“Stop running around you damn coward and fight me!” Sorene said as she continued to press on her assault.

However, as she had been, Carciel dodged with the simplest of ease. Since the two of them had been going at it, everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Carciel didn’t know if it was because she’d awakened some master tier fighting senses or if it was all of the alcohol in her system, but what should have been lightning fast strikes looked extremely sluggish.

(This is like the last time Eolri and I trained together…) Carciel thought as she blocked another of Sorene’s blows. The anger rising to Sorene’s face was all too familiar, and it was then that Carciel remembered her sister’s words: We all have to grow up Ciel…

(Is this my rite of passage? Is this… what she meant?) Other than vampires and outlaws Carciel had never slain Man or Mer before. Somewhere in her mind she felt that the two didn’t deserve to be treated as such and purely saw them as monsters and although Sorene was a succubus technically making her more of a monster than any bandit she’d ever faced, she understood her plight. It was the same fight for vengeance that she herself had undertaken. Dodging another attack, Carciel kicked Sorene to create distance and sighed. (Do these sisters not know how to make people want to kill them?)

The rage on Sorene’s face was undeniable. “STOP FUCKING DOD—”

At that moment Carciel caught her with a kick to the side of the head that rattled her brain and brought the succubus to her knees. Standing over her, Carciel sighed again. “Get over it Sorene. What’s done is done. If you kill Nyleine it won’t—”

 

“Get over it?” Sorene said at barely a whisper. “TELIND WAS MY fiancé!!!"

Carciel was about to say something, but when she looked at Sorene’s face her throat tightened. Her tear-stained face reminded Carciel so much of how she felt when Eolri died, that for a moment she thought of letting Sorene just have at it.

(What am I doing? I don’t even like Nyleine myself…) She looked over towards the fallen Redguard and sighed. “It always comes back to Niyleen doesn’t it…”

Sorene looked up at her with a confused look. “What… what are you talking about?”
 

“If I weren’t in love with her… if I still wanted to kill her… we wouldn’t even be at an impasse.” Carciel frowned down at Sorene. “If… if I don’t kill you, no, if I let you live… will you continue to come after Nyleine?”

“She’s an affront to the natural order of things. And even if…” Sorene hung her head. “…Even if I could forgive her for that… I could never forgive her for killing Telind and making him her thrall.”

“…” Carciel pulled out a hidden dagger. “If that’s the case…” She began walking away from Sorene. “…Hey.”

“Huh?” As soon as Sorene looked up, Carciel flung the dagger straight into her chest and watched as the life slowly drained from the Succubus’s eyes. “T-thank… you…” Were the last words Sorene breathed before her last breath.

 

 

 

 

“You killed her?” called out a voice from somewhat far away.

It was then that Carciel remembered that Sorerica and her housecarl had been spectating this fight the entire time. “I—”

Sorerica came over and lifted Carciel up by the collar. “You fucking killed her! You had no reason to… no right!”
 

“My thane, I know that you’re upset—”

Sorerica dropped Carciel and backhanded Jordis. Then even more enraged, she lifted Carciel again and instead of her collar, she grabbed her by the throat. “I could have placated her, made her change her mind! What gave you… who gave you the right to kill her!? She deserved better than that!”

Carciel tried to speak, but Sorerica’s grip only allowed for garbled words to come out. (Is… is this… the end?)

 

Suddenly Carciel was dropped to her knees, and was left gasping for air. “You didn’t seem all too surprised that Sorene worshiped Meridia. Shocked of course, as was I, but it was like you knew the possibility was there.” Carciel looked up and saw the anger still painted on Sorerica’s face. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

 

 

(So she’s completely in the dark…) “C-can I take a moment to catch my breath?” Carciel asked as she uneasily tried to get to her feet. Sorerica nodded. It took the Breton a while, mostly because she was still intoxicated and almost had the life squeezed from her, but she told Sorerica everything surrounding the sisters’ and her predicament. She watched as the Nord went from angry, to skeptical, to blanched.

“I… I see…” Sorerica turned to Jordis and bowed. “I apologize for striking you, I had no right—”

“You were distraught my Thane,” Jordis said waving it off. “If there was real malice behind your blow, I don’t believe we would be talking calmly like this.”
 

“Heh, you’re right as always.” Sorerica’s mood soured as she turned back to Carciel. “Still, no matter what your feelings were, Sorene didn’t deserve to die… even if she thanked you.”

“I-I can bring her and Telind back,” said a voice weakly.

“YOU!” Sorerica began to rush toward Nyleine but was intercepted by Carciel. “How dare she utter those words!? This is all her fault! Her necromancy caused… caused…”

 

 

“Not this again… Look, I can’t have you harm her,” Carciel said firmly. “Like it or not, I’m essentially acting as her guardian until Niyleen gets back, so as I said to Sorene ‘You’re not killing anyone today.’” Sorene glared at Carciel, but the Breton would not budge on this.

“My Thane,” Jordis said trying to diffuse the situation. “Perhaps we should retire for the day? Clear our heads—”

“Stubborn Breton,” Sorerica spat. “And they say us Nords are inflexible.” She glanced at the Redguard. “Carciel… I pray we never meet again. If we do…”

Sorerica let her words linger in the air, and Carciel understood their meaning. “So be it.” The Nord nodded then motioned to her housecarl and the two of them departed off towards Whiterun. As soon as the pair was out of earshot Carciel collapsed to the ground. She was shivering from head to toe. Hearing Nyleine shift towards her, she shook her head. “This is all your fault.”

“I know.”

“I had to kill Sorene because of you…”
 

“I know.”

“I fucking confessed to your sister because of you!” Carciel turned toward Nyleine with tear stained eyes. “I don’t even like mead you ass! Why do you have to meddle in people’s lives like you do? Why must you be so obstinate, so bullheaded? I wanted to let Sorerica… let Sorene kill you… you know that?”

Without warning Nyleine scooped Carciel into a hug and wouldn’t let go no matter how much the Breton struggled. When Carciel finally stopped struggling, whether it was because of fatigue or anguish, she just let out all of her raw emotions.

As Carciel cries echoed throughout the plains, Nyleine simply by pulled her in closer and hugged her tightly while rubbing her head soothingly. “…I know,“ she said tenderly into Carciel’s ear. "I know all of it, and I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”