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Delia-Jessamine Maric, newly married Breton stealth-mage, started for Riften where her husband Torvar had spent their wedding night while she was in Darkwater Crossing. Along the way, Jess decided to see Aela as soon as possible. Jess loved Aela like a friend, sister, and mentor all in one, but they had been estranged at times. Jess was upset that Aela skipped the wedding, despite two of Torvar's Companion buddies attending. Jess thought she knew why and wanted to make amends.

At Honeyside, Torvar immediately denied drinking much while she was gone. Jess wasn't so sure about that, but at least she wasn't in trouble for missing their honeymoon.

Their second night of marriage was "uneventful" to the extent that Jess could remember it. She sneaked some Sleeping Tree sap before going to bed early and didn't remember anything after that. For some reason, she's having trouble with something that had been (too) easy back when she was a tavern wench. But she wanted to leave early for Whiterun, anyway.

They left in the wee hours of the morning. In the Riften marketplace, a thief was trying to break into The Scorched Hammer. She wished they would stay away from there, as Balimund reminded Jess of her late father. The guards and Torvar saw the thief and killed him. Jess thought she saw Torvar give her a look, which she took as a warning. He knew she had some connection to the Thieves Guild and for a moment Jess felt afraid of Torvar.

The trip to Whiterun was mostly uneventful.

In Whiterun, they got a room at The Bannered Mare. Jess had not stayed at Jorrvaskr since Skjor's return proved that Jess being named "Harbinger" was some sort of hoax or hazing ritual. She had taken it personally, leaving the Companions and eventually falling in with the Thieves. Her relations with the Companions had improved in recent months, though. Jess and Aela had retrieved the totems of Hircine together, and Jess had done a job with each Companion (except Skjor, who she believes is in charge).

But Jess had since cured her lycanthropy, and thought that Aela had been hurt by that. She had received "the blessing" from Aela's blood, so curing herself was like rejecting Aela.

At the Bannered Mare, Jess drank wine on the balcony while Torvar stayed downstairs. Jess started for bed, but when "The Age of Aggression" began, she stormed downstairs, retrieved Torvar, and told the bard to sing something else. After the attack on Darkwater Crossing, the former supporter of the Empire did not want to hear the song again.

The next morning, Jess and Torvar discussed staying at Jorrvaskr while in Whiterun. They found Athis and Farkas outside and Jess was glad they had made it back safely. She left Torvar with his buddies, and started for the market.

Turning around, she saw Torvar sitting on the ground by himself. He seemed to be deep in thought. Jess felt sorry for him. She had been a lousy wife in the three days they had been married, yet he was so sweet to her. Would he have married her if he had known what a mess she was or all of the secrets she hid from him?

Delia-Jessamine Maric decided she would have to try to be a better wife. She went to the market and saw Ysolda. That gave Jess an idea regarding some other problems on her mind.

When she came back to Jorrvaskr, she finally spoke to Aela, but not about the wedding. Instead, Jess asked Aela if she wanted to go hunting the next morning. Dangerous game only, on the plains of Whiterun. Aela was up for that. She had always wanted hunt with Jess, but Jess did not like killing animals unless necessary. In the interest of their friendship, she would hunt with Aela.

Later, Torvar slept in his old room without even telling Jess he was going to bed. Jess was disappointed but couldn't blame him. She drank a bottle of Sleeping Tree sap and slept in Kodlak's old room.

The next morning, Jess and Aela and went hunting. They killed three sabre cats, with each huntress contributing to the kills. But Jess had a second motive for the trip: Near Sleeping Tree Camp, Jess asked Aela to stand guard while she went behind some rocks to take care of, um, personal business. But she slipped into the camp and collected some more sap. "What took you so long? I was beginning to worry," Aela said. "I got lost," Jess replied. She didn't think Aela believed her.

On the way back to Whiterun, they came across a horse "pawing" at a dead bandit, found an initially non-aggressive skeleton guarding two graves, and were attacked by a Khajiit. They explored a bit and found another giant camp, but didn't enter it. But passing Fort Greymoor, they noticed movement and suspected bandits. It was getting late so they decided to come back the next morning.

Back at Whiterun, Jess noticed that Torvar was wearing his Bond of Matrimony instead of the dual-enchanted ring she had given him. Like a bad wife, she was not wearing her own Bond of Matrimony. She wanted to make Torvar a new ring when they got back to Riften and asked if she could give Aela the old one she had made. Torvar was fine with that.

Jess then asked Torvar to go with her to the Harbinger's room where she wanted to show him something. Jess awoke later feeling "lover's comfort". They sat for a while and ate a sweetroll. They slept in the Harbinger's bed that night. "Aela and Skjor aren't using it, so we will," Jess said.

Jess awoke before dawn with the "lover's comfort" again and gathered Aela for their next hunt. This time they were hunting bandits. Jess gave Aela the ring and some healing potions.

On the way to Fort Greymoor, Jess bought some more sap from an Orc in plain view of Aela. "You keep my secret and I'll keep yours," Jess thought.

They sneaked to Fort Greymoor and Jess used her new Detect Life spell. There were more bandits around than they had realized, so they would have to be careful. Hiding in the entrance, they would be shielded from the bandit above them but not the others.

Jess applied a strong poison to her bow and sniped a bandit across the courtyard. He was surprisingly tough. Jess expected to kill him in one shot, but he charged at them and alerted the others. Jess and Aela shot him four times - two shots poisoned - before he went down. Not a good start. Jess conjured two Dremora Lords to enter the fray. She and Aela stayed low and continued sniping while the daedra did their thing. After a tougher-than-expected fight, the women cleared the exterior of the fort.

They entered the fortress and cleared it using stealth tactics. Inside, they met Agnis, a strange woman who claimed to have served many masters. Jess and Aela spent the night at the fort and returned to Whiterun early the next morning.

Back at Jorrvaskr, Jess gave Aela some more healing potions and said goodbye. Jess was sad to leave her "sister". She then found Athis and Farkas and gave them some healing potions in thanks for attending the wedding. She promised that she will have additional gifts for all of the Companions when she returns.

Jess felt good again about being a Companion. She and Torvar left Whiterun and made it to Ivarstead before dark.

Delia-Jessamine Maric, Breton stealth-mage, friend of Companions, and wife of Torvar, arrived in Ivarstead with her husband in time to enjoy a beautiful late afternoon in The Rift. After the trip to Whiterun, Jess felt relaxed and content. Some might even call the feeling "happiness." Whatever the emotion, it was one she hadn't felt in a long time. Hunting with her "sister" Aela re-affirmed her friendship to Jess (though Aela was unaware of any problem). Furthermore, her marital efforts were being rewarded with blessings she had not experienced before - she believes these blessings to be the work of both Dibella and Mara.

They left Ivarstead for Riften before dawn (the Vilemyr Inn really needs some private rooms). On the road near Honeystrand Cave, they found two scimitars of the type that Redguards carry. Jess wondered if a bear had killed the Redguards and dragged away the bodies. She asked Torvar to wait while she sneaked to the cave for a look. "You always get us caught", she told her husband. At the cave, Jess was spotted, though, and the bear was not pleased with her trespass. Jess calmed the bear and ran back to Torvar. "Nothing there...," she told him. After hunting with Aela she didn't want to kill another animal anytime soon. They took the scimitars and continued the trek.

The morning walk was lovely except for two attacks by Dark Brotherhood assassins. Needless to say, Torvar is very concerned about his new wife and knows that she has secrets, but Jess tried to assure him that she has no idea why she was attacked. "We can talk about it later. Try to enjoy the walk." Unfortunately, Jess spent the rest of the walk trying to figure out how to explain something that she doesn't understand herself. Who could possibly hate her so much?

At Riften, they devoted the next couple of days to domestic life. Jess also lost herself in crafting new wedding rings, as well as gifts for their Companion friends. While her crafting skills are very limited when it comes to weapons and armor, Jess is skillful with jewelry (if only she could craft circlets so she wouldn't feel the need to hoard them).

She started by making a list:
Wedding Rings: Gold Diamond
Aela: Gold Emerald - green is her color
Athis and Farkas: Gold Sapphire (in appreciation for attending the wedding)
Njada, Ria, and Vilkas: Silver Ruby (Jess reasons that Vilkas has been cured of his aversion to silver).
Skjor: ?

She didn't know if Skjor would accept a gift from her, but decided to make him a ring matching Aela's, anyway.

Jess smithed the rings after hours at The Scorched Hammer. The next day, she enchanted them with dual effects of Fortify Health and Resist Magicka, except for her own Wedding Ring, which carries Fortify Health and Regenerate Magicka. The Breton is highly resistant to magical attacks, unlike the other Companions.

She would make necklaces for the Companions and new jewelry for Annekke later.

Over dinner, Jess discussed with her husband what to do the next day. They decided to investigate Tolvald's Cave, which they had found recently. There might be Falmer there.

Before bed, Jess wanted to go to the temple, and for Torvar to go with her. Jess is very religious. She feels closest to Dibella, and believes that Dibella has helped her during the darkest times in her life. Increasingly, she is feeling the influence of Mara, as well. Jess's knowledge of the Divines is entirely personal, as she is not educated in religion (or much else, really).

Riften's lack of a Dibellan shrine has always been a problem for Jess. She knows that Haelga has one, but Jess thinks Haelga is a heretic and does not like her. Although Jess's past and Haelga's present are not that different, Jess believes that Dibella lifted her from her previous life, whereas Haelga tries to drag Dibella into it.

Walking to the Temple of Mara, Jess saw Haelga heading for the Bee and Barb and stopped. "What is it?" Torvar asked. Jess suddenly was afraid Torvar might talk to Haelga and learn that she collected money from her for the Thieves Guild.

"Nothing. I don't like that woman... she tells lies," Jess said. "About me."

Which gave Jess an idea.

"The only bad thing about this town is it's full of liars. Haelga hates me because I know she's a heretic. Keerava... she's a gossiper and a liar. You should stay away from her. Talen-Jei, too. Oh and Bersi... he started a fight with me and said I started it! Can you believe that? Don't believe what they say."

Jess feigned indignation but inside felt exhilarated.

At the temple, she received her blessing from Mara and asked Torvar to receive his. She did not know if Torvar was a religious man. How little they knew about each other. Jess was happy to see Torvar receive his blessing.

They went back to Honeyside and went out on the porch to enjoy the night for a while. Their first date had been for food and drinks at The Bannered Mare after doing a Companions job together. But going to the Bee and Barb was out of the question. She needed to keep Torvar away from there. Away from Keerava, Talen-Jei, and Haelga.

"So nice out here," Jess said. "Why anybody would want to go to that awful Bee and Barb is beyond me."