Purgatoryz

9 years is a long time but i still want answer your question.i used to have same problem. Maybe your partner come from cm partner extra npc.esp and 10 npc of this file is essential, if you want them no more essential, you can use tes4edit and unmark essential any npc you want to can die. Hope this answer can help you and sorry for my bad english. Oh and you must start new game or load other file not autosave or quick save, i don't know why but with my game it worked like that.

Hey guy, i have other way really fast to level up your block skill and don't need cheat. First, you must have item and health enough to not die when you take one giant's strike, second you go to sleeping tree camp and block giant's attack, then you run into the blue pond ( have a white tree in center) and the giant can't follow you (don't know why?), and you just need heal yourself by spell or poition then come back and take giant's strike again, keep do it until you max level of block skill. good luck. oh, and sorry about my english. https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/elderscrolls/images/6/61/TESV_The_Sleeping_Tree.png/revision/latest?cb=20120513122426