The mountainside was far greener this time of the year than Cosnach could have recalled. There was surprisingly little gray around, as the little stone that wasn't covered in moss seemed to wear veils of droopy vines hanging from their steep cliffs. The breeze from the snowy peaks brought the souvenir of a slight chill. Several different types of mountain flowers blossomed stubbornly from nearly every little nook and cranny of rugged stone. Butterflies raced from one one batch of flowers to the other, the bright colors of their wings reflecting the sun rays ever so slightly in a way that dyed the world a brilliant hue. The beauty of it all left Cosnach's mouth slightly agape – contrary to popular belief it was not just the exhaustion of the hike getting to him. And it wasn't just the nature catching his attention either.

Rava's stamina had clearly been honed to perfection by her travels, as she had no difficulty climbing up the hill North from Markarth. Cosnach had mentioned a path leading there as they had left town, but the Khajit appeared to have no patience for man-made luxuries. Her muscular legs carried her weight effortlessly. There was an odd air of rough elegance surrounding her – she was clearly in her element breathing the brisk mountain air. Every now and then her ear would twitch ever so slightly and only seconds after Cosnach would see a bird or another critter run out from the bushes and back into hiding. To his surprise, despite coming all the way here to hunt, Rava never stopped at the sight of these critters and kept moving forth. Her goal, he guessed, was something greater than a mere rabbit or a pheasant.

Having reached the top of the hillside, Rava let out a satisfied sigh and turned around to give a glance to her companion. A small smirk made its way on her lips as she eyed the beads of sweat on the blond man's brow. Cosnach didn't care about the slight mockery of her gaze in his exhaustion and took a deep breath, falling to his knees for a brief moment to catch his breath.

"When has this one last gone out properly?"

"Can't even remember", Cosnach laughed out and wiped his forehead with the back of his palm. "That's sure some muscle you got there. Remind me what you need me here for?"

"Like Rava said", she purred, kneeling to match Cosnach's level and patting his shoulder. "Company."

"Some company I am. Can't even keep up a conversation since I get out of breath."

"Perhaps Rava likes the sound of this one out of breath."

Such an obvious flirty comment coming out so nonchalantly caught Cosnach completely off guard. The Breton froze still for a lingering moment before grinning to himself a little. What did it even matter if the Khajit was just messing with him or not? He certainly didn't mind her having a sense of humor.

"Then congrats. You're gonna be seein' plenty of that."

He felt the ice blue tingling on the top of his head and for a moment, felt a temptation to lift his eyes and meet that dazzling blue. Yet before he got a chance, Rava chuckled and patted his head, lifting herself back to her feet.

"Coming?"

Their hike carried on in silence for the most part. Cosnach happily used the opportunity to stay a little behind and let his eyes roam free on the preoccupied huntress. He felt a tinge of bitterness over the fact that Rava's cape seemed to hide not only her legs from his sight but also her tail. He'd been curious about it for a while now, since despite not seeing the tail itself, he could occasionally see the form of one twitching under the light fabric. Had he been the least bit drunk he might have straight up asked to see it, but as things were he just waited for a chance to see a glimpse.

'Is it so damn weird? I've just never seen a Khajit before, that's all', he told himself and bit his lip a little, eyes stopping at where he knew her hips were, were they not hidden by the cape. '...that doesn't explain my cravings for seeing her thighs, though. Damn.'

He shook his head to himself and let out a little sigh. Aside from Moira, Markarth didn't feel like it had any particularly dashing women within its walls – and that specific lady had been rather direct about her lack of interest.

It couldn't have been offensive to be this curious, could it?

Before Cosnach's unspoken question got any answers, however, Rava stopped on her heels making her lost in thought companion bump into her in the process. Cosnach quickly mumbled an apology and backed away a couple steps.

"What is it?"

He got his answer this time by just looking up. They had reached a cliffside with a lone tree and a juniper bush stood around a formation of rocks, right at the edge of the cliff. A small stream ran down from the cliff on the left, the water sparkling in the sunlight, clear as diamonds. The stones were arranged into a half circle with a single stone with a hole through it as the centerpiece. This special stone was framed by two taller stones that almost looked as if they were bending slightly towards it, bowing down at it. The rock surface was worn by time, yet old carvings could faintly be made out on them if you were to approach. Rava seemed to tilt her head as she eyed the stones up and down.

"Rava did not know there was a standing stone here."

"It's the Lover Stone", Cosnach responded with a slightly victorious smirk. At least he had some information to impress the huntress with. "Dunno why they put it here, to be frank. Might have a story behind it."

"Perhaps."

The silence lingered between them as Rava slowly approached the stones, trailing her gloved fingers across the carvings with curiosity. After a while she stopped to look over at the scenery ahead, past the edge of the cliffs. As the sun shone, you could see the mountains at the other side of the river rather clearly. The trees, the moss-covered cliffs, the silhouettes of some old abandoned ruins ahead. A light gust of wind blew through the cliffside and tore lightly at Rava's cape in its wake. The woman smiled and took a deep breath, clearly enjoying the fresh air to the fullest.

"Maybe it is because the view fits."

Her words were quiet and Cosnach could barely hear them. Yet as soon as he opened his mouth to ask about it, the Khajit turned around to face him with a playful grin.

"What stars was Breton born under?"

The curiosity on Cosnach's face melted into awkwardness. He blew air out of his mouth in a huff, scratching the back of his neck.

"...like my birthsign?"

"Yes?"

"...The Lady, I think. Can't recall. Nobody ever asks these things."

Instead of a chuckle, much to his surprise, Cosnach received an approving nod in response.

"It is said those born under The Lady are kind and tolerant", Rava said with a meaningful look in her eyes. "Rava thinks it fits."

Cosnach shook his head.

"Doesn't exactly make me swell with pride, y'know? Would sound way more cool to say... I dunno, The Steed?"

The Khajit bursted into laughter.

"R-Rava..:",she stammered in between breaths and chuckles. "Rava can't imagine why."

"What? Do they say ones under The Steed have a huge-"

"No, no!" the Khajit immediately interrupted, picking up a stick from the ground and throwing it at the man as a signal to shut his mouth. "...well, uh. It is said that they do have good stamina... but Rava has yet to see Cosnach having any."

"Maybe I'm sparing it for something more interesting than hiking."

There was a slight sense of frustration in the fact that Cosnach knew he couldn't read the Khajit's emotions quite as well as he could humans. There was no blush to indicate fluster, so he made a calculated guess over the slight twitch that Rava's ear did. She had to be a little flustered at least, despite how she shook her head in amusement to hide it.

"Well then, lover boy", she chuckled and walked past Cosnach with a sligth bounce to her steps. "Let us get going. Rava would like to hunt."

"You didn't tell me your birthsign."

The huntress froze in the spot for a brief moment before looking at the Breton from over her shoulder, a slightly smug grin on her black face.

"The Lord."

"So... what, are you a noble or something?"

Rava shook her head.

"Rava just enjoys being... in control."

"Maybe this cat just needs some taming", Cosnach nearly whispered in a low voice, a teasing smirk spread on his lips.

There was another twitch of Rava's ear and a slight moment of tenseness to her relaxed posture. She seemed to roll her eyes.

"Breton is welcome to try", she then replied, her voice barely audible, almost getting lost in the breeze that blew through the mountainside.

The rest of the day was spent hiking and chattering away between short pauses for Cosnach to catch his breath. It took quite some time before they found a prey that Rava deemed worthy – an elk with huge horns crowning its head. It was a majestic sight bowing its head down to feed on the grass atop a small hill. Rava already spotted the animal from war away and pointed it out to Cosnach, quickly signaling for him to stay quiet.

"Can Breton sneak?" she whispered, never once taking her eyes off the elk. Cosnach hesitated for a moment. He knew he was a hopeless klutz but the thought of admitting that to Rava felt like a cold shower. She had already beaten him in both fighting and hiking. There had to be at least something he was better at. And with that, he nodded. Only took a few seconds for him to regret it as he soon watched Rava lowering her body and crouching down, almost merging with the shadows of the nearby rocks.

With a couple quick curses murmured to himself, Cosnach sighed and went after her, following her example of sticking close to the rocks. Much to his amazement everything went rather well. He kept mimicking Rava's footsteps to the best of his ability, following the shadows and slowly approaching the hill. He could already feel a bit of pride swelling in his chest and grinned a little. Maybe he wasn't that bad after all. Yet as soon as they were only a rock throw away from the elk, Rava stopped to get her bow from her back.

And in that very moment, Cosnach tripped on a rock.

Startled by the noise, the elk's eyes darted towards the two. A mere two second glance and it sprinted. Rava growled a hasty curse and prepared her bow in a blur of speed, managing to shoot a single green-tipped glass arrow towards the horned creature. The arrow hit its mark but not quite where Rava had hoped. Instead of the chest or neck, it hit its rear.

And it kept running.

The icy blue had never so far felt as piercingly cold as it did right then on Cosnach's skin. The man shivered and gave the Khajit an awkward, apologetic smile.

"S-sorry", he laughed out. "I lost my footing for a-"

Yet before he could even finished, Rava had turned around and ran after the animal. Her footsteps quickly grew distant as she disappeared behind the rocks, out of sight. Cosnach let out a frustrated sigh and slapped his face with his palm.

"Great job there Cosnach, ol' pal", he muttered and slumped his back against a stone, eyes looking up to the skies as if hoping for the Divines to fix his little mistake.

"Now the gal hates you, I bet."

He sat there for quite some time contemplating whether he should go after the Khajit or stay behind and wait for her return. The latter sounded more plausible, as he would most likely just make a mess of her hunting again if he tried to find her. He definitely didn't want to be stabbed with those icy daggers of her glares again. Cosnach groaned and hit the back of his head against the stone, not hard enough to really hurt but roughly enough to feel the impact.

"Should have brought a bottle of mead with me or something", he cursed to himself and watched the fluffy, white clouds drift over the high mountain peaks ahead. He could faintly see the shade of an eagle soaring overhead and couldn't help but smirk to himself.

"You look like the gal a bit. Graceful. And a lil' bit fearsome."

Time kept passing and Cosnach noticed the shadows shifting and growing longer. There was a chill in the air and it chewed on his bare upper body. Cosnach wrapped his arms around himself for warmed and made a face in annoyance. The wait was growing tiresome. He had enough of waiting back in the city every day. He didn't come here to just be left alone with his thoughts once more.

"...why did she even ask me to come along? She didn't ask me if I can hunt or not. It's her own fault for not thinking it through. She should have known I might screw it up."

Yet he remained still and kept waiting for a while longer.

By the time Cosnach finally stood up and started walking, the colorful daytime butterflies had already hidden away in preparation for the night. The blossoming summer eve was filled with the sound of birds singing their sonets to the upcoming twilight. Much like the birds, Cosnach was now searching for his companion as well. Though not quite for the same purpose. The chill left him in a slightly irritated moon as he strolled through the mountainside, looking around feverishly for a glimpse of the black clad Khajit. Though, even with the irritation, the feeling that conquered his brain was not, in fact, frustration.

It was worry.

He couldn't bring himself to call out her name in fear of bandits and forsworn. He knew both were told to roam a lot around the area, so he didn't want to take the risk of getting an arrow to his gut. Not to mention with the sunset approaching all kinds of animals must have been roaming out and about as well. Instead he kept his eyes occupied, looking desperately for any sign of Rava. The sounds of the dusk were growing more and more faint by the minute and the shadows grew larger and larger. The growing darkness increased his stumbling as he hurried his steps and he found himself almost tripping over more than once. His scraped knees did little to bother him, however. In his mind, Cosnach was already starting to panic. Rava was no longer really his main concern, but his own safety instead.

And in his panic, he noticed the first fresh bloodstain on the ground.

It was on a small dirt path that seemed to be leading to a now mist-covered, small pond downhill. In the last rays of the sun, the blood looked almost black and it took a moment for Cosnach to register it as what it was. His heart sunk a little at the realization. What if Rava had gotten into trouble? Maybe she'd been ambushed by the forsworn? The Breton glanced around and listened carefully for the sounds around the area. Nothing. He took a deep, steadying breath and hesitantly called out:

"Rava?"

No answer. Instead his eyes spotted a trail of blood near the first stain, covering the blades of grass near the left hilltop surrounding the path to the pond, going behind a larger rock.

It was no longer just the chill of the night making him shiver.

"...Rava?"

He wasn't sure whether it was stupidity, morbid curiosity or increasing worry urging him to follow the trail but nevertheless, he ventured forth. He kept his footsteps as light as he could muster in case there was danger ahead, yet knowing full well that if there was, he'd be screwed either way. It's not like he had any means of defending himself. And it's not like walking quietly would have been of much use anyway, as Cosnach was certain that the mere sound of his heartbeat was loud enough to be heard anywhere in a 40 feet radius. As he approached the rock, he could vaguely make out the figure of a person on the ground and when he did, his heartbeat was all he could hear.

"Rava?!"

The last few steps almost made him fall over the bow that was hidden amidst the grass in front of him. Cosnach hurried to the bloodied body and almost instantly fell to his knees in front of it, ready to mend to the wounds of the Khajit hunter with skills he never had.

Except it wasn't Rava. Dead and cold in front of him, clad in a leather armor now torn to shreds, was a wood elf hunter.

A male, at that.

Cosnach almost laughed out in relief despite the sickening feeling the gory display was giving him. He sighed, his posture relaxing as he quietly thanked a random Divine with a couple murmured words. Why had he even worried about Rava to begin with? Clearly the Khajit was used to wandering the wilderness. She must have just set up camp somewhere nearby for the night, waiting for him to come find her. Yet, despite his relief, he had an odd feeling of dread in his gut.

Ignoring the feeling as nothing but paranoia from the darkness and exhaustion from the searching, Cosnach stood up and turned around to leave the way he came.

Only to meet the shadowy frame of a bear stood on its hind legs right in front of him.

A/N: Chapter 3 - Aka. More Obnoxious Flirting By Local Alcoholic And A Cat

I've been really happy about the few comments I've received so far! Thank you a lot! This story has been brewing in my mind for ages so I'm really happy to finally let it out for you all to read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do writing it! :D

School has been taking a lot of my time and energy lately, so updates will probably be slow for a while, but I'll try and write more next month as my way of participating NaNoWriMo. This is not the only project I'll be writing for, though, just to avoid me getting bored with one project during the month.

But hey, I hope you're all doing well!