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| "Helfer will be joining us in Solitude, with your permission Mikael," Ubergard stated when they returned to the inn.

"Excellent! Glad to have you with us officially, Helfer! Kitty has already paid Jonna so if you're ready, we're off!"

And with that, the four took to the road again, stepping down off the porch of the Inn.

"Mikael!" hissed Kitty under her breath, trying not to alert Ubergard and Helfer. "Stop that!"

"What?" Mikael asked. "Stroking your tail?"

"Yes! For gods' sake not in public!" Kitty said.

"Why not?"

"It's... kind of an erotic thing for Khajiits. You should know that by now. Keep doing that and you'll have me presenting in front of everybody!"

"Oh! And that would be... bad?" Mikael asked while playfully scratching at the base of it.

"You want to go around with your erection poking out in front of everyone? It's kinda the same thing."

"Point taken." | | | As they approached a small bridge over a stream, Helfer turned to Ubergard. "Is this the dragon bridge Mikael spoke of?"

Ubergard looked at the Khajiit curiously. "This? Oh no. This is nothing. The Dragon Bridge is huge. But it's quite a way yet to go before we see it. Still, this might be a good place to rest for a bit."

Turning back to Mikael, Ubergard asked him if he'd like to stop.

"Sure! We're in no hurry. We'll be in Solitude long before nightfall." | | | The four settled in to lounging around the bridge for a rest.

"So, Helfer. It would be good to know a little something about you, if you don't mind. Where do you come from?"

Helfer seemed to consider the question for a while before answering. "Helfer comes from far away, but does not know the name in your words."

"Elseweyr?" Mikael suggested hopefully. "That seems to be where most Khajiit come from anyway."

"This could be the word. Helfer is not sure. It is a warmer place than this. But I did not go outside of the place I lived often." | | | Ubergard frowned. "Were you held prisoner or something?"

Helfer laughed at her lover. "Oh no. I stayed with my... teacher? trainer? What do you call the person who shows you how to do things? I did not wish to go outside."

"Teacher will probably do," said Ubergard. "What did your teacher show you how to do?"

"Oh!" the Khajiit brightened up. "Many things! Ice, Fire, even Lightning Helfer can make! But... not so good as my teacher. Helfer is slow to learn things." | | | As she said this, Ubergard found herself involuntarily backing away from the little Khajiit.

Kitty's eyes grew wide. "A mage! Helfer, you're a mage?"

Helfer suddenly hung her head and started sobbing. The Argonian's change in attitude had not been lost on her. "No!" she cried. "Ubergod is afraid of Helfer now! Helfer regrets saying this about herself. She will not do these things, Ubergod! Never again! Helfer wishes she had never done these things now!"

Kitty immediately hugged Helfer to calm her. "It's alright Helfer. Ubergard understands. She... we all do. But,we're all a little afraid of magic." | | | Ubergard overcame her immediate reaction to the revelation and took Helfer's hands in hers. "I'm sorry, Helfer. I... well, I truly don't like magic. But that doesn't mean I don't like_you_. It's just something I've had problems with in the past."

Kitty spoke up, changing the subject somewhat. "And you said you wouldn't use it anyway, so let's just forget that. But how did you come to be here, Helfer?" Kitty continued. "If you were training to become a mage I would not expect you to be travelling so far from your college!"

Helfer's face turned from worry over Ubergard's reaction to one of sadness. | | | "Helfer knows this word, 'college'. It is where mages are trained here, yes? Helfer came not from a college. Helfer was her teacher's servant. Teacher taught Helfer magic, Helfer gave teacher pleasure. It was a happy time. But Helfer... Helfer made her teacher angry one day. Very angry. Helfer's teacher sent Helfer here."

Kitty and Mikael looked at each other.

"Helfer, was your teacher bad to you? Did he hurt you?" Kitty asked.

"Teacher? Teacher is not 'he'. Teacher is 'she'. But, oh no. Teacher was good. Very very good! Helfer... was bad. Helfer... Helfer regrets what she did. But Teacher sent her away. Helfer begged and cried, but Teacher sent her away anyway." | | | Kitty leaned over to Mikael and whispered, "Well, at least she didn't kill Helfer!"

Mikael nodded agreement.

"Helfer wants to walk. Can talking stop of Helfer?"

"Certainly. Let's get moving," Ubergard agreed.

With that, they continued down the road towards Dragon Bridge. Ubergard put her hand on the little Khajiit's shoulder as they walked, trying to comfort her while Helfer was obviously holding back tears.

"Please do not stop talking," Helfer choked as they continued. "Just not talk of Helfer. Tell Helfer of Dragon Bridge maybe? Helfer wants to think about other things." | | | "Mikael may know something of that," Ubergard suggested.

"Well," Mikael began. "There's not much anyone knows about the bridge itself. It crosses a deep and strong river that is very difficult to cross otherwise. But it is ancient. Some say as old as the ruins around Skyrim, and by the look of it, that's very likely. There's a small village just on the far side of it, but even they can tell you nothing of it's past."

Helfer brightened up. "Ah! It is a mystery then! But why this name?"

"That, you'll understand immediately when you see it, Helfer. In the center of the bridge is a huge stone dragon's head that you must pass underneath. It is a memorable feeling, looking up at the image of a dragon just above you, not to mention the tons of stone that it represents looming over you!" | | | "Oh. Are there dragons here?"

"Well, there didn't used to be for a long time. But now there are again, though they are rare. They seem to be attracted to heroes, giants and the like. If we should ever see one, we just hide as fast as we can!"

Ubergard bristled at this. "Speak for yourself, Bard."

"Uber?" Kitty said quietly but sternly to the Argonian as she was helped over a fallen tree in the path.

"Yes Kitty?"

"I would like you, my friend and guard, to stay alive. Maybe you_could_ slay a dragon, but when I'm around I would ask that you please run and hide like the rest of us!" | | | Ubergard nodded agreement reluctantly.

Helfer looked to the giantess. "Yes, Ubergod does not need to kill dragons. Helfer could not do that, and would be very, very sad not to be able to help her!"

"Oh, don't worry Helfer. We'll see no dragons on this trip. Except the stone one at Dragon Bridge," Ubergard assured her.

"Speaking of which..." Mikael said pointing to his right.

"Oh! That is the Dragon Bridge! Ubergod, it is so... big! It is... beautiful!" Helfer said, her eyes wide in wonder.

Kitty felt awestruck as well, but she also saw the plunge that ran below the bridge. While she was not particularly afraid of heights, she was not a big fan of rushing water. The combination of both did leave her a little queasy. | | | | |