Valkari seemed to be very concentrated on her work, so Laz quieted himself long enough for her to finish checking out the helmet. Her diagnosis relieved him. "Good news," he boomed, "You never know when something like this will just shatter under a random amount of pressure. Microfractures....they build up and then all you need is just a blow with the right amount of weight--you know what I'm talking about."

He noticed a couple of people leaving for the night. Squinting his eyes to guess the time by the light that entered the door as they left, he guessed it was about 10:00. His house was far too long of a walk from here...and his horse was dead. So it was either sleep at the Inn or a smelly bed in the Jorrvasker. Neither was too appealing.

He noticed Val fumbling with her septims and patted a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Oh, remember this was my treat tonight. Saadia?" He payed the barmaid and then gave her his dishes, making sure to carefully wrap his utensils into a cloth designated for "dirty" tools, and slipping them away for washing later. "Well then, Valkari. How about that song?"

She nodded and gave him a light smirk as she handed him back his Ebony black helmet. "Yeah, I've had that happen a few times with previous armor. Thankfully, this doesn't break easily." Valkari banged a knuckle on one of her shoulder shield, it making a sturdy 'clank' as she banged her knuckles off of it. "See? As sturdy as the horses here." She gave him another sweet smirk before shaking her hand, seeming to have hit her shield a bit to hard.

Just when she was about to pay for her drink, the Redguard patted her shoulder and she looked up at him. "Eheh, whoops," she said with a sheepish smile, "forgot you were paying." She knocked herself in the head and smirked. "This one has an awful memory."

That was Valkari, always poking a bit of fun at her own mistakes. If it didn't make others laugh, it was for her own sake anyway. She felt bad about her mistakes, and it was only right, for her, to make it up with a joke about it. Made people laugh, no?

"A song? Hmmm ..." Valkari tapped her bottom lip with her index finger, then snapped her fingers and picked up her lute she brought with her. "I picked this song up in my travels in Morrowind." she told him as she began playing her lute, strumming the strings in sweet melody.

As Lazarus watched his new friend picked up her lute and began to sing. He stared into her electric blue eyes as she poured passion and soul into the melody. Her expert balance of the lute and the sweet, angelic tone of her voice caressed his ears in the warmest way. The others grew quiet, listening to the beauty of her song, the stress on every syllable, the float on every vowel. People started to come in from both doors, peering in to see what was making such a wonderful sound. It made Mikael look like a joke.

Her song was about rebirth. About a clean start. It was about reignition. This was a song that EVERYONE in Skyrim could relate too. Everyone had a story, and a near future. And this future was interrupted by the war, and most importantly, the return of dragons to Skyrim. Life as they knew it would never be the same...but they needed to push on. They needed to set afire the spark that drove their way of living, and live stronger. Valkari was a proverbial flame. And tonight, she had set fire to Lazarus's spark.

Valkari brushed some of her fiery red hair away from her freckled face and looked up to the Redguard with her icy blue eyes. She could tell many loved her singing, and even people outside the inn peeked in to see who was singing. It made Valkari smile when people enjoyed her singing. Made her feel like she was doing a good thing, a good deed.

As she set down her lute, she looked back up at Lazarus and smirked. "Well? I can tell many liked my singing, but did you?" the young redhead asked with a raised eyebrow, crossing a leg over the other once more and taking a drink from her mug of mead.

Valkari hoped he liked it. Sometimes, in the most rarest of cases, some people actually disliked her singing. Reasons? She had not a clue in the world. Did she care? Not one bit. As long as others who actually knew good music when they heard it liked her singing, she didn't much care for the haters that were in nearly every city she went to ... and possibly every continent she visited. What did make her happy though, was that now Mikael looked like the fool he was. The next day he would probably be after her again, but tonight, tonight he knew his place.

Lazarus laughed in disbelief. "Now that was some quality barding, if I do say so myself." Everyone mumbled in agreement. "Do you not agree, Mikael? Mikael?"

Mikael was gone.

"Oh. I'm sure he had an important errand or something." The others laughed. "I've never heard that song before. But I'm glad I heard it. Especially here, tonight."

Hulda called out to him from behind the counter. "So what'll it be Lazarus? Are ya' sleepin' in t'night?"

"Uhhh." The great redguard rubbed his hand over his head.

"I'll give you a minute." Hulda backed off and turned her attention to washing dishes.

Lazarus groaned and spoke quietly to Valkari. "I've never been acute on sleeping in Inns. Often you never know what went down when the person before you slept. Poor Hulda and Saadia do their best to keep things clean, as any keepers do, but still...there are a lot of people cycling through these beds."

To some people, Lazarus may seem like a germaphobe. But in reality, he was only cautious. The number one cause of death in Skyrim was disease. And diseases were extracted from places regularly used. This is why he preferred to use his own silverware. For someone who was on the road all the time, healthy practice could be the only thing keeping him from cramping and dying in some icy forest somewhere.

The young Nord bowed slightly in her seat and smirked up at the Redguard. "Well, I'm glad you liked it then," she thanked as she pushed some of her red hair away from her frosty eyes. Others were clapping slightly after her singing, and, to her surprise, Mikael was gone. She simply shrugged when Lazarus commented on it. "Maybe he was just afraid of humiliation."

As Valkari put away her lute, ready to head on home, she heard Hulda call from her counter asking Lazarus if he wished to stay here for the night. A smile appeared on her face as she patted the armor of the Redguard. "If you want," the young Nord began, "you can stay with me for the night. I have a guest room you can use, and don't worry, not many people use it."

Honestly, Valkari didn't blame him for being cautious, because she was too. Should she absolutely have to sleep at an inn, which was surprisingly often, she did, but if she could sleep in the house of a friend or family member, then she would choose that over a smelly bed inside an inn ... which you had to pay for.

Strapping her lute around her shoulder, she stood and looked at Lazarus. "Well? You can sleep here, or stay the night at my house. An offer that will probably never come by again, if you are an active traveler."

Lazarus was both shocked and grateful for Val's offer. However, it was a little awkward for him. Here he was...a grown man quite capable of handling someone the way he wanted. And this unmarried woman (he assumed) was inviting him to spend the night in her home. He wouldn't even dream of abusing his friend, lest she cut his head off, but he was a little uncomfortable, being the gentleman that he was.

But he was on the spot, and this woman was hot, so--

"Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you in anyway. I could really use the bed though..." He stood up, stretching to his full height and picking up his things. "I appreciate the offer....you sure your husband wouldn't mind?"

Valkari looked at him for the longest moment, and then burst out into a giggling fit. Husband? What husband? Last time she checked that wedding finger of hers was empty. Or at least ... well last time she checked. She checked the finger to make sure there was no ring on it. Sure enough, there wasn't. After a few more minutes of silent giggling, she wiped away some tears.

"Sorry," she apologized, chuckling a bit more before calming down. "I don't remember getting married, so no he wouldn't mind." Valkari gave him a smirk and put a hand on her hip. "I don't mind either. I've got enough room for a family of six if it ever occurred."

Not like it will. That was what she always thought. The only time kids would ever be in her house was if the poor ones needed a safe place to stay, or she got married. The second one, for her, seemed highly unlikely. No one here by her standards was even marriageable. Sure, there were many men who wanted to bed her, and she wouldn't blame them, but they were either flirting with her for her ass and tits or because they were desperate for a wife. Sometimes even both.

With a smirk she picked up her lute and battleaxe she had set on the floor earlier. "Take the offer or leave it. Doesn't matter to me." she gave him one last smile before heading to the door. She would know if he took her offer if he followed her out. If not, then she didn't mind that either.

Lazarus watched the form of Valkari sashay out the door. Out of his league. He was about to just pay Hulda when an old man made eye contact with him.

He nodded twice, as if to say, "Go for it...."

Lazarus nodded at him as if to say "I am a man..."

He followed Valkari out of the Inn and into the damp streets of Whiterun. It seemed to have drizzled a little bit. He hoped it didn't full on rain. The smell of it drifted off the streets from the east. It was definitely going to be wet in a minute.

"Sorry about my intrusive question, Valkari. I simply was making sure I wasn't intruding on anything. I'm actually surprised you aren't married. It would seem as if mobs of men would line up just to bask for a second in the glow of your spirit. I wouldn't have been surprised had a man rushed into the Inn and pledged to sever my head."

Valkari up to the Redguard, happy that he decided to come with her. "It's fine," she told him honestly, "and with my temper and ... unladylike attitude, I don't think many men find that much of an appeal to me. Well, unless their only standards are nice tits and nice ass." Valkari rolled her eyes at the thought as it began to down right pour in ran. "Hmm, wasn't expecting this much rain to suddenly come down ..." She put a hand up over her eyes to shield them from the rain. Her hair, however, was becoming wet and damp from the heavy rain.

As she searched through her pouch, thunder and lightning cracked across the sky, though it didn't seem to phase the young battle maiden. Finally, digging out her keys, she unlocked the door to her rather well organized and lightly decorated home. "Well, make yourself at home I guess." she told him as she kicked off her boots on the mat and put her Battleaxe on the weapon rack. "The guest room is just down the hall a ways," She pointed to a door on the near right, "my room is just across from it in case you need something." The young Nord began her journey to her room to change out of her wet armor. "And don't come in right now, unless you want a few bruises." She gave him one last smirk before retreating to her room to change into something more comfortable.

Lazarus hardly took notice to the rain. He was already pretty bummed it had drizzled. He had left out some newly refurbished tools at his house...and now they would surely be ruined by the time he got back. He was very quiet as Valkari spoke about the way men treated her. It was very sad. He had spent years making a deadly name for himself and an trying to create an business empire to impress a woman...and these fools were running around grabbing at them like they were princes and spoiled noble boys. Now, they had probably turned Val sour to the idea of settling down, making her distant. And what of the fine, respectable men? They now had to suffer at the expense of these foolish boys. Shame.

As they entered Val's home, Laz was very impressed with the "woman's touch" that was evident in every nook and cranny. It was cozy and warm here. Far better than The Bannered Mare. He watched as she pulled her feet out of her boots and hung her weapon, and he did the same, placing the boots next to hers and Bane onto the rack.

He smiled at her as she closed her door and then proceeded to head to the guest room. Upon entering, he almost felt the urge to collapse on the fresh bed before him. But instead, he began undressing himself. He pulled off the heavy Ebony with a massive heave, buckling his abdomen and finally setting it aside, freeing his thunderous biceps and thick, dark chest. There was a gash on his right arm, fresh from the battle done today. He changed the wrap, wincing in discomfort, before changing into some decent undergarments. After he was done, he stared at himself in the mirror, gauging his level of presentment. Beads of water rolled down his arms and face, dripping onto the drawer. It had been a long day. It had ended well, that was for sure.

Lazarus walked out of the room to see if Val had any mild healing potions, whenever he caught sight of the grand saber head resting above the fire. The warmth of the hearth attracted him as well as the impressive decoration, and he moved closer to get a better look.

Valkari could not stand one more minute in that dampened and wet armor. Immediately shutting the door to her room she easily slipped out of the armor and put on a long and loose shirt with leggings underneath. The shirt hugged her curves rather nicely, and her leggings showed off a bit of how defined her thighs were. As long as her tits weren't fully hanging out, she didn't care much. Another few minutes of untangling her hair, she put it in a loose fish braid and opened the door to her room to head to the living room.

"Well, if I knew you had that good of a body I would have tried to inspect your whole set." she joked with a light laugh as she sat down in the chair by the fire. Her skin, freckles and hair glistened and shone under the orange light of the crackling fire that was in front of them. She caught him looking at the Sabre head hung up above the fireplace and she smirked. "Impressive isn't it?" Valkari looked to him with her icy blue eyes, then back to the Sabre that she had killed the first week with the companions. It was a rather glorious time for her. She had gotten to prove her worth to her shield siblings, and it didn't take incredibly long to earn their trust.

Lazarus was enjoying the warmth from the fire on his skin whenever Val came up on soft feet. He didn't realize she was there until she made the joke about his body. He grinned and laughed "Thank you." He had always been big on athletics, and had built himself up over the years through his strenuous activities.

He had forgotten all about the sabre tooth. He spent the brief time interval admiring Valkari's curves in all the right places, as well as how the firelight reflected from her vivid beauty. DAMN. She was pretty comfortable with the subtle exposure, which surprised Lazarus, considering she'd only just met him. But he sure as hell didn't mind. In fact, he must have made a pretty damn good first impression.

"Impressive isn't it?"

"Indeed..." Lazarus snapped back into attention, realizing she was talking about the decoration. Come on Lazarus...you stupid, lonely fool. "Yes, it is most inspiring," he said, under the pressure of Val's electric gaze. "I trust it was a grand hunting trip!"

Valkari nodded to him softly and smirked. She could tell he was distracted by her, it was there in his body language (which was incredibly sexy and attractive at the moment ...). "You don't want to hear how I got a Sabre up on my wall. It's rather boring actually." She scratches her head some, strands of fiery hair fell loose and ended up in front of her face. Thankfully, those strands were wet from the rain.

Another crack of thunder boomed through the now darkened clouds in the sky, surprisingly making Valkari jump slightly. It wasn't the lightning she was jumping for, it was the thunder. It ... didn't settle well for her. Though she kept her composure and acted like she didn't just jump out of fear from a wee thunder boom in the night sky. A sigh escaped her and she leaned back in her chair, crossing a leg over the other and crossing her arms behind her head, simply gazing into the fire. The dancing orange lights reflected off of her icy blue eyes, making it seem like they were melting with the fire.

After a long moment, Valkari looked back up at the Redguard. "So," she began, "happy staying here rather than a bed with Talos only knows what's in it?"

Lazarus sat down, his quads rippling under the pressure of his build as he descended upon the chair. He was still a bit wet, and the light of the flame illuminated the individual drops of water that slid down the natural cuts in muscle of his arms. His great shoulders shook as he plopped down, tossing the remaining beads in all directions. He too, relaxed, crossing his arms under his wide pecs and crossing his ankles under the chair. Not wanting to be caught staring at the goddess again, he too stared at the fire.

"Yes, this is far better than ANY inn I've ever been." Damn right it was. "Once again, thank you, friend." He smirked at her, asking. "Did I just see you jump at the sound of thunder...?"