The Dragonborn

Part 18

Mark pulled him in to give Jack a short tender kiss, before pulling away to face the large black stone doors.  As Mark placed his hands on one of the doors to try and push it open.  Jack was taking in the prominent design across the doors.  It looked like a dragon head.  Jack's attention was soon drawn back by Mark slipping between the doors.  Quickly following, Jack squeezed between the doors and rushed to crouch behind a fallen pillar.  Mark closed the door right after him, before joining him.  The temple's roof had a few holes that allowed some light stream into this large dark and dank room.  Most of the pillars were creaked or had fallen over from time and weathering.  Mark peeked over the pillar and gestured for him to take a look.  Peeking over himself, he saw a warm glowing light at the far end of the temple.  A campfire.  Mark gestured him back down, whispering to him practically against his ear.  "Stay a few feet behind me. I need you to back me up if I'm outnumbered".  Jack grabbed the leather sword strap across Mark's chest, whispering a bit shaky.  "No. We can get around them. You don't have to-".  Mark cut him off by placing his hands on his shoulders, telling him confidently.  "Jack. Please do this. We don't have a lot of time. If bandits are raiding this tomb, then we may loose our chance to get the Dragonstone".

Jack lowered his eyes to the floor, reluctantly nodding.  He knew Mark was right... but he hated when Mark charged into a fight.  It came with risks.  Mark touched his cheek comfortingly for a moment and when he looked up, Mark smiled at him before turning away.  Mark stayed crouched moving to the next fallen pillar.  Jack waited a bit then followed as Mark was moving off to the next one.  While Mark kept moving, Jack flanked around to the other side.  Squeezing between an alter table and a fallen pillar.  He needed to see how many people were here.  Two.  A huge blonde nord man and a dark haired nord woman.  The man was leaning back against a stone pillar, grumbling out to the woman.  "If that Elf wants to go in ahead of us, let him. Better than us risking our necks".  The woman strolled back from a tunnel entrance to the campfire, telling the man sharply.  "What if Arvel doesn't come back? I want my share from that hall"!  The man rolled his eyes, dryly stating to the woman.  "Just shut up and keep an eye out for trouble".  The woman scuffed loudly, telling the man darkly.  "What trouble? We have guards outside! If someone was here they'd tell us! You dumb oaf"!  The man uncrossed his arms as he snapped back at her.  "SHUT UP! If you're so worried about getting paid, go and join them"!

Jack caught his breath when he noticed Mark creeping out of the shadows behind the pillar the man was leaning against.  The woman stiffened up as she noticed too, asking suddenly.  "Who is that"?  The man turned to look behind the pillar and Mark swung his great sword.  Cutting the man's head off in a single clean strike!  The woman backed away quickly, notching an arrow to her bow as she yelled out.  "You son of a bitch"!  Jack waited as she continued to back up toward him, Mark rolled to his left causing her to turn her back on Jack as she took aim at Mark.  Quickly creeping out from his hiding spot, Jack approached her from behind with his dagger at the ready.  Taking ahold of her head just before slitting her throat.  He stared at Mark as her body fell limply at his feet.  The things he did for Mark.  Sometimes he wondered if there was even a limit to what he would do for him.  Mark stared back at him a little surprised, when he told him playfully.  "Now I know I'm a bad influence on you".  Jack rolled his eyes, trying not to smirk.  Mark was a bad influence on him, but at the same time... Mark inspired him to be better. 

Mark lead the way down into the tunnel, overgrown with roots and lined with carcasses of freshly killed skeevers.  Small burning candles were even placed down to lead the way.  Mark slowed to ask Jack softly.  "Tell me you can feel that? That weird sense of dread"?  Jack nodded.  He thought it was all in his head... but if Mark could feel it... Did that mean something powerful was in here with them?  Were the old nord tales true?  Mark followed the lit candles cautiously through the tunnel, with him a foot or two behind.  Until at the next turn, Mark gestured for Jack to get low.  Crouching, Jack moved closer to Mark's side.  Farther down the tunnel, a nord man was exploring a room.  Curiously, Jack waved for Mark to stay behind and sneaked in for a closer look.  The man was examining a few stones against the wall.  Then after turning the stone in the middle, he moved to the center of the room and pulled the large lever.  Jack flinched as from every part of the weird circular room began to pepper the man with arrows!  Mark quickly raced down to Jack's side, asking in a worried voice.  "What happened"?