look at him. “I-I don’t want to lose you…! You keep me sane, Sara-Li, in a world that tries to drive me crazy day in and day out! I love you…!”
Smiling at his words, Sara-Li wanted to agree that she felt the same about him, but it was becoming so hard to feel that way. She hoped that maybe a small lie might do for the time being, but the ‘I love you’ caught in her throat like a portion of her meal she couldn’t swallow completely and threatened to reject her. Upon her opening her mouth to try and say something, she was caught off guard by his lips touching hers. “T-Troy…” she mumbled against the kiss, which soon became a bit more aggressive and unwelcoming. “P-Please don’t…”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his shaggy, white hair nearly falling in his eyes as he tilted his head curiously. “Am I not allowed to love you?” When Sara-Li didn’t answer, Troy moved to her neck to start kissing her there suggestively. “Will you really deny me this when I might lose you forever…?”
Biting her lower lip, she tried to tell herself just to deal with it until she felt Troy trying to work on removing her dress to expose her breasts. A hot, embarrassed blush across her face, she started to struggle against him with a whimper of displeasure. “St-Stop that, Troy…! Please, st-stop…!” Her eyes widened when she felt the forceful grab to her wrists and her back soon on the hard, stone floor. Losing her breath from the impact, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to coax herself into the thought once more given the other alternative there was.
But in her attempts to do so, the images of Thunderhawk flooded her mind and her heart began to squeeze at the idea of losing her purity to a man she no longer felt attached to. Her eyes widened tearfully when she finally found the courage to use her magical light spell to force Troy backwards off of her. “I SAID STOP!” she screamed, grabbing onto her dress, which was torn to the point now that it was having a hard time keeping her decent and her breasts concealed.
Nearly flung across the room, Troy shook his head to recollect himself from the sudden attack. His icy-blue eyes gazed to the woman he loved with a shocked and sorrowful look, which tore at Sara-Li’s heart. “Wh-Why would you do that…! I thought you loved me!” Troy roared angrily, standing to his feet in a defensive pose, which made the young woman quiver.
“I…!” Sara-Li wasn’t even sure what to say or even think at that moment. Keeping her torn dress up a bit to hide her body, she quickly moved to the door only to be grabbed by Troy. “Let me go!” she shrieked, feeling sick to her stomach at this side of her lover she wasn’t used to.
The high priest, Baltheer, had been traveling through the corridor when he heard the arisen voices behind Troy’s bedroom door. Listening to them a bit closer, the old healer reacted quickly and threw open the door in hopes to stop whatever was happening. “What’s going on here!” he demanded to know, his pastel purple eyes glaring harshly at Troy who had Sara-Li’s wrist in a death grip as he straddled her there on the ground.
Surprised by the intrusion, Troy released the tearful Sara and stepped away from the court figure as well as the woman he claimed to care so much for.
Baltheer turned his gaze from the young man to the terrified Sara-Li there on the ground. Kneeling down before her, he helped her to stand with a worried frown. “Are you alright, little dove?”
Sara-Li was crying into her hand she was able to use without it hurting, managing a nod best she could. “I-I’m f-f-fine…” she said through her choking sobs.
Looking to the wrist that Troy had earlier, Baltheer noticed that it appeared red and bruised. “Come,” he whispered tenderly, helping her keep her dress up. “I should look you over just to be sure.” With Sara-Li preoccupied with her sadness, the brown echidna frowned furiously at Troy—an expression, which was hard for him to even show to people unless he was livid. He knew he could threaten the boy or lecture him, but all Baltheer knew was that Sara-Li needed his focus at the moment, so he ignored the idea as he helped her out of the room.
Getting Sara-Li back to his own chambers, the priest gently placed her injured hand on his palm. “Can you move it?” he asked, a bit concerned about the bruising that had formed.
Sara-Li attempted, but flinched in the process with a small whimper with the pain that followed behind her lame attempt. “It really hurts…he grabbed me so hard…”
Baltheer pressed his index and middle finger gently against the wounded area before focusing on his healing magic to work on restoring it back to normal. “I should have that boy reported to the jarl for this sort of action.”
“Please, Baltheer,” Sara-Li begged, her eyes threatening to spill over with more tears. “It-It was just the heat of the moment…he won’t do it again….”
The old priest moved his dark plum colored hair from his eyes for a moment with a shake of his head in disapproval. “He nearly raped you, Sara-Li. I don’t like to talk down on anybody, but that boy has become increasingly problematic for awhile now. Do you really think he’ll stop…?” When Sara threatened to look away from him, he moved his head at a better angle to try and catch her sorrowful eyes once more. “Besides, what he did is unforgiveable. If he truly loved you, he wouldn’t dare do something so horrible.”
She was quiet. What else could she say? It seemed everything was going so well for nearly a year now, and now Sara-Li was struggling with emotions regarding the jarl of Winterhold. It was a big mess, and she wasn’t sure how even the high priest would react if she admitted to him in confidence how she felt about Thunderhawk.
“I know it’s none of my business, dove,” said Baltheer with a furrow of his old brow as he continued to focus on his magic, “but I do not wish to see you injured or worse.” With the warm magic finally done with its job, Baltheer gently moved her fingers a bit. “How does that feel? Any better?”
Sara-Li nodded.
Cautiously, he applied a bit of pressure to her wrist to see if that did anything. “And that?” Baltheer asked.
Sara-Li nodded once more before removing her hand slowly from Baltheer’s.
“I should find you a new dress, Sara, before you go venturing about the grounds,” said Baltheer with a worried frown. His fingers, adorned with many rings, touched under her chin gently to get her to look at him. “Please, all I am asking is that you be careful and consider the idea of telling Lord Thunderhawk what happened.”
She managed a broken smile to the priest with a hesitant nod. “I…I will consider it…” Inwardly, she just wanted him to stop poking her about the idea. She knew Baltheer was concerned, but Sara-Li felt it was her problem and it was her fault for causing Troy to act out the way he did.
When the priest left her in peace, she embraced herself there in the chair with a sigh. “I didn’t mean to upset him,” Sara-Li said softly to herself. “Did I really hurt him that badly…? Troy, I am so sorry…but I don’t know how I can even pretend to love you anymore.” The idea of breaking up with him at that moment terrified her, causing her to dig her nails into her upper arms. If just denying him physical love would cause him to lash out in such a way, what would denying him the entire thing cause him to do? “I’ll just…I can’t...” Resting her forehead on her knees, she cried softly. “I’ll just have to keep pretending…no matter how hard it is…”