mattizcool
Flying lawnmowers are cool.
Another great chapter. Keep em going. 
Wyldfyre
- Thread starter shadowkitty
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shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
CHAPTER FIFTY NINE: Sky Haven Temple
Wyldfyre faced an unexpected storm when they arrived home at Jorrvaskr. She had not so much as taken off her armour when her brother stormed into her room, his face stony.
“Where have you been?” he demanded. She calmly leant her sword in a corner before un-strapping her bow, placing it in the same corner.
“I was on Companions business” she said as she examined the crossbow she had found in Mzinchaleft. She had had ample opportunity to test it on their way home and she was completely smitten with it. It was small and compact, yet had way more power in it then her old bow. She decided to put the old Imperial bow down for good and take up the crossbow as her primary weapon. It just needed a few tweaks to make it hers, something she would see Eorlund about.
“Oh really?” he raged “I know for a fact you went into a Dwemer ruin, after I TOLD you not to!” He pointed at the crossbow. “Just the fact that you have that proves it! Wyldfyre how could you, after what I said?”
“I’m sorry brother but you can’t tell me where I can and can’t go. I needed to go, I needed to have the ending that I was denied”
“You regret me saving your life?” he looked hurt, and mad at the same time. Wyldfyre stood and took his hands in hers.
“Of course not Aiden, but, you don’t understand. All this time I have had a hole in my heart, a missing piece of it that was left behind when I went over that waterfall. I couldn’t get back up to you, to the others, I was lost and alone and grief stricken. I never got the chance to avenge it. To heal properly. I was broken.” Aiden’s expression softened a little.
“And now?” he asked her.
“Now I am not.” She said to him, bringing his fingers to her lips. He studied her eyes for a long moment and then embraced her tightly.
“All right then” he shook his head, smiling. “You always were one to do your own thing”
Wyldfyre,
Something has come to light that I need your insight on. Please meet me in my room at Riverwood.
Delphine.
Wyldfyre placed the letter on the table and crawled back into the bed with Farkas. They were back at the Lakehouse and had enjoyed two days of alone time, until a courier had knocked on their door early that morning.
“Who was it?” Farkas mumbled from the other side of the bed, his voice muffled by a pillow.
“A courier” Wyldfyre answered him, sliding her hand over his hip and snaking it up his chest. He rolled over onto his back causing her to lay on top of him. She traced a circle on his chest with a fingertip.
“A letter?”
“uhmm” she nodded, leaning down and kissing his face.
“Well? Who was it from?” he chuckled as she nibbled down his neck. It was getting very hard to concentrate. Wyldfyre propped herself up and pouted.
“You are spoiling my fun” she said.
“Tell me who the letter is from and I will allow you to continue” he said, grasping her hands and lifting her above him.
“All right!” She giggled “It’s from Delphine, remember that Blade from Riverwood? She has requested my company in a matter most urgent”
“Huh” Farkas said as her lowered her back down.
“Indeed” Wyldfyre said, and then resumed her exploration of Farkas’s body.
“By the Nines Wyldfyre! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Delphine gasped, her hand on her sword. Wyldfyre didn’t think she was being any less quiet than usual. But then, a lot had changed since she last saw the Blade; becoming a Werewolf for one. I guess I move a little stealthier, Wyldfyre figured.
“This is the Dragonborn?” the old man asked. Wyldfyre narrowed her eyes at him then was surprised when he smiled at her warmly.
“You are a welcome sight for my old eyes” he said to her. Wyldfyre smiled briefly back then turned to Delphine.
“Well what is so urgent that you couldn’t explain it to me in that letter?” she asked, keen to get down to business.
“Esbern here has information I thought you should know. A little while back I found out that he was still alive and I tracked him down to Riften. I rescued him from a Thalmar patrol and brought him back here. At first he was reluctant to come until I told him about you”
“Wait.. A Thalmar patrol? What interest do they have in an old man, no offense” Wyldfyre said to Esbern. He smiled and shook his head.
“None taken and you are forgiven, but I am also a member of the Blades, like Delphine here and I have some very valuable information that the Thalmar would love to get their hands on”
“Then speak” Wyldfyre said, taking up a chair and making herself comfortable.
“Indeed it appears to be quite hopeless, unless somehow, we can think of something that would defeat him”
“Nothing is hopeless” Wyldfyre said to them. “We just need to think about it. Is there anywhere where you can find more information? What of the Blades? Did they leave any writings behind that may give us an insight?” Esbern looked thoughtful for a while, then muttered under his breath.
“Maybe, it is a remote possibility. There might be something there”
“What are you on about?” Delphine demanded impatiently. Esbern seemed to snap out of his revere.
“What? Oh sorry, I mutter when I am thinking. I have one idea. But it involves a journey into savage territory. We must go to Sky Haven Temple. I’m sure there could be something there to help us.”
Wyldfyre stood and walked over to the giant map.
“Show me”
Esbern was amazed when the dragon lay slain and its soul absorbed into Wyldfyre’s body. The soul joined the others and greedily grabbed at the word she had absorbed in Korvanjund and then in turn taught Wyldfyre the word. She did not fully understand it, but it had something to do with manipulating time. Wyldfyre was equally amazed at the magical displays of power that Esbern showed during the attack. He was a more powerful wizard than she was, almost equalling Marcurio. After entering the caves that led to the temple, they encountered more Forsworn and puzzles until they came to a large chamber containing a lock mechanism on the floor that required a bloodletting from Wyldfyre.
Now the three found themselves ascending the stairs, torches in hand, hopeful that they would find something in this long forgotten ruin. As they came to the top Wyldfyre saw to her right a large, long carved wall. Esbern exclaimed excitedly when he saw it and immediately went over and started studying it. Delphine wandered off to examine some of the rooms that led off the main hall they were in. Wyldfyre went around the room and lit all the braziers, casting the hall in a golden glow.
“Yes, yes.. well that is interesting..hmm..” Esbern muttered. Wyldfyre stood there patiently. Delphine re-joined them.
“This place is excellent” she said to Wyldfyre “I think it could be a fine place to use as our base of operations. There is an old armoury back there with Blades Armour and weapons”. Wyldfyre nodded, not wanting to break Esbern’s concentration. Delphine was not so polite.
“Well old man, we came all this way, have you found anything yet?” Esbern straightened up slowly from one carving he was studding closely.
“By the Nines Girl! Give me a minute to study this wall. I know it has the answer I just know it, but I need more time. Go find something to do” he shooed her away. Delphine huffed and stalked off. Wyldfyre wandered through the hall and up a flight of stairs and into another room. It contained tables and chairs and a fireplace with a cooking pot still hanging over the hearth. Along two of the walls were rows of pallet beds. Wyldfyre dumped her things on one of the beds and lit the fireplace and some old half-burned candles. She dug around in her satchel and found an apple and munched on it while she wandered through the rest of the temple. She found on the other side another room full of beds and a smaller room with a large tub that was presumably used to bathe in. She eyed the tub longingly. She had no idea where to get water from and had no desire to lug buckets up from the river.
She ascended another flight of stairs and went through one of three doors and found herself outside the temple. A large pavilion stood to her left and when she neared it she could see archery targets and practice dummies. They were old and weather beaten but would serve their purpose until new ones could be made. She suspected that Delphine would be searching for new recruits to bolster their ranks. For as of now the Blades were one woman and an old man. Wyldfyre had no intention of joining them herself. She still didn’t overly trust Delphine and her almost fanatical views about the Blades and Dragons. And her loyalties and love lay to the east in Whiterun.
She strolled over to the edge of the mountain, peering down into the river below. It was peaceful up here and so she sat crossed legged on a rock that jutted out over the mountain and just enjoyed the solitude. Finally she could bare it no longer and went to find Delphine. She found her in the armoury and shoved a bucket into her hands.
“Let’s go” she said.
“What’s this for?” Delphine asked as she hurried along behind her.
“If I’m going to be stuck here for more than a day then I need a bath!”
“Ow!” Delphine got to her feet and walked over to the tub. She held out her hand.
“Let me” she said shyly. Wyldfyre hesitated for a second then handed over her soap and leant forward. Delphine ran the soap over her back still chatting nervously. She discarded the soap and began massaging Wyldfyre’s shoulders.
“You need to look after yourself a little better” Delphine said, tracing a scar over Wyldfyre’s back. “You could be our only hope in defeating Alduin”
“Is that only how you see me?” Wyldfyre asked her “As a sword? A weapon?”
“No!” Delphine cried “Not at all, it’s just, I’ve waited for so long, hiding my true self, waiting for something to give me hope that my future wasn’t going to be in that dingy Inn in Riverwood, and then you came along and my life had meaning again.”
“Still” Wyldfyre said bluntly “I always feel like I am the means to an end with everyone I meet. Why should you be any different?” she shrugged.
“Because I....” Delphine hesitated.
“Because what Delphine?” The woman stood and brushed off her hands, a dozen emotions flashing across her face.
“Never mind” she left, looking stricken. Odd was all Wyldfyre could think. Later, dressed in her favourite suede pants and white tunic top, she sat on a bench seat near the fire in the living quarters as she tried to brush the knots out of her hair. It was almost dry but there were a few stubborn knots that refused to be combed out. She slammed the horker tusk comb that Farkas had given her on the table in frustration. As she stared into the fire a hand came around and picked up the comb and she felt the person sit closely behind her, straddling the seat as she was.
“I’m sorry about before” Delphine said as she passed the comb through Wyldfyre’s unruly knots, secretly thrilled to be this close to the object of her desires, the woman who had haunted her dreams since the first time they met.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It was odd, but then I’ve seen stranger things” Wyldfyre said. She was reminded of the time when Lynly washed her hair and she was a little concerned that Delphine felt the same way that Lynly did. She had not put it together before but now she thought about it, the way Delphine acted around her despite her bravado, it made sense. She had no idea what to do about it though. Delphine knew about Farkas, so Wyldfyre could not put her off by telling her she loved another. She frowned, annoyed at Delphine for her feelings, even though she knew full well that when it came to love, you never chose it. It chose you.
“Still” Delphine continued as she brushed Wyldfyre’s glorious hair “I was being silly and I apologize”
“All right” Wyldfyre accepted her apology. She turned around and took her comb off Delphine. “Um, thanks” she said and rose. Delphine stood to and there was an awkward moment when they both went to leave the same way before Wyldfyre half shoved Delphine to the left so she could make her escape.
“Lydia is going to love this story” Wyldfyre muttered grumpily to herself. Later they had a hearty meat and vegetable stew, followed by many bottles of mead, thanks to the supplies left down in the now abandoned Forsworn camp. Wyldfyre took a plate out to Esbern, who refused to leave the wall. He only half acknowledged her as she set the plate down before returning to the living quarters to down more bottles of mead with Delphine.
They had also brought up all the bedrolls they could find, as well as every single food item to stock the larder. As the forsworn camp was quite large, they had to make many trips to ferry everything up. Each bed now had the extra padding of a fur bedroll which Wyldfyre greatly appreciated when she finally fell into bed late that night.
During the night, Wyldfyre was awoken by a soft touch on her face. She grabbed the hand and whipped out her dagger from under her pillow and in one swift movement was sitting up and had the dagger at the intruder’s neck. It was Delphine.
“By the Maker!” Wyldfyre cursed. “I could have slit your thro.....” she was cut off when Delphine suddenly leaned forward and kissed her.
Wyldfyre faced an unexpected storm when they arrived home at Jorrvaskr. She had not so much as taken off her armour when her brother stormed into her room, his face stony.
“Where have you been?” he demanded. She calmly leant her sword in a corner before un-strapping her bow, placing it in the same corner.
“I was on Companions business” she said as she examined the crossbow she had found in Mzinchaleft. She had had ample opportunity to test it on their way home and she was completely smitten with it. It was small and compact, yet had way more power in it then her old bow. She decided to put the old Imperial bow down for good and take up the crossbow as her primary weapon. It just needed a few tweaks to make it hers, something she would see Eorlund about.
“Oh really?” he raged “I know for a fact you went into a Dwemer ruin, after I TOLD you not to!” He pointed at the crossbow. “Just the fact that you have that proves it! Wyldfyre how could you, after what I said?”
“I’m sorry brother but you can’t tell me where I can and can’t go. I needed to go, I needed to have the ending that I was denied”
“You regret me saving your life?” he looked hurt, and mad at the same time. Wyldfyre stood and took his hands in hers.
“Of course not Aiden, but, you don’t understand. All this time I have had a hole in my heart, a missing piece of it that was left behind when I went over that waterfall. I couldn’t get back up to you, to the others, I was lost and alone and grief stricken. I never got the chance to avenge it. To heal properly. I was broken.” Aiden’s expression softened a little.
“And now?” he asked her.
“Now I am not.” She said to him, bringing his fingers to her lips. He studied her eyes for a long moment and then embraced her tightly.
“All right then” he shook his head, smiling. “You always were one to do your own thing”
*****
Two days later, Wyldfyre received a letter from Delphine.
Wyldfyre,
Something has come to light that I need your insight on. Please meet me in my room at Riverwood.
Delphine.
Wyldfyre placed the letter on the table and crawled back into the bed with Farkas. They were back at the Lakehouse and had enjoyed two days of alone time, until a courier had knocked on their door early that morning.
“Who was it?” Farkas mumbled from the other side of the bed, his voice muffled by a pillow.
“A courier” Wyldfyre answered him, sliding her hand over his hip and snaking it up his chest. He rolled over onto his back causing her to lay on top of him. She traced a circle on his chest with a fingertip.
“A letter?”
“uhmm” she nodded, leaning down and kissing his face.
“Well? Who was it from?” he chuckled as she nibbled down his neck. It was getting very hard to concentrate. Wyldfyre propped herself up and pouted.
“You are spoiling my fun” she said.
“Tell me who the letter is from and I will allow you to continue” he said, grasping her hands and lifting her above him.
“All right!” She giggled “It’s from Delphine, remember that Blade from Riverwood? She has requested my company in a matter most urgent”
“Huh” Farkas said as her lowered her back down.
“Indeed” Wyldfyre said, and then resumed her exploration of Farkas’s body.
*****
Wyldfyre sensed that the woman Delphine was not alone before she even entered the hidden room below the Sleeping Giant Inn. As she walked through the doorway she saw Delphine’s familiar blonde head bent over the large map that always covered the table. An old man, skinny and dressed in plain clothing stood next to her pointing at some location on the map. They both looked up when Wyldfyre cleared her throat.
“By the Nines Wyldfyre! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Delphine gasped, her hand on her sword. Wyldfyre didn’t think she was being any less quiet than usual. But then, a lot had changed since she last saw the Blade; becoming a Werewolf for one. I guess I move a little stealthier, Wyldfyre figured.
“This is the Dragonborn?” the old man asked. Wyldfyre narrowed her eyes at him then was surprised when he smiled at her warmly.
“You are a welcome sight for my old eyes” he said to her. Wyldfyre smiled briefly back then turned to Delphine.
“Well what is so urgent that you couldn’t explain it to me in that letter?” she asked, keen to get down to business.
“Esbern here has information I thought you should know. A little while back I found out that he was still alive and I tracked him down to Riften. I rescued him from a Thalmar patrol and brought him back here. At first he was reluctant to come until I told him about you”
“Wait.. A Thalmar patrol? What interest do they have in an old man, no offense” Wyldfyre said to Esbern. He smiled and shook his head.
“None taken and you are forgiven, but I am also a member of the Blades, like Delphine here and I have some very valuable information that the Thalmar would love to get their hands on”
“Then speak” Wyldfyre said, taking up a chair and making herself comfortable.
*****
“Alduin?” Wyldfyre said the name again. She was not familiar with the name nor the legend it encompassed, but as Esbern explained to her more her eyes widened. The World Eater some called him. Praying on the souls of Sovngarde... The Dragon wars. It was all a little too much.
“Indeed it appears to be quite hopeless, unless somehow, we can think of something that would defeat him”
“Nothing is hopeless” Wyldfyre said to them. “We just need to think about it. Is there anywhere where you can find more information? What of the Blades? Did they leave any writings behind that may give us an insight?” Esbern looked thoughtful for a while, then muttered under his breath.
“Maybe, it is a remote possibility. There might be something there”
“What are you on about?” Delphine demanded impatiently. Esbern seemed to snap out of his revere.
“What? Oh sorry, I mutter when I am thinking. I have one idea. But it involves a journey into savage territory. We must go to Sky Haven Temple. I’m sure there could be something there to help us.”
Wyldfyre stood and walked over to the giant map.
“Show me”
*****
Their torches spluttered when Delphine leaned against the doors to the temple and opened them. They had journeyed North-east from Riverwood, following the southern border of Whiterun Hold until they came to the small village of Rorikstead. They then turned west and crossed over the border into the territory known as The Reach; it’s capital Markarth. The temple itself rested atop of a mountainous island in the middle of a junction between the North Karth and South Karth Rivers. The Eastern side of the river, the side the entrance to the temple was on, had been taken over by a savage group Esbern later told Wyldfyre were called “Forsworn”. The three of them had to battle their way through the savages, as well as a frost dragon that was already there when they arrived. Apparently the dragon thought the Forsworn were in its way as well, and in a way, it helped to annihilate the enemy, before turning on Wyldfyre and the others.
Esbern was amazed when the dragon lay slain and its soul absorbed into Wyldfyre’s body. The soul joined the others and greedily grabbed at the word she had absorbed in Korvanjund and then in turn taught Wyldfyre the word. She did not fully understand it, but it had something to do with manipulating time. Wyldfyre was equally amazed at the magical displays of power that Esbern showed during the attack. He was a more powerful wizard than she was, almost equalling Marcurio. After entering the caves that led to the temple, they encountered more Forsworn and puzzles until they came to a large chamber containing a lock mechanism on the floor that required a bloodletting from Wyldfyre.
Now the three found themselves ascending the stairs, torches in hand, hopeful that they would find something in this long forgotten ruin. As they came to the top Wyldfyre saw to her right a large, long carved wall. Esbern exclaimed excitedly when he saw it and immediately went over and started studying it. Delphine wandered off to examine some of the rooms that led off the main hall they were in. Wyldfyre went around the room and lit all the braziers, casting the hall in a golden glow.
“Yes, yes.. well that is interesting..hmm..” Esbern muttered. Wyldfyre stood there patiently. Delphine re-joined them.
“This place is excellent” she said to Wyldfyre “I think it could be a fine place to use as our base of operations. There is an old armoury back there with Blades Armour and weapons”. Wyldfyre nodded, not wanting to break Esbern’s concentration. Delphine was not so polite.
“Well old man, we came all this way, have you found anything yet?” Esbern straightened up slowly from one carving he was studding closely.
“By the Nines Girl! Give me a minute to study this wall. I know it has the answer I just know it, but I need more time. Go find something to do” he shooed her away. Delphine huffed and stalked off. Wyldfyre wandered through the hall and up a flight of stairs and into another room. It contained tables and chairs and a fireplace with a cooking pot still hanging over the hearth. Along two of the walls were rows of pallet beds. Wyldfyre dumped her things on one of the beds and lit the fireplace and some old half-burned candles. She dug around in her satchel and found an apple and munched on it while she wandered through the rest of the temple. She found on the other side another room full of beds and a smaller room with a large tub that was presumably used to bathe in. She eyed the tub longingly. She had no idea where to get water from and had no desire to lug buckets up from the river.
She ascended another flight of stairs and went through one of three doors and found herself outside the temple. A large pavilion stood to her left and when she neared it she could see archery targets and practice dummies. They were old and weather beaten but would serve their purpose until new ones could be made. She suspected that Delphine would be searching for new recruits to bolster their ranks. For as of now the Blades were one woman and an old man. Wyldfyre had no intention of joining them herself. She still didn’t overly trust Delphine and her almost fanatical views about the Blades and Dragons. And her loyalties and love lay to the east in Whiterun.
She strolled over to the edge of the mountain, peering down into the river below. It was peaceful up here and so she sat crossed legged on a rock that jutted out over the mountain and just enjoyed the solitude. Finally she could bare it no longer and went to find Delphine. She found her in the armoury and shoved a bucket into her hands.
“Let’s go” she said.
“What’s this for?” Delphine asked as she hurried along behind her.
“If I’m going to be stuck here for more than a day then I need a bath!”
*****
It took them ten trips with the three buckets they had to fill the tub with enough water for Wyldfyre to be able to immerse herself in. As she stripped off her armour and undergarments Delphine blushed and looked away. Wyldfyre was unsure what to make of her reaction, but she stepped into the tub and lowered herself in anyway. The water was warm enough and she relaxed there while Delphine chatted incessantly about mundane things and the Blades and how glorious it was that they were going to be a force once again in the Province. Wyldfyre only half listened as she scrubbed herself with the bar of soap she always carried with her. She reached behind, trying to soap up her back but winced at the pain in her shoulder that she never felt until she stretched it.
“Ow!” Delphine got to her feet and walked over to the tub. She held out her hand.
“Let me” she said shyly. Wyldfyre hesitated for a second then handed over her soap and leant forward. Delphine ran the soap over her back still chatting nervously. She discarded the soap and began massaging Wyldfyre’s shoulders.
“You need to look after yourself a little better” Delphine said, tracing a scar over Wyldfyre’s back. “You could be our only hope in defeating Alduin”
“Is that only how you see me?” Wyldfyre asked her “As a sword? A weapon?”
“No!” Delphine cried “Not at all, it’s just, I’ve waited for so long, hiding my true self, waiting for something to give me hope that my future wasn’t going to be in that dingy Inn in Riverwood, and then you came along and my life had meaning again.”
“Still” Wyldfyre said bluntly “I always feel like I am the means to an end with everyone I meet. Why should you be any different?” she shrugged.
“Because I....” Delphine hesitated.
“Because what Delphine?” The woman stood and brushed off her hands, a dozen emotions flashing across her face.
“Never mind” she left, looking stricken. Odd was all Wyldfyre could think. Later, dressed in her favourite suede pants and white tunic top, she sat on a bench seat near the fire in the living quarters as she tried to brush the knots out of her hair. It was almost dry but there were a few stubborn knots that refused to be combed out. She slammed the horker tusk comb that Farkas had given her on the table in frustration. As she stared into the fire a hand came around and picked up the comb and she felt the person sit closely behind her, straddling the seat as she was.
“I’m sorry about before” Delphine said as she passed the comb through Wyldfyre’s unruly knots, secretly thrilled to be this close to the object of her desires, the woman who had haunted her dreams since the first time they met.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It was odd, but then I’ve seen stranger things” Wyldfyre said. She was reminded of the time when Lynly washed her hair and she was a little concerned that Delphine felt the same way that Lynly did. She had not put it together before but now she thought about it, the way Delphine acted around her despite her bravado, it made sense. She had no idea what to do about it though. Delphine knew about Farkas, so Wyldfyre could not put her off by telling her she loved another. She frowned, annoyed at Delphine for her feelings, even though she knew full well that when it came to love, you never chose it. It chose you.
“Still” Delphine continued as she brushed Wyldfyre’s glorious hair “I was being silly and I apologize”
“All right” Wyldfyre accepted her apology. She turned around and took her comb off Delphine. “Um, thanks” she said and rose. Delphine stood to and there was an awkward moment when they both went to leave the same way before Wyldfyre half shoved Delphine to the left so she could make her escape.
“Lydia is going to love this story” Wyldfyre muttered grumpily to herself. Later they had a hearty meat and vegetable stew, followed by many bottles of mead, thanks to the supplies left down in the now abandoned Forsworn camp. Wyldfyre took a plate out to Esbern, who refused to leave the wall. He only half acknowledged her as she set the plate down before returning to the living quarters to down more bottles of mead with Delphine.
They had also brought up all the bedrolls they could find, as well as every single food item to stock the larder. As the forsworn camp was quite large, they had to make many trips to ferry everything up. Each bed now had the extra padding of a fur bedroll which Wyldfyre greatly appreciated when she finally fell into bed late that night.
During the night, Wyldfyre was awoken by a soft touch on her face. She grabbed the hand and whipped out her dagger from under her pillow and in one swift movement was sitting up and had the dagger at the intruder’s neck. It was Delphine.
“By the Maker!” Wyldfyre cursed. “I could have slit your thro.....” she was cut off when Delphine suddenly leaned forward and kissed her.
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shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
CHAPTER SIXTY: Clearing the Skies
Wyldfyre’s eyes widened in surprise as Delphine’s soft lips enclosed around her own. She was momentarily stunned and Delphine took that as a good sign and brought her hand up to rest on Wyldfyre’s breast. When she recovered from her shock, Wyldfyre suddenly leant back, breaking the kiss and placed her hand, still holding the dagger, on Delphine’s chest.
“What do you think you are doing?” she asked her angrily. Delphine blinked, confused.
“I thought...”
“Well you thought wrong!” Wyldfyre hissed at her. She shoved her back, causing Delphine to get off the bed. Wyldfyre stood as well.
“Don’t ever do that again” she glared at the woman. She turned and left the room shaking her head. Why did this happen to her? As she entered the main hall she saw Esbern asleep at his small table, his head resting on an open book. Wyldfyre took up a blanket from nearby and draped it over the old man who stirred only slightly. She walked down through the ruins, even thought it was dark out, her night vision exceptional, until she came out back into the abandoned Forsworn camp. Wyldfyre sat and dangled her feet in the cold waters of the rushing river below, trying to calm her sudden furious mood.
She knew what she needed, a release that she hadn’t felt for a while. The dragon souls inside her begged for it to. She looked around and quickly shed her clothes. Then she concentrated and felt the familiar breaking and twisting of her body until she was no longer Wyldfyre, but the she-wolf. The wolf ran through the camp and up into the wilds of the reach, racing over the rocky country side as fast as she could go.
When you were a woman of Delphine’s particular ‘likes’, it was not often that the object of your lust came walking towards you totally naked. You often had to covet from afar and deal with your desires yourself. Delphine sighed as her insides quivered at the sight of Wyldfyre. The woman had a grace about her that was, unnatural, even more so since the last time she had seen her. Her perfect breasts jutted out and that glorious hair that she just ached to run her hands through. She hated that brute of a man that Wyldfyre was with. He got to hold her, slide his hands over her naked body, take those nipples in his mouth, and make love to her. She hated him with all of her being.
“Why are you, like that?” Delphine asked her as Wyldfyre approached. She took her clothes and put them on, Delphine watching closely as she slid the soft suede pants over her legs and covering the lightly haired mound that she wanted to dive into. Stop that Delphine, she scolded herself.
“Morning swim” Wyldfyre frowned at her. She had not forgotten that kiss last night and was still angry at Delphine.
“I’m sorry about last night. It was wrong of me to assume” the blond woman apologised. Wyldfyre simply nodded, not wanting to speak on the matter again. She was not mad at Delphine because she was a woman who had kissed her, she was angry because she had kissed her knowing that Wyldfyre was in love with someone else. Wyldfyre had no problems with someone wanting the love of another of the same sex. It was something that wasn’t frowned upon in her small village. She herself had spent a brief time with one of her female friends. Not a partnership as such, more of a comfort on chilly nights. So she had no objections to it at all. She pulled on her tunic top with Delphine’s eyes on her, and then slipped on her boots and walked back through the ruins to the temple.
“Was there a reason why you came in search of me?” she asked Delphine.
“Oh yes, Esbern says he’s worked out what the wall says. He was quite excited but wouldn’t tell me until you were there. Apparently he hates repeating himself.” They entered the temple and discovered Esbern still at the wall muttering to himself. Wyldfyre cleared her throat and he turned to look at them both, smiling widely.
“I have found it!” he cried.
“Well, out with it old man!” Delphine almost shouted.
“No need to be rude” Esbern scolded “Well, here on this wall the Blades of old have told us their story. About when Alduin was last here on this plane”
“This plane?” Wyldfyre asked “What do you mean?”
“Ah” Esbern nodded excitedly at Wyldfyre’s question “It seems our hero’s defeated Alduin with a shout”
“A shout? That’s it?” Delphine asked incredulously.
“What is it?” Wyldfyre asked. Esbern shook his head.
“Sadly I do not know, they did not record the shout on this wall, and none of the texts I have read say what it was either.”
“Are you sure?” Delphine said striding to the wall and peering at it “Maybe you missed it?”
“Young lady! I have been over that wall a hundred times and It. Is. Not. There” he emphasised each word with a thump on the table with his hand. Wyldfyre moved over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you Esbern. You have done well to interpret the wall for me. Now I just need to find out what this shout was.”
“I hate to say this, but you probably need to speak to the Greybeards” Delphine said the word with a sneer. Wyldfyre nodded.
“You are probably right. I’ll make for High Hrothgar now, time is not our friend in this matter it seems” She turned and went to put on her armour and stow her things in her satchel. Delphine appeared later and handed her a bundle wrapped in a linen cloth.
“Some food for the road” she said. Then she looked stricken “Wyldfyre. Please know that I am sorry for my behaviour. I can’t help how I feel about you. But I will respect your wishes” Wyldfyre softened a little; she did seem genuine in her apology.
“It’s all right” she said to her “You just took me by surprise, and I love Farkas. We are engaged and nothing is going to stop me from marrying him” Delphine looked a little taken aback by that, but Wyldfyre needed to tell her.
“I understand” she said, stepping back as Wyldfyre made her way through the door.
“Be careful!” she called out to her.
“Good hunting!” Wyldfyre called back over her shoulder. Delphine watched Wyldfyre as she descended the stairs and exited the temple. She had lied to her. She didn’t understand. Not at all. How one so beautiful could love a brute of a man like Farkas? Now she was engaged to him? She wasn’t going to give up on Wyldfyre, not while there was still breath in her body.
“Wyldfyre!” he exclaimed happily, coming round the counter and embracing her warmly. “Good to see you again!”
“It is good to see you to Wilhelm” Wyldfyre said as he led her over to a bar stool. He took out a bottle of mead and poured her a full tankard which she took gratefully. “I wasn’t expecting to be here again quite so soon, but I have to make the journey back up the mountain.”
“I see” Wilhelm nodded “Business with the Greybeards.”
“Yes” she took a sip of mead “But I think I will leave the journey until tomorrow morning. Might I trouble you for a room?”
“No need to ask, you are welcome to any room you want. Business is quite slow at the moment” They spoke at length and later Wyldfyre joined Wilhelm down in his room for the evening meal. She updated him on her life since the last time she saw him.
“Why does trouble always seem to go looking for you?” he asked her, then winked “Or do you go looking for it”. Wyldfyre giggled “I thought as much” he chuckled. Wyldfyre sought her bed early that night, planning to get up before the sun rose so she could tackle the mountain in full light. As she lay there, listening to the night sounds outside, she thought about Farkas and their home on the lake. She rolled over and fluffed her pillow, missing her mate.
Wyldfyre floated down a narrow stone hallway, lit by strange lights. As she neared the giant door at the other end she suddenly felt afraid. Behind the door she could hear scratching and hissing. She flung up her arms to cover her face as she burst through the door, unable to stop her momentum. In the room beyond writhed a sea of Falmar. Wyldfyre floated over them as they leaped and groped for her bare feet. They slashed at her with their weapons and suddenly Wyldfyre was suspended above the murderous hoard in the middle of the room. She screamed as slowly she was lowered by an invisible rope down to the waiting Falmar below. They grabbed at her feet then legs and Wyldfyre could not kick them off as she was overpowered and groped by dozens of sharp-nailed hands. As she was lowered further, the Falmar grabbed her clothes and tore them off as she writhed and screamed. Her arms were taken hold of and soon she could not see for the mass of bodies that covered her. She was poked and prodded and screamed a soundless scream as one by one the Falmar violated her body.
Wyldfyre cried out, sitting up in bed, her body covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She sobbed as she tried to shake the horrible images out of her mind. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat for a moment while she calmed herself down. She peered out the window of her small room, and seeing it was nearly sunrise, decided to pack up her things and don her armour. She would be getting no more rest this morning. Wyldfyre left a sizable coin pouch on Wilhelm’s little table, smiling as he lay on his bed snoring. Outside, her breath steamed in the crisp air and she made her way over the bridge and to the beginning of the Seven Thousand Steps. Sighing, she started her ascent to High Hrothgar, hoping that she would get some answers from the elusive Greybeards and that this journey would not be a waste of time.
“Although this is a momentous step in learning how to defeat Alduin, I am sorry child but I can not tell you the shout, for I do not know it. None of us do.” Wyldfyre’s heart sank.
“Then my journey here was for nought?” Arngeir stopped and studied her, although his eyes seemed to look past her and he seemed to be listening to someone else, someone not there. He nodded slightly and closed his eyes, inclining his head reverently.
“All is not lost” he said when he opened his eyes. “Paarthurnax has requested to see you”.
“Paarthurnax? Your leader?” Wyldfyre’s heart thumped in her chest, and the dragon souls moved at the sound of his name.
“Yes child, but there are certain things we need to teach you before you make the journey to the Throat of the World. Come” He led her down the hallway and across the room, and then out through the doors that led to the courtyard. The other Greybeards were already gathered at the massive stone gate that marked the start of the path to the top of the mountain. Wyldfyre looked up but all she could see was a great swirling mass of sleet, barring the way. She frowned, wondering how she was to get past the un-natural seeming blizzard. She was answered when Arngeir told her that they were going to teach her a new shout called “Clear Skies”.
“To clear your path when it would be otherwise impenetrable” Three of the Greybeards stepped up and said the words on the ground which shook at their voices and then a glowing word appeared. One by one, Wyldfyre stepped up to the word and it absorbed into her body. The fourth Greybeard then fed his own knowledge of the shout into her, as she did not have any dragon souls to claim it. The knowledge made her dizzy as it filled her and the dragon souls inside her were slightly enraged at its presence until they soon settled down and Wyldfyre was able to open her eyes again. When she looked around she was alone with Arngeir, the others seeming to have disappeared.
“Be careful on your way, for the path is treacherous. Use your shout when you need it, make haste, for Paarthurnax awaits you and is eager to speak with the Dovahkiin.” Wyldfyre nodded, half wanting to hug him but she felt that would have been inappropriate, so instead she smiled and went on her way. A short way after the gate she came to her first obstacle. A mass of sleet raced across the path in front of her. She gathered herself and used her new shout.
“LOK VAH KOOR!” A thunderous sound rang out across the skies and just like that, the way before her was clear. Wyldfyre was delighted the shout worked so well and she made her way up the twisting and at times, very slippery path to the top. At one stage she had to fight off a lone Ice Wraith. Its tiny icy teeth snapped at her as she kept it at bay with her fire spell in one hand and sword in the other. She was not going to let another one bite her after the pain she experienced from the last. It exploded in an icy mass in front of her and she stepped past it and continued on. She had to use the clear skies shout half a dozen more times before she finally came to the peak of the mountain. Wyldfyre was expecting some sort of small hut or building but there was nothing but rocks and ice and, curiously, a word wall with no active words on it. She studied the silent words carved into the massive structure, then turned around, wondering where the greybeard leader was.
Suddenly she heard the familiar beating of great leathery wings and the ground shook as a great grey dragon landed with a resounding crash on the wall above her. Wyldfyre ripped her sword from its scabbard and the dragon souls inside her all awakened with rage, snarling and snapping at the dragon.
“Silence brothers!” The grey Dragon ordered, and Wyldfyre felt the dragon souls inside her recede in fright. This dragon was something different. She stepped away from the wall until she and the dragon were face to face.
“Who are you?” she asked it, her suspicions already leading to a conclusion.
“Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, wunduniik.Stay your hand Dovahkiin, for I, am Paarthurnax”.
Wyldfyre’s eyes widened in surprise as Delphine’s soft lips enclosed around her own. She was momentarily stunned and Delphine took that as a good sign and brought her hand up to rest on Wyldfyre’s breast. When she recovered from her shock, Wyldfyre suddenly leant back, breaking the kiss and placed her hand, still holding the dagger, on Delphine’s chest.
“What do you think you are doing?” she asked her angrily. Delphine blinked, confused.
“I thought...”
“Well you thought wrong!” Wyldfyre hissed at her. She shoved her back, causing Delphine to get off the bed. Wyldfyre stood as well.
“Don’t ever do that again” she glared at the woman. She turned and left the room shaking her head. Why did this happen to her? As she entered the main hall she saw Esbern asleep at his small table, his head resting on an open book. Wyldfyre took up a blanket from nearby and draped it over the old man who stirred only slightly. She walked down through the ruins, even thought it was dark out, her night vision exceptional, until she came out back into the abandoned Forsworn camp. Wyldfyre sat and dangled her feet in the cold waters of the rushing river below, trying to calm her sudden furious mood.
She knew what she needed, a release that she hadn’t felt for a while. The dragon souls inside her begged for it to. She looked around and quickly shed her clothes. Then she concentrated and felt the familiar breaking and twisting of her body until she was no longer Wyldfyre, but the she-wolf. The wolf ran through the camp and up into the wilds of the reach, racing over the rocky country side as fast as she could go.
*****
Wyldfyre hadn’t meant to stay out all night. But she was having so much fun in her wolf form, racing across the countryside, hunting small game, that she lost track of time until a strange tug in her stomach made her look to the skies. It was beginning to lighten and she needed to get back to the temple. As she made her way back to the old Forsworn camp she could smell a human on the air, she slowed down and her keen eyes saw the human Delphine standing on the boardwalk holding two pieces of cloth in her hands. My clothes. Wyldfyre transformed back into her human form and cursed silently. She sighed and stepped out from behind the hut she had been hiding behind, and walked calmly over to Delphine. Delphine turned when she heard her approaching and nearly dropped Wyldfyre’s clothes in the river in surprise.When you were a woman of Delphine’s particular ‘likes’, it was not often that the object of your lust came walking towards you totally naked. You often had to covet from afar and deal with your desires yourself. Delphine sighed as her insides quivered at the sight of Wyldfyre. The woman had a grace about her that was, unnatural, even more so since the last time she had seen her. Her perfect breasts jutted out and that glorious hair that she just ached to run her hands through. She hated that brute of a man that Wyldfyre was with. He got to hold her, slide his hands over her naked body, take those nipples in his mouth, and make love to her. She hated him with all of her being.
“Why are you, like that?” Delphine asked her as Wyldfyre approached. She took her clothes and put them on, Delphine watching closely as she slid the soft suede pants over her legs and covering the lightly haired mound that she wanted to dive into. Stop that Delphine, she scolded herself.
“Morning swim” Wyldfyre frowned at her. She had not forgotten that kiss last night and was still angry at Delphine.
“I’m sorry about last night. It was wrong of me to assume” the blond woman apologised. Wyldfyre simply nodded, not wanting to speak on the matter again. She was not mad at Delphine because she was a woman who had kissed her, she was angry because she had kissed her knowing that Wyldfyre was in love with someone else. Wyldfyre had no problems with someone wanting the love of another of the same sex. It was something that wasn’t frowned upon in her small village. She herself had spent a brief time with one of her female friends. Not a partnership as such, more of a comfort on chilly nights. So she had no objections to it at all. She pulled on her tunic top with Delphine’s eyes on her, and then slipped on her boots and walked back through the ruins to the temple.
“Was there a reason why you came in search of me?” she asked Delphine.
“Oh yes, Esbern says he’s worked out what the wall says. He was quite excited but wouldn’t tell me until you were there. Apparently he hates repeating himself.” They entered the temple and discovered Esbern still at the wall muttering to himself. Wyldfyre cleared her throat and he turned to look at them both, smiling widely.
“I have found it!” he cried.
*****
“I said that the wall would show us the answer and I was right!” he did a little jig in front of them, amusing in one as old and skinny as he was.“Well, out with it old man!” Delphine almost shouted.
“No need to be rude” Esbern scolded “Well, here on this wall the Blades of old have told us their story. About when Alduin was last here on this plane”
“This plane?” Wyldfyre asked “What do you mean?”
“Ah” Esbern nodded excitedly at Wyldfyre’s question “It seems our hero’s defeated Alduin with a shout”
“A shout? That’s it?” Delphine asked incredulously.
“What is it?” Wyldfyre asked. Esbern shook his head.
“Sadly I do not know, they did not record the shout on this wall, and none of the texts I have read say what it was either.”
“Are you sure?” Delphine said striding to the wall and peering at it “Maybe you missed it?”
“Young lady! I have been over that wall a hundred times and It. Is. Not. There” he emphasised each word with a thump on the table with his hand. Wyldfyre moved over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you Esbern. You have done well to interpret the wall for me. Now I just need to find out what this shout was.”
“I hate to say this, but you probably need to speak to the Greybeards” Delphine said the word with a sneer. Wyldfyre nodded.
“You are probably right. I’ll make for High Hrothgar now, time is not our friend in this matter it seems” She turned and went to put on her armour and stow her things in her satchel. Delphine appeared later and handed her a bundle wrapped in a linen cloth.
“Some food for the road” she said. Then she looked stricken “Wyldfyre. Please know that I am sorry for my behaviour. I can’t help how I feel about you. But I will respect your wishes” Wyldfyre softened a little; she did seem genuine in her apology.
“It’s all right” she said to her “You just took me by surprise, and I love Farkas. We are engaged and nothing is going to stop me from marrying him” Delphine looked a little taken aback by that, but Wyldfyre needed to tell her.
“I understand” she said, stepping back as Wyldfyre made her way through the door.
“Be careful!” she called out to her.
“Good hunting!” Wyldfyre called back over her shoulder. Delphine watched Wyldfyre as she descended the stairs and exited the temple. She had lied to her. She didn’t understand. Not at all. How one so beautiful could love a brute of a man like Farkas? Now she was engaged to him? She wasn’t going to give up on Wyldfyre, not while there was still breath in her body.
*****
It was a few days when Wyldfyre walked into the familiar Inn in Ivarstead. Wilhelm was still there, polishing a tankard when he looked up and saw her, his smile grew as she neared him.“Wyldfyre!” he exclaimed happily, coming round the counter and embracing her warmly. “Good to see you again!”
“It is good to see you to Wilhelm” Wyldfyre said as he led her over to a bar stool. He took out a bottle of mead and poured her a full tankard which she took gratefully. “I wasn’t expecting to be here again quite so soon, but I have to make the journey back up the mountain.”
“I see” Wilhelm nodded “Business with the Greybeards.”
“Yes” she took a sip of mead “But I think I will leave the journey until tomorrow morning. Might I trouble you for a room?”
“No need to ask, you are welcome to any room you want. Business is quite slow at the moment” They spoke at length and later Wyldfyre joined Wilhelm down in his room for the evening meal. She updated him on her life since the last time she saw him.
“Why does trouble always seem to go looking for you?” he asked her, then winked “Or do you go looking for it”. Wyldfyre giggled “I thought as much” he chuckled. Wyldfyre sought her bed early that night, planning to get up before the sun rose so she could tackle the mountain in full light. As she lay there, listening to the night sounds outside, she thought about Farkas and their home on the lake. She rolled over and fluffed her pillow, missing her mate.
Wyldfyre floated down a narrow stone hallway, lit by strange lights. As she neared the giant door at the other end she suddenly felt afraid. Behind the door she could hear scratching and hissing. She flung up her arms to cover her face as she burst through the door, unable to stop her momentum. In the room beyond writhed a sea of Falmar. Wyldfyre floated over them as they leaped and groped for her bare feet. They slashed at her with their weapons and suddenly Wyldfyre was suspended above the murderous hoard in the middle of the room. She screamed as slowly she was lowered by an invisible rope down to the waiting Falmar below. They grabbed at her feet then legs and Wyldfyre could not kick them off as she was overpowered and groped by dozens of sharp-nailed hands. As she was lowered further, the Falmar grabbed her clothes and tore them off as she writhed and screamed. Her arms were taken hold of and soon she could not see for the mass of bodies that covered her. She was poked and prodded and screamed a soundless scream as one by one the Falmar violated her body.
Wyldfyre cried out, sitting up in bed, her body covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She sobbed as she tried to shake the horrible images out of her mind. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat for a moment while she calmed herself down. She peered out the window of her small room, and seeing it was nearly sunrise, decided to pack up her things and don her armour. She would be getting no more rest this morning. Wyldfyre left a sizable coin pouch on Wilhelm’s little table, smiling as he lay on his bed snoring. Outside, her breath steamed in the crisp air and she made her way over the bridge and to the beginning of the Seven Thousand Steps. Sighing, she started her ascent to High Hrothgar, hoping that she would get some answers from the elusive Greybeards and that this journey would not be a waste of time.
*****
“Well you have learnt a great deal since your last visit” Arngeir said to her after she was asked to show them the words of power she had discovered. The Greybeards seemed impressed with her progress; from what she could tell just by their subtle looks and Arngeir’s comments. They strolled down one of the darkened hallways of the temple, Arngeir with his hands concealed in the pockets of his flowing robes. Wyldfyre was reluctant to tell him of her further involvement with the Blades, but she had no choice if she were to tell him of the wall Esbern had interpreted at Sky haven Temple. The Greybeard was annoyed but said nothing further on the matter, for this new revelation had piqued his interests.“Although this is a momentous step in learning how to defeat Alduin, I am sorry child but I can not tell you the shout, for I do not know it. None of us do.” Wyldfyre’s heart sank.
“Then my journey here was for nought?” Arngeir stopped and studied her, although his eyes seemed to look past her and he seemed to be listening to someone else, someone not there. He nodded slightly and closed his eyes, inclining his head reverently.
“All is not lost” he said when he opened his eyes. “Paarthurnax has requested to see you”.
“Paarthurnax? Your leader?” Wyldfyre’s heart thumped in her chest, and the dragon souls moved at the sound of his name.
“Yes child, but there are certain things we need to teach you before you make the journey to the Throat of the World. Come” He led her down the hallway and across the room, and then out through the doors that led to the courtyard. The other Greybeards were already gathered at the massive stone gate that marked the start of the path to the top of the mountain. Wyldfyre looked up but all she could see was a great swirling mass of sleet, barring the way. She frowned, wondering how she was to get past the un-natural seeming blizzard. She was answered when Arngeir told her that they were going to teach her a new shout called “Clear Skies”.
“To clear your path when it would be otherwise impenetrable” Three of the Greybeards stepped up and said the words on the ground which shook at their voices and then a glowing word appeared. One by one, Wyldfyre stepped up to the word and it absorbed into her body. The fourth Greybeard then fed his own knowledge of the shout into her, as she did not have any dragon souls to claim it. The knowledge made her dizzy as it filled her and the dragon souls inside her were slightly enraged at its presence until they soon settled down and Wyldfyre was able to open her eyes again. When she looked around she was alone with Arngeir, the others seeming to have disappeared.
“Be careful on your way, for the path is treacherous. Use your shout when you need it, make haste, for Paarthurnax awaits you and is eager to speak with the Dovahkiin.” Wyldfyre nodded, half wanting to hug him but she felt that would have been inappropriate, so instead she smiled and went on her way. A short way after the gate she came to her first obstacle. A mass of sleet raced across the path in front of her. She gathered herself and used her new shout.
“LOK VAH KOOR!” A thunderous sound rang out across the skies and just like that, the way before her was clear. Wyldfyre was delighted the shout worked so well and she made her way up the twisting and at times, very slippery path to the top. At one stage she had to fight off a lone Ice Wraith. Its tiny icy teeth snapped at her as she kept it at bay with her fire spell in one hand and sword in the other. She was not going to let another one bite her after the pain she experienced from the last. It exploded in an icy mass in front of her and she stepped past it and continued on. She had to use the clear skies shout half a dozen more times before she finally came to the peak of the mountain. Wyldfyre was expecting some sort of small hut or building but there was nothing but rocks and ice and, curiously, a word wall with no active words on it. She studied the silent words carved into the massive structure, then turned around, wondering where the greybeard leader was.
Suddenly she heard the familiar beating of great leathery wings and the ground shook as a great grey dragon landed with a resounding crash on the wall above her. Wyldfyre ripped her sword from its scabbard and the dragon souls inside her all awakened with rage, snarling and snapping at the dragon.
“Silence brothers!” The grey Dragon ordered, and Wyldfyre felt the dragon souls inside her recede in fright. This dragon was something different. She stepped away from the wall until she and the dragon were face to face.
“Who are you?” she asked it, her suspicions already leading to a conclusion.
“Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, wunduniik.Stay your hand Dovahkiin, for I, am Paarthurnax”.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
STOP!! Please read CHAPTER SIXTY ONE: PAARTHURNAX before reading the next two chapters, then come back and read them after. I stuffed up the order. Thanks
Time for another Lydia chapter! This one is a little soppy, but our Lyds deserves it I think! Farkas chapter coming soon after this one.
LYDIA
Chapter 3
It had been a week since Wyldfyre had left for Riverwood. Lydia was occupying her time with training at the mead hall, and fixing up Breezehome. She was also helping out Adrienne at Warmaidens. The two had been friends for years and Lydia liked working at the forge. Not that she had any great skill, but it was fun to learn and was something to do. She didn’t like it when her Thane was away and worried the whole time. She should be with her, protecting her, but Wyldfyre was so unpredictable and independent, Lydia often found herself home alone.
Not that Lydia was complaining right now. Lately she had not been feeling the best and she sat on the edge of the crafting table as another wave of dizziness swept over her.
“Are you alright?” Adrienne asked her, pausing in the act of sharpening of a sword.
“I’m fine, just need a moment” Lydia said, wiping sweat of her brow.
“That’s the third time today” the smith frowned at her, worried. “You should go see Arcadia. She’s not a healer but she might be able to give you something”
“Maybe” Lydia shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nothing”
Later that evening Lydia and Vilkas were sitting at the table in Breezehome, enjoying the hearty stew that Lydia had cooked for them.
“Adrienne tells me you had another of those dizzy spells today” Vilkas said to her. Lydia bristled slightly. She didn’t want Vilkas worrying about her as well.
“Did she now? Well it’s nothing. I feel fine” She took a swig of ale and stood, cleaning off her plate. She had hardly eaten anything where usually she had an appetite to rival Vilkas’s.
“She is worried about you. So am I” he said as he came over to her, taking her in his arms and kissing down her neck.
“There is no need to be” she said, enjoying Vilkas’s attentions.
“Well I think there is. You don’t smell right”. Lydia blinked.
“Excuse me?” she asked, pushing him away at arms’ length and giving him a stern look.
“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s hard to explain. A Were can smell when something’s not right with a human and to me” he sniffed “Something isn’t right” Lydia frowned. She had to admit to herself that she had been feeling off. The dizzy spells coupled with her loss of appetite. Maybe Vilkas was right? She had an idea.
“All right. I’ll go to Riverwood and see Gerdur. She’ll be able to find out what’s wrong. Happy?”
“Mmm..” Vilkas murmured. He wrapped his arms around her and she softened and drew him to her. As they kissed Vilkas began to back her into the table, their kisses growing more and more heated as he lifted her onto the table.
“Right here?” she asked breathlessly. Vilkas grabbed the tops of her pants and drew them down.
“Right here”.
“Oh I almost forgot to tell you. Farkas and Wyldfyre were both in Ivarstead but now Farkas has gone to Riften and Wyldfyre is making her way up to Winterhold.” Lydia sat up.
“Wait.. What?” she blinked. Vilkas loved dropping a tonne of information onto her at once. “When were you going to tell me this? When did you find out?”
“Only just a short time ago. Aela told me” he tapped his head. They had use their Were communication. “She passed Farkas on the road and is making her way back here. Let me know as soon as she was in range”
“Oh I see” Lydia lay back down. “Wyldfyre is going all the way up to Winterhold? And on her own?”
“I have no idea why she is going up there. Aela said something about an Elder Scroll; and no she isn’t going alone, she is meeting up with Farkas in Windhelm.” Lydia burst out in a peel of laughter.
“What is it?” Vilkas smiled at her. He loved her laugh.
“Oh, I would love to be there for that meeting!” she chuckled.
“I still don’t get it”
“Farkas and Wyldfyre and Ulfric in the same room together” Vilkas’s eyes widened. He knew the whole story about Ulfric’s unwanted attentions on Wyldfyre.
“By the Nines!” he chuckled also.
Gerdur asked Lydia about the times she had felt sick, what they felt like when she had the dizzy spells and so on. She frowned when she felt around Lydia’s stomach, pushing in on it painfully.
“What?” Lydia asked, worried at Gerdur’s expression. “What’s wrong? Oh Gods! I’ve picked up some horrible bug somewhere haven’t I?” Gerdur then smiled widely at her, placing her hands on Lydia’s stomach.
“My dear, you haven’t a bug in you, but a baby. You are with child!”
“WHAT?” Lydia shook her head.
“Yes dear. You are expecting. Congratulations.”
“But that’s impossible!” she said stricken. I can’t be pregnant. Were’s don’t father children, do they? Gerdur sat back, looking slightly confused.
“I’m sorry if this was not good news. But I am almost certain.” Lydia looked at her.
“Is there a way to tell? For sure?”
“There is” Gerdur nodded. “But it is rather...invasive, and not pleasant”
“Do it” Lydia said.
“But how is that even possible?” she asked herself out loud as she stood alone in her bedroom. She peeled off her travelling clothes and stood there naked, inspecting her belly. It had swelled a little but she had put it down to the supposed stomach bug she had. Not a bug, like Gerdur had announced. A baby. A life. She was going to be a mother. Lydia laughed a little manically as she panicked more. She, a mother? She had never heard such a ridiculous thing in her life. She placed her hands on the swell of her tummy. A mother. The more she said it the more it started to sound right.
“I’m going to be a mother” she said out loud, smiling. She made her way down the stairs and into the spare room she had converted into a bathroom. Filling the tub with warm water she soaked in it until it began to lose its heat and her fingers looked like dried juniper berries. It was growing dark outside and soon Vilkas would be home. Lydia’s heart thumped in her chest when she thought about telling him her news. She put on her prettiest linen shift; the one Vilkas loved so much that it never stayed on her for very long, and waited on the bed for him.
“Hello beautiful” he smiled down at her. He leaned down and kissed her before she pushed him off gently and sat up.
“Vilkas, I went to see Gerdur today.”Lydia began.
“Oh good. Did she work out what was wrong?”
“Yes” Lydia nodded “There’s nothing wrong
“But the dizzy spells and such?” Vilkas frowned. “I thought you were sick?”
“Not sick” she smiled shyly. She took in a breath for courage, while inside her heart was pounding. “Vilkas” she said taking his hand “I’m with child” she paused for a second “Your child”. The silence in the room was deafening. Vilkas frowned, a dozen emotions flashing across his face. Normally the one who was so calm and collected, right now Lydia could tell he was anything but. She started to panic, thinking that he was going to walk out and leave her, like everyone did.
“Vilkas” she whispered “Say something” He looked at her and blinked.
“That’s...” he shook his head “That’s impossible”
“Which is what I said, but there is no doubt, I’m pregnant.” She studied him intently “Vilkas, I thought Weres could not father children?”
“We can’t” Vilkas said to her. He was still frowning.
“I swear to you I have not been with anyone else” Lydia said to him earnestly.
“I know” Vilkas nodded “I believe you, and I would have been able to tell anyway”
“Then, what do we do?”
“I... I don’t know” he shook his head. This was not in his plan. Meeting someone and falling in love was something Vilkas never thought possible, and now, now she was having his baby? He was going to be a father? No-one in their right mind would have said that Vilkas would have settled down to be a family man. He looked at Lydia, her face so full of emotions, her eyes grown moist with tears. He looked at this woman that he had been spending his idle hours with. He had fought alongside her, made love to her, shared his inner thoughts with her. They had even made a home here. Was this love? Was this what his brother felt? If it was then he liked it and he never wanted to lose it. He was in love with this woman, but more than that. She was his mate, his life, his reason for living.
“Marry me baby” he said. Lydia blinked, and then her smile grew wide and lit his heart up like a beacon. She threw her arms around him and he drew her in tight.
“Of course!” she cried.
“I love you” Vilkas said the words he thought he would never get to say to anyone.
“I love you” Lydia did just the same.
Time for another Lydia chapter! This one is a little soppy, but our Lyds deserves it I think! Farkas chapter coming soon after this one.
LYDIA
Chapter 3
It had been a week since Wyldfyre had left for Riverwood. Lydia was occupying her time with training at the mead hall, and fixing up Breezehome. She was also helping out Adrienne at Warmaidens. The two had been friends for years and Lydia liked working at the forge. Not that she had any great skill, but it was fun to learn and was something to do. She didn’t like it when her Thane was away and worried the whole time. She should be with her, protecting her, but Wyldfyre was so unpredictable and independent, Lydia often found herself home alone.
Not that Lydia was complaining right now. Lately she had not been feeling the best and she sat on the edge of the crafting table as another wave of dizziness swept over her.
“Are you alright?” Adrienne asked her, pausing in the act of sharpening of a sword.
“I’m fine, just need a moment” Lydia said, wiping sweat of her brow.
“That’s the third time today” the smith frowned at her, worried. “You should go see Arcadia. She’s not a healer but she might be able to give you something”
“Maybe” Lydia shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nothing”
Later that evening Lydia and Vilkas were sitting at the table in Breezehome, enjoying the hearty stew that Lydia had cooked for them.
“Adrienne tells me you had another of those dizzy spells today” Vilkas said to her. Lydia bristled slightly. She didn’t want Vilkas worrying about her as well.
“Did she now? Well it’s nothing. I feel fine” She took a swig of ale and stood, cleaning off her plate. She had hardly eaten anything where usually she had an appetite to rival Vilkas’s.
“She is worried about you. So am I” he said as he came over to her, taking her in his arms and kissing down her neck.
“There is no need to be” she said, enjoying Vilkas’s attentions.
“Well I think there is. You don’t smell right”. Lydia blinked.
“Excuse me?” she asked, pushing him away at arms’ length and giving him a stern look.
“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s hard to explain. A Were can smell when something’s not right with a human and to me” he sniffed “Something isn’t right” Lydia frowned. She had to admit to herself that she had been feeling off. The dizzy spells coupled with her loss of appetite. Maybe Vilkas was right? She had an idea.
“All right. I’ll go to Riverwood and see Gerdur. She’ll be able to find out what’s wrong. Happy?”
“Mmm..” Vilkas murmured. He wrapped his arms around her and she softened and drew him to her. As they kissed Vilkas began to back her into the table, their kisses growing more and more heated as he lifted her onto the table.
“Right here?” she asked breathlessly. Vilkas grabbed the tops of her pants and drew them down.
“Right here”.
*****
Later as they lay in bed together, enjoying the chilly breeze that wafted in from the window, Vilkas remembered something.“Oh I almost forgot to tell you. Farkas and Wyldfyre were both in Ivarstead but now Farkas has gone to Riften and Wyldfyre is making her way up to Winterhold.” Lydia sat up.
“Wait.. What?” she blinked. Vilkas loved dropping a tonne of information onto her at once. “When were you going to tell me this? When did you find out?”
“Only just a short time ago. Aela told me” he tapped his head. They had use their Were communication. “She passed Farkas on the road and is making her way back here. Let me know as soon as she was in range”
“Oh I see” Lydia lay back down. “Wyldfyre is going all the way up to Winterhold? And on her own?”
“I have no idea why she is going up there. Aela said something about an Elder Scroll; and no she isn’t going alone, she is meeting up with Farkas in Windhelm.” Lydia burst out in a peel of laughter.
“What is it?” Vilkas smiled at her. He loved her laugh.
“Oh, I would love to be there for that meeting!” she chuckled.
“I still don’t get it”
“Farkas and Wyldfyre and Ulfric in the same room together” Vilkas’s eyes widened. He knew the whole story about Ulfric’s unwanted attentions on Wyldfyre.
“By the Nines!” he chuckled also.
*****
The next day Lydia saddled her horse, Shadow, and rode to Riverwood. She was not entirely sure she wanted to see Gerdur but she knew she had to. That morning she had been sick and she was starting to worry that something was really wrong with her. Gerdur was delighted by her visit and welcomed her into her home, asking many questions about her and Wyldfyre and what they had been up to since they last came through the sleepy little village. Lydia gave her as much information as she was allowed to hear. After downing a large mug of stomach soothing tea, Lydia lay down as Gerdur poked and prodded her.Gerdur asked Lydia about the times she had felt sick, what they felt like when she had the dizzy spells and so on. She frowned when she felt around Lydia’s stomach, pushing in on it painfully.
“What?” Lydia asked, worried at Gerdur’s expression. “What’s wrong? Oh Gods! I’ve picked up some horrible bug somewhere haven’t I?” Gerdur then smiled widely at her, placing her hands on Lydia’s stomach.
“My dear, you haven’t a bug in you, but a baby. You are with child!”
“WHAT?” Lydia shook her head.
“Yes dear. You are expecting. Congratulations.”
“But that’s impossible!” she said stricken. I can’t be pregnant. Were’s don’t father children, do they? Gerdur sat back, looking slightly confused.
“I’m sorry if this was not good news. But I am almost certain.” Lydia looked at her.
“Is there a way to tell? For sure?”
“There is” Gerdur nodded. “But it is rather...invasive, and not pleasant”
“Do it” Lydia said.
*****
Lydia returned to Whiterun in a daze, giving Shadow the reins. The horse led them back to the stables where Lydia asked the stable hand to look after him. Normally she did it herself but today she was more than a little distracted. What am I going to do? She thought as she walked through the gates. What am I going to tell Vilkas? Telling Vilkas was her main worry. Although they had never discussed their relationship before, Lydia wasn’t sure just what they had together. It seemed that Vilkas loved her, but he had not said it as of yet and Lydia was too scared to say it to him first. For she did love him. Not just love, but she was madly, deeply in love with him. And now she carried his child.“But how is that even possible?” she asked herself out loud as she stood alone in her bedroom. She peeled off her travelling clothes and stood there naked, inspecting her belly. It had swelled a little but she had put it down to the supposed stomach bug she had. Not a bug, like Gerdur had announced. A baby. A life. She was going to be a mother. Lydia laughed a little manically as she panicked more. She, a mother? She had never heard such a ridiculous thing in her life. She placed her hands on the swell of her tummy. A mother. The more she said it the more it started to sound right.
“I’m going to be a mother” she said out loud, smiling. She made her way down the stairs and into the spare room she had converted into a bathroom. Filling the tub with warm water she soaked in it until it began to lose its heat and her fingers looked like dried juniper berries. It was growing dark outside and soon Vilkas would be home. Lydia’s heart thumped in her chest when she thought about telling him her news. She put on her prettiest linen shift; the one Vilkas loved so much that it never stayed on her for very long, and waited on the bed for him.
*****
And waited... until exhaustion finally overcame her and she drifted off to sleep. A slight movement on the bed woke her up later and her eyes blinked open when Vilkas tenderly ran a finger down her cheek.“Hello beautiful” he smiled down at her. He leaned down and kissed her before she pushed him off gently and sat up.
“Vilkas, I went to see Gerdur today.”Lydia began.
“Oh good. Did she work out what was wrong?”
“Yes” Lydia nodded “There’s nothing wrong
“But the dizzy spells and such?” Vilkas frowned. “I thought you were sick?”
“Not sick” she smiled shyly. She took in a breath for courage, while inside her heart was pounding. “Vilkas” she said taking his hand “I’m with child” she paused for a second “Your child”. The silence in the room was deafening. Vilkas frowned, a dozen emotions flashing across his face. Normally the one who was so calm and collected, right now Lydia could tell he was anything but. She started to panic, thinking that he was going to walk out and leave her, like everyone did.
“Vilkas” she whispered “Say something” He looked at her and blinked.
“That’s...” he shook his head “That’s impossible”
“Which is what I said, but there is no doubt, I’m pregnant.” She studied him intently “Vilkas, I thought Weres could not father children?”
“We can’t” Vilkas said to her. He was still frowning.
“I swear to you I have not been with anyone else” Lydia said to him earnestly.
“I know” Vilkas nodded “I believe you, and I would have been able to tell anyway”
“Then, what do we do?”
“I... I don’t know” he shook his head. This was not in his plan. Meeting someone and falling in love was something Vilkas never thought possible, and now, now she was having his baby? He was going to be a father? No-one in their right mind would have said that Vilkas would have settled down to be a family man. He looked at Lydia, her face so full of emotions, her eyes grown moist with tears. He looked at this woman that he had been spending his idle hours with. He had fought alongside her, made love to her, shared his inner thoughts with her. They had even made a home here. Was this love? Was this what his brother felt? If it was then he liked it and he never wanted to lose it. He was in love with this woman, but more than that. She was his mate, his life, his reason for living.
“Marry me baby” he said. Lydia blinked, and then her smile grew wide and lit his heart up like a beacon. She threw her arms around him and he drew her in tight.
“Of course!” she cried.
“I love you” Vilkas said the words he thought he would never get to say to anyone.
“I love you” Lydia did just the same.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
And now for Farkas's side of the story.
FARKAS
Chapter three:
Farkas made his way to Riften as quick as he was able; hindered by his human form as he was. But he could not change into the beast as much as he wanted to. It was highly impractical. For one he would lose his clothes, and the other, he also had the sword of the warrior Mjoll to return. Again, Farkas cursed his brother for lumping him with the job. He had given him some excuse about being worried about Lydia. She seemed fine to Farkas when he left Whiterun. At least the journey had ended in his meeting up with his mate. He hoped he wouldn’t be delayed in Riften for long so he could meet Wyldfyre in Windhelm.
Windhelm, he mused. Home of Ulfric Stormcloak. Farkas’s hand tightened on his sword when he thought about Ulfric kissing his fiancé. He also thought about the two men in Riften that had pursued her as well. He was very interested in finding the Imperial Marcurio. Very interested indeed.
He quickened his pace when he caught sight of the Rift Watchtowers. The town was not far off. He wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell of the city, his Were senses picking up the distinct mixture of rotten wood and stagnant water. He never liked Riften and visited it as little as possible. After passing through the southern gates he made his way towards the centre square where the market stalls were set up, nodding to a couple of people he knew. He asked a rather surly young woman who sold armour if she knew where Mjoll was, and she directed him to the Bee and Barb, the local tavern. Farkas, being rather thirsty himself, made for the tavern.
The bar was full of locals and strangers. Riften was somewhat a transient town, with people often just passing through looking for work. Finding very little they moved on without staying for long. Farkas wound his way through the tables and chairs and walked up to the bar, which was tended by an argonian he knew as Keerava.
“Ah, if it isn’t the Companion Farkas” Keerava greeted him. “What brings you to my tavern, land-strider?” Farkas leaned against the old polished wooden bar top.
“Keerava” he nodded “A tankard of ale wouldn’t go astray”
“Of course” the argonian said, pulling a tankard out from under the counter and pouring a frothing cup of ale. Farkas took a long swig before placing the tankard back down.
“That hit the spot” he grinned. He liked Keerava, as far as argonians went. She was always friendly to him whenever he visited the bar and he liked that she kept the place well. Both she and her mate Talen-Jei were alright in Farkas’s books. “I’m looking for a female warrior, by the name of Mjoll” he asked her as she poured more ale into his cup.
“Not in trouble is she?”
“Nothing like that” Farkas shook his head “I’ve got something that belongs to her and need to give it back”.
“Oh well in that case she is staying in one of the rooms upstairs.” She leaned over the bar and whispered to him “Seems she and the red-headed one Aerin had some sort of argument again so she has rented her old room”
“Okay” Farkas said, not sure he really cared for the gossip. He just wanted to give her the sword and be on his way. He thanked Keerava and went up to Mjoll’s room and knocked on the door. A pretty blonde Nord answered and at first she looked mad but then she saw the sword Farkas held.
“My sword!” she exclaimed, opening the door wider and holding out her hand. Farkas handed it over. “However did you find it?” She ran her hands reverently over the sword, her eyes shining.
“Me and a group of Companions were going through the ruins of Mzinchaleft. Found this right at the exit after we finished off one of those Dwarven Centurions.”
“You’re a Companion? A noble group” she nodded “Yes that Centurion would have been the death of me had I not been able to crawl out of that ruin. How did you know this was mine though?”
“My brother Vilkas recognised it”. Mjoll’s eyes lit up.
“Ah yes, now I know why you are so familiar. Twins eh? Well you don’t know how much the return of this means to me. Please thank the others for this. And if you ever need my help, you've but to ask my friend” She then smiled seductively at Farkas, stepping closer to him and running her hand down his muscled arm. "Your brother was quite...energetic" she breathed. Farkas stepped back, embarrassed and bid her a polite farewell and returned down to the bar. A man sat on a stool where Farkas had stood before. Farkas paid him no mind as he waved to Keerava.
“Thanks for the drink Keerava”
“Any time Farkas, you are quite welcome here” she called out. Farkas didn’t notice the man turning to watch him leave with a look of pure hatred on his face. Farkas exited the north gate and walked on with the feeling someone was watching him. He could tell, from the smell, it was a man, and he had evil intent. Farkas continued on his way, being careful he knew the exact location of his follower at all times, but not giving away to the fact that he knew the man was there. He travelled for a few more hours before the sun started to sink in the distance and the light started to dim. Farkas could have travelled through the night but he decided to set up a camp and wait for the follower to make his move. He had a distinct advantage over any human at night. His eyesight and senses on full alert.
As he sat at his small fire, chewing on a piece of dried meat, he could feel the stranger watching him. Farkas had his suspicions as to who it was and decided enough was enough. Time to end this little game he thought as he stood and suddenly broke out into a run and disappeared into the darkness. He quickly circled around his camp and came up behind the man, who was crouched in the underbrush, searching for him. Farkas could sense his panic. His plan had not included his quarry going missing. Farkas drew his sword and tapped the stranger on the back, causing him to jump.
“Easy stranger” he said to the man who was dressed in mages robes. Mages. He hated Mages. “Just turn around nice and slow”. The man did as he was ordered, but Farkas noticed that he was clenching his fists. “One show of magic and I put this through your throat” he said, menacing the man’s jugular with the tip of his sword.
“All right!” the man hissed at him, dropping his hands. Farkas gave his sword a little nudge, causing the man to back up.
“Now. You are going to tell me who you are and why is it you’ve been following me since Riften?”
“How did you...?” the man began then stopped. He glared at Farkas. “I just wanted to see the man she had chosen over me”. There it is. Farkas glared back.
“Marcurio” he said. The man held up his chin in an arrogant gesture. “So you’re the one. My fiancé said you were taller” he sniffed at him. He didn’t like his smell. It was like chemicals and burnt things.
“Fiancé?” Marcurio’s voice quivered a little, then he recovered. He batted away Farkas’s sword. Farkas let it go, he was more than capable of taking this pompous upstart out.
“What does she see in you?” the mage sneered “You are nothing but a brute”
“Funny” Farkas raised an eyebrow “Wyldfyre needs someone like me, where as you? I think she took pity on you”
“It didn’t seem like pity when she spread her legs for me” Marcurio spat. It was crass and he liked to think he had more class than that but this brute before him aggravated him. How his beautiful Wyldfyre could love a man like, this... was beyond him. Farkas stepped towards the man and grabbed the front of his robe.
“Don’t speak about my mate like that” he growled in Marcurio’s face. The growl was inhuman and guttural, and reminded Marcurio of Wyldfyre. He blinked, slightly alarmed.
“Mate? Wait.. what do you mean?” He stumbled back as Farkas pushed him away. Farkas was done with him. He wasn’t worth his time or energy. He turned and made his way back to his camp. Suddenly there was a crackling behind him and a tree next to him exploded. Farkas ducked and dodged flying wood, spinning around to the mage, his hands glowing blue with little sparks flying off them.
“Answer me!” the Mage screeched. “Or the next one I won’t miss!” he flexed his fingers.
“Walk away” Farkas growled. “I don’t want to fight you” Farkas had very little time to react as Marcurio loosed another electric spell at him. He ran through the underbrush, peeling off his clothes as he went. He could sense the mage still standing in the same spot, searching for him. Farkas stopped and changed into his beast form. He let out a terrifying growl and then the stalker became the stalked as Farkas rampaged back through the bush towards man. This one had taken his mate. He had laid with her and all the beast wanted to do now was rip his throat out. Farkas barged into the clearing and bowled over the mage. They rolled along the ground as Farkas slashed at him, tearing off shreds of clothing and then flesh. Farkas was in a red rage and was lost to the beast inside him. He paid no heed to the man’s screams as he lunged forward and felt the blood spurt as his teeth tore out the man’s throat.
FARKAS
Chapter three:
Farkas made his way to Riften as quick as he was able; hindered by his human form as he was. But he could not change into the beast as much as he wanted to. It was highly impractical. For one he would lose his clothes, and the other, he also had the sword of the warrior Mjoll to return. Again, Farkas cursed his brother for lumping him with the job. He had given him some excuse about being worried about Lydia. She seemed fine to Farkas when he left Whiterun. At least the journey had ended in his meeting up with his mate. He hoped he wouldn’t be delayed in Riften for long so he could meet Wyldfyre in Windhelm.
Windhelm, he mused. Home of Ulfric Stormcloak. Farkas’s hand tightened on his sword when he thought about Ulfric kissing his fiancé. He also thought about the two men in Riften that had pursued her as well. He was very interested in finding the Imperial Marcurio. Very interested indeed.
He quickened his pace when he caught sight of the Rift Watchtowers. The town was not far off. He wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell of the city, his Were senses picking up the distinct mixture of rotten wood and stagnant water. He never liked Riften and visited it as little as possible. After passing through the southern gates he made his way towards the centre square where the market stalls were set up, nodding to a couple of people he knew. He asked a rather surly young woman who sold armour if she knew where Mjoll was, and she directed him to the Bee and Barb, the local tavern. Farkas, being rather thirsty himself, made for the tavern.
The bar was full of locals and strangers. Riften was somewhat a transient town, with people often just passing through looking for work. Finding very little they moved on without staying for long. Farkas wound his way through the tables and chairs and walked up to the bar, which was tended by an argonian he knew as Keerava.
“Ah, if it isn’t the Companion Farkas” Keerava greeted him. “What brings you to my tavern, land-strider?” Farkas leaned against the old polished wooden bar top.
“Keerava” he nodded “A tankard of ale wouldn’t go astray”
“Of course” the argonian said, pulling a tankard out from under the counter and pouring a frothing cup of ale. Farkas took a long swig before placing the tankard back down.
“That hit the spot” he grinned. He liked Keerava, as far as argonians went. She was always friendly to him whenever he visited the bar and he liked that she kept the place well. Both she and her mate Talen-Jei were alright in Farkas’s books. “I’m looking for a female warrior, by the name of Mjoll” he asked her as she poured more ale into his cup.
“Not in trouble is she?”
“Nothing like that” Farkas shook his head “I’ve got something that belongs to her and need to give it back”.
“Oh well in that case she is staying in one of the rooms upstairs.” She leaned over the bar and whispered to him “Seems she and the red-headed one Aerin had some sort of argument again so she has rented her old room”
“Okay” Farkas said, not sure he really cared for the gossip. He just wanted to give her the sword and be on his way. He thanked Keerava and went up to Mjoll’s room and knocked on the door. A pretty blonde Nord answered and at first she looked mad but then she saw the sword Farkas held.
“My sword!” she exclaimed, opening the door wider and holding out her hand. Farkas handed it over. “However did you find it?” She ran her hands reverently over the sword, her eyes shining.
“Me and a group of Companions were going through the ruins of Mzinchaleft. Found this right at the exit after we finished off one of those Dwarven Centurions.”
“You’re a Companion? A noble group” she nodded “Yes that Centurion would have been the death of me had I not been able to crawl out of that ruin. How did you know this was mine though?”
“My brother Vilkas recognised it”. Mjoll’s eyes lit up.
“Ah yes, now I know why you are so familiar. Twins eh? Well you don’t know how much the return of this means to me. Please thank the others for this. And if you ever need my help, you've but to ask my friend” She then smiled seductively at Farkas, stepping closer to him and running her hand down his muscled arm. "Your brother was quite...energetic" she breathed. Farkas stepped back, embarrassed and bid her a polite farewell and returned down to the bar. A man sat on a stool where Farkas had stood before. Farkas paid him no mind as he waved to Keerava.
“Thanks for the drink Keerava”
“Any time Farkas, you are quite welcome here” she called out. Farkas didn’t notice the man turning to watch him leave with a look of pure hatred on his face. Farkas exited the north gate and walked on with the feeling someone was watching him. He could tell, from the smell, it was a man, and he had evil intent. Farkas continued on his way, being careful he knew the exact location of his follower at all times, but not giving away to the fact that he knew the man was there. He travelled for a few more hours before the sun started to sink in the distance and the light started to dim. Farkas could have travelled through the night but he decided to set up a camp and wait for the follower to make his move. He had a distinct advantage over any human at night. His eyesight and senses on full alert.
As he sat at his small fire, chewing on a piece of dried meat, he could feel the stranger watching him. Farkas had his suspicions as to who it was and decided enough was enough. Time to end this little game he thought as he stood and suddenly broke out into a run and disappeared into the darkness. He quickly circled around his camp and came up behind the man, who was crouched in the underbrush, searching for him. Farkas could sense his panic. His plan had not included his quarry going missing. Farkas drew his sword and tapped the stranger on the back, causing him to jump.
“Easy stranger” he said to the man who was dressed in mages robes. Mages. He hated Mages. “Just turn around nice and slow”. The man did as he was ordered, but Farkas noticed that he was clenching his fists. “One show of magic and I put this through your throat” he said, menacing the man’s jugular with the tip of his sword.
“All right!” the man hissed at him, dropping his hands. Farkas gave his sword a little nudge, causing the man to back up.
“Now. You are going to tell me who you are and why is it you’ve been following me since Riften?”
“How did you...?” the man began then stopped. He glared at Farkas. “I just wanted to see the man she had chosen over me”. There it is. Farkas glared back.
“Marcurio” he said. The man held up his chin in an arrogant gesture. “So you’re the one. My fiancé said you were taller” he sniffed at him. He didn’t like his smell. It was like chemicals and burnt things.
“Fiancé?” Marcurio’s voice quivered a little, then he recovered. He batted away Farkas’s sword. Farkas let it go, he was more than capable of taking this pompous upstart out.
“What does she see in you?” the mage sneered “You are nothing but a brute”
“Funny” Farkas raised an eyebrow “Wyldfyre needs someone like me, where as you? I think she took pity on you”
“It didn’t seem like pity when she spread her legs for me” Marcurio spat. It was crass and he liked to think he had more class than that but this brute before him aggravated him. How his beautiful Wyldfyre could love a man like, this... was beyond him. Farkas stepped towards the man and grabbed the front of his robe.
“Don’t speak about my mate like that” he growled in Marcurio’s face. The growl was inhuman and guttural, and reminded Marcurio of Wyldfyre. He blinked, slightly alarmed.
“Mate? Wait.. what do you mean?” He stumbled back as Farkas pushed him away. Farkas was done with him. He wasn’t worth his time or energy. He turned and made his way back to his camp. Suddenly there was a crackling behind him and a tree next to him exploded. Farkas ducked and dodged flying wood, spinning around to the mage, his hands glowing blue with little sparks flying off them.
“Answer me!” the Mage screeched. “Or the next one I won’t miss!” he flexed his fingers.
“Walk away” Farkas growled. “I don’t want to fight you” Farkas had very little time to react as Marcurio loosed another electric spell at him. He ran through the underbrush, peeling off his clothes as he went. He could sense the mage still standing in the same spot, searching for him. Farkas stopped and changed into his beast form. He let out a terrifying growl and then the stalker became the stalked as Farkas rampaged back through the bush towards man. This one had taken his mate. He had laid with her and all the beast wanted to do now was rip his throat out. Farkas barged into the clearing and bowled over the mage. They rolled along the ground as Farkas slashed at him, tearing off shreds of clothing and then flesh. Farkas was in a red rage and was lost to the beast inside him. He paid no heed to the man’s screams as he lunged forward and felt the blood spurt as his teeth tore out the man’s throat.
Lordofthemelons11
Lord of all type of Melons (including Watermelons)
oh plops farkas! C'mon man you didn't have to kill him! I'd be angry too if someone stole a beatiful girl like Wyldfyre away from me but seriously man... let up a bit.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
GUYS! I am SO SO SORRY! I stuffed up. This chapter should have been BEFORE the Lydia and Farkas ones. Just pretend you didn't read them until after this chapter OK? hehe.. sorry
CHAPTER SIXTY ONE: Paarthurnax
“You are the leader of the Greybeards?” Wyldfyre asked, sheathing her sword.
“I am as my Father Akatosh made me, as are you Dovahkiin.”
For some reason, she felt she could trust this dragon, even though her first instinct was to run from it. The dragon souls inside her definitely deferred to his authority, if somewhat reluctantly. There was some resentment she could feel coming off them. The grey dragon sat there blinking, breathing its hot breath on her. Wyldfyre studied it in turn. He was old, how old she could not even begin to guess. His wings were tattered and ripped and a few of his spikes on his head and around the mouth were either broken off or completely missing. Dragon or not she needed his guidance.
“Paarthurnax, I have come here seeking your knowledge.”
"Drem. Patience young one. I will hear what you seek, but first there are formalities that we must adhere to. As is fitting when those of the Dov meet for the first time. I, being the elder, will speak first. Hear my Thu'um young one! Feel it in your very bones!” Paarthurnax lifted his great wings and beat them until he rose off the wall, and then landed beside Wyldfyre, shaking the ground a little. He turned his head towards the silent wall and blasted a fire shout at the it. When he was finished a glowing word was left behind. Wyldfyre stepped towards the wall and the word leaped off and entered her body, her vision blurring and then clearing again. The dragon souls shied away from the word.
“Now, take my understanding of the word, Dovahkiin, a gift from me to you” Wyldfyre had never taken knowledge from a living Dragon before and it sent her to her knees with its power. It vibrated through her whole body and the souls inside her stirred excitedly. As the knowledge fed on the word Wyldfyre came to realise that it was, in fact the final word for the fire shout. She now had all three words!
“Now, greet me in the way of the Dovah!” Paarthurnax growled. She turned to him as he sat there waiting patiently and then gathered herself and shouted right at him.
“YOL TOOR SHUL!” While the blast of fire that exited Wyldfyre’s body was not as powerful as Paarthrunax’s, it was still an impressive display of power and the dragon closed his eyes in delight as the fire engulfed him. It had been a long time since he had felt the warm fires from another. This one is different, the Greybeards were right, he thought.
“Ah, yes” he sighed “The blood runs strong in you; I can feel it in your Thu’um”. He moved over to the wall and curled up against it, shuddering as he lowered himself to the ground. “Now, what is it you wish to ask of me?” Wyldfyre walked over and sat on a rock in front of the old dragon.
“I have come by a certain carved wall in an old temple. It says that Alduin was defeated the first time by a shout. Is this true?”
“You must be referring to Alduin’s Wall at Sky Haven Temple, the old haunt of The Blades” he did not say the name of his kind’s biggest enemy with any hint of malice or anger. Wyldfyre nodded.
“I am”
“Yes it is true. Alduin was defeated by a shout, but it was not the only thing used on that day.”
“Can you teach me the shout?” Wyldfyre asked eagerly. Paarthrunax blinked his eyes slowly at her.
“I can not. For I do not know it” Wyldfyre’s heart sank.
“Do not fret little one. I said I did not know it because no Dov ever knew it. For the shout that the mortals used was made from mankind itself”
“I thought all shouts were dragon made?” Wyldfyre said in surprise.
“They are, except for Dragonrend”
“Dragonrend? Is that the name of the shout?”
“Indeed. And as I was saying, the Dragonrend shout was made by man. They poured all their hate and malice into the three words they used and as such, no Dragon has been able to utter it, or know it.”
“Then how do I find it?” she asked him.
“I have been thinking about this for some time, and I believe that if you were to go back to the point in time when the shout was first used, then you will be able to learn it.”
“Go back in time?” Wyldfyre asked bewildered, the concept astonishing to her. Paarthurnax lifted his head and looked towards a place on the mountain, that upon first glance, looked completely normal, but on closer inspection she could see an unusual swirl of snow that didn’t move like the rest of it.
“What is that?” she asked, fascinated.
“Tiid-Ahraan, a Time Wound. When the mortals used the shout on this mountain that day, they also had the aid of a Kel, an Elder Scroll. When they used it to banish Alduin, instead of banishing him from time, they merely sent him forward through it. Using the Kel cause a wound in the very fabric of this world, the wound you see before you. I have waited here for thousands of years for my Brother to return, so that I may defeat him once again.”
“So I will need this Elder Scroll to go back in time?”
“Your mind is quick, Dovahkiin. Yes, the Kel is needed for you to go back and learn the word.”
“I don’t suppose you have the Scroll on you, do you?” Wyldfyre half joked. A deep throaty noise came from somewhere inside the dragon, which could only be described as a laugh.
“I have forgotten how amusing it is to tinvaak, to converse with mortals. But to answer your question, no I do not have the Elder Scroll, nor do I know where to find it”
“I was hopeful” she smiled wryly.
“Speak to Arngeir. He may know where to find it” Paarthurnax said then. He lowered his head and appeared to have fallen asleep until he spoke to her again.
“Do not dismay little one. I have a feeling about you”
“Thank you” she said, not entirely feeling his optimism. She stood, their conversation clearly over.
"Su'um ahrk morah. Until we meet again Dovahkiin"
“Where is he?” she asked Wilhelm, who chuckled and directed her to the room with the double bed. Wyldfyre opened the door and flew into the arms of the man inside. They stood there for the longest time.
“I missed you” she said, burrowing into his chest.
“I know” Farkas said as he smoothed down her hair. He was relieved to see her. Their time apart had been too long.
“I didn’t really. I was actually passing through this way on a job, and I caught your scent. Wilhelm said that you were up at High Hrothgar and I thought I’d wait till you came back down”
“Oh so you didn’t miss me desperately and come looking for me?” she prodded him, giggling.
“Well no. But I would have!” he protested, catching her hands in his and kissing them. Wyldfyre snuggled down in the crook of his arm.
“I’m glad you’re here. I have a decision to make, and your thoughts would help”
“Go on” he prompted her, sliding his hand over her back.
“It’s all kind of a long story but in the end I need to find something called an Elder Scroll but I don’t know where it is and I need to either go back to Sky Haven Temple to Delphine who kissed me or go to Winterhold and....”
“Whoa!..Wait up..” Farkas propped himself up, looking down at her.
“Delphine kissed you?” he couldn’t help but grin at the image. Wyldfyre rolled her eyes.
“She did and I’d rather not talk about it, but if you must know, apparently she likes me even though she knows I am with you. I don’t think she likes you very much though”
“Oh, so there is no chance of you and me and her....?” He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“None at all!” Wyldfyre punched him on the chest.
“I was only joking!” he laughed. Wyldfyre glared at him, then giggled as well.
“I just about slit her throat when she did it” she said as they settled back down. Farkas chuckled. He could see that image as well.
“I think you need to go back to the beginning. What happened when you left Riverwood?” Wyldfyre then went on to tell him of their journey to Sky Haven Temple, their fight with the Forsworn and finding Alduin’s wall. Her incident with Delphine, including her naked show the next morning and then Esbern’s revelations. She then told him about Paarthurnax.
“A dragon?” Farkas exclaimed. Then shook his head “Figures the Greybeards would hide something like that up there”
“Indeed” Wyldfyre agreed. “I was definitely not expecting the leader of the Greybeards to be a dragon”
“And Alduin was defeated with a Shout and this Elder Scroll?” Farkas asked. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Apparently the Shout wasn’t enough. It’s hard to understand, but the Elder Scroll did something to him, sent him to another place in time. Forward to this time, which is why he came back”
“How nice of the Hero’s of Old to send him to us” Farkas said sarcastically.
“I don’t think they did it intentionally. Paarthurnax said that the Scroll was supposed to send him out of time, not forward through it” Wyldfyre frowned, thinking about how desperate they must have been to use an Elder Scroll, from what Arngeir told her about them, they seemed unpredictable and dangerous.
“Still, it was not a very well thought through plan if you ask me” Farkas got out of bed and poured himself a tankard of mead. Wyldfyre watched his movements, as his muscles rippled under his skin. She stretched luxuriously in bed and sighed.
“I guess I should get up. I’m just so comfortable though and it’s been days since I had a decent sleep.”
“You’re not sleeping well?” Farkas asked her. Wyldfyre shook her head.
“Whenever I sleep without you beside me, I have nightmares. I don’t know why, but they leave me feeling so uneasy, I usually don’t go back to sleep.”
“What are the nightmares about?”
“Terrible visions” Wyldfyre frowned “I don’t really want to talk about them” Farkas downed his mead and rejoined her in bed. He drew her to his side and enfolded her into his arms.
“Then sleep now my love and I will chase the nightmares away for you” he soothed her.
“I love you, you know that right?” she whispered to him as he blew out the candle.
“Of course”
“Is that the sword we found in Mzinchaleft?”
“Yeah” Farkas nodded “Vilkas lugged that job onto me. Is it all right if we swing by Riften so I can return it to Mjoll?” Wyldfyre was reluctant to return to Riften for two reasons. One being Marcurio and the other being Brynjolf. She ran her hand over the sword, it was a beautifully hand crafted Glass greatsword, and she could tell it held enchantments in its depths. She couldn’t deny the return of it to its rightful owner.
“I guess not” Wyldfyre sighed. Farkas looked concerned for a second, and then it dawned on him.
“Oh, now I know why you seem reluctant to go to Riften. We don’t have to go into the city if you want; I could duck in, give back the sword and be back out in a few minutes....” Wyldfyre smiled “...After I go looking for those two, what were their names again? Ouch!” He rubbed his arm where Wyldfyre had just punched him.
“Also Farkas, it’s a bit of a side trip. I want to head north, not east” She got out her map and spread it on the small table.
“See here” she pointed to Ivarstead and traced her finger up the map “I want to go North-east along this river and cross over here at Darkwater Crossing, then head up past Windhelm and on to Winterhold.” Farkas peered at the map, it wasn’t as accurate as the one he had in his head, but he showed Wyldfyre on her paper one all the same.
“All right, but stay this side of the river and go up until you get to this mill here, then follow the road to Windhelm. I’ll meet you there and we can travel to Winterhold together”
“Sounds good” she nodded. “Though I am reluctant to part from you again” Her arms encircled his waist.
“It won’t be for long“He reassured her “I can travel quickly on my own and will meet you in Windhelm in no time”. They parted an hour later, Farkas heading east out of the village and Wyldfyre taking the northern road along the river.
“Be careful my love” Wyldfyre sent out her thoughts to him.
“You to” his own came back, fading away as he sped with all haste to Riften.
...And HERE is where the Farkas and Lydia chapters go...
CHAPTER SIXTY ONE: Paarthurnax
“You are the leader of the Greybeards?” Wyldfyre asked, sheathing her sword.
“I am as my Father Akatosh made me, as are you Dovahkiin.”
For some reason, she felt she could trust this dragon, even though her first instinct was to run from it. The dragon souls inside her definitely deferred to his authority, if somewhat reluctantly. There was some resentment she could feel coming off them. The grey dragon sat there blinking, breathing its hot breath on her. Wyldfyre studied it in turn. He was old, how old she could not even begin to guess. His wings were tattered and ripped and a few of his spikes on his head and around the mouth were either broken off or completely missing. Dragon or not she needed his guidance.
“Paarthurnax, I have come here seeking your knowledge.”
"Drem. Patience young one. I will hear what you seek, but first there are formalities that we must adhere to. As is fitting when those of the Dov meet for the first time. I, being the elder, will speak first. Hear my Thu'um young one! Feel it in your very bones!” Paarthurnax lifted his great wings and beat them until he rose off the wall, and then landed beside Wyldfyre, shaking the ground a little. He turned his head towards the silent wall and blasted a fire shout at the it. When he was finished a glowing word was left behind. Wyldfyre stepped towards the wall and the word leaped off and entered her body, her vision blurring and then clearing again. The dragon souls shied away from the word.
“Now, take my understanding of the word, Dovahkiin, a gift from me to you” Wyldfyre had never taken knowledge from a living Dragon before and it sent her to her knees with its power. It vibrated through her whole body and the souls inside her stirred excitedly. As the knowledge fed on the word Wyldfyre came to realise that it was, in fact the final word for the fire shout. She now had all three words!
“Now, greet me in the way of the Dovah!” Paarthurnax growled. She turned to him as he sat there waiting patiently and then gathered herself and shouted right at him.
“YOL TOOR SHUL!” While the blast of fire that exited Wyldfyre’s body was not as powerful as Paarthrunax’s, it was still an impressive display of power and the dragon closed his eyes in delight as the fire engulfed him. It had been a long time since he had felt the warm fires from another. This one is different, the Greybeards were right, he thought.
“Ah, yes” he sighed “The blood runs strong in you; I can feel it in your Thu’um”. He moved over to the wall and curled up against it, shuddering as he lowered himself to the ground. “Now, what is it you wish to ask of me?” Wyldfyre walked over and sat on a rock in front of the old dragon.
“I have come by a certain carved wall in an old temple. It says that Alduin was defeated the first time by a shout. Is this true?”
“You must be referring to Alduin’s Wall at Sky Haven Temple, the old haunt of The Blades” he did not say the name of his kind’s biggest enemy with any hint of malice or anger. Wyldfyre nodded.
“I am”
“Yes it is true. Alduin was defeated by a shout, but it was not the only thing used on that day.”
“Can you teach me the shout?” Wyldfyre asked eagerly. Paarthrunax blinked his eyes slowly at her.
“I can not. For I do not know it” Wyldfyre’s heart sank.
“Do not fret little one. I said I did not know it because no Dov ever knew it. For the shout that the mortals used was made from mankind itself”
“I thought all shouts were dragon made?” Wyldfyre said in surprise.
“They are, except for Dragonrend”
“Dragonrend? Is that the name of the shout?”
“Indeed. And as I was saying, the Dragonrend shout was made by man. They poured all their hate and malice into the three words they used and as such, no Dragon has been able to utter it, or know it.”
“Then how do I find it?” she asked him.
“I have been thinking about this for some time, and I believe that if you were to go back to the point in time when the shout was first used, then you will be able to learn it.”
“Go back in time?” Wyldfyre asked bewildered, the concept astonishing to her. Paarthurnax lifted his head and looked towards a place on the mountain, that upon first glance, looked completely normal, but on closer inspection she could see an unusual swirl of snow that didn’t move like the rest of it.
“What is that?” she asked, fascinated.
“Tiid-Ahraan, a Time Wound. When the mortals used the shout on this mountain that day, they also had the aid of a Kel, an Elder Scroll. When they used it to banish Alduin, instead of banishing him from time, they merely sent him forward through it. Using the Kel cause a wound in the very fabric of this world, the wound you see before you. I have waited here for thousands of years for my Brother to return, so that I may defeat him once again.”
“So I will need this Elder Scroll to go back in time?”
“Your mind is quick, Dovahkiin. Yes, the Kel is needed for you to go back and learn the word.”
“I don’t suppose you have the Scroll on you, do you?” Wyldfyre half joked. A deep throaty noise came from somewhere inside the dragon, which could only be described as a laugh.
“I have forgotten how amusing it is to tinvaak, to converse with mortals. But to answer your question, no I do not have the Elder Scroll, nor do I know where to find it”
“I was hopeful” she smiled wryly.
“Speak to Arngeir. He may know where to find it” Paarthurnax said then. He lowered his head and appeared to have fallen asleep until he spoke to her again.
“Do not dismay little one. I have a feeling about you”
“Thank you” she said, not entirely feeling his optimism. She stood, their conversation clearly over.
"Su'um ahrk morah. Until we meet again Dovahkiin"
*****
Wyldfyre trudged back to the Inn. Arngeir had proved to be of little help in finding the Elder Scroll, instead directing her to the College of Winterhold to speak to one of the mages there. She suspected that the Greybeard knew that Esbern might know, but he would not direct her back to the Blades. Wyldfyre was trying to decide if she should go back to Sky Haven Temple, or make the journey to Winterhold. Did she really want to see Delphine again? But did she want to journey to the top of Skyrim? She sighed, not having made her decision. As she neared the Inn a familiar scent caught her attention and she smiled, her heart leaping, and she ran the remainder of the way. Flinging open the door she looked around.“Where is he?” she asked Wilhelm, who chuckled and directed her to the room with the double bed. Wyldfyre opened the door and flew into the arms of the man inside. They stood there for the longest time.
“I missed you” she said, burrowing into his chest.
“I know” Farkas said as he smoothed down her hair. He was relieved to see her. Their time apart had been too long.
*****
“How did you know I was here?” Wyldfyre asked him later. They lay entwined in each other on the bed, their clothing discarded on the floor.“I didn’t really. I was actually passing through this way on a job, and I caught your scent. Wilhelm said that you were up at High Hrothgar and I thought I’d wait till you came back down”
“Oh so you didn’t miss me desperately and come looking for me?” she prodded him, giggling.
“Well no. But I would have!” he protested, catching her hands in his and kissing them. Wyldfyre snuggled down in the crook of his arm.
“I’m glad you’re here. I have a decision to make, and your thoughts would help”
“Go on” he prompted her, sliding his hand over her back.
“It’s all kind of a long story but in the end I need to find something called an Elder Scroll but I don’t know where it is and I need to either go back to Sky Haven Temple to Delphine who kissed me or go to Winterhold and....”
“Whoa!..Wait up..” Farkas propped himself up, looking down at her.
“Delphine kissed you?” he couldn’t help but grin at the image. Wyldfyre rolled her eyes.
“She did and I’d rather not talk about it, but if you must know, apparently she likes me even though she knows I am with you. I don’t think she likes you very much though”
“Oh, so there is no chance of you and me and her....?” He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“None at all!” Wyldfyre punched him on the chest.
“I was only joking!” he laughed. Wyldfyre glared at him, then giggled as well.
“I just about slit her throat when she did it” she said as they settled back down. Farkas chuckled. He could see that image as well.
“I think you need to go back to the beginning. What happened when you left Riverwood?” Wyldfyre then went on to tell him of their journey to Sky Haven Temple, their fight with the Forsworn and finding Alduin’s wall. Her incident with Delphine, including her naked show the next morning and then Esbern’s revelations. She then told him about Paarthurnax.
“A dragon?” Farkas exclaimed. Then shook his head “Figures the Greybeards would hide something like that up there”
“Indeed” Wyldfyre agreed. “I was definitely not expecting the leader of the Greybeards to be a dragon”
“And Alduin was defeated with a Shout and this Elder Scroll?” Farkas asked. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Apparently the Shout wasn’t enough. It’s hard to understand, but the Elder Scroll did something to him, sent him to another place in time. Forward to this time, which is why he came back”
“How nice of the Hero’s of Old to send him to us” Farkas said sarcastically.
“I don’t think they did it intentionally. Paarthurnax said that the Scroll was supposed to send him out of time, not forward through it” Wyldfyre frowned, thinking about how desperate they must have been to use an Elder Scroll, from what Arngeir told her about them, they seemed unpredictable and dangerous.
“Still, it was not a very well thought through plan if you ask me” Farkas got out of bed and poured himself a tankard of mead. Wyldfyre watched his movements, as his muscles rippled under his skin. She stretched luxuriously in bed and sighed.
“I guess I should get up. I’m just so comfortable though and it’s been days since I had a decent sleep.”
“You’re not sleeping well?” Farkas asked her. Wyldfyre shook her head.
“Whenever I sleep without you beside me, I have nightmares. I don’t know why, but they leave me feeling so uneasy, I usually don’t go back to sleep.”
“What are the nightmares about?”
“Terrible visions” Wyldfyre frowned “I don’t really want to talk about them” Farkas downed his mead and rejoined her in bed. He drew her to his side and enfolded her into his arms.
“Then sleep now my love and I will chase the nightmares away for you” he soothed her.
“I love you, you know that right?” she whispered to him as he blew out the candle.
“Of course”
*****
They slept right through to the next morning and both woke up extremely hungry. Wilhelm went and made them a hearty breakfast as soon as Wyldfyre had popped her head out the door. After breakfast they dressed in their armour and packed their things, tying bedrolls and heavy traveller’s cloaks to their packs. It was only then that Wyldfyre noticed the large sword in the corner of the room.“Is that the sword we found in Mzinchaleft?”
“Yeah” Farkas nodded “Vilkas lugged that job onto me. Is it all right if we swing by Riften so I can return it to Mjoll?” Wyldfyre was reluctant to return to Riften for two reasons. One being Marcurio and the other being Brynjolf. She ran her hand over the sword, it was a beautifully hand crafted Glass greatsword, and she could tell it held enchantments in its depths. She couldn’t deny the return of it to its rightful owner.
“I guess not” Wyldfyre sighed. Farkas looked concerned for a second, and then it dawned on him.
“Oh, now I know why you seem reluctant to go to Riften. We don’t have to go into the city if you want; I could duck in, give back the sword and be back out in a few minutes....” Wyldfyre smiled “...After I go looking for those two, what were their names again? Ouch!” He rubbed his arm where Wyldfyre had just punched him.
“Also Farkas, it’s a bit of a side trip. I want to head north, not east” She got out her map and spread it on the small table.
“See here” she pointed to Ivarstead and traced her finger up the map “I want to go North-east along this river and cross over here at Darkwater Crossing, then head up past Windhelm and on to Winterhold.” Farkas peered at the map, it wasn’t as accurate as the one he had in his head, but he showed Wyldfyre on her paper one all the same.
“All right, but stay this side of the river and go up until you get to this mill here, then follow the road to Windhelm. I’ll meet you there and we can travel to Winterhold together”
“Sounds good” she nodded. “Though I am reluctant to part from you again” Her arms encircled his waist.
“It won’t be for long“He reassured her “I can travel quickly on my own and will meet you in Windhelm in no time”. They parted an hour later, Farkas heading east out of the village and Wyldfyre taking the northern road along the river.
“Be careful my love” Wyldfyre sent out her thoughts to him.
“You to” his own came back, fading away as he sped with all haste to Riften.
...And HERE is where the Farkas and Lydia chapters go...
Lordofthemelons11
Lord of all type of Melons (including Watermelons)
Aw its OK. I thought it was kinda interesting having to look back a bit to remember what happened. More time here less the doing boring stuff.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
Well, after a bit of a break I am back with all new chapters of Wyldfyre. Hope you enjoy them Please don't forget to like/rate so I can continue on doing what I love for you guys!
CHAPTER SIXTY TWO: TRAVELLING COMPANIONS
From the Inn, Wyldfyre made her way north out of Ivarstead and down the winding path that took her past the raging river. It was a basic dirt track that she followed and she could see the road down in the valley below. She encountered no-one along the track and the only wildlife she saw were the sprightly goats that raced up the mountain side with seemingly reckless abandon.
When she made it to the bottom she travelled north along the road. She had a brief altercation with two wolves, growling back at them until they shied away, and then she continued following along the river until she could see a small settlement in the distance.
Wyldfyre left the main road and wandered into the small village. She could tell almost immediately that it was a settlement that had established itself purely for the mine that had been carved into the mountain behind it. A few guards patrolled the area but apart from them and a scattering of miners, the town was very sparse. Wyldfyre decided to stop for lunch and wandered over to a camp fire by the river where a small girl and a dark elf were sitting. They looked up as she approached.
“Mind if I join you?” she asked them politely. The elf nodded and indicated to a log that had been dragged before the fire.
“Not at all stranger. Just passing through?” Wyldfyre smiled at the girl, who had been staring, wide-eyed at her since she approached the fire.
“I’m on my way to Windhelm” she said to the elf. She winked at the girl, who ducked her head shyly. An attractive blonde woman approached the fire.
“Afternoon” she greeted them all. She looked at Wyldfyre. “Are you an adventurer?” she asked as she sat down, eying Wyldfyre’s armour and crossbow. She was dressed in dirty miners clothing and dropped the pick she carried on the ground beside her.
“Of a sort” Wyldfyre answered her, taking out a bottle of mead and unstopping the cork. “I’m a Companion, amongst other things” She took a long swig from the bottle.
“What I wouldn’t give to be back on the road” the blonde woman sighed “Exploring ruins, and being free to do what I want. But, sadly I hung up my bow a long time ago”
“How long have you been mining?” Wyldfyre asked her. The woman pulled a face.
“Far too long” she said bitterly. Wyldfyre could tell she was not happy with her life. “When I married Verner I had to give up my previous life.” She shrugged. “It’s not so bad I guess. I just wish I could get rid of this sickness”. She pulled out a half eaten loaf of rough bread from her bag and bit off a chunk.
“Sickness?”
“After being down in the mines for so long it does terrible things to your body. We had medicine, but have run out and now everyone is getting sick again. Even little Hrefna suffers” she nodded to the girl who had been edging closer and closer to Wyldfyre. She smiled shyly at the wild, red-headed woman sitting next to her. The child had never seen the likes of Wyldfyre and was completely fascinated. Unable to curb her curiosity any longer she spoke up.
“What is that on your back?” Wyldfyre took down her crossbow and showed the girl. She noticed the woman was also very interested as she leaned forward to study the weapon.
“This is a crossbow. Similar to a normal bow, but way more powerful and precise. And see these?” she showed them a bolt “It takes these bolts instead of the longer arrows.” Wyldfyre loaded the crossbow with the bolt, the action of setting the bolt in place making a satisfying clank.
“What’s that metal it’s made from?” the woman asked “It looks dwarven to me”
“You are right” Wyldfyre nodded “I found this in a dwarven ruin called Mzinchaleft. Here, try it” she handed the weapon over to the woman.
“I couldn’t” she protested.
“Of course you can” Wyldfyre insisted. The woman took the crossbow and stood, walking over towards the river that ran beside the village. She took aim and fired at a tree, staggering a little.
“Oh my!” she exclaimed “It packs a bit of a punch doesn’t it! Would you look at that!” She peered at the bolt that was almost invisible now embedded in the tree. Wyldfyre smiled as she handed the weapon back over.
“I envy you” the woman sighed “By the way, my name is Annekke”
“Wyldfyre” she smiled back. She had an idea “You mentioned medicine before?”
“Yes” Annekke nodded.
“Well, as I am heading to Windhelm, you could travel with me and go see the alchemist there. I’ve heard he is very good”
“The White Phial” Annekke smiled “That is where we got the last batch from and it worked wonders” she looked thoughtful “I wonder...” she turned to the elf “Sondas, you were going to make the trip to Windhelm soon weren’t you?”
“I was” he nodded “Very soon in fact”
“Would you like some company?”
“It would be my pleasure” he smiled. Annekke turned back to Wyldfyre, beaming.
“Well that settles it. Looks like you have two more to your journey”. Wyldfyre smiled back, wondering if Annekke was going to inform her husband of her trip.
They continued north, but left the road to travel in a more direct route through a vast area that was dotted with hot springs. The pools of bubbling water were tainted with salt and minerals that were forced up from under the ground, giving them a milky-white appearance. Some even thought that the hot mineral-rich water was good for the health and the trio encountered a group of pilgrims soaking in one of the larger pools. Wyldfyre didn’t like the look of the pools, even though she loved immersing herself in water. The dead bubbling water in the springs didn’t appeal to her at all. But the day was drawing to a close and so the three decided to camp there with the rest of the group.
As they sat by their small fire that night, Wyldfyre was tempted to go off into the wild to change into her beast form to seek out Farkas. This was closer to the route that he was going to take and she would have liked to have met up with him along the way. So far, all her searching for him in her mind had come up empty. She was not overly concerned though and so decided that she would wait until she got closer to Windhelm.
“It’s a glorious night” Annekke stated, staring up into the sky. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Indeed” she sighed. The blonde woman looked at her.
“You are missing someone?”
“I am” Wyldfyre smiled, turning to her. “My fiancé, Farkas”
“Is he a Companion to?” she asked as she turned over her skewered deer meat hanging over the fire. Wyldfyre did the same.
“Yes. That’s how we met. I joined the Companions and we’ve been together since”
“What a nice story” Annekke smiled. She took a swig of mead and handed the bottle to Wyldfyre.
“Well” Wyldfyre frowned “It was a rocky start, but we got there in the end”
“That’s all that matters” Annekke nodded “So when are you getting married?”
“I’m not sure” Wyldfyre half chuckled “When our busy lives allow for it I guess. It’s complicated”
“Weren’t you two just near Riften? You could have popped into the temple then and did it”
“Farkas was, but I took a different route. Besides, if we did that, we’d have my best friend, and Farkas’s brother and all of the other Companions and a few other people after us for doing it without them? No thank you!” Wyldfyre laughed. Annekke laughed as well.
“I see, well as long as you are together, what does a ceremony mean anyway?”
“Nothing!”Wyldfyre said enthusiastically. “We are bound to each other already. We don’t need some stranger and a god I don’t even know to tell us”
“Goddess” Annekke corrected “Mara is a female”
“Oh. Well it still doesn’t matter. It’s really for everyone else” Wyldfyre said. “Not even a Jarl could come between us!”
“A Jarl?” Annekke leaned forward “Oh that DOES sound juicy, do tell!” For the rest of the night, over a few more bottles of mead, Wyldfyre entertained Annekke with tales of her strange and titillating encounters.
“What’s going on?” Annekke asked a nord as he sped past.
“There’s been a dragon sighting! It’s coming this way!” he yelled over his shoulder before disappearing over a crest. Annekke didn’t look like she believed the man. But Wyldfyre sprang up and strapped on her weapons and soon Annekke and Sondas were doing the same.
“You believe him?” Annekke said as she held her bow, looking at Wyldfyre incredulously.
“Have you not encountered a dragon before?” Wyldfyre asked.
“Well, no. They are from old stories and children’s fairy tales. They....” A great roaring interrupted her, and her eyes widened.
“Believe me” Wyldfyre said as she pushed the two along as she sought cover for them “They are real” Wyldfyre’s refined hearing caught the flap of great wings and she steered the others to a rocky outcrop that overhung just enough for them to hide under. It wouldn’t be enough cover to hide completely from the dragon’s keen eyes, but it would have to do.
“Listen both of you carefully because this is going to happen quickly. When the dragon comes, hit its underside with as many arrows as you can. Also, do any of you know any destruction spells?”
“I do M’lady” Sondas nodded. Wyldfyre smiled quickly.
“Excellent. Hit its wings with whatever you have. If it’s a fire breather, then use frost, if it breaths frost then fire” Sondas nodded, his eyes wild with fear. Annekke had already notched an arrow and Wyldfyre loaded her crossbow.
“Do not stand directly in its line of fire, keep moving, don’t stay in the one spot. When it’s down on the ground, keep away from both ends. Fall back to spells and swords. But if I say run, you both run. You got me?” she looked intently at both of them, until they nodded in agreement.
“Right” Wyldfyre steeled herself. “GO!”
The dragon’s body began to disintegrate before the others eyes and Wyldfyre closed hers, waiting for the familiar turning and wrenching of her insides as its soul entered her. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her and she stumbled to the hot spring and fell to her knees beside it. I need water... She struggled with her armour before she suddenly felt it fall from her body as Annekke knelt down to help her.
“I don’t know what that just was, but I will help you my friend” She said as she pulled off Wyldfyre’s armour and let the woman slip into the hot salty water. Wyldfyre almost cried out as the steaming water flowed over her body. The dragon blood washed off her skin and mixed in with the milky water. She felt like her insides were being torn apart. The more Dragon souls she consumed the harder it became to control her own thoughts and body. Her vision darkened and turned red and she shut her eyes tightly, trying to wrestle with her inner turmoil. She plunged her head under the water and felt it scald her face but it was doing what she could not. It was calming her down and releasing the red rage she felt inside her.
She burst out of the water and floated there before she sat up and saw Annekke, naked, in the water as well. Sondas was respectfully sitting facing the other way, assumedly guarding the women while they bathed.
“I guess I should explain that” Wyldfyre said as Annekke inspected a handful of the mineral-rich mud.
“I don’t think, after fighting a dragon, that anything you say is going to surprise me” Annekke smiled. She moved over to Wyldfyre and slapped the mud on her shoulder and rubbed it into her skin.
“What are you doing?”
“I heard the others saying it did wonders for your skin. Not that you need it, but it gives me something normal to do while I secretly freak out inside” she pulled up another handful of the mud and smeared it onto Wyldfyre.
“Very well” Wyldfyre sighed as the hot mud warmed her muscles and she felt her skin tingling. “I guess I should start from the beginning” she raised her voice “Sondas, you should hear this as well” The elf nodded.
“I can hear from here M’lady” he said. And so Wyldfyre began a much hasty retelling of her story in Skyrim so far.
Please don't forget to like/rate so I can continue on doing what I love for you guys!CHAPTER SIXTY TWO: TRAVELLING COMPANIONS
From the Inn, Wyldfyre made her way north out of Ivarstead and down the winding path that took her past the raging river. It was a basic dirt track that she followed and she could see the road down in the valley below. She encountered no-one along the track and the only wildlife she saw were the sprightly goats that raced up the mountain side with seemingly reckless abandon.
When she made it to the bottom she travelled north along the road. She had a brief altercation with two wolves, growling back at them until they shied away, and then she continued following along the river until she could see a small settlement in the distance.
Wyldfyre left the main road and wandered into the small village. She could tell almost immediately that it was a settlement that had established itself purely for the mine that had been carved into the mountain behind it. A few guards patrolled the area but apart from them and a scattering of miners, the town was very sparse. Wyldfyre decided to stop for lunch and wandered over to a camp fire by the river where a small girl and a dark elf were sitting. They looked up as she approached.
“Mind if I join you?” she asked them politely. The elf nodded and indicated to a log that had been dragged before the fire.
“Not at all stranger. Just passing through?” Wyldfyre smiled at the girl, who had been staring, wide-eyed at her since she approached the fire.
“I’m on my way to Windhelm” she said to the elf. She winked at the girl, who ducked her head shyly. An attractive blonde woman approached the fire.
“Afternoon” she greeted them all. She looked at Wyldfyre. “Are you an adventurer?” she asked as she sat down, eying Wyldfyre’s armour and crossbow. She was dressed in dirty miners clothing and dropped the pick she carried on the ground beside her.
“Of a sort” Wyldfyre answered her, taking out a bottle of mead and unstopping the cork. “I’m a Companion, amongst other things” She took a long swig from the bottle.
“What I wouldn’t give to be back on the road” the blonde woman sighed “Exploring ruins, and being free to do what I want. But, sadly I hung up my bow a long time ago”
“How long have you been mining?” Wyldfyre asked her. The woman pulled a face.
“Far too long” she said bitterly. Wyldfyre could tell she was not happy with her life. “When I married Verner I had to give up my previous life.” She shrugged. “It’s not so bad I guess. I just wish I could get rid of this sickness”. She pulled out a half eaten loaf of rough bread from her bag and bit off a chunk.
“Sickness?”
“After being down in the mines for so long it does terrible things to your body. We had medicine, but have run out and now everyone is getting sick again. Even little Hrefna suffers” she nodded to the girl who had been edging closer and closer to Wyldfyre. She smiled shyly at the wild, red-headed woman sitting next to her. The child had never seen the likes of Wyldfyre and was completely fascinated. Unable to curb her curiosity any longer she spoke up.
“What is that on your back?” Wyldfyre took down her crossbow and showed the girl. She noticed the woman was also very interested as she leaned forward to study the weapon.
“This is a crossbow. Similar to a normal bow, but way more powerful and precise. And see these?” she showed them a bolt “It takes these bolts instead of the longer arrows.” Wyldfyre loaded the crossbow with the bolt, the action of setting the bolt in place making a satisfying clank.
“What’s that metal it’s made from?” the woman asked “It looks dwarven to me”
“You are right” Wyldfyre nodded “I found this in a dwarven ruin called Mzinchaleft. Here, try it” she handed the weapon over to the woman.
“I couldn’t” she protested.
“Of course you can” Wyldfyre insisted. The woman took the crossbow and stood, walking over towards the river that ran beside the village. She took aim and fired at a tree, staggering a little.
“Oh my!” she exclaimed “It packs a bit of a punch doesn’t it! Would you look at that!” She peered at the bolt that was almost invisible now embedded in the tree. Wyldfyre smiled as she handed the weapon back over.
“I envy you” the woman sighed “By the way, my name is Annekke”
“Wyldfyre” she smiled back. She had an idea “You mentioned medicine before?”
“Yes” Annekke nodded.
“Well, as I am heading to Windhelm, you could travel with me and go see the alchemist there. I’ve heard he is very good”
“The White Phial” Annekke smiled “That is where we got the last batch from and it worked wonders” she looked thoughtful “I wonder...” she turned to the elf “Sondas, you were going to make the trip to Windhelm soon weren’t you?”
“I was” he nodded “Very soon in fact”
“Would you like some company?”
“It would be my pleasure” he smiled. Annekke turned back to Wyldfyre, beaming.
“Well that settles it. Looks like you have two more to your journey”. Wyldfyre smiled back, wondering if Annekke was going to inform her husband of her trip.
*****
Wyldfyre was glad that her two new travelling companions were fit and didn’t slow her down much. She did have to slow her pace a little, but not enough to be annoying. They were both very interesting and Wyldfyre listened to their various stories. Annekke in particular had some fascinating and exciting stories of her previous life to share. She was an accomplished fighter and was very efficient with her bow and the sword she wore at her side. The only thing Wyldfyre was a little worried about was her lack of armour should they encounter any trouble along the way. The two miners had both kept their thin cotton clothes on and Wyldfyre hoped that they would not regret that decision.They continued north, but left the road to travel in a more direct route through a vast area that was dotted with hot springs. The pools of bubbling water were tainted with salt and minerals that were forced up from under the ground, giving them a milky-white appearance. Some even thought that the hot mineral-rich water was good for the health and the trio encountered a group of pilgrims soaking in one of the larger pools. Wyldfyre didn’t like the look of the pools, even though she loved immersing herself in water. The dead bubbling water in the springs didn’t appeal to her at all. But the day was drawing to a close and so the three decided to camp there with the rest of the group.
As they sat by their small fire that night, Wyldfyre was tempted to go off into the wild to change into her beast form to seek out Farkas. This was closer to the route that he was going to take and she would have liked to have met up with him along the way. So far, all her searching for him in her mind had come up empty. She was not overly concerned though and so decided that she would wait until she got closer to Windhelm.
“It’s a glorious night” Annekke stated, staring up into the sky. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Indeed” she sighed. The blonde woman looked at her.
“You are missing someone?”
“I am” Wyldfyre smiled, turning to her. “My fiancé, Farkas”
“Is he a Companion to?” she asked as she turned over her skewered deer meat hanging over the fire. Wyldfyre did the same.
“Yes. That’s how we met. I joined the Companions and we’ve been together since”
“What a nice story” Annekke smiled. She took a swig of mead and handed the bottle to Wyldfyre.
“Well” Wyldfyre frowned “It was a rocky start, but we got there in the end”
“That’s all that matters” Annekke nodded “So when are you getting married?”
“I’m not sure” Wyldfyre half chuckled “When our busy lives allow for it I guess. It’s complicated”
“Weren’t you two just near Riften? You could have popped into the temple then and did it”
“Farkas was, but I took a different route. Besides, if we did that, we’d have my best friend, and Farkas’s brother and all of the other Companions and a few other people after us for doing it without them? No thank you!” Wyldfyre laughed. Annekke laughed as well.
“I see, well as long as you are together, what does a ceremony mean anyway?”
“Nothing!”Wyldfyre said enthusiastically. “We are bound to each other already. We don’t need some stranger and a god I don’t even know to tell us”
“Goddess” Annekke corrected “Mara is a female”
“Oh. Well it still doesn’t matter. It’s really for everyone else” Wyldfyre said. “Not even a Jarl could come between us!”
“A Jarl?” Annekke leaned forward “Oh that DOES sound juicy, do tell!” For the rest of the night, over a few more bottles of mead, Wyldfyre entertained Annekke with tales of her strange and titillating encounters.
*****
The next morning, Wyldfyre awoke with a pounding head and squinted up at the relentless sun. But as she woke more she realised that something was wrong. People were fleeing, abandoning their makeshift shelters and running off as fast as they could.“What’s going on?” Annekke asked a nord as he sped past.
“There’s been a dragon sighting! It’s coming this way!” he yelled over his shoulder before disappearing over a crest. Annekke didn’t look like she believed the man. But Wyldfyre sprang up and strapped on her weapons and soon Annekke and Sondas were doing the same.
“You believe him?” Annekke said as she held her bow, looking at Wyldfyre incredulously.
“Have you not encountered a dragon before?” Wyldfyre asked.
“Well, no. They are from old stories and children’s fairy tales. They....” A great roaring interrupted her, and her eyes widened.
“Believe me” Wyldfyre said as she pushed the two along as she sought cover for them “They are real” Wyldfyre’s refined hearing caught the flap of great wings and she steered the others to a rocky outcrop that overhung just enough for them to hide under. It wouldn’t be enough cover to hide completely from the dragon’s keen eyes, but it would have to do.
“Listen both of you carefully because this is going to happen quickly. When the dragon comes, hit its underside with as many arrows as you can. Also, do any of you know any destruction spells?”
“I do M’lady” Sondas nodded. Wyldfyre smiled quickly.
“Excellent. Hit its wings with whatever you have. If it’s a fire breather, then use frost, if it breaths frost then fire” Sondas nodded, his eyes wild with fear. Annekke had already notched an arrow and Wyldfyre loaded her crossbow.
“Do not stand directly in its line of fire, keep moving, don’t stay in the one spot. When it’s down on the ground, keep away from both ends. Fall back to spells and swords. But if I say run, you both run. You got me?” she looked intently at both of them, until they nodded in agreement.
“Right” Wyldfyre steeled herself. “GO!”
*****
Wyldfyre stood panting, covered in the Dragon’s blood, her sword hanging limply at her side. The Frost dragon had been hard to take down, especially with the inexperience of Annekke and Sondas, but they had finally managed to ground it and had finished it off with their swords, and Sondas’s fire spells. This dragon had been a lot more powerful than the last few she had encountered and Wyldfyre wondered if it was because it appeared to be a lot older. Did they grow in power, the more years they had lived? A good question for Paarthurnax.The dragon’s body began to disintegrate before the others eyes and Wyldfyre closed hers, waiting for the familiar turning and wrenching of her insides as its soul entered her. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her and she stumbled to the hot spring and fell to her knees beside it. I need water... She struggled with her armour before she suddenly felt it fall from her body as Annekke knelt down to help her.
“I don’t know what that just was, but I will help you my friend” She said as she pulled off Wyldfyre’s armour and let the woman slip into the hot salty water. Wyldfyre almost cried out as the steaming water flowed over her body. The dragon blood washed off her skin and mixed in with the milky water. She felt like her insides were being torn apart. The more Dragon souls she consumed the harder it became to control her own thoughts and body. Her vision darkened and turned red and she shut her eyes tightly, trying to wrestle with her inner turmoil. She plunged her head under the water and felt it scald her face but it was doing what she could not. It was calming her down and releasing the red rage she felt inside her.
She burst out of the water and floated there before she sat up and saw Annekke, naked, in the water as well. Sondas was respectfully sitting facing the other way, assumedly guarding the women while they bathed.
“I guess I should explain that” Wyldfyre said as Annekke inspected a handful of the mineral-rich mud.
“I don’t think, after fighting a dragon, that anything you say is going to surprise me” Annekke smiled. She moved over to Wyldfyre and slapped the mud on her shoulder and rubbed it into her skin.
“What are you doing?”
“I heard the others saying it did wonders for your skin. Not that you need it, but it gives me something normal to do while I secretly freak out inside” she pulled up another handful of the mud and smeared it onto Wyldfyre.
“Very well” Wyldfyre sighed as the hot mud warmed her muscles and she felt her skin tingling. “I guess I should start from the beginning” she raised her voice “Sondas, you should hear this as well” The elf nodded.
“I can hear from here M’lady” he said. And so Wyldfyre began a much hasty retelling of her story in Skyrim so far.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
CHAPTER SIXTY THREE: DELAYED PLANS
“Finally” Annekke sighed “Windhelm”
Wyldfyre frowned. It was probably the last place she wanted to be, but hopefully it would not be for long. She sent out her mind, searching for Farkas, but, worryingly, came back with nothing but images of someone being savaged and ripped apart. She figured she had stumbled upon a wild Were.
“Where are you?” she half muttered under her breath.
“Farkas not here yet? How can you tell?” Annekke looked at her oddly. Wyldfyre shook her head, trying to get the images of death and rage out of it.
“I just can, and he should be here, but...” They continued to walk across the large bridge that spanned the river and made their way through the gates. Windhelm looked its usual grey, gloomy self. Citizens were rugged up and took little notice of the two women that had just arrived. Sondas, on the other hand, did get noticed. Wyldfyre saw him receive a few glares from the locals. Wyldfyre remembered the dislike the Nords of Windhelm had for the other races, in particular, elves, Argonians and the Khajiit. It was something that bothered her and she would have spoken to Ulfric about it had she not been wanting to do everything in her power to avoid him. Unfortunately that was not going to be the case.
“Ice Veins” A patrol of Stormcloaks marched up and greeted her. “Jarl Ulfric has heard of your arrival and requests your appearance at the Palace” Wyldfyre glared at them and they took a step back. How did he know I was here? By the Maker... She turned to Annekke and Sondas.
“I’m sorry, but duty calls. Can I meet you later?”
“Sure” Annekke shrugged. “We’ll be staying at Candlehearth Hall before we make our way home tomorrow”
“Excellent” she fished out a few coins “Could you rent me a room as well? I’m going to have to wait here until Farkas shows up” Annekke took the coin and smiled, and they both turned right towards the market. Wyldfyre turned to the Soldiers who were waiting patiently.
“Well, let’s go” she said, and marched past them as they struggled to keep up with her pace.
“This is your duty to do as I command and if you were any other person I would have shackled you and thrown you in jail for your insolence” He thumped the table angrily.
“Then do it! Because I am not going!”
“Wyldfyre!” Ulfric shouted “You cannot deny an order from your Jarl.”
“I can and I will” she shouted back. “What I have to do is for the good of all of Skyrim and beyond. I do not have time to go back the way I just came to some fort to rescue soldiers.” She placed a hand on his arm, trying to get him to see reason. “Please Ulfric, I can’t do this for you” she soothed. Ulfric looked down to her hand on his arm and he visibly relaxed. He turned towards her and Wyldfyre stepped back, afraid he would try to kiss her again.
“Ralof has been captured” he said. Wyldfyre stilled, her heart lurching.
“What?”
“Ralof is amongst the group of soldiers taken” he sighed “I have a very reliable source that told me” Ralof captured? Wyldfyre looked into Ulfric’s eyes and saw that he told the truth. She turned to the map and studied it. Fort Neugrad was way back down south-east of Falkreath. She looked up to where Winterhold was, her destination. She was so close.. but Ralof? Wyldfyre cursed. Words that made Ulfric’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
“I take that as you saying yes?” He asked. Wyldfyre didn’t look at him, she was too mad and afraid she would do something rash like hit him.
“Of course it is!” she said through gritted teeth. “But only if you do something for me in return”
“You know I would do anything for you, you have but to ask it” Wyldfyre knew what he implied and she hastily quashed any of those thoughts running through his head.
“My fiancé. A Companion by the name of Farkas, is soon to pass through your gates, looking for me” Ulfric nodded when Wyldfyre looked up at him. Her eyes still held him in thrall, even at the mention of her beloved.
“Please tell him where I am and ask that he waits for my return. And please for the love of the All Maker, be civil!” Only Wyldfyre could have spoken to the Jarl in that manner. He struggled with the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her, but she looked at him now with such worry on her face that he sighed and stepped back, placing his hands behind his back.
“I will do as you ask. It is the least I can do for what I ask of you”
“Thank you” she nodded “Now, when do I leave?”
“I have the stables preparing a swift horse for you; you leave as soon as you are ready”
“Have two horses made ready. I have a travelling companion” She would ask Annekke to come with her. She knew the woman longed for this sort of adventure again.
“It will be done” Ulfric nodded. They both parted with awkward smiles and Wyldfyre left the palace after filling her satchel with food and very pettily swiped two sweetrolls off Ulfric’s plate.
“So” Annekke asked eagerly “how did the meeting go with the Jarl anyway?” Wyldfyre groaned. They were sitting on a couple of comfortable couches on the top floor of the Hall. Annekke had got them nice rooms and they had finished a hearty meal and were now washing it down with a bottle of ale.
“Badly. He threatened to throw me in jail at one stage and then blackmailed me with sentiment”
“I don’t understand”
“One of the soldiers that has been captured; we have...history” she said awkwardly. Annekke grinned and nodded.
“Oh I see. Another juicy story.” She settled back in her seat “Well do tell!”
She shook her head. Wyldfyre was nothing like Karsiig. The wild man she had been involved with. Their relationship had been a turbulent one, based solely on sex and lust. Annekke had found out that he was more than just a man. He could change into a frightening creature, half man, half bear. It had terrified her when he had revealed it to her one night, but it had also drawn her closer to him. She loved his dangerous, cruel demeanour and stayed with him even though she knew she would never feel any affection for him, nor would he return it. She loved the rough sex and the thrill it gave her to lay with the man-beast.
Wyldfyre had the same mannerisms, if not a little more subtle and graceful. Her eyes even had that peculiar glow about them, although hers were green with yellow rings. Annekke was almost sure Wyldfyre was a Were-beast but what sort? She undressed and slipped on a tunic top, and fell into her bed smiling. This was what she had been waiting for. Someone to pull her out of the dark hole she had been falling into ever since she had married that wretched Verner.
“Someone had a late night” Annekke said breezily when she entered. A clanking sound and good smells brought Wyldfyre out from under the sheet to find Annekke setting down breakfast on the small table next to the bed. Wyldfyre was famished, even after her midnight rabbit feast. She stretched her long tanned legs out and then swung them over and took the tankard of hot tea Annekke had made her. All the while Annekke sat and watched.
“Something wrong?” Wyldfyre asked her; curious at the interest Annekke seemed to show in her every move. Annekke blushed and turned her attention to the breakfast tray. It was full of fruit and pastries and she selected a delicate pastry filled with lemon curd.
“Nothing, it’s just I..” she hesitated.
“What?” Wyldfyre urged, sitting up straighter. “Are you having second thoughts about coming with me?”
“Oh no!” Annekke shook her head “Not at all. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it” Wyldfyre studied the blonde woman for a moment and then took a pastry herself and nibbled on it. After they were done, Wyldfyre stood and slipped off her tunic top, and Annekke helped her into her armour.
“We should be on our way quickly” Wyldfyre said “As soon as we get this done, the sooner I can get back here” She was still worried about Farkas and it must have showed.
“I’m sure he is fine” Annekke said, placing a hand on Wyldfyre’s shoulder. Especially if he is a Were-beast to “He just got delayed, He will be here when we get back, you’ll see.”
“You are right” Wyldfyre nodded, but in her heart she was afraid. They left the Hall and the gates of Windhelm behind them to find two fine looking horses at the stables, ready for them. Wyldfyre chose a young spirited gelding that shivered when she slid her hand over his neck. He wasn’t frost, but he would do. Annekke’s horse was an older filly who stood patiently while being mounted. They wasted no time in urging the horses into a brisk canter down the southern road.
They stayed west of the river and rode south-west towards Ivarstead. It took them the better part of the day to reach the small village and Wyldfyre called a halt when they came to the Inn.
“We’ll stop here for the night. I know the owner and we will find no better rest than here.” They secured their mounts at the back of the building, gave them fresh hay and water and entered the Inn. Wilhelm was naturally confused to see Wyldfyre.
“What are you doing here? Weren’t you and Farkas going to Winterhold?” Wyldfyre rolled her eyes.
“It’s a long story, but we had a change of plans. Did he... did Farkas come back this way by any chance?” she asked fretfully. Wilhelm shook his head, frowning.
“No love, he didn’t. What happened?”.
“I don’t know” Wyldfyre also frowned “but he wasn’t in Windhelm when I got there. I have no idea where he is”
“I’m sure he will turn up” Wilhelm said, placing a consoling hand on her shoulder, just like Annekke had “A great strapping lad like him, he will be fine” Wyldfyre nodded, trying to convince herself that he would. They ate dinner before retiring to their room. Wilhelm had only the double room available but the two women took it gladly.
“I don’t mind sharing” Annekke said in her breezy voice. That night Wyldfyre lay there staring up at the thatched roof, wondering about Farkas. She could not stand not knowing where he was and so she carefully slipped out of bed and left the Inn. She wore just her tunic top but the cold air did not disturb her. She left the village until she reached a secluded clearing and hung her top in a tree, changing into the she-wolf and racing off towards the mountain pass. In her state of distress, she had not noticed Annekke following her and witnessing her change.
“As I live and breathe” she sighed with wonder. She never thought she would encounter another Were-beast again. Let alone her very attractive travelling companion. She smiled and made her way back to the Inn, thanking the gods that Wyldfyre had entered her dismal life.
“I figured you’d want to be off as soon as possible” she said, handing the reins to Wyldfyre. Wyldfyre looked guiltily at Annekke.
“I’m sorry for my mood. I did not have a good night”
“It’s all right” Annekke smiled. “You are worried for your love. I would be to, if I had a love to worry about”
“What about your husband?” Wyldfyre asked as the mounted and urged the horses into a walk. Annekke pulled a face.
“Verner?” she snorted “He is a letch! I am sorry I married him every day” she looked over to Wyldfyre “I want to thank you”
“For what”
“For saving me” she said. “I was fast falling down into that horrible hole of a mine, in a terrible marriage, and then you came along. You saved me from a life of misery”
“I didn’t do anything” Wyldfyre said, embarrassed.
“You didn’t have to. You just showed up” Annekke smiled and then urged her horse into a canter, her smile turning into a grin from ear to ear as the wind whipped at her face.
“Finally” Annekke sighed “Windhelm”
Wyldfyre frowned. It was probably the last place she wanted to be, but hopefully it would not be for long. She sent out her mind, searching for Farkas, but, worryingly, came back with nothing but images of someone being savaged and ripped apart. She figured she had stumbled upon a wild Were.
“Where are you?” she half muttered under her breath.
“Farkas not here yet? How can you tell?” Annekke looked at her oddly. Wyldfyre shook her head, trying to get the images of death and rage out of it.
“I just can, and he should be here, but...” They continued to walk across the large bridge that spanned the river and made their way through the gates. Windhelm looked its usual grey, gloomy self. Citizens were rugged up and took little notice of the two women that had just arrived. Sondas, on the other hand, did get noticed. Wyldfyre saw him receive a few glares from the locals. Wyldfyre remembered the dislike the Nords of Windhelm had for the other races, in particular, elves, Argonians and the Khajiit. It was something that bothered her and she would have spoken to Ulfric about it had she not been wanting to do everything in her power to avoid him. Unfortunately that was not going to be the case.
“Ice Veins” A patrol of Stormcloaks marched up and greeted her. “Jarl Ulfric has heard of your arrival and requests your appearance at the Palace” Wyldfyre glared at them and they took a step back. How did he know I was here? By the Maker... She turned to Annekke and Sondas.
“I’m sorry, but duty calls. Can I meet you later?”
“Sure” Annekke shrugged. “We’ll be staying at Candlehearth Hall before we make our way home tomorrow”
“Excellent” she fished out a few coins “Could you rent me a room as well? I’m going to have to wait here until Farkas shows up” Annekke took the coin and smiled, and they both turned right towards the market. Wyldfyre turned to the Soldiers who were waiting patiently.
“Well, let’s go” she said, and marched past them as they struggled to keep up with her pace.
*****
“But I am on an important mission of my own! I can’t go traipsing off around the country for your war!” She glared at the Jarl. They had been arguing for some time in the war room, leaning over the large table that contained a map of all of Skyrim. Ulfric glared back at her.“This is your duty to do as I command and if you were any other person I would have shackled you and thrown you in jail for your insolence” He thumped the table angrily.
“Then do it! Because I am not going!”
“Wyldfyre!” Ulfric shouted “You cannot deny an order from your Jarl.”
“I can and I will” she shouted back. “What I have to do is for the good of all of Skyrim and beyond. I do not have time to go back the way I just came to some fort to rescue soldiers.” She placed a hand on his arm, trying to get him to see reason. “Please Ulfric, I can’t do this for you” she soothed. Ulfric looked down to her hand on his arm and he visibly relaxed. He turned towards her and Wyldfyre stepped back, afraid he would try to kiss her again.
“Ralof has been captured” he said. Wyldfyre stilled, her heart lurching.
“What?”
“Ralof is amongst the group of soldiers taken” he sighed “I have a very reliable source that told me” Ralof captured? Wyldfyre looked into Ulfric’s eyes and saw that he told the truth. She turned to the map and studied it. Fort Neugrad was way back down south-east of Falkreath. She looked up to where Winterhold was, her destination. She was so close.. but Ralof? Wyldfyre cursed. Words that made Ulfric’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
“I take that as you saying yes?” He asked. Wyldfyre didn’t look at him, she was too mad and afraid she would do something rash like hit him.
“Of course it is!” she said through gritted teeth. “But only if you do something for me in return”
“You know I would do anything for you, you have but to ask it” Wyldfyre knew what he implied and she hastily quashed any of those thoughts running through his head.
“My fiancé. A Companion by the name of Farkas, is soon to pass through your gates, looking for me” Ulfric nodded when Wyldfyre looked up at him. Her eyes still held him in thrall, even at the mention of her beloved.
“Please tell him where I am and ask that he waits for my return. And please for the love of the All Maker, be civil!” Only Wyldfyre could have spoken to the Jarl in that manner. He struggled with the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her, but she looked at him now with such worry on her face that he sighed and stepped back, placing his hands behind his back.
“I will do as you ask. It is the least I can do for what I ask of you”
“Thank you” she nodded “Now, when do I leave?”
“I have the stables preparing a swift horse for you; you leave as soon as you are ready”
“Have two horses made ready. I have a travelling companion” She would ask Annekke to come with her. She knew the woman longed for this sort of adventure again.
“It will be done” Ulfric nodded. They both parted with awkward smiles and Wyldfyre left the palace after filling her satchel with food and very pettily swiped two sweetrolls off Ulfric’s plate.
*****
To say that Annekke was excited about their upcoming journey would be an understatement. She smiled widely when Wyldfyre had asked her if she would like to accompany her back to Falkreath Hold. She did not patronise the woman by telling her how dangerous this mission was. Wyldfyre could tell Annekke knew how to handle herself. They both told Sondas of the change in plans and he was happy to make the journey back to Dark Water Crossing on his own as soon as the medicine was ready.“So” Annekke asked eagerly “how did the meeting go with the Jarl anyway?” Wyldfyre groaned. They were sitting on a couple of comfortable couches on the top floor of the Hall. Annekke had got them nice rooms and they had finished a hearty meal and were now washing it down with a bottle of ale.
“Badly. He threatened to throw me in jail at one stage and then blackmailed me with sentiment”
“I don’t understand”
“One of the soldiers that has been captured; we have...history” she said awkwardly. Annekke grinned and nodded.
“Oh I see. Another juicy story.” She settled back in her seat “Well do tell!”
*****
Annekke retired to her room after Wyldfyre excused herself and went who knows where. She was fascinated with the red-headed woman. She had the most interesting and juicy stories and there was something about her that she couldn’t quite figure out, or knew exactly what it was but just didn’t want to admit it to herself. There was an animalistic grace to her that Annekke had only saw in one other person and that was a long time ago, when she had been the member of a group of close knit mercenaries that ran jobs along the southern border, and over into Cyrodiil and Hammerfell. She shook her head. Wyldfyre was nothing like Karsiig. The wild man she had been involved with. Their relationship had been a turbulent one, based solely on sex and lust. Annekke had found out that he was more than just a man. He could change into a frightening creature, half man, half bear. It had terrified her when he had revealed it to her one night, but it had also drawn her closer to him. She loved his dangerous, cruel demeanour and stayed with him even though she knew she would never feel any affection for him, nor would he return it. She loved the rough sex and the thrill it gave her to lay with the man-beast.
Wyldfyre had the same mannerisms, if not a little more subtle and graceful. Her eyes even had that peculiar glow about them, although hers were green with yellow rings. Annekke was almost sure Wyldfyre was a Were-beast but what sort? She undressed and slipped on a tunic top, and fell into her bed smiling. This was what she had been waiting for. Someone to pull her out of the dark hole she had been falling into ever since she had married that wretched Verner.
*****
Wyldfyre woke up groggy. She had slipped out of the city the night before and had changed into her beast form when she was away from the road and had gone searching for Farkas. She ran as far as she dared, stopping momentarily to hunt a rabbit and feast on its flesh. Wyldfyre had searched with her mind almost the entire night before she was forced to turn back and return to Windhelm, falling exhausted into her bed. Now it was morning and she felt like she had only just put her head down to sleep moments ago when she was being woken by a knocking on her door. She grunted and rolled over, pulling the sheet over her head. Someone entered her room. She could tell by the smell it was Annekke.“Someone had a late night” Annekke said breezily when she entered. A clanking sound and good smells brought Wyldfyre out from under the sheet to find Annekke setting down breakfast on the small table next to the bed. Wyldfyre was famished, even after her midnight rabbit feast. She stretched her long tanned legs out and then swung them over and took the tankard of hot tea Annekke had made her. All the while Annekke sat and watched.
“Something wrong?” Wyldfyre asked her; curious at the interest Annekke seemed to show in her every move. Annekke blushed and turned her attention to the breakfast tray. It was full of fruit and pastries and she selected a delicate pastry filled with lemon curd.
“Nothing, it’s just I..” she hesitated.
“What?” Wyldfyre urged, sitting up straighter. “Are you having second thoughts about coming with me?”
“Oh no!” Annekke shook her head “Not at all. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it” Wyldfyre studied the blonde woman for a moment and then took a pastry herself and nibbled on it. After they were done, Wyldfyre stood and slipped off her tunic top, and Annekke helped her into her armour.
“We should be on our way quickly” Wyldfyre said “As soon as we get this done, the sooner I can get back here” She was still worried about Farkas and it must have showed.
“I’m sure he is fine” Annekke said, placing a hand on Wyldfyre’s shoulder. Especially if he is a Were-beast to “He just got delayed, He will be here when we get back, you’ll see.”
“You are right” Wyldfyre nodded, but in her heart she was afraid. They left the Hall and the gates of Windhelm behind them to find two fine looking horses at the stables, ready for them. Wyldfyre chose a young spirited gelding that shivered when she slid her hand over his neck. He wasn’t frost, but he would do. Annekke’s horse was an older filly who stood patiently while being mounted. They wasted no time in urging the horses into a brisk canter down the southern road.
They stayed west of the river and rode south-west towards Ivarstead. It took them the better part of the day to reach the small village and Wyldfyre called a halt when they came to the Inn.
“We’ll stop here for the night. I know the owner and we will find no better rest than here.” They secured their mounts at the back of the building, gave them fresh hay and water and entered the Inn. Wilhelm was naturally confused to see Wyldfyre.
“What are you doing here? Weren’t you and Farkas going to Winterhold?” Wyldfyre rolled her eyes.
“It’s a long story, but we had a change of plans. Did he... did Farkas come back this way by any chance?” she asked fretfully. Wilhelm shook his head, frowning.
“No love, he didn’t. What happened?”.
“I don’t know” Wyldfyre also frowned “but he wasn’t in Windhelm when I got there. I have no idea where he is”
“I’m sure he will turn up” Wilhelm said, placing a consoling hand on her shoulder, just like Annekke had “A great strapping lad like him, he will be fine” Wyldfyre nodded, trying to convince herself that he would. They ate dinner before retiring to their room. Wilhelm had only the double room available but the two women took it gladly.
“I don’t mind sharing” Annekke said in her breezy voice. That night Wyldfyre lay there staring up at the thatched roof, wondering about Farkas. She could not stand not knowing where he was and so she carefully slipped out of bed and left the Inn. She wore just her tunic top but the cold air did not disturb her. She left the village until she reached a secluded clearing and hung her top in a tree, changing into the she-wolf and racing off towards the mountain pass. In her state of distress, she had not noticed Annekke following her and witnessing her change.
*****
Since her days as a mercenary, Annekke had always slept lightly and so she awoke when Wyldfyre had left the room in just her undergarment. She slipped out the door after her and followed her at a distance, out of the village and into the woods beyond. Annekke crept through the underbrush and watched with mixed awe and horror as the red-headed woman changed into a beast. A wolf. She tilted her head. A very pretty wolf. The She-wolf then sped off into the night and Annekke took a breath of cold air, shaking her head.“As I live and breathe” she sighed with wonder. She never thought she would encounter another Were-beast again. Let alone her very attractive travelling companion. She smiled and made her way back to the Inn, thanking the gods that Wyldfyre had entered her dismal life.
*****
Wyldfyre woke in the morning grumpy. She had run for most of the night with no sound of Farkas. The only good thing was her finding Aela out in the wilds and relaying her fears to her. Aela said she would let the others know and that they would find Farkas. It relieved Wyldfyre to know that the rest of the family were looking for him to. Annekke was her usual happy self, possibly a little more so and it made Wyldfyre even grumpier. She refused to speak to anyone until she had her morning tea and sat out on the porch, soaking up the morning sun. Later, she changed into her armour and Annekke had already brought the horses around to the front of the building.“I figured you’d want to be off as soon as possible” she said, handing the reins to Wyldfyre. Wyldfyre looked guiltily at Annekke.
“I’m sorry for my mood. I did not have a good night”
“It’s all right” Annekke smiled. “You are worried for your love. I would be to, if I had a love to worry about”
“What about your husband?” Wyldfyre asked as the mounted and urged the horses into a walk. Annekke pulled a face.
“Verner?” she snorted “He is a letch! I am sorry I married him every day” she looked over to Wyldfyre “I want to thank you”
“For what”
“For saving me” she said. “I was fast falling down into that horrible hole of a mine, in a terrible marriage, and then you came along. You saved me from a life of misery”
“I didn’t do anything” Wyldfyre said, embarrassed.
“You didn’t have to. You just showed up” Annekke smiled and then urged her horse into a canter, her smile turning into a grin from ear to ear as the wind whipped at her face.
mattizcool
Flying lawnmowers are cool.
Two nice chapters. Loving it so far.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR: FORT NEUGRAD
Wyldfyre stepped into the lake, the cold water closing over her bare toes. She gritted her teeth as she eased her body further into the water, again questioning her decision to sneak alone into the Fort by the way of the underwater cave at the back of the compound. She and Annekke had met up with the Stormcloak soldiers that were trying to figure out a way inside without the Imperial troops retaliating and killing the prisoners. They had discussed for quite a while before they had agreed, some reluctantly, that the best way was for Wyldfyre to swim into the cave and take out the enemy from within.
Wyldfyre did not explain to them why she was the best choice for a number of reasons. For one they didn’t need to know that she could hold her breath underwater particularly long, and the other being her strength and swiftness due to her being of the beast blood. There was also that. Failing everything else, she could fall back onto changing and taking out the Imperials as the She-wolf. She was only concerned that she could only take in her sword and wear a thin tunic top, which would be dripping wet when she emerged from the cave lake. Annekke looked on worried, from her cover in the underbrush and Wyldfyre gave her a quick, wolfy smile before submerging into the depths of the lake.
The entrance into the cave was far below what any normal human could dive and Wyldfyre swam down, her keen eyes finding it easily. She swam in through the rough opening and along a flooded tunnel until she could see the ripples of the surface of the cave lake. She slowly popped her head out of the water just up to her eyes so she could scout out the area. Her hearing picked up movement from further up the cave but she was free to leave the lake and she unbuckled her sword belt and let it drop and then stripped off her tunic and wrung it out. She shook out her hair and then slipped the damp top back on; it clung to her skin and was alarmingly see-through. Well if I don’t startle them with my sudden appearance I will shock them to death..She thought wryly to herself buckling her sword back on. She would have tried to dry herself with her flame spell, but she had never done it before and she did not have time to experiment with lowering the spell to a level where she didn’t completely burn her clothes off.
She snuck up the cave tunnel and took out her sword when she saw a single Imperial guard up ahead. His back was turned to her and by the time he heard a movement behind him, he already had a sword protruding from his belly. Wyldfyre stashed the body in a small alcove, but not before stripping it of its clothing. She selected a dry tunic top and the fine cotton leggings some of the Imperials chose to wear to cover her legs. She also took a steel dagger and fitted it to her sword belt. She slid the soldier’s leather boots onto her feet. They were a little big but at least she was no-longer bare foot. She felt much better now she was somewhat dressed.
She continued through the Fort, taking out Imperials when she needed, avoiding others if possible. A few she managed to lock into a storeroom, for the Stormcloaks to deal with later. It wasn’t long before she found a large room filled with cages. Inside were very sullen and angry Stormcloaks. Some recognised her.
“Ice Veins!” they called out in joy. “Thank Talos!” They directed Wyldfyre to a chest where she found a large set of keys and proceeded to unlock each cell. The soldiers greeted her with comradely slaps on the back. When she opened the last cell she looked around at the men, who were busy re-arming themselves.
“Where is Ralof?” she asked them. They looked to each other and one stepped forward.
“I’m sorry M’Lady, but we have no idea where he is. They came and took him away and we haven’t seen him since”. Wyldfyre’s heart lurched. They had taken Ralof.. for what? To be tortured?
“I will find him” she said to the men. “The rest of you go out into the courtyard and the others will join you” she looked at the men who gripped their weapons in anger, ready for revenge. “Take the Fort” she said in a deadly tone. They rushed out of the room leaving Wyldfyre to continue into the depths of the Fort in search of Ralof. Down a long flight of stone stairs she descended and along many corridors, checking each room as she went. The last room at the end of the hall was all that was left and she hurried to the door.
The scene inside her shocked her to the core. In the middle of the room was a rack and strapped to it was Ralof. Wyldfyre could tell he was still alive, but barely. He was dressed only in thin pants and ribbons of blood flowed from many wounds on his body and his head slumped to the side. Wyldfyre rushed to him, taking his head in her hands.
“Ralof!” she cried “Ralof it’s me, Wyldfyre” she shook him slightly and he stirred. His left eye was closed and crusted with blood. His face was purple with bruises.
“Wyldfyre” he croaked. His right eye opened and he focused on her face. Red hair framed green eyes. It was her. “What are you doing here?” She started un-strapping his arms and legs.
“No time for talking now, I need to get you out of here” He slumped forward as his arms were released from the straps, and Wyldfyre had to hold him upright.
“This Fort is crawling with Imperials” he grunted at her.
“That is being taken care of” she said quickly. She was worried about all the wounds on his body. She had no healing vials on her at all. He was weak from the loss of blood and lack of food and water. She sat him down on a chair and gave him a drink from a nearby water skin. He drank deeply from it.
“Come on” she urged him up “We need to leave” Wyldfyre flung his arm over her shoulder and took the bulk of his weight and they slowly made their way out from the bowls of the Fort. Her keen hearing picked up sounds of fighting in various places around the compound. Someone came running towards them and Wyldfyre could see it was Annekke.
“Wyldfyre!” she exclaimed. She took Ralof’s other side and together they got him out of the Fort.
“Over there!” Wyldfyre indicated to the stable where one tawny coloured horse stood. She sent Annekke off to get their horses. The bulk of the fighting was over, the Stormcloaks rounding up the last of the Imperials. Wyldfyre caught one of the Stormcloaks and they discussed what to do next.
“We have the Fort Ice Veins” the soldier said to her “We have some prisoners and some runners, and no casualties on our side”. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Good. I am taking Ralof to Riverwood to his sister. He needs healing” The soldier looked at his comrade, worry on his face.
“Will he be all right?”
“I think so” She answered him “But he needs healing now or he will bleed out. Help me get him on this horse.” They both heaved Ralof onto the horse, who thankfully stood there patiently while they shoved the almost unconscious man onto its back. They strapped Ralof down. It was not the most flattering of positions but Wyldfyre could not afford him falling off on their journey.
Annekke rode in on her horse, trailing Wyldfyre’s behind her. Her armour was stowed into the satchel tied on the side. She mounted, taking the reins of Ralof’s horse and they made for Riverwood. But an hour into the ride Annekke pulled them up.
“Wyldfyre” she said worried “He is not going to make it much further, we need to find somewhere to stop and bring his sister to him” Wyldfyre looked at Ralof, whose face had grown pale and his breathing shallow.
“You are right” she said “I have a house not far from here, we’ll go there and then one of us can fetch his sister” They rode to the Lake House and both struggled to get Ralof safely inside.
“There is no way we can get him up the stairs to the spare bedroom” Wyldfyre grunted as she heaved Ralof through the inner door. “We’ll put him in my bed” They placed Ralof on the bed and he groaned in pain, his blood immediately staining the sheets. Wyldfyre placed a hand on his face. “Stay with me Ralof” she urged him. She opened the drawer next to her and pulled out a healing vial then poured it into his mouth. Annekke watched on as some of his wounds started healing over and most of the bleeding stopped.
“It’s enough for now, but I am no healer” Wyldfyre frowned “He really needs his sister”
“I’ll go” Annekke volunteered.
“I can’t ask you to do that” Wyldfyre said.
“Nonsense!” Annekke waved her hand “You need to stay here with your friend; I am the logical one to go. Now, where is it am I going?” Wyldfyre gave her directions to Riverwood and Gerdur’s house and Annekke left. Wyldfyre fetched a basin of water and a cloth and sat on the bed beside Ralof. He began muttering incomprehensively and she shushed him.
“Sshhh.. Ralof” she soothed him “You are safe now and Gerdur will be here soon” He grabbed her hand and fell back into unconsciousness.
“Oh my sweet brother” she whispered. Wyldfyre blinked in the lamp light. “Thank you for looking after my brother” Gerdur said to her. She opened up a bag and pulled various vials and salves and began her ministrations on her brother. Wyldfyre left and stripped off her borrowed clothes and went down to the bath where she found Annekke.
“I hope you don’t mind” the blonde woman apologised “But I went exploring and found this and oh, it’s heavenly.”
“Not at all” Wyldfyre said as she slipped into the bath as well, taking up her favourite rose soap and lathering it.
“You have a wonderful house” Annekke said, relaxing against the edge of the tub.
“Farkas and his brother built it for me” Annekke’s eyebrows shot up.
“Oh he has a brother does he?”
“Yes, but I’m sorry, he’s taken” Wyldfyre smiled. “They are twins actually” She dipped her hair down into the warm water.
“Ralof is very handsome” Annekke said when Wyldfyre returned to the surface.
“Very” Wyldfyre nodded “He is very sweet. You’d like him, I think” she grinned. Annekke smirked back.
“This is a wonderful house you have here” he said one afternoon as they sat out on the porch that overlooked the lake. They drank tea; Ralof’s being full of healing herbs. Annekke had gone into Falkreath to get more supplies.
“I love it” Wyldfyre said “It’s the only place I feel truly at home” she looked out over the lake as it shone in the afternoon sun. She had still heard no word of Farkas. She had gone out searching for him every night and she was beginning to get emotionally and physically exhausted. “Annekke should be back soon” she said to change the subject. She saw the smile on Ralof’s face when she mentioned her beautiful friend.
“She is a fine woman” Ralof said to her. Wyldfyre had noticed that the two seemed to be quite taken with one another, staying up late into the night when Wyldfyre retired to her room, or went out for the evening to search for Farkas. “I think... I think I have grown quite fond of her” he said then.
“That’s wonderful” Wyldfyre smiled.
“Do you think that she..likes me?” he asked her shyly.
“She does” Wyldfyre reassured him. “Quite a lot in fact” Ralof’s smile said it all. Wyldfyre was glad to see two more of her friends were about to find the same happiness she had with Farkas. A horse whinnying in the distance had her standing and looking out to the road.
“That’s not Annekke” she said, squinting against the sun. As the rider drew near she saw the familiar head of Lydia, poking out from a travellers coat.
“Lydia!” Wyldfyre cried, rushing down the stairs and over to her friend. Lydia grinned and dismounted the horse awkwardly. Wyldfyre frowned but hugged her friend anyway. Lydia smelt different. Wyldfyre held her away at arm’s length and Lydia stood there grinning waiting for Wyldfyre to say something. She frowned and sniffed her again. There was something different about her friend. Something had happened. It had changed her. Wyldfyre listened and instead of one heartbeat she could hear two. Lydia’s strong beat and a small faint one, but equally as strong.
“Lydia!” Wyldfyre said in shock “You’re with child!”
“Yes!” Lydia laughed and hugged her friend. Wyldfyre was dumbfounded.
“But, how?” she moved closer to Lydia and whispered “Weres aren’t supposed to be able to breed”
“We still don’t know” Lydia whispered excitedly. Wyldfyre noticed she was glowing “But Kodlak says it is truly a blessing”
“And Vilkas?”
“He is strutting around Whiterun like the horker king” Lydia chuckled as they went back up to the porch. “Telling everyone he sees he is going to be a father” Her eyes shone with love. Ralof smiled politely and nodded when Wyldfyre introduced the two. She filled Lydia in on their movements since she had last seen her friend.
“Your sister is a miracle worker” Lydia said to Ralof, who smiled and agreed. She turned to her friend. “No sound of Farkas? At all?” Wyldfyre shook her head.
“I’m getting really worried. What happened to him Lydia? Why did his side trip to Riften delay him?” Lydia looked thoughtful for a while.
“You may need to go to Riften and ask around. Maybe someone can tell you where he is, or what happened”. Wyldfyre nodded.
“You are right” She would set off for Riften as soon as Ralof was well enough to re-join the Falkreath Stormcloak camp. He looked to be only a couple of days off recovering enough to leave the Lake House. Later, after Annekke arrived back from Falkreath, they were also joined by Vilkas and, surprisingly, Aela and Aiden. Wyldfyre greeted the other circle members and then was enfolded into Aiden’s arms.
“We’ll find him” he whispered to her, as the others respectfully moved away. Wyldfyre sighed and then stilled. He smelt different too. She also realised that he had said that inside her head. She stepped back, taking his face in her hands and studying his eyes. Her own widened in surprise.
“Wait...? What..?” she shook her head stunned. “Aiden!” she then said to him in her mind. He smiled widely, wolfishly. “When did this happen?”
“A week ago” he said then in her mind “Aela was my forbearer” She looked at the red headed warrior who walked over to the siblings.
“I hope you don’t mind, not being there, but Aiden wanted it to be a...privet thing” she slipped her arm around Aiden’s waist. Wyldfyre blushed at the thought of her brother and Aela being intimate.
“Oh no! Not at all. I am happy for you, both of you. So the Circle has become six. And possibly seven” she looked over to Lydia who was being fussed over by Vilkas.
“Yes, it’s very interesting” Aela commented.
“Indeed” agreed Aiden. Wyldfyre was still stunned by the events of the day. Lydia pregnant and now Aiden was a Were-beast just like herself. She stood watching the others as they talked and ate, happy that everyone in the room seemed to have their lives in order. But hers was not. She quietly slipped away and sat out on the porch, looking out over the now moonlit lake.
“Farkas, my love, where are you?”
Wyldfyre stepped into the lake, the cold water closing over her bare toes. She gritted her teeth as she eased her body further into the water, again questioning her decision to sneak alone into the Fort by the way of the underwater cave at the back of the compound. She and Annekke had met up with the Stormcloak soldiers that were trying to figure out a way inside without the Imperial troops retaliating and killing the prisoners. They had discussed for quite a while before they had agreed, some reluctantly, that the best way was for Wyldfyre to swim into the cave and take out the enemy from within.
Wyldfyre did not explain to them why she was the best choice for a number of reasons. For one they didn’t need to know that she could hold her breath underwater particularly long, and the other being her strength and swiftness due to her being of the beast blood. There was also that. Failing everything else, she could fall back onto changing and taking out the Imperials as the She-wolf. She was only concerned that she could only take in her sword and wear a thin tunic top, which would be dripping wet when she emerged from the cave lake. Annekke looked on worried, from her cover in the underbrush and Wyldfyre gave her a quick, wolfy smile before submerging into the depths of the lake.
The entrance into the cave was far below what any normal human could dive and Wyldfyre swam down, her keen eyes finding it easily. She swam in through the rough opening and along a flooded tunnel until she could see the ripples of the surface of the cave lake. She slowly popped her head out of the water just up to her eyes so she could scout out the area. Her hearing picked up movement from further up the cave but she was free to leave the lake and she unbuckled her sword belt and let it drop and then stripped off her tunic and wrung it out. She shook out her hair and then slipped the damp top back on; it clung to her skin and was alarmingly see-through. Well if I don’t startle them with my sudden appearance I will shock them to death..She thought wryly to herself buckling her sword back on. She would have tried to dry herself with her flame spell, but she had never done it before and she did not have time to experiment with lowering the spell to a level where she didn’t completely burn her clothes off.
She snuck up the cave tunnel and took out her sword when she saw a single Imperial guard up ahead. His back was turned to her and by the time he heard a movement behind him, he already had a sword protruding from his belly. Wyldfyre stashed the body in a small alcove, but not before stripping it of its clothing. She selected a dry tunic top and the fine cotton leggings some of the Imperials chose to wear to cover her legs. She also took a steel dagger and fitted it to her sword belt. She slid the soldier’s leather boots onto her feet. They were a little big but at least she was no-longer bare foot. She felt much better now she was somewhat dressed.
She continued through the Fort, taking out Imperials when she needed, avoiding others if possible. A few she managed to lock into a storeroom, for the Stormcloaks to deal with later. It wasn’t long before she found a large room filled with cages. Inside were very sullen and angry Stormcloaks. Some recognised her.
“Ice Veins!” they called out in joy. “Thank Talos!” They directed Wyldfyre to a chest where she found a large set of keys and proceeded to unlock each cell. The soldiers greeted her with comradely slaps on the back. When she opened the last cell she looked around at the men, who were busy re-arming themselves.
“Where is Ralof?” she asked them. They looked to each other and one stepped forward.
“I’m sorry M’Lady, but we have no idea where he is. They came and took him away and we haven’t seen him since”. Wyldfyre’s heart lurched. They had taken Ralof.. for what? To be tortured?
“I will find him” she said to the men. “The rest of you go out into the courtyard and the others will join you” she looked at the men who gripped their weapons in anger, ready for revenge. “Take the Fort” she said in a deadly tone. They rushed out of the room leaving Wyldfyre to continue into the depths of the Fort in search of Ralof. Down a long flight of stone stairs she descended and along many corridors, checking each room as she went. The last room at the end of the hall was all that was left and she hurried to the door.
The scene inside her shocked her to the core. In the middle of the room was a rack and strapped to it was Ralof. Wyldfyre could tell he was still alive, but barely. He was dressed only in thin pants and ribbons of blood flowed from many wounds on his body and his head slumped to the side. Wyldfyre rushed to him, taking his head in her hands.
“Ralof!” she cried “Ralof it’s me, Wyldfyre” she shook him slightly and he stirred. His left eye was closed and crusted with blood. His face was purple with bruises.
“Wyldfyre” he croaked. His right eye opened and he focused on her face. Red hair framed green eyes. It was her. “What are you doing here?” She started un-strapping his arms and legs.
“No time for talking now, I need to get you out of here” He slumped forward as his arms were released from the straps, and Wyldfyre had to hold him upright.
“This Fort is crawling with Imperials” he grunted at her.
“That is being taken care of” she said quickly. She was worried about all the wounds on his body. She had no healing vials on her at all. He was weak from the loss of blood and lack of food and water. She sat him down on a chair and gave him a drink from a nearby water skin. He drank deeply from it.
“Come on” she urged him up “We need to leave” Wyldfyre flung his arm over her shoulder and took the bulk of his weight and they slowly made their way out from the bowls of the Fort. Her keen hearing picked up sounds of fighting in various places around the compound. Someone came running towards them and Wyldfyre could see it was Annekke.
“Wyldfyre!” she exclaimed. She took Ralof’s other side and together they got him out of the Fort.
“Over there!” Wyldfyre indicated to the stable where one tawny coloured horse stood. She sent Annekke off to get their horses. The bulk of the fighting was over, the Stormcloaks rounding up the last of the Imperials. Wyldfyre caught one of the Stormcloaks and they discussed what to do next.
“We have the Fort Ice Veins” the soldier said to her “We have some prisoners and some runners, and no casualties on our side”. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Good. I am taking Ralof to Riverwood to his sister. He needs healing” The soldier looked at his comrade, worry on his face.
“Will he be all right?”
“I think so” She answered him “But he needs healing now or he will bleed out. Help me get him on this horse.” They both heaved Ralof onto the horse, who thankfully stood there patiently while they shoved the almost unconscious man onto its back. They strapped Ralof down. It was not the most flattering of positions but Wyldfyre could not afford him falling off on their journey.
Annekke rode in on her horse, trailing Wyldfyre’s behind her. Her armour was stowed into the satchel tied on the side. She mounted, taking the reins of Ralof’s horse and they made for Riverwood. But an hour into the ride Annekke pulled them up.
“Wyldfyre” she said worried “He is not going to make it much further, we need to find somewhere to stop and bring his sister to him” Wyldfyre looked at Ralof, whose face had grown pale and his breathing shallow.
“You are right” she said “I have a house not far from here, we’ll go there and then one of us can fetch his sister” They rode to the Lake House and both struggled to get Ralof safely inside.
“There is no way we can get him up the stairs to the spare bedroom” Wyldfyre grunted as she heaved Ralof through the inner door. “We’ll put him in my bed” They placed Ralof on the bed and he groaned in pain, his blood immediately staining the sheets. Wyldfyre placed a hand on his face. “Stay with me Ralof” she urged him. She opened the drawer next to her and pulled out a healing vial then poured it into his mouth. Annekke watched on as some of his wounds started healing over and most of the bleeding stopped.
“It’s enough for now, but I am no healer” Wyldfyre frowned “He really needs his sister”
“I’ll go” Annekke volunteered.
“I can’t ask you to do that” Wyldfyre said.
“Nonsense!” Annekke waved her hand “You need to stay here with your friend; I am the logical one to go. Now, where is it am I going?” Wyldfyre gave her directions to Riverwood and Gerdur’s house and Annekke left. Wyldfyre fetched a basin of water and a cloth and sat on the bed beside Ralof. He began muttering incomprehensively and she shushed him.
“Sshhh.. Ralof” she soothed him “You are safe now and Gerdur will be here soon” He grabbed her hand and fell back into unconsciousness.
*****
A noise woke Wyldfyre from her slumber and Gerdur was there.“Oh my sweet brother” she whispered. Wyldfyre blinked in the lamp light. “Thank you for looking after my brother” Gerdur said to her. She opened up a bag and pulled various vials and salves and began her ministrations on her brother. Wyldfyre left and stripped off her borrowed clothes and went down to the bath where she found Annekke.
“I hope you don’t mind” the blonde woman apologised “But I went exploring and found this and oh, it’s heavenly.”
“Not at all” Wyldfyre said as she slipped into the bath as well, taking up her favourite rose soap and lathering it.
“You have a wonderful house” Annekke said, relaxing against the edge of the tub.
“Farkas and his brother built it for me” Annekke’s eyebrows shot up.
“Oh he has a brother does he?”
“Yes, but I’m sorry, he’s taken” Wyldfyre smiled. “They are twins actually” She dipped her hair down into the warm water.
“Ralof is very handsome” Annekke said when Wyldfyre returned to the surface.
“Very” Wyldfyre nodded “He is very sweet. You’d like him, I think” she grinned. Annekke smirked back.
*****
A few days passed and Ralof was up to taking small walks around the house. Gerdur had to return to Riverwood and so left Wyldfyre and Annekke in charge of his recovery, satisfied he was on the mend.“This is a wonderful house you have here” he said one afternoon as they sat out on the porch that overlooked the lake. They drank tea; Ralof’s being full of healing herbs. Annekke had gone into Falkreath to get more supplies.
“I love it” Wyldfyre said “It’s the only place I feel truly at home” she looked out over the lake as it shone in the afternoon sun. She had still heard no word of Farkas. She had gone out searching for him every night and she was beginning to get emotionally and physically exhausted. “Annekke should be back soon” she said to change the subject. She saw the smile on Ralof’s face when she mentioned her beautiful friend.
“She is a fine woman” Ralof said to her. Wyldfyre had noticed that the two seemed to be quite taken with one another, staying up late into the night when Wyldfyre retired to her room, or went out for the evening to search for Farkas. “I think... I think I have grown quite fond of her” he said then.
“That’s wonderful” Wyldfyre smiled.
“Do you think that she..likes me?” he asked her shyly.
“She does” Wyldfyre reassured him. “Quite a lot in fact” Ralof’s smile said it all. Wyldfyre was glad to see two more of her friends were about to find the same happiness she had with Farkas. A horse whinnying in the distance had her standing and looking out to the road.
“That’s not Annekke” she said, squinting against the sun. As the rider drew near she saw the familiar head of Lydia, poking out from a travellers coat.
“Lydia!” Wyldfyre cried, rushing down the stairs and over to her friend. Lydia grinned and dismounted the horse awkwardly. Wyldfyre frowned but hugged her friend anyway. Lydia smelt different. Wyldfyre held her away at arm’s length and Lydia stood there grinning waiting for Wyldfyre to say something. She frowned and sniffed her again. There was something different about her friend. Something had happened. It had changed her. Wyldfyre listened and instead of one heartbeat she could hear two. Lydia’s strong beat and a small faint one, but equally as strong.
“Lydia!” Wyldfyre said in shock “You’re with child!”
“Yes!” Lydia laughed and hugged her friend. Wyldfyre was dumbfounded.
“But, how?” she moved closer to Lydia and whispered “Weres aren’t supposed to be able to breed”
“We still don’t know” Lydia whispered excitedly. Wyldfyre noticed she was glowing “But Kodlak says it is truly a blessing”
“And Vilkas?”
“He is strutting around Whiterun like the horker king” Lydia chuckled as they went back up to the porch. “Telling everyone he sees he is going to be a father” Her eyes shone with love. Ralof smiled politely and nodded when Wyldfyre introduced the two. She filled Lydia in on their movements since she had last seen her friend.
“Your sister is a miracle worker” Lydia said to Ralof, who smiled and agreed. She turned to her friend. “No sound of Farkas? At all?” Wyldfyre shook her head.
“I’m getting really worried. What happened to him Lydia? Why did his side trip to Riften delay him?” Lydia looked thoughtful for a while.
“You may need to go to Riften and ask around. Maybe someone can tell you where he is, or what happened”. Wyldfyre nodded.
“You are right” She would set off for Riften as soon as Ralof was well enough to re-join the Falkreath Stormcloak camp. He looked to be only a couple of days off recovering enough to leave the Lake House. Later, after Annekke arrived back from Falkreath, they were also joined by Vilkas and, surprisingly, Aela and Aiden. Wyldfyre greeted the other circle members and then was enfolded into Aiden’s arms.
“We’ll find him” he whispered to her, as the others respectfully moved away. Wyldfyre sighed and then stilled. He smelt different too. She also realised that he had said that inside her head. She stepped back, taking his face in her hands and studying his eyes. Her own widened in surprise.
“Wait...? What..?” she shook her head stunned. “Aiden!” she then said to him in her mind. He smiled widely, wolfishly. “When did this happen?”
“A week ago” he said then in her mind “Aela was my forbearer” She looked at the red headed warrior who walked over to the siblings.
“I hope you don’t mind, not being there, but Aiden wanted it to be a...privet thing” she slipped her arm around Aiden’s waist. Wyldfyre blushed at the thought of her brother and Aela being intimate.
“Oh no! Not at all. I am happy for you, both of you. So the Circle has become six. And possibly seven” she looked over to Lydia who was being fussed over by Vilkas.
“Yes, it’s very interesting” Aela commented.
“Indeed” agreed Aiden. Wyldfyre was still stunned by the events of the day. Lydia pregnant and now Aiden was a Were-beast just like herself. She stood watching the others as they talked and ate, happy that everyone in the room seemed to have their lives in order. But hers was not. She quietly slipped away and sat out on the porch, looking out over the now moonlit lake.
“Farkas, my love, where are you?”
Lord Rokinges
Official Fanfiction Judge
ORIGINALITY: 10/10
CHARACTER DEPTH: 10/10
STORY: 10/10
LORE LEVEL: 10/10
COMMENTS: Excellent job, Shadowkitty! This is truly one of the most enjoyable FanFictions I have ever read. All the depth of the story was magnificent and quite enjoyable to read. Let there be more!
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
WOW! Thank you so much. It's nice to hear people appreciate something that I really enjoy writing. Oh and I always have new chapters ready to go. Thanks for the praise.
Lord Rokinges
Official Fanfiction Judge
No problem, this fanfiction truly deserved some true praise.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
We have a very intense Farkas chapter coming soon guys! 
mattizcool
Flying lawnmowers are cool.
Can't wait for that chapter to come.
shadowkitty
Mistress of Shadows
CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE: LUST
Three days later Wyldfyre and Annekke walked into Riften, having left their horses outside at the stables. As they walked towards the market square it wasn’t long before Wyldfyre was approached by a dark haired woman she remembered as Sapphire, who pressed a note into her hand.
“A note from a mutual friend” she whispered before slipping away. Wyldfyre unrolled the note to find it was from Brynjolf.
You know where to find me.
Was all it said. She scrunched it up and led Annekke to the Bee and Barb Inn.
“Can you wait for me in here?” she asked the blonde woman “I have some business to take care of” Annekke wasn’t so happy about leaving Wyldfyre alone.
“Are you sure I can’t come with you” she asked. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Positive. The people I have to deal with.... may not be too happy about me bringing you along. It’s for your own safety”
“Yes, but what about yours?” Annekke argued.
“I’ll be fine” Wyldfyre reassured her “They are..friends”. After reluctantly agreeing, Annekke entered the Inn while Wyldfyre made her way to the graveyard and the shrine with the secret entrance to the Thieves Guild. Once she was down the ladder she let her eyes adjust and found Brynjolf standing there waiting for her.
“Good to see you again lass” he greeted her. Wyldfyre smiled.
“You to Brynjolf” she fell into step beside him as he led them past curious Guild Members and towards the practice room where they could converse in privet. Delvin joined them also.
“’Ello love” he greeted her. He stopped at the doorway and stood guard while Wyldfyre and Brynjolf sat at a table towards the back of the room. It was lit sparsely by a few candles and there was a bottle of mead and two goblets on the table, which Brynjolf took and poured out a measure for each of them. Wyldfyre took a sip and then studied the Thief.
“You look exhausted” he said “When was the last time you had a decent night’s sleep?” Wyldfyre shrugged.
“Brynjolf, I don’t have time for banter. You obviously know why I am here, so if you would please. Any information you have I want. Now.” she said, placing her cup on the table. Brynjolf grinned.
“Right to the point” he chuckled. Then he looked serious “Well I was going to try and break this to you gently but..” Wyldfyre’s heart lurched. “...I can see you are in a hurry. Well as far as I know, your man is still alive, but to what extent I don’t know. We lost him in the wilds and my men have been too afraid to go after him.”
“What? Why? Brynjolf..what on earth happened?”
“According to my informer, your man came into town and gave the sword to Mjoll and then he left, but he didn’t leave alone. He was followed.”
“Followed? By who?” Brynjolf held up a hand to quiet Wyldfyre.
“I am getting to that, just listen. He left the city behind him but he was followed by that Mage you were..with. Marcurio.”
“Marcurio?” Wyldfyre frowned. Why would he..? “By the Maker..” she cursed, sitting forward.
“My informer followed the two of them in turn and soon your man made camp for the night and then he cornered and confronted Marcurio. Words were exchanged and then your man..”
“Farkas”
“...Farkas, yes.. Farkas then walked away but Marcurio attacked him”
“What?”
“The Mage was quite aggressive, my informer said that Farkas tried everything he could to avoid a confrontation but then something terrible happened. Farkas disappeared and in his place was a beast”. The hairs on the back of Wyldfyre’s neck stood up on end, she knew where this was leading to. Oh Farkas my love, what have you done? Brynjolf studied Wyldfyre’s reaction.
“You don’t seem surprised by this” he stated. Wyldfyre urged him on and he continued “The Werewolf savaged the Mage until he was ripped apart, then it ran off into the wilderness. My informer was quite shaken when he returned.” Wyldfyre sat back. Marcurio was dead. He had attacked Farkas and then her love had killed him. Now he was who knows where? Most likely struggling with what he had done.
“Again, this information doesn’t seem to have shocked you” Brynjolf said, pulling her out of her revere. Wyldfyre focused on him. Could she tell him? Even though they were friends, having a high ranking member of the Thieves Guild know of the secret of The Circle was not a good idea. But what could she say instead? Brynjolf was way too smart for lies.
“Farkas is a Were-beast” she said carefully, not mentioning The Circle “And I would ask for your indiscretion on this matter.”
“You have my word” Brynjolf nodded “I will talk to my informer as well” Wyldfyre stood and made to leave but Brynjolf grabbed her arm. “Where do you think you are going lass?”
“I’m going to find Farkas” she shook off his hand. “He needs me”
“I’m not letting you out there with that beast running around” Brynjolf said to her grabbing her arm again. Wyldfyre turned on him and half growled at him, her eyes flashing dangerously, causing him to let go of her and take a step back.
“No” he shook his head, realisation dawning on his face. He looked down at her hands and Wyldfyre noticed that she had partially changed; her nails now deadly claws. She retracted them until they were once again human fingernails and looked up to Brynjolf who was still in shock but smiled.
“I knew there was something special about you. Something dangerous but extremely alluring” he said, taking a step back towards her. Wyldfyre turned and walked out the door, leaving Brynjolf standing there with Delvin.
“Have anyone follow me, and they will meet the same fate as Marcurio” she threatened them. She left the city and followed the road north until she came to an area where she could smell death on the wind. It took her into a secluded clearing far off the road and she almost gagged when she stumbled upon the remains of Marcurio scattered about the campsite. Half of the remains were missing, most likely dragged away by wild animals. Wyldfyre found Farkas’s satchel and gathered up his things in it and slung it over her shoulder. She caught up his scent and wandered deeper into the woods before she came upon his armour. It was far enough away from the camp for her to leave his satchel and as the light began to fade she sat and waited for the moon to rise.
Wyldfyre had drifted off momentarily before a noise woke her and she sat upright. The moon was half risen and she began taking off her own armour, dropping it beside Farkas’s. She took a deep breath and felt the familiar tearing and puling as she changed into her beast form; the Dragon souls inside her stirring. They always seemed to get more excited when she was the She-wolf. She raised her muzzle to the moon and howled, letting any other Were-beast know she was in the area. She threw out her mind, looking for Farkas and she felt a faint tugging to the east so she turned and ran through the forest. She could not be sure, from such a distance, that it was Farkas but it felt familiar enough for her to investigate.
She ran for an hour, stopping every now and then to get her bearings. The mind of a Were entered hers and she stopped before realising it was not Farkas but another male. Not one she recognised and he was coming in fast on her right. Wyldfyre could not do anything but crouch in a defensive position as the male wolf burst through the trees and bowled her over, sending them both flying. They landed heavily and the male pinned her down so she could not move, she tried to slash at his legs but she could not reach them, she growled and struggled under his weight. He was much bigger and had huge bulging muscles.
“Stay down she-wolf” the Were growled at her. “You are mine” Wyldfyre assumed that this was supposed to be some form of male Were mating ritual but she was not going to be taken that easily.
“I will not submit” she growled back. “I have a mate”
“Where is your mate? I will kill him” the Were sniffed the air but then looked back down to the she-wolf. “He is not here, so you are mine” he said again. He grabbed her arms, digging his claws into her and roughly picked her up. He was considerably stronger than Wyldfyre and she struggled in his grip. She tried reasoning with his humanity but to no avail. The Were’s of the wilds were far beyond reasoning. She could not change back or she would be even more exposed to him and she didn’t want to provoke him more, she already feared that she would have to submit to being mated with.
The Were carried her through the woods to a clearing where she was dropped to the ground. She sprang up and charged him but he was ready and swiped at her, opening up a wound on her side and causing her to yelp in pain.
“Next time She-wolf, it will be your throat” he menaced her, and she lowered her head in submission.
“Farkas! I need you!” she sent out, causing the male Were to turn on her again and savage her with his claws. She snapped and bit back and landed a blow to his flank but he threw her to the ground again.
“Change!” he growled at her, slashing at her legs. The She-wolf growled but refused. “Change or I kill you!”. Again she was attacked. Wyldfyre concentrated and her body shimmered back to the smooth skinned human and the wolf stepped back, also changing into a man. He had a dark beard and fine dark hair down his chest that lead to his male parts which were now engorged with excitement. Wyldfyre tried to slide back but he grabbed her legs and spread them apart and then crawled up her body and pinned her arms down. In human form he was stronger than her and his eyes glowed wild with lust.
She screamed with rage as he penetrated her and she struggled under him as he moved. He leaned down and bit her shoulder, drawing blood and Wyldfyre cried out in pain. The rage inside her began to boil over dangerously as she built up a burst of energy inside her. She thought quickly of what to hit him with and settled for fire. She twisted her hands around to face him and released the energy in one giant burst. Jets of intense flames spewed from her hands and engulfed the man. He screamed out and leaped off her body as she sat up and continued the flames, the heat so intense she squinted her eyes. The man tried to change back into beast form but his body was too far burned for him to manage it and soon he collapsed to the ground. Wyldfyre, flames still coming out from her hands, grabbed the man’s head and reefed it sideways, snapping his neck with an audible crack.
She threw the body aside and slumped to the ground, bleeding and broken.
“Wyldfyre” a voice woke her. She felt a hand on her forehead and she struggled under the fur. “Easy Lass, it’s me, Brynjolf”.
Brynjolf? She thought confused, as a vial was set to her lips and she drank the liquid. A warm, healing sensation washed through her.
“What are you doing here?” she murmured “I said no-one follow.....”
“If I hadn’t you’d be dead. I lost you for a while then found you here in this camp. I am assuming that body over there is your handy work.?” Wyldfyre moved her head slightly and looked at the dead man. His naked body burned and his head sitting at a hideous angle.
“He was a Were. He...” she screwed her eyes up tight, trying to forget the previous nights attack on her. Brynjolf didn’t need her to elaborate. He soothed her and gave her another healing potion then looked at her.
“I am going to need to check you over, I don’t know how badly injured you are under that fur.” He swallowed as she let him peel off the fur and he shut his eyes for a second and then began attending to her other wounds, mostly on her legs and the deeper wound on her side. He gently rubbed the healing salves onto her wounds and Wyldfyre could feel them starting to tingle and itch. Brynjolf cleared his throat as his nether regions stirred. Here before him was the woman he had most desired, gloriously naked as the day she was born and he could not do a God’s-dammed thing about it. He sighed and gently pulled the fur back up over her body.
“Thank you” she said. “Far better treatment than..”
“You don’t need to say anything” He said, stretching out his legs beside her. He would stay until she was able to move again and may the God’s have mercy on anyone who tried to harm her while in his presence.
“I’m famished” she stated. Brynjolf chuckled.
“A good sign” he smiled “What would you like? Half a deer? A family of Rabbits?” Wyldfyre swatted at him and he yelped.
“I do not eat half a deer!” she laughed, wincing a little at the half healed wound on her side. “Nor do I feast on a family of bunnies” she looked thoughtful “Although, I have eaten one, now and then” Brynjolf shuddered at the thought of the beautiful red-headed woman tearing into a raw rabbit. But then, something about it also appealed to him. He shook his head. Get a grip lad.
“Well I can’t help you with that, but I do have a loaf of bread and cheese” he pulled them out of his satchel and they both ate, washing it down with a bottle of ale Brynjolf had also brought with him.
“So what are we going to do next?” he asked her when they were finished.
“YOU are going to go back to Riften and I am going to continue my search of Farkas” Wyldfyre answered him decisively. Brynjolf expected this and was not going to argue with her. He hated leaving her again but he could not follow her where she was venturing. Not as a man anyway.
“I knew you were going to say that” he said to her. He stilled and looked at her intently “You will be careful though. Won’t you lass?”
“Of course I will” Wyldfyre nodded. Her search had not gone well so far but she was determined to stay out in this wild country until Farkas was found.
“Can I...” Brynjolf started then plunged forward “Can I see you? Change?” Wyldfyre was startled by his request and a little annoyed, but he looked more curious than anything else and so she nodded.
“Once I do, we can not communicate and you must leave this area, do you understand?” He nodded. A few hours later, when the moon had risen and Wyldfyre’s wound had healed more she finally stood.
“All right” she said, feeling slightly self conscious as she stood, letting the fur fall to the ground. She felt Brynjolf’s eyes burn into her and she walked over to a spot clear of any obstructions. She stood for a moment as the firelight lit her skin to a golden glow. It was the most magical thing Brynjolf had ever seen. Suddenly her body started to shimmer and convulse and Brynjolf heard an audible tearing and cracking as Wyldfyre’s body changed. She grew taller than he and her shoulders widened and soon he was staring up, wide eyed, into the face of the She-wolf. She stood there; her great mane a reddish brown and her eyes were yellow but still had a hint of green in them. Brynjolf swallowed and stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder; feeling the muscles shuddering underneath his touch, her hot breath on his face.
“You.” He said shaking his head at the powerful beast before him “You are amazing” The She-wolf cocked her head to the side, listening to him then licked him full on the face with a large, wet tongue. She then turned and ran out of the clearing. Brynjolf could have sworn he heard the She-wolf laughing as he wiped the slobber off his face.
“You’re Welcome” he chuckled and made for Riften.
Wyldfyre sped off into the night and began her search once again for Farkas. That familiar presence she had felt the night before was now gone and she cursed. She wandered through the wilderness, making sure she kept scanning the area for signs of other Weres. She did not want a repeat of her first night of searching. She came across a fresh deer carcass and sniffed around it until she picked up a Were scent, but this one was female. She was reluctant to deal with another wild Were but she was desperate and so she followed its scent until she saw ahead a camp on the riverbank. She held back while she scanned the area with her mind again. This time she detected another Were. A male. The She-wolf watched from the trees as a small female Were emerged from a copse of trees to the right carrying a deer leg. It approached the camp and changed back into a woman. A blonde-haired Nord as far as Wyldfyre could tell. The female strolled into the camp, dropping the deer leg by the fire and then Wyldfyre was shocked when a naked male stood and greeted her with a lustful embrace.
It was Farkas.
Three days later Wyldfyre and Annekke walked into Riften, having left their horses outside at the stables. As they walked towards the market square it wasn’t long before Wyldfyre was approached by a dark haired woman she remembered as Sapphire, who pressed a note into her hand.
“A note from a mutual friend” she whispered before slipping away. Wyldfyre unrolled the note to find it was from Brynjolf.
You know where to find me.
Was all it said. She scrunched it up and led Annekke to the Bee and Barb Inn.
“Can you wait for me in here?” she asked the blonde woman “I have some business to take care of” Annekke wasn’t so happy about leaving Wyldfyre alone.
“Are you sure I can’t come with you” she asked. Wyldfyre nodded.
“Positive. The people I have to deal with.... may not be too happy about me bringing you along. It’s for your own safety”
“Yes, but what about yours?” Annekke argued.
“I’ll be fine” Wyldfyre reassured her “They are..friends”. After reluctantly agreeing, Annekke entered the Inn while Wyldfyre made her way to the graveyard and the shrine with the secret entrance to the Thieves Guild. Once she was down the ladder she let her eyes adjust and found Brynjolf standing there waiting for her.
“Good to see you again lass” he greeted her. Wyldfyre smiled.
“You to Brynjolf” she fell into step beside him as he led them past curious Guild Members and towards the practice room where they could converse in privet. Delvin joined them also.
“’Ello love” he greeted her. He stopped at the doorway and stood guard while Wyldfyre and Brynjolf sat at a table towards the back of the room. It was lit sparsely by a few candles and there was a bottle of mead and two goblets on the table, which Brynjolf took and poured out a measure for each of them. Wyldfyre took a sip and then studied the Thief.
“You look exhausted” he said “When was the last time you had a decent night’s sleep?” Wyldfyre shrugged.
“Brynjolf, I don’t have time for banter. You obviously know why I am here, so if you would please. Any information you have I want. Now.” she said, placing her cup on the table. Brynjolf grinned.
“Right to the point” he chuckled. Then he looked serious “Well I was going to try and break this to you gently but..” Wyldfyre’s heart lurched. “...I can see you are in a hurry. Well as far as I know, your man is still alive, but to what extent I don’t know. We lost him in the wilds and my men have been too afraid to go after him.”
“What? Why? Brynjolf..what on earth happened?”
“According to my informer, your man came into town and gave the sword to Mjoll and then he left, but he didn’t leave alone. He was followed.”
“Followed? By who?” Brynjolf held up a hand to quiet Wyldfyre.
“I am getting to that, just listen. He left the city behind him but he was followed by that Mage you were..with. Marcurio.”
“Marcurio?” Wyldfyre frowned. Why would he..? “By the Maker..” she cursed, sitting forward.
“My informer followed the two of them in turn and soon your man made camp for the night and then he cornered and confronted Marcurio. Words were exchanged and then your man..”
“Farkas”
“...Farkas, yes.. Farkas then walked away but Marcurio attacked him”
“What?”
“The Mage was quite aggressive, my informer said that Farkas tried everything he could to avoid a confrontation but then something terrible happened. Farkas disappeared and in his place was a beast”. The hairs on the back of Wyldfyre’s neck stood up on end, she knew where this was leading to. Oh Farkas my love, what have you done? Brynjolf studied Wyldfyre’s reaction.
“You don’t seem surprised by this” he stated. Wyldfyre urged him on and he continued “The Werewolf savaged the Mage until he was ripped apart, then it ran off into the wilderness. My informer was quite shaken when he returned.” Wyldfyre sat back. Marcurio was dead. He had attacked Farkas and then her love had killed him. Now he was who knows where? Most likely struggling with what he had done.
“Again, this information doesn’t seem to have shocked you” Brynjolf said, pulling her out of her revere. Wyldfyre focused on him. Could she tell him? Even though they were friends, having a high ranking member of the Thieves Guild know of the secret of The Circle was not a good idea. But what could she say instead? Brynjolf was way too smart for lies.
“Farkas is a Were-beast” she said carefully, not mentioning The Circle “And I would ask for your indiscretion on this matter.”
“You have my word” Brynjolf nodded “I will talk to my informer as well” Wyldfyre stood and made to leave but Brynjolf grabbed her arm. “Where do you think you are going lass?”
“I’m going to find Farkas” she shook off his hand. “He needs me”
“I’m not letting you out there with that beast running around” Brynjolf said to her grabbing her arm again. Wyldfyre turned on him and half growled at him, her eyes flashing dangerously, causing him to let go of her and take a step back.
“No” he shook his head, realisation dawning on his face. He looked down at her hands and Wyldfyre noticed that she had partially changed; her nails now deadly claws. She retracted them until they were once again human fingernails and looked up to Brynjolf who was still in shock but smiled.
“I knew there was something special about you. Something dangerous but extremely alluring” he said, taking a step back towards her. Wyldfyre turned and walked out the door, leaving Brynjolf standing there with Delvin.
“Have anyone follow me, and they will meet the same fate as Marcurio” she threatened them. She left the city and followed the road north until she came to an area where she could smell death on the wind. It took her into a secluded clearing far off the road and she almost gagged when she stumbled upon the remains of Marcurio scattered about the campsite. Half of the remains were missing, most likely dragged away by wild animals. Wyldfyre found Farkas’s satchel and gathered up his things in it and slung it over her shoulder. She caught up his scent and wandered deeper into the woods before she came upon his armour. It was far enough away from the camp for her to leave his satchel and as the light began to fade she sat and waited for the moon to rise.
Wyldfyre had drifted off momentarily before a noise woke her and she sat upright. The moon was half risen and she began taking off her own armour, dropping it beside Farkas’s. She took a deep breath and felt the familiar tearing and puling as she changed into her beast form; the Dragon souls inside her stirring. They always seemed to get more excited when she was the She-wolf. She raised her muzzle to the moon and howled, letting any other Were-beast know she was in the area. She threw out her mind, looking for Farkas and she felt a faint tugging to the east so she turned and ran through the forest. She could not be sure, from such a distance, that it was Farkas but it felt familiar enough for her to investigate.
She ran for an hour, stopping every now and then to get her bearings. The mind of a Were entered hers and she stopped before realising it was not Farkas but another male. Not one she recognised and he was coming in fast on her right. Wyldfyre could not do anything but crouch in a defensive position as the male wolf burst through the trees and bowled her over, sending them both flying. They landed heavily and the male pinned her down so she could not move, she tried to slash at his legs but she could not reach them, she growled and struggled under his weight. He was much bigger and had huge bulging muscles.
“Stay down she-wolf” the Were growled at her. “You are mine” Wyldfyre assumed that this was supposed to be some form of male Were mating ritual but she was not going to be taken that easily.
“I will not submit” she growled back. “I have a mate”
“Where is your mate? I will kill him” the Were sniffed the air but then looked back down to the she-wolf. “He is not here, so you are mine” he said again. He grabbed her arms, digging his claws into her and roughly picked her up. He was considerably stronger than Wyldfyre and she struggled in his grip. She tried reasoning with his humanity but to no avail. The Were’s of the wilds were far beyond reasoning. She could not change back or she would be even more exposed to him and she didn’t want to provoke him more, she already feared that she would have to submit to being mated with.
The Were carried her through the woods to a clearing where she was dropped to the ground. She sprang up and charged him but he was ready and swiped at her, opening up a wound on her side and causing her to yelp in pain.
“Next time She-wolf, it will be your throat” he menaced her, and she lowered her head in submission.
“Farkas! I need you!” she sent out, causing the male Were to turn on her again and savage her with his claws. She snapped and bit back and landed a blow to his flank but he threw her to the ground again.
“Change!” he growled at her, slashing at her legs. The She-wolf growled but refused. “Change or I kill you!”. Again she was attacked. Wyldfyre concentrated and her body shimmered back to the smooth skinned human and the wolf stepped back, also changing into a man. He had a dark beard and fine dark hair down his chest that lead to his male parts which were now engorged with excitement. Wyldfyre tried to slide back but he grabbed her legs and spread them apart and then crawled up her body and pinned her arms down. In human form he was stronger than her and his eyes glowed wild with lust.
She screamed with rage as he penetrated her and she struggled under him as he moved. He leaned down and bit her shoulder, drawing blood and Wyldfyre cried out in pain. The rage inside her began to boil over dangerously as she built up a burst of energy inside her. She thought quickly of what to hit him with and settled for fire. She twisted her hands around to face him and released the energy in one giant burst. Jets of intense flames spewed from her hands and engulfed the man. He screamed out and leaped off her body as she sat up and continued the flames, the heat so intense she squinted her eyes. The man tried to change back into beast form but his body was too far burned for him to manage it and soon he collapsed to the ground. Wyldfyre, flames still coming out from her hands, grabbed the man’s head and reefed it sideways, snapping his neck with an audible crack.
She threw the body aside and slumped to the ground, bleeding and broken.
*****
She awoke the next morning in pain. Nothing in the Were’s camp could help soothe the many cuts and bruises she had from his attack. She hurt, not only in body but in spirit. She had allowed another to mate with her. Even though she had no choice, she could not help feeling like she had betrayed Farkas yet again. She crawled over to the furs that the Were had gathered for a bed and collapsed onto them, pulling one over her naked body. She slept for most of the day, only leaving the furs to relieve herself. She shivered under the fur as her body went into a state of shock and she drifted in and out of unconsciousness.“Wyldfyre” a voice woke her. She felt a hand on her forehead and she struggled under the fur. “Easy Lass, it’s me, Brynjolf”.
Brynjolf? She thought confused, as a vial was set to her lips and she drank the liquid. A warm, healing sensation washed through her.
“What are you doing here?” she murmured “I said no-one follow.....”
“If I hadn’t you’d be dead. I lost you for a while then found you here in this camp. I am assuming that body over there is your handy work.?” Wyldfyre moved her head slightly and looked at the dead man. His naked body burned and his head sitting at a hideous angle.
“He was a Were. He...” she screwed her eyes up tight, trying to forget the previous nights attack on her. Brynjolf didn’t need her to elaborate. He soothed her and gave her another healing potion then looked at her.
“I am going to need to check you over, I don’t know how badly injured you are under that fur.” He swallowed as she let him peel off the fur and he shut his eyes for a second and then began attending to her other wounds, mostly on her legs and the deeper wound on her side. He gently rubbed the healing salves onto her wounds and Wyldfyre could feel them starting to tingle and itch. Brynjolf cleared his throat as his nether regions stirred. Here before him was the woman he had most desired, gloriously naked as the day she was born and he could not do a God’s-dammed thing about it. He sighed and gently pulled the fur back up over her body.
“Thank you” she said. “Far better treatment than..”
“You don’t need to say anything” He said, stretching out his legs beside her. He would stay until she was able to move again and may the God’s have mercy on anyone who tried to harm her while in his presence.
*****
Most of Wyldfyre’s wounds had healed completely by the time she woke again, Brynjolf still by her side. It reminded her of the other time she had woken from her ordeal with the vampires to find the Thief had sat by her bed the entire time she was recovering. She blinked and stretched. It was now late afternoon and she was hungry. She sat up, holding the fur over herself.“I’m famished” she stated. Brynjolf chuckled.
“A good sign” he smiled “What would you like? Half a deer? A family of Rabbits?” Wyldfyre swatted at him and he yelped.
“I do not eat half a deer!” she laughed, wincing a little at the half healed wound on her side. “Nor do I feast on a family of bunnies” she looked thoughtful “Although, I have eaten one, now and then” Brynjolf shuddered at the thought of the beautiful red-headed woman tearing into a raw rabbit. But then, something about it also appealed to him. He shook his head. Get a grip lad.
“Well I can’t help you with that, but I do have a loaf of bread and cheese” he pulled them out of his satchel and they both ate, washing it down with a bottle of ale Brynjolf had also brought with him.
“So what are we going to do next?” he asked her when they were finished.
“YOU are going to go back to Riften and I am going to continue my search of Farkas” Wyldfyre answered him decisively. Brynjolf expected this and was not going to argue with her. He hated leaving her again but he could not follow her where she was venturing. Not as a man anyway.
“I knew you were going to say that” he said to her. He stilled and looked at her intently “You will be careful though. Won’t you lass?”
“Of course I will” Wyldfyre nodded. Her search had not gone well so far but she was determined to stay out in this wild country until Farkas was found.
“Can I...” Brynjolf started then plunged forward “Can I see you? Change?” Wyldfyre was startled by his request and a little annoyed, but he looked more curious than anything else and so she nodded.
“Once I do, we can not communicate and you must leave this area, do you understand?” He nodded. A few hours later, when the moon had risen and Wyldfyre’s wound had healed more she finally stood.
“All right” she said, feeling slightly self conscious as she stood, letting the fur fall to the ground. She felt Brynjolf’s eyes burn into her and she walked over to a spot clear of any obstructions. She stood for a moment as the firelight lit her skin to a golden glow. It was the most magical thing Brynjolf had ever seen. Suddenly her body started to shimmer and convulse and Brynjolf heard an audible tearing and cracking as Wyldfyre’s body changed. She grew taller than he and her shoulders widened and soon he was staring up, wide eyed, into the face of the She-wolf. She stood there; her great mane a reddish brown and her eyes were yellow but still had a hint of green in them. Brynjolf swallowed and stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder; feeling the muscles shuddering underneath his touch, her hot breath on his face.
“You.” He said shaking his head at the powerful beast before him “You are amazing” The She-wolf cocked her head to the side, listening to him then licked him full on the face with a large, wet tongue. She then turned and ran out of the clearing. Brynjolf could have sworn he heard the She-wolf laughing as he wiped the slobber off his face.
“You’re Welcome” he chuckled and made for Riften.
Wyldfyre sped off into the night and began her search once again for Farkas. That familiar presence she had felt the night before was now gone and she cursed. She wandered through the wilderness, making sure she kept scanning the area for signs of other Weres. She did not want a repeat of her first night of searching. She came across a fresh deer carcass and sniffed around it until she picked up a Were scent, but this one was female. She was reluctant to deal with another wild Were but she was desperate and so she followed its scent until she saw ahead a camp on the riverbank. She held back while she scanned the area with her mind again. This time she detected another Were. A male. The She-wolf watched from the trees as a small female Were emerged from a copse of trees to the right carrying a deer leg. It approached the camp and changed back into a woman. A blonde-haired Nord as far as Wyldfyre could tell. The female strolled into the camp, dropping the deer leg by the fire and then Wyldfyre was shocked when a naked male stood and greeted her with a lustful embrace.
It was Farkas.
Lord Rokinges
Official Fanfiction Judge
Whoa, didn't see that ending coming.
Farkas I suspected to be hurt, or dead somehow after she had already searched. But this?
Truly well done, Shadowkitty. Well done.
PS: I Love Brynjolf!
Farkas I suspected to be hurt, or dead somehow after she had already searched. But this?
Truly well done, Shadowkitty. Well done.
PS: I Love Brynjolf!
