Well, today didn't go as planned. We're having dinner in the hideout of the Silver Hand, a dangerous gang known for torturing people.

  Fun.

  We got up this morning and went straight to Dawnstar. It wasn't a great hike; the weather was bad, and it felt like every other rise or stand of trees was hiding a bandit or two! We couldn't figure out why there were so many out in that terrible weather. We were expecting wolves!

  But loot is loot, and I was able to sell what they had on them to Rustleif before we made our way to the Mortar and Pestle.

  Frida was thrilled to finally get the ring. She taught me a few alchemy tricks, including how to learn THREE effects from eating ingredients!

  Erandur was impressed. Even he can't do that!

  Of course, the first thing he did was snatch my ingredient pouch out of my backpack! He said I can only try three things at a time. Frida laughed, but said he was right, and I promised her that I'd listen.

  Stupid moral compass. Why does it only work when I don't want it to?

  It was midday by the time we left Frida's, so we stopped at Windpeak for lunch. I didn't make any decisions last night about our next move but I'd had plenty of time to think on the walk.

  It's time to go to the Greybeards. Sarthaal isn't going anywhere, and I can't stop thinking about how bad I am at using Shouts. Anything they can do to help me should make going through Sarthaal easier, anyway.

  I told the others my plan, and they all agreed that it was a good idea.

  Now that I think about it, Valdimar looked relived.

  Interesting.

  Anyway, we left when we were done and got on the road. We headed towards Windhelm, but given that it was midday already, we made Nightgate Inn our goal for the evening.

  Obviously, that didn't happen.

  The weather got bad again, and I got turned around a bit in the whirling snow. I veered off the road and down a path, right into Fort Fellhammer!

  Bandits have taken over the place again. There were three of them outside, and we took care of them, then decided to keep going. While I was checking for extra loot, I saw a path out back that I hadn't noticed before, and I could see a tower on top of the hill.

  Lydia accused me of stalling, but I couldn't pass up the lure of more loot, so up we went.

  There were two bandits in the tower, and my instincts were correct! They had some nice armor, and a good selection of supplies and potions!

  From the top of the tower, I could see a small stone building down below, to the north. It looked like another fort-like thing, but mostly ruined.

  It was the opposite way we were going, but it looked like it wouldn't take long, like the tower. I managed to convince the others, and we went to take a "quick peek."

  Yeah, no, I was wrong!

  There were two lookouts outside, but they weren't bandits. They had silver swords, and potions of Cure Disease on them. There were werewolf heads on spikes outside the door of the little stone building, and Septim shrunk away and whined at them.

  Lydia groaned and cursed.

  The Silver Hand! She told me who they were, and they're awful. Long ago, they used to be like the Vigilants or the Dawnguard, but mainly hunted werewolves. Now, they're just another organized crime ring that's known to rob and torture anyone they come across. They're longtime enemies of the Companions of Whiterun.

  Erandur sneered. He was familiar with them, too. They're worse than bandits. Back when he first joined the Cult, he had to avoid them to keep from getting killed as a Daedra worshiper. By the time he got out, they'd turned bad and he had to avoid them because they'd become a rival gang.

  Lydia took a deep breath and asked if we could go in there and get rid of them. These people were a threat to everyone. Besides, they'd killed some of her friends in the Companions.

  Erandur agreed. He had some old scores to settle, too.

  Valdimar looked at Erandur with surprise. It's been a long time. Surely he knows these aren't the same people?

  Erandur nodded grimly and took out his sword. He knew. But… To join the Silver Hand is to abandon mercy, he said, so they shall have none from him.

  I caught a little smile from him as he looked at Valdimar and said, "They made their choice."

  Valdimar gave a grim little chuckle, and we went in.

  What I thought was going to be a few rooms at most turned out to be more like an underground keep! It was way bigger than any of us thought it would be, with large rooms and long hallways. There's everything you'd need down here; several dining areas, a small kitchen, multiple fireplaces, sleeping quarters, even a wine cellar! There were also bookcases everywhere, but sadly, most were burned. It was like Nightcaller Temple's library all over again.

  The members of the Silver Hand were fierce fighters, but luckily we never had to fight more than three at once. Down in the cellar, past the wine, we found werewolves. Mostly dead ones, but we did find a live one in a cage!

  I was expecting to be able to talk with him like we did Sinding, but… The Beast had him. He ignored me and snarled at Septim, who was next to me, growling and barking. I asked the others what we should do. We couldn't just leave him in there! What would happen when he changes back?

  Valdimar said to let him out and see what happens. Maybe he'll just run off? So, I told the werewolf I was going to unlock the door, and I pointed to the way out.

  Sadly, he was too far gone, and he didn't understand. He attacked me as soon as the door swung open.

  We had to kill him.

  That was sad. It reminded us of poor Sinding.

  But there was nothing to be done, and there was more to find, including a torture chamber just past that. There were two racks, lots of tools, and shackles on the wall, all of it caked with blood with bits of fur stuck to it.

  Erandur put his hand over his heart and said a little prayer before we went on. Bloodthirsty bas-

  -/-/-/-/-/-

  BY THE NINE!

  Lydia and I are trying our hardest not to SCREAM, so I'll keep writing until Valdimar gets back.

  Anyway, we got through the cellar and ended up circling back up to the first big room we'd come into. There's no way we'll get to Nightgate Inn by dark, so we're staying here.

  We came down here to the dining room and I started writing while Valdimar made dinner. There's a little kitchen right here with a door, and Erandur went in to wash his hair as soon as he was done eating.

  He closed the door, and Lydia rolled her eyes. He'd just taken a bath last night. "He's worse than a Khajiit!" she said.

  Valdimar shot her a look and said that she would be just as bad if she was prone to skin conditions, too.

  We didn't know what he was talking about, so he explained.

  Valdimar said that no one knew why, but Dunmer are prone to all types of skin problems, which they call "corprus". I've heard of corprus before, but I thought it was a specific disease, not a word Dunmer use for skin problems in general. He said that as far as anyone knows, the best way to avoid getting corprus is to keep yourself and your clothes as clean as possible.

  Anyway, Erandur cracked open the kitchen door and said the bucket of water he grabbed had leaked, and asked if one of us could get him a fresh one.

  Of course, Valdimar jumped right up to get it.

  No one noticed, but the door didn't latch when Erandur closed it. So, when Valdimar came back and knocked, it swung wide open.

  We can't see into the kitchen from where we're sitting, but I could see Valdimar freeze and he looked shocked!

  Erandur said he'd be right there, but the look on Valdimar's face was actually concerning to me, and when he said, "Erandur!" we both jumped up to see what was wrong. I honestly thought he was hurt or something and was just hiding it so he wouldn't be a bother.

  You know how he is.

  Erandur was sitting on a step stool by the fire, shirtless, with his hair over his shoulders so we could see everything from his waist up.

  He is COVERED in tattoos!

  He stared back at us, then turned around and crossed his arms over his chest, cussing. Lydia and I looked away and shielded our eyes. Valdimar got all awkward and just held out the bucket, all stiff-armed while he stared at the ceiling.

  I heard Erandur sigh heavily, and walk over to take the bucket from Valdimar. He thanked him, and grumbled something about how we’re all acting like children.

  "A half-naked mer’s not something you’ve never seen before, dammit."

  Lydia and I took that as permission to look, but Valdimar still didn’t. He apologized and said that Erandur looked embarrassed. He's just being polite.

  Erandur said no, he was just… Surprised, is all, and that he could look.

  He mostly has swirling flames in black, red and gold covering his back, most of his chest, his shoulders, and down his arms. Bits of fire even creep up onto his neck. The gold isn't just a yellow tone; it actually looks like metal, and shines in the light. I've seen it before; I hear it's incredibly expensive, and hard to find artists who can do it. The shape of the flames looked familiar to me, and then I realized that they follow the same lines as the design on his old Cult of Vaermina robes. He must have gotten the robe patterns when he was in the Cult, then had them covered up and made into flames after he left.

  They look nice, though. The flames suit him, and the gold reflecting the firelight from behind him and in the room gave the illusion of movement.

  He has a snake twisting through the flames on his right arm, and chains on his left. I also saw a bottle of poison on one arm, a healing potion on the other, and there's words in Daedric script scattered everywhere. I know the Dunmer write in it, but I can't read it. I did recognize an alchemical symbol on his right side, though, along with more words and chains. There's another snake coming up over the waistband on his left side.

  Most of them look like they're connected to Vaermina or his time as a criminal, but not all of them are. He has an Amulet of Mara over his heart, and one of her love knots around his right wrist like a bracelet, just high enough that long sleeves can easily cover it. There's the symbol of Dawnstar on his left side, too, and the Restoration magic symbol high on his stomach.

  There's more to them, but that's what Lydia and I could recognize right away, and they go down enough to be hidden by his pants, so he must have more on his legs.

  And I thought it was the gold in his tattoos reflecting the light at first, but he has gold nipple rings. Lydia noticed them, too.

  Erandur gave us some time to look, and he even held his arms out and turned around so we could see everything, but he looked annoyed about it. I thought Valdimar was going to faint! He was very clearly raking his eyes over him, and I think Erandur knew it.

  Anyway, he said he'd heard Valdimar explaining corprus to us while the water heated. He asked how he knew about that because the Dunmer don't talk about it with "outsiders".

  Valdimar said he learned all about it from a Dunmer classmate of his back at the College of Winterhold.

  Erandur looked nervous, and asked if the classmate had told Valdimar how to recognize signs of corprus.

  I think Valdimar stopped breathing for a second, and I had to resist to urge to grab onto Lydia. We all knew what was coming.

  Valdimar could barely get out an "Aye."

  Erandur fussed with his hair and pulled it over one shoulder. He looked shy or embarrassed (both?) and asked Valdimar for help checking between his shoulder blades and on the back of his neck. He said it itches.

  Valdimar eagerly agreed, and followed Erandur into the kitchen, making sure the door latched behind them.

  Lydia immediately drained her mead to keep quiet, and I did the same.

  She's been looking over my book whispering, "Write faster!"

  Speaking of Lydia, she said that seeing Erandur with his shirt off explains how he can swing his weapons around like they don't weigh anything. I was too busy looking at his tattoos, but now that I think about it, she's right. He's lean like most elves, but he's all -

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  -/-/-/-/-/-

  This has been a hell of a night, but in a good way. I'll probably still be writing halfway into Lydia's watch, but I don't care! I NEED to write this down!

  I don't know where to start! I mean, I guess I'll just start with when Erandur and Valdimar came back into the dining room.

  Erandur's hair was clean, now, and he asked Lydia to get his pack from the bedroom. It's corprus. Valdimar found a scaly patch on the back of his neck that's starting to creep down between his shoulders, but he has a salve for it.

  He also pulled out a loose shirt with a wide neck and sleeves that go just past his elbow. I've seen him wear it before, but only over his other shirts that cover everything.

  Once he was dressed, Valdimar had Erandur sit down on the step stool next to him at the table so he could take care of the corprus. He said it should go away in a few days so long as he puts the salve on it and keeps it clean.

  Erandur thanked him and started to get up when he was finished, but Valdimar told him to stay put and asked him for his brush.

  Erandur wanted to know why, and Valdimar said if he doesn't keep his hair off it it'll get worse. He could put it up for him.

  Erandur gave Valdimar A Look, and Lydia and I both laughed. The man who shaves his head can do hair?

  Valdimar scoffed and said he used to wear his hair long, and "What sort of Nord would I be if I couldn't do some braids, eh?"

  Erandur confessed that he doesn't own a brush or a comb. He usually just runs his fingers through it to pull the knots out.

  We were shocked, but I have my bag right here for my writing gear, so I grabbed out my brush and comb, and handed them to Valdimar. Erandur started to protest, but Valdimar just asked him to hand over the stuff he uses on his hair.

  Erandur grumbled, but he dug out his bottle of hair oil and let Valdimar get to work.

  Yes, Lydia and I about died watching those two.

  Erandur was sitting stiffly, and fidgeting with his scarf, which he had in his lap. He looked so nervous; he reminded me of an alleycat who doesn't know what to do when it's being pet. On the other hand, Valdimar had a big grin on his face, and was clearly enjoying himself.

  Whether he was enjoying the chance to run his fingers through Erandur's hair or just another opportunity to make the mer uncomfortable, I'm not sure.

  I gotta say, Valdimar's really good at doing hair! He left everything in front of Erandur's ears loose, aside from a few very fine braids he scattered in. I think he added those just so he could keep going, honestly, but they look nice. He braided the back half in a handful of flat sections, going up to a ponytail that's high enough to sit above Erandur's circlet, and keep everything off the corprus.

  Erandur had relaxed by the time Valdimar finished brushing, and he was telling us about how he had to keep his hair short in the Cult when Valdimar suddenly asked, "Eleven?"

  Lydia and I were confused. "Eleven what?" I asked.

  Erandur grimaced, and said it was holes from his ear piercings.

  I know elves usually have five or six, but eleven is a lot!

  Valdimar wondered how they're not healed over, and Erandur confessed that he wears earrings every so often in private, just to keep the holes open. He got them after he left the Cult.

  Lydia said she didn't know priests couldn't wear earrings.

  Erandur quickly said that they were allowed. Mara "would never" place restrictions like that on her people. He said he actually doesn't have to wear the robes, either; they're mostly for ceremonies, and so other people know he's a priest.

  Valdimar asked, "Why not wear your earrings, then?"

  Erandur started to explain himself by being practical. He said the metal got too cold outside, and that they could be torn out in a fight. He was right, of course, but why hide them? Valdimar pointed out that he could wear them when we're staying at the Manor for a few days, or even when we stop for the night at an inn. Why keep them open at all?

  You know, if Valdimar hadn't been braiding his hair, I think Erandur would've gotten up and stormed off.

  He was quiet for a second, and I could see his expression darken. He said he didn't know. He doesn't do anything with his hair, or shave. He only kept his beard short because it was less of a hassle and easier to keep clean that way. He said he doesn't even own a mirror. Why bother with earrings? He should just let them heal.

  Of course, I always have at least one mirror on me, and I was shocked. "You don't own a mirror?" I said.

  "Why would I?" he asked. "There's no point."

  This is where Valdimar doubled down and actually scolded Erandur a little, but the man needed to hear it!

  Valdimar scoffed, and said the point was that Erandur deserves nice things. It feels good to take care of yourself and wear what makes you happy, no matter how fine or plain it is.

  Erandur started to say something, probably to argue, but Valdimar kept going.

  He said that Mara loves him as she does everyone. Wouldn't it bother her to see one of her own depriving himself of such a simple joy?

  "Isn't that a show of love for yourself?"

  He fights dirty, doesn't he? Lydia and I were just staring at each other.

  The only sound for a while was Septim snoring under the table. I could tell Erandur was struggling. Valdimar was right, and we all knew it. The big question was whether or not Erandur would listen.

  Eventually, Erandur sighed, and told Lydia where to find his jewelry pouch in his pack.

  Valdimar paused his work long enough for Erandur to put in his earrings. He put on a matched pair with dangling red gems, first, then a selection of hoops, some plain, and a few with fine chains running between them. He added some cuffs, and finished off with a simple garnet stud in the odd hole on his left ear. They're all gold.

  He also pulled out a short strip of orange silk, and handed it Valdimar so he could use it to tie back his hair.

  Lydia asked about the color, and Erandur said it was his favorite. He looked a little embarrassed, and said that he likes sunsets. He then asked Valdimar if he brought his shaving kit, and if so, could he borrow it?

  Valdimar barely had time to say yes before Lydia was back with it.

  Of course she knows where he keeps it.

  -/-/-/-/-/-

  Speaking of, I just got her up for her watch, and promised to go to bed as soon as I'm done.

  Anyway, Valdimar finished with the back, and said that he wasn't done, yet. Erandur nodded and said he'd be right back, then went into the kitchen. He looked determined, like he was steeling himself for something.

  As soon as the door closed we huddled in to whisper about what was happening. Clearly, Valdimar had gotten to him. I said it was low of him to bring Mara into it, but he wasn't wrong. Lydia wanted to know where he learned to fight like that, and he said that his little sister, Thora, was a Priestess of Mara. "I've had a lot of practice!"

  We laughed about that, and killed time by talking about tattoos. I don't have any because I've never had the money for them, but Lydia and Valdimar have a few. She has a shield with Whiterun's symbol on the back of her left shoulder, and showed Valdimar the sabercat on her right arm. She also has a line of wolf tracks going around her left calf, and some typical Nord knotwork in a band on her left arm.

  Valdimar has one on his back of Mara in her old form, wearing a wolf pelt and mask, with a symbol of Talos in her hands. Instead of Nord knotwork on his right arm and shoulder, like I've seen on a lot of guys here, he has Dwemer linework, and Mara's love knot around his left arm.

  Yes, like Erandur's! I mean, you've seen it, I've seen it, lots of people have that tattoo, but it still makes me smile knowing they have matching tattoos, even if it wasn't on purpose.

  We were so busy admiring Lydia's sabercat - it's really nice! - that Valdimar didn't notice Erandur until he was sitting back down on the little stool with his back to him again.

  He thanked Valdimar for the use of his kit, and asked what else he planned to do.

  Valdimar said he just wanted to do some extra braids, and I could see Erandur smile a bit as he told him that was fine.

  Valdimar couldn't see his face, but Lydia and I could.

  Erandur had shaved off the sides of his beard, leaving only what was around his mouth and on his chin, and trimmed down what was left until it was very short.

  And then - I still can't believe this - he asked if I had my compact on me.

  Silly mer, when do I never? I handed it over to him and I had to ask if he was actually going to use the paints?!

  He asked if that was all right, and I told him to please, go right ahead!

  Valdimar froze, then finished the braid he was working on.

  Erandur rimmed his eyes with black, then put a single swipe of gold along each eyelid that looked very practiced.

  He handed it back, thanked me, and asked Valdimar if he was finished.

  Valdimar said he was, and I was ready with my big folding mirror!

  I know Erandur wasn't expecting to see his reflection. He did his nervous laugh and covered his face when he saw himself. I felt bad at first, but he said that it was all right. He looked in it again and said he hasn't really seen his reflection in "a while," and even what glimpses he caught, this is the first time he's liked it for a long time.

  "And for a Dunmer, that's saying a lot."

  I held the mirror while he looked at his hair, and he complimented Valdimar's handiwork.

  That's when Valdimar finally got a look at him, and he turned BRIGHT RED. He laughed and said it was nothing as Erandur joined us at the table. Lydia had already poured him some wine.

  I mean, I can't blame Valdimar for getting flustered! Erandur's already good-looking, but cleaned up like this, with jewelry, a shave and styled hair that's finally seen a comb after who knows how long, he's way more than just Handsome! He looks years younger, too!

  I just asked Lydia and she's confirmed that yes, Erandur is Pretty! Even at his age and with the broken nose. We also agree that Valdimar better make a move before someone else does!

  Anyway, Erandur took a big drink of wine, then thanked Valdimar.

  Divines, I hope I'm remembering this right, it was beautiful. He said, "Valdimar, thank you for helping me with my neck and my hair, and…" Then he put his hand over his heart - his amulet! - and said, "My heart. I'm truly grateful My Lady saw fit to grant me wisdom from such a kind teacher."

  He was doing that Thing he does, with that sincerity that's so warm it almost burns. He turned that smile on us, and thanked us again for accepting him.

  I admit, I get uncomfortable when people are that open around me, so I lifted my cup and offered a toast. "To lessons learned?"

  Erandur just laughed, and we all put our glasses together and had a drink.

  We just sat around after that, drinking and talking until it got late, and I started my watch.

  You know what's strange? That warmth that normally only seems to come around when Erandur is doing Priest things sort of stayed. Maybe it's just because he was so relaxed. I hadn't noticed before how often he pulls at his collar and cuffs to make sure they cover his tattoos until I caught him trying to tug at fabric that wasn't there. Was he always this on guard before? How long has he been hiding?

  He laughed more, too.

  It was nice to see.

  Anyway, that was the actually important thing that happened today. Here's hoping the lesson sticks.

  We didn't even make it to Nightgate Inn! We're spending tonight in an old Nord ruin full of dead bandits that were NOT our fault and dead draugr that are.

  I'm not mad we're behind schedule. Hah! As though we had one! We'd be in big trouble if we did.

  Am I stalling? Maybe, but you can't say the stop in here wasn't worth it!

  We had a late start this morning because we slept in after last night's… I don't know what to call it. Is there a word for when you sit your friend down to give them some tough love and tell them some truths they've been ignoring? Because if there isn't, we need one!

  Anyway, we got up and had a late breakfast. I noticed that Erandur replaced his dangling earrings with simpler ones. He said it was safer that way.

  He washed off the gold eye paint, too, but replaced it with plain black, similar to how Valdimar wears his. He also let Valdimar check his corprus before they got armored up, and Valdimar reported that it was already looking better. It wasn't nearly as red, and Erandur said the itching had stopped.

  Not long after we got to the road we were attacked by a dragon! It was a type that breathed fire, but it wasn't a hard fight. It had been fighting some people up ahead of us, and they did a number on it before it saw us and changed targets. I don't know if those people died or ran away once the dragon went after us. I never saw them; I only heard them shouting and saw their arrows sticking out of the beast.

  There's a crossroads at the Weynon Stones, and if you go left, you go towards Nightgate Inn. We found a cart at the crossroads, partially on fire, and three dead travelers laying in the snow. The strange thing was that it didn't look like the dragon's doing. There were no scorch marks on the ground or anything like that. We were commenting on it when Erandur stood up from where he'd been kneeling, saying words for the dead, and held up an arrow he'd found in the snow.

  A quick check of the bodies revealed sword marks. The burns on the cart were on the sides; not the top. There was also no cargo whatsoever.

  Dragons don't loot carts.

  We headed for Nightgate, keeping our eyes open, and passed a ruin. A goat jumped out of the bushes and I went to get it, but I provoked two bandits who'd been lurking near the entrance!

  Figuring these were probably the ones responsible for the cart attack, we decided to stick our heads in, and found… Two dead bandits, slaughtered, near a cookpot over a roaring fire.

  And they weren't the only ones! The dead bandits were everywhere, in almost every room.

  We also found draugr as we wandered in the catacombs. These were bad ones, too. Mostly Scourges, shouting and summoning Frost Atronachs! Death Lords, too!

  No wonder the bandits didn't make it.

  There were also chests all over the place. Most of them held some gold and maybe a potion or a dagger, but the nicer ones that were deeper had the good stuff. I found one in the catacombs with a glass chest piece. Valdimar once again refused the better armor, so I offered it to Erandur. He refused at first, so I asked him why. He said it was valuable. We could sell it. I reminded him that his safety is worth more to me than gold, so he agreed.

  There were also traps everywhere! Nasty ones, too. Floor spikes, battering rams, flame tiles, spike doors… All but the swinging blades, which honestly surprises me.

  Deep down we found a door, and I could hear the chanting of a Dragon Wall whispering in the distance.

  The others knew I heard it. I turned to ask if they were ready before we went in, and mid-way through I stopped and turned to push the door open. Erandur pulled me back before I could, and made sure everyone else was ready before he let me go.

  I pushed the door open, and there was a large room with high platforms on both sides, each with wooden ramps going up. At the far end was the Dragon Wall with the runes glowing faintly. Between me and the Wall was a Draugr unlike any I've seen before. It looked like a Death Lord, but it was darker, and seemed to ooze shadow.

  He saw me, and shouted. I ducked behind the ramp and avoided most of the force, but by the Nine, it was powerful! I ran up the ramp to get on the platform and rain fire down on it, but I found a regular Death Lord up there, climbing out of a sarcophagus!

  I'm so glad Septim came up with me. He was able to distract it enough for me to fight it while the others fought the scarier one down below. The noise and the light from the Dragon Wall was distracting enough that I was losing every other spell I tried to cast, so eventually I just gave up on magic and started hacking at the thing with my daggers.

  Not the most elegant solution, but it worked, and we killed it. I then jumped down to help the others with theirs, but it was no use. The fight was right in front of the wall, and the light from the runes filled my eyes to the point where I could hardly see to fight!

  I pulled back, though my feet resisted - they felt like lead - and instead concentrated on healing the others. Or at least I tried to. Not being able to get to the wall, but being so very, very close it, was… Well, it was maddening!

  I could see the others only slightly, but I could hear them over the chanting, and I knew they were between me and the danger, so I just healed blindly.

  It worked! I knew they killed him when the other sounds faded from my mind, and I let that strange pull drag me forward.

  I didn't even know I'd stumbled at the time. I've got a big bruise on my knee from banging it on the stone, though. The wall is up on a little dais, and there's a step up to get on it.

  Valdimar sounded far away, but he told me to slow down, and said he'd help me.

  Apparently "Helping" means "Just pick her up and set her down" like you would a box.

  Here's the Runes:

  They said the light was blue this time, and I could hear wind past my ears. It was familiar, too. I've heard the draugr use it before.

  I didn't even notice that the force of it hitting my brain staggered me! Valdimar caught me before I fell off the dais and I came to on my back, with Septim licking my face.

  Well, I'll find out what it does soon enough.

  Anyway, I said it was worth it earlier, and I am NOT kidding! DIVINES we have a GREAT haul! Ebony helm, an enchanted Orcish helm, some enchanted weapons, even an Ebony shield, greatsword and greataxe! I can see why the bandits came in here!

  It didn't do them any good, but oh, well.

  Once we were done, we came back to the front room to cook dinner and make camp. It's nice and warm in here, so Erandur's just wearing the one shirt, and Valdimar was taking care of the corprus. While Valdimar worked, I asked Erandur why he decided to shave and everything last night.

  He sort of laughed and said that if he didn't do everything right then, he was afraid he'd lose his nerve.

  I was confused, and asked what was there was to be afraid of.

  "Your judgment."

  He said he didn't know why. We'd accepted him for everything else. But that kind of punishment was something that he felt he deserved. He didn't deserve to care about himself or be cared about, even though he wants to.

  He confessed he still doesn't think he should. Just like he didn't feel like he deserved the better armor.

  But, we believe it, and he is a priest. Belief is his Thing. He would have faith in us, and trust us to look out for him like he trusts his Lady.

  He went off to see to the dead, and after he left, we talked for a bit.

  Valdimar was amazed that he was letting him help out with the corprus. Granted, he had to ask Erandur if he could check on it, and he'd almost refused, but caught himself and said that yes, he would like some help.

  We agreed that we're going to have to keep an eye on him. He might be the sweetest guy in all of Tamriel, but he's drowning in a pool of guilt the size of the Abecean!

  We'll have to duck into Sadri's Wares once we get to Windhelm and see if we can put together a nice grooming kit for him.

  I'm at least buying him a comb!

  I drew some fanart of Valdimar brushing Erandur's hair. It's not the moment in the story, just some general cuteness, but you get to see them being adorable.

  YES! More headcanons!

  I've had that whole tattoo reveal scene written for literally months! I was just waiting for the party to find the right location where it could feasibly happen the way I wanted it to.I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who's always thought Erandur would be covered in Cult tattoos. It makes sense to me that he'd get them covered up to "reclaim" his body after he got out. Same for growing out his hair and such. It's common behavior after someone leaves an abusive, controlling environment.

  As for the next day, the fight really was that confusing for me. I couldn't really hear of see anything being so close to the Wall, and I figured that Bronwen wouldn't try to get to the words while her friends were in danger. Her love for them is stronger than the pull of the runes!

  Besides, she'd probably just faceplant on the dais if she tried.