Chapter 17

So it was that Agronak gro-Malog, once the Champion of the Arena, found himself in an Ayleid ruin with two holes in his tunic and an unconscious Dremora in his lap. He swore bitterly, but he was careful as he adjusted her position so he could reach her left arm. It was still bleeding freely.

"Where's the lavender?" he said.

"Here," No Claws said. Barsabas came through the door with the saddlebags in his hands. He ran to set them beside the Argonian at her impatient gesture. She dug through them rapidly until she found a pink glass bottle. She tossed it to Agronak. He caught it, pulled the cork, and poured it over LoAmai's arm. From the corner of his eye, Agronak saw the zombie crouch down beside No Claws, holding a position that would be very uncomfortable for a living man.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" No Claws said. "She killed you."

"No Claws, I know you're in pain right now," Agronak said, without taking his eyes from the slackening blood flow from LoAmai's forearm. "And that makes it hard to think. I know. I've been there pretty often. But try and think it through, will you? You're smart. What would've happened if LoAmai hadn't shot me?"

No Claws opened her mouth angrily, inhaled, then stopped. Her tail lashed on the stone floor. She closed her mouth. Then she muttered something.

"What was that?" Agronak said. LoAmai's arm had stopped bleeding. He wiped away the dark blood – almost hot enough to burn his fingers – and looked at the new scar underneath.

"The lich would have killed you," No Claws said in a very small voice.

"Un huh. And then?"

"And then probably the Dremora, because he would have taken your life and he'd be a lot stronger."

"And then?" Agronak wiped his hands on his ruined shirt as he looked at the Argonian. She wrapped her arms around herself with a small sigh, then winced at the pain this caused.

"And then me," she wheezed.

"Exactly." Agronak picked up the bottle and reached out to put it back in the saddlebag. Barsabas made a sound somewhere between a moan and a growl. Agronak stopped, startled.

"Barsabas," No Claws said. The zombie subsided, but he watched Agronak very closely as he put the bottle away. "He probably doesn't understand," she said apologetically. "I didn't have mana enough to su - "

She stopped.

"What?" Agronak said. He went to pick LoAmai up and carry her over to the dusty pallet next to the table. He moved slowly, because Barsabas was watching him with a cold and milky stare.

"I didn't summon him," No Claws said.

Agronak set the Dremora down carefully. She was still breathing, but shallowly and fast.

"What do you mean, you didn't summon him? I thought you'd used one of those welkynd stone things."

"I didn't summon him," No Claws repeated faintly. "The welkynd stone recharged my mana. But I..." She paused to breathe painfully. "I had to use some of it to see my way through here. I never did the spell at all." She turned to look disbelievingly at the zombie, who was watching Agronak with something that looked very much like anger. It wasn't quite the same expression of savagery Agronak had seen on him before, he realized now.

"You wanted me," Barsabas said. "And you're hurt. I could feel it."

"But there was no way you could have come," No Claws said. "The magicka wasn't there."

"I don't need it any more," Barsabas said.

"I think he summoned himself," Agronak said. His sword lay on the ground nearby. He reached for it, very slowly. The zombie's dead eyes followed him.

"But that's impossible," No Claws said, staring at Barsabas. He shrugged.

"I did it," he said.

Agronak sheathed the sword and stood up carefully. "You look cold. I'll go get some wood and see if we can do anything with that brazier."

"Don't have to," No Claws said. "Help me up, Barsabas?" The zombie lifted her gently onto her feet. "Start a fire with magicka in a place like this... " She held out a hand toward the brazier. It burst alight with a blue flame. Agronak felt the searing heat from where he stood before it died down to a foot high or so.

"It'll keep on almost forever," No Claws said. She went slowly to kneel in front of the brazier. Barsabas went with her, step by step. He no longer seemed nervous to be near the open flame.

"We'd better have a look at you," Agronak said. "I think you might have some broken ribs."

"You touch her and I'll kill you," Barsabas said very clearly. His tone was matter-of-fact.

"Barsabas," No Claws said. "If you really summoned yourself..."

"I did," he said.

"You're not my creature. Not any more."

Agronak watched an expression of sheer, desperate panic cross the zombie's face. It was probably the closest to a human expression Agronak had ever seen him show.

"You mean you don't want me here any more?" he said.

"Wh - ? No!" No Claws turned a little too sharply and almost fell over. Barsabas caught her elbows, holding her up. She looked up at him. "Of course I do." She breathed again. "But you don't have to obey."

Barsabas shook his head as he looked down at her. He smiled sadly. "I may not always think as clearly as I do right now," he said. "But that hasn't changed. I'm still yours. I always will be."

"Then what's your problem with me?" Agronak said. "Is it because I killed you?"

"No," Barsabas said. He let go of No Claws, but kept a supporting hand near one of her elbows. She leaned gratefully. The zombie turned to look at Agronak with the same cold stare. "It's because all of this is your fault. If you'd let the legionnaires take the demon when they wanted her, No Claws would be safe."

"Not true," No Claws said.

"Yes, it is," Barsabas said, the only time Agronak had ever seen him disagree with her.

"No, it's not," No Claws said sharply. "I'll never be safe. I'm a No Claws. Trouble follows us."

"Trouble follows him," Barsabas said.

"Can't say I'd disagree with you there," Agronak said.

"Then we are a curse on him," No Claws said. "Not the other way around."

"None of this is doing anything for your broken bones," Agronak pointed out.

No Claws muttered something. This time she almost sounded embarrassed.

"I didn't quite catch that," Agronak said.

She muttered again, a little louder. Argonians cannot visibly blush, but Agronak received the impression that she would have. This time he made out the words man and shirt.

"What about - ?"

Then he made the connection. It hadn't occurred to him, because down under the Arena there were no individual changing rooms. Everybody saw everybody naked sooner or later. You got used to it, or you had to patch yourself up after one of the less forgiving female fighters made mincemeat out of you. But to an insecure teenage girl who'd grown up to be a mage, where things like personal modesty had real meaning...

"Oh," he said. "If it's any comfort, I've seen quite a few naked Argonians in the Bloodworks. It wouldn't mean anything."

"Thank you, that is no comfort whatsoever," No Claws snapped.

"I'll do it," Barsabas said.

The other two looked at him.

"Do you even know how?" Agronak said.

"I fought hand to hand," Barsabas said. "Only hand to hand. Would I have lasted long enough to challenge you if I couldn't tape broken ribs?"

"No," Agronak said.

"Then get out of here," Barsabas said.

"I'm not particularly inclined to leave you alone with LoAmai," Agronak said. "Not after what you just said."

"Then turn your back," No Claws said quickly, before Barsabas could respond.

"Fair enough. Let me get a couple of things for her." Agronak was less than thrilled with the prospect of having his back to Barsabas in the zombie's current incarnation, but the dead man's expression made it clear this was all the concession he was going to get. Agronak retrieved a bottle of blood and one of water, then a couple of rags. He went to kneel by the pallet with his back to the brazier. The fire was still going strong. He felt the heat on the back of what was left of his tunic.

Then he set about trying to get the two of them as clean of bloodstains as he could using as little water as possible. The stains would probably never come out of LoAmai's shirt. At least it's still in one piece.

He heard a rustle of fabric behind him. "Are you sure?" No Claws said doubtfully.

"Have I ever hurt you?" Barsabas said. Now, for the first time Agronak had ever heard, he sounded slightly amused.

"No."

"I never will. I am your creature, No Claws."

Agronak dabbed at LoAmai's face. Her skin was hot to the touch, as it always seemed to be. He wasn't sure how she'd gotten a spatter of blood as high as her cheekbone, unless she'd really been in a hurry getting the arrow out of him. Agronak glanced down at his own chest. It didn't hurt at all, but the old scar from the sword was now a little bigger. LoAmai had shot right through it without even being able to see it. That was a good shot.

Did her arm just move?

"I don't know why everyone thinks Dremoras are so tough," Agronak said quietly. "One little cut on your arm and you just about bleed to death..."

One of the Dremora's hands shot upward and seized hold of the front of Agronak's tunic. Her grip was weaker than usual, but he allowed himself to be pulled downwards until his tusks were within an inch of LoAmai's nose. She opened her eyes. Up close, there were glowing threads strewn through the crimson.

"On a battlefield... There are... Ways to replace it," she said. "Miserable ingrate."

Agronak laughed. "You know, I think you're going to live."

LoAmai said something in her own tongue and let go of his shirt.

"Care to repeat that in Imperial?" Agronak said.

"No," she said. "And it is Dremora. Not Dremoras." Her voice was clear now, but quiet, as if speaking were an effort.

"Oh, pardon me." Agronak rolled his eyes. "I can't imagine what's wrong with me. Perhaps it's something to do with the fact that I was shot to death less than an hour ago. Good thinking, by the way."

"Yes," LoAmai said. "It was."

"I don't know that I've met anyone else who'd be brave enough to try that."

The Dremora shrugged one shoulder. "As I said. I could not let him have your life."

"Actually I was speaking of the way you tried to revive me afterwards," Agronak said. "Care for a drink?" He reached over to retrieve the bottle of blood. He was careful to keep his back to No Claws and Barsabas. Judging by the sounds he heard every so often, the process of having her ribs taped was proving about as comfortable as that usually was.

He handed the bottle to LoAmai. She seemed to be avoiding his eyes as she took it. First time that's ever happened.

"Not a lot of Dremoras – I mean, Dremora - would do that," he said. "Would they."

"I do not intend to discuss it, Orc of Nirn," she saidShe sat up slowly. Agronak's offered hand was met with a glare of withering scorn. He withdrew it. LoAmai sniffed, uncorked the bottle of blood and took a long drink.

Agronak raised his voice, but did not turn. "Finished yet?"

"Yes," No Claws said. Agronak pivoted on his knees to see her seated beside the brazier. And I don't remember seeing that hunk of wood she's sitting on before, either. Barsabas stood beside her, brushing dust off his white hands. Like nearly every time Agronak had seen her, No Claws was slightly hunched over, though it was evidently from discomfort rather than cold this time.

"You really were serious about the fire," he said. There was nothing in the bottom of the brazier. Nothing at all.

"Oh, yes," No Claws said. "As long as we're here, I'll never have to worry about the cold again."

Agronak heard the clink of the indestructible bottle being tossed aside. He glanced back at LoAmai, then stood up as she stood up. If she felt unsteady at all, she betrayed no sign of it. Barsabas watched both of them with feral suspicion. If his face was more intelligent than it had previously been, it was no closer to human.

"I guess we could choose a worse place to winter over," Agronak said. "If the Legion does catch up to us, well, there's only the one door."

"A door which has no lock," LoAmai said.

"So we'll find a way to keep it shut," Agronak said. "I'm sure the dead man and I can manage something. If you're willing, of course," he said.

Barsabas looked down at the Argonian. "No Claws?" he said.

"We'll do whatever we can," No Claws said. The zombie nodded.

"It's going to be an interesting winter," said Agronak gro-Malog.

"I sincerely hope not, Orc of Nirn," said LoAmai.

THE END