Romance Amongst Chaos (A Skyrim Book)

7: Ja'mara x Scouts (Falling in Love)

Damn that lizard.

Ja'mara had fallen for Scouts not long after she declared she trusted him enough to call him a friend.

Ever since she realized how she really felt, she avoided Windhelm and the docks especially.

It was stupid, of course. Ja'mara had been raised to think love was weak.

And yet she could feel her heart race a thousand miles a minute every time she thought of her Argonian crush.

"I do not know what I'm going to do, Dragonborn." Ja'mara said randomly one day, while in Riften with the Guild.

Janny and Brynjolf had both gotten back from a rather dangerous expedition (Ja'mara heard Rune say it'd ended with Janny being pushed out of a window and her falling several hundred feet to her potential death, if it hadn't been for her close friend, a weird girl named Penny, catching her), so now things were back to business.

"Love is a fickle thing, Ja'mara." Janny said, before looking longingly at Brynjolf.

"How did that happen?" Ja'mara questioned.

"Brynjolf and I went on a mission together and it just... we both nearly died, and it was a heat of the moment kiss that made us realize how we felt." Janny admitted, her cheeks flushing red as she looked back at Ja'mara.

"How should I tell Scouts how I feel, then? Just kiss him and be done with it?" Ja'mara questioned.

"I'd talk to him first. Admit your feelings, and then wait for a response." Janny replied, taking a sip of spiced wine, before she started giggling. "Y'know, being the ever so helpful Dragonborn I am, I never thought I'd end up giving love advice to a friend." She stopped when she saw the stunned look on her companion's face. "I-I mean... I am your friend right?"

"You saved my life, Janny. So yes, I trust you enough to call you a friend." Ja'mara tensed up afterwards, remembering who her other friend was.

"Then take my youngin' advice, Ja'mara. Talk to Scouts. Tell him how you feel. And if he rejects you, find Jayden and have him tell me."

Ja'mara laughed at the mischievous look on Janny's face.

"I don't think you freezing Scouts will change his mind, but fine." Ja'mara sighed as she stood up. "Well, I guess I'm off to Windhelm. Take care of yourself, Dragonborn, and let your arm and shoulder heal up."

Janny only shrugged, before wincing as the action had bothered her still healing shoulder. "Don't worry about me, now go get him, Ja'mara!"

With that, Ja'mara left the cistern, and began making her way towards Windhelm.

—

Ja'mara had traveled all night, but at nine in the morning she finally made it to the docks.

"Ja'mara! You look like death! You should be sleeping instead of being here!" Shavee exclaimed, walking over and putting an arm around Ja'mara.

"Where's Scouts? I need to speak to him. Alone." Ja'mara yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"He's still in the assemblage. I'll go get him! Just stay here a moment!" Shavee made Ja'mara sit down on a box, before she ran off.

The last thing Ja'mara saw before she'd passed out from exhaustion was the sight of strange cultist like people coming off of a boat...

—

When Ja'mara awoke, she was indoors, though it didn't look like Candlehearth Hall.

She was in the Argonian assemblage.

"You look much better, now."

Ja'mara looked to her side and saw Scouts sitting in a chair beside her; there were no other Argonians in the place.

"Shavee told me you came here looking for me. Did you travel all night to get here? Cause that's the only thing explaining why you collapsed from exhaustion." Scouts gave Ja'mara a stern look, making her sigh.

"I may have tangled with some bears and sabre cats on the way here, but I'm fine! Just so tired..." Ja'mara suddenly remembered why she wanted to talk to Scouts.

"Well, luckily for you, I told the Nords I have a sick friend to take care of, so they gave me the day off. The others won't be back until midnight, they're petitioning the High King for more help." Scouts explained, before giving Ja'mara a chance to speak.

Ja'mara opened her mouth to say some sort of convoluted confession, but instead only three words came out.

"I love you."

A stunned silence coursed through the assemblage; Scouts seemed shocked and all Ja'mara could think about was how much she wanted to crawl into a hole full of vipers and let death take her.

Until...

"Guess it's a good thing I feel the same way, huh?" Scouts chuckled, leaning down and taking Ja'mara's hand in his.

"Guess it's a good thing I have this." Ja'mara tiredly uncovered the amulet of Mara she had hidden under her Thieve's Guild armor.

"You... you want to get married?" Scouts asked, eyeing the amulet with cautious eyes.

"The Dragonborn lent it to me when she returned from the place called Atlas a week ago. Said she didn't need it anymore." Ja'mara explained, yawning again. "I figured... well, I'd take a chance and see if you were okay with... us."

"It's settled then. We can get married, save up for a nice house if we want..."

Ja'mara immediately sat up, hugging Scouts as tightly as she could.

"Let's get married!" Ja'mara exclaimed, before she yawned again and laid back down.

"Go back to sleep, my sweet. Tomorrow, we'll hasten to Riften and make the arrangements." Scouts said, putting a hand on Ja'mara's head.

As Ja'mara fell back asleep, she felt Scouts pressing a kiss to her forehead, and she felt so much safer.

This was just what she wanted, and now she was getting it.