Author's Notes; This is another standalone project, unless my friend, Archer83, wishes to help me at a later date. For now though, I needed to at least get this story started and out of my head before it drove me to madness as surely as the Shivering Isles did lol. Joking aside, this chapter is so damn short for a couple reasons, mostly though because I rewrote this several times and started from scratch until stopping on this version. I don't think it's the best I could have done, but it's certainly not the worst.
As for the other reason, I'm going to be heading off to a special camp tomorrow afternoon, a kind of camp for people with disabilities of some kind or another, and I'll be gone until Friday, so excitement for that was keeping me from my muse to some extent lol.
At any rate, enjoy the start of this story and I'll see you folks at Sovngarde when I return! Oh wait, I meant I'll see you later lol.
Chapter 1; An Elder Reading in the Night.
Whiterun, Breezehome.
It began with a reading from an Elder Scroll. An Imperial Moth Priest had delivered the bad news right to her doorstep, and Giselle Morgonnis, the Dovahkiin that had destroyed Alduin once and for all, had been able to do nothing but listen as another great journey was laid out before her. While the reading itself was vague, as was expected of anything related to the Scrolls, the destination was pretty clear cut. She was to leave for the distant land of Westeros before the next full moon.
The prophecy hadn't said anything about taking the journey alone, what she was supposed to do when she got there, only that a threat would rise that would require her attention just as Alduin had required her attention. Just as the Tyranny of the Sun plot that Harkon Volkihar had tried to pull off had been doomed from the start, the attempted takeover of all of Tamriel by the Thalmor, the attempted theft of the Skeleton Key by Mercer Frey, and all the other plots by those with evil intent, she had been there and stopped them all. Alduin had simply been the toughest challenge of her two years in Skyrim and the island of Solstheim.
While it wasn't the first time she had gone into an adventure blind, her destiny of being the Dovahkiin, Dragonborn in the common tongue, had been one big leap of faith after another, Giselle felt she was flying a lot blinder than usual. All of her past adventures had been in a land she knew well, even if Skyrim hadn't been where she'd been born, but Westeros was about as legendary as dragons had once been to the Nordic lands of Skyrim. The problem was that anyone who tried to find Westeros rarely returned, presumably lost to the sea, pirates, or the monsters that called the ocean their home. "If anyone can find it, it'll be you, my Thane."
Looking up from the diary she had opened up on her lap, Giselle smiled when Lydia sat at the table next to her. "Am I that transparent?" The dark elf, a dunmer, asked, and the Housecarl only chuckled and nodded her head. Pulling a stray silver white hair back behind her pointed ear, Giselle closed the book she had been writing in and put it back into her pack which she had left by the fireplace. "I should have known better than to ask. I never would have thought there was a sense of humor underneath that armor when we first met."
"I was going to say the same thing about you old friend." Lydia replied, a small smile pulling at her lips as the Nord swordswoman met Giselle's deep, brown eyed gaze. "Despite all we've been through, I'm glad that I've followed you and protected what is yours, regardless if it was won in steel or gold. Yours has been a path of honor."
"Not completely." Giselle stated softly, and while Lydia didn't hear the words, the flicker of shame on the dark elf's features was enough to clue in the woman that she might have spoken poorly. Before Lydia could apologize, Giselle held up a hand and offered a small smile in turn. "Those days are well behind me Lydia. I wasn't always the noble warrior you know now, but my journey as Dragonborn did more for me than I ever could have dreamed possible. In a way, I owe Alduin quite a bit of thanks, even if he did try to eat me and end the world."
"A plan you stopped when you destroyed him." Lydia stated with pride, and Giselle's smile blossomed into a full grin as they raised their mugs high and took a hearty sip from their respective glasses. Only after they had set them back down did Lydia shake her head to clear it from the strong ale she had imbibed, while her friend only chuckled, apparently unaffected by the hearty drink. "Your constitution still amazes me. How can you drink as much as any Nord and yet still remain standing?"
"It's the price you pay when trying to win a drinking contest against a Daedric Prince." Giselle shot back, a twinkle in her brown eyes that had Lydia shaking her head in astonishment. "I don't recommend it. Let's just say that I don't remember a lot of what happened that night, and leave it at that."
"I'll keep the stories I've heard to myself then." Lydia replied before looking away and towards a nearby parchment that contained the Moth Priest's words. While the reading had been done in private, Lydia had stood behind a door and had copied the man's seemingly inane ramblings on her Thane's request. They had gone well beyond the normal relationship of Housecarl and Thane, having shared the road together and all of its perils and rewards since they had been paired off by the Jarl of Whiterun for Giselle's slaying of her first dragon on the edge of Whiterun's borders. "I know it's not a matter of if you go, because to deny something foretold in an Elder Scroll is without question the worst thing anyone could do, but what do you plan to do should you make it to Westeros?"
Giselle spent a long moment in silence as she stared into the heart of the fire that provided much needed warmth to her small home before turning back to Lydia at last. Any humor that had been on her face had fled by that point. "I don't know old friend. I only know that if my luck holds, the answers will present themselves as they always do. The only thing that's clear is the destination and how long we have to prepare." Before Lydia could say anything to the fact Giselle had said 'we' rather than 'I', the dark elf merely smirked before continuing. "Yes, I said 'we'. The Scroll didn't say I had to face this threat alone, but I know you have a family to consider now. Vilkas would have my head if I took you anywhere without his leave, even if Kodlak named me his successor."
The rank of Harbinger among the Companions that resided in the mead hall of Jorrvaskr didn't mean you were considered their leader, only that you were the one the proud band of warriors respected the most because of one's unwavering honor and strength in both body and mind. The Companions had no official leader, but the Harbinger was the one the rest of the Shield-Brothers and Sisters went to when they needed aid, some word of wisdom, or when an important decision needed to be made. Despite her initial reluctance to take up Kodlak's mantle as Harbinger, everyone at the fabled mead hall gave her the same respect they had given the old warrior before his death. That didn't mean she was about to anger Lydia's husband by doing something reckless, like take off with her on another mad adventure without so much as a goodbye kiss.
"Then it is a good thing she isn't going alone." As if summoned, the smaller, and undoubtedly smarter, of the twin Companions, walked through Breezehome's door, a small Nord girl clinging to his back until he let her down. The moment he did, Lucia, a girl Giselle had found begging on the streets of Whiterun, ran into the dark elf's lap with a cry of joy, much to Lydia and Vilkas's admiration and amusement. "Lucia ambushed me as I was leaving the Hall. She has your knack for persuasion Harbinger, so I was powerless to resist her request to carry her home." Vilkas grinned as he took up a spot behind Lydia's chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the girl that had since taken up residence on Giselle's lap.
"Yep! Uncle Farkas told me about the giant you and him had taken down together just last week!" Lucia exclaimed in excitement, much to the man's mild embarrassment at being ratted out. It was a well known fact that Farkas didn't mince words, and had likely told the girl exactly how the giant had fallen to their efforts. Giselle could only sigh in amused exasperation as Lucia continued to talk about how Farkas had transformed into a werewolf and jumped on the monster's back, tearing at it with teeth and claws, while she had remained on the ground, swords slicing through flesh and bone, proving her suspicions all too well.
"I think Uncle Farkas needs to learn to keep his mouth shut, or I'll Shout his head off the next time he feels the urge to tell you about our adventures in such bloody detail." Giselle stated when the girl on her lap stopped to take a breath amidst her excited retelling of that particular adventure. Lucia giggled, since those present knew the chances of her carrying out any kind of threat against the well meaning twin to Vlikas were about as likely as pigs learning to fly.
"I'll try to talk some sense into him Giselle, but he loves your girl quite a bit, same as the rest of us at the Hall." Giselle could only smile, unable to help the pride that swelled in her chest as Lucia hopped down and started towards her room with a tired goodbye thrown over her shoulder. When word had got out the Dragonborn had gone out of her way to give a child a better life, the Companions had been the first to take a look at the girl that had captured the dunmer's eye and her heart. It hadn't taken them long before they started finding excuses to 'keep the girl company', when in truth they had been teaching Lucia how to take care of herself while Giselle had been away from home on one adventure or another. Giselle had come home one day to see Lucia firing a bow while Aela stood nearby, giving her advice on how to make her next shot better. It had been an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise, needless to say, and Giselle had seen the wisdom behind their actions, even though a part of her still hoped such skills were never required. Aela had shot down her concerns, saying it was better to be prepared for nothing than to be found wanting.
While she had been thinking about all that, Lydia had noted the thoughtful expression on her face and tapped her Thane on her knee. With a small jerk, Giselle came back to the present and blushed a little, her dark cheeks darkening further as she realized she had drifted off. "Sorry, I was lost in pleasant memories, which is a welcome change from my sleepless nights."
"I can only imagine. From what Lydia tells me, the war with the Stormcloaks still keeps you up at night." Giselle only nodded, no explanation needed in regards to what she had been through to bring peace to the land. Vlikas didn't let her linger on it long as he finally sat down after pulling another chair to the table, a somber look in his eyes. "But that does bring me back to why I came here at all old friend. You know that I'll always have your back, even if you weren't our Harbinger. Farkas would agree as well, if he were present right now instead of running an errand for High Queen Elisif. I'd bet that every man and woman in the Companions would follow you, if you only asked." The admiration in Vilkas's voice was well founded. High Queen Elisif had become a strong and independent ruler since Giselle had become one of her trusted friends and allies against the man that had murdered her husband. General Tullius, for all of his tactical brilliance, was a man of the Empire first and foremost, and had tried to subvert the queen's rule, but he had been put in his place with a single Shout, on Elisif's order, much to the old general's shock. It had been a warning, Elisif had stated, but the next time he tried to go over her head, she would have his removed.
Giselle only nodded her head as she leveled her gaze on Lydia and Vilkas. Her words were soft, but the weight behind them was unmistakable. She wanted them to understand that this was not something to be decided lightly, even if their desire to follow her made it difficult to talk them down. "I know Vilkas, just as I'm sure a lot of people would willingly assist in whatever the future holds for me, but I can't ask because everyone has been through so much already. The war with Ulfric and his Stormcloaks, the return of the dragons due to the Thalmor's desire to weaken all of Tamriel, the vampire attacks, the list goes on. My point is that Skyrim's people need time to heal, and I wouldn't ask them to go into the unknown even if we hadn't just come out of a war."
"Your concern for their well being is why they would follow you, Giselle." Lydia stated in turn, drawing the dunmer's gaze solely upon her. "A great leader does not command their people, but simply asks them to do the impossible. You have done the impossible time and again since the day we met, and I would gladly do it all again. Except for that time when I had to get you down from that spider web in Dustman's Cairn, that was one experience I could have done without." An involuntary shiver went down Lydia's spine at that particularly unpleasant memory, while Giselle tried not to meet the amused look Vlikas threw her way.
"I'm not going to dissuade you am I?" Giselle asked at last, and wasn't surprised when both Lydia and Vilkas firmly shook their heads. With a sigh, the dark elf looked up at the two a moment later, an all too familiar determined look on her face. "Very well you two, I'll yield this one time." When Vilkas breathed a sigh of relief, Giselle jerked her head towards him and frowned. "Why do I get the feeling you have already spread the word to every town and hold from here to Fort Dawnguard?"
"It was Farkas's idea." He admitted after a moment's hesitation.
"Oh, well that makes it so much better." Giselle sarcastically quipped before standing to her feet and walking the short distance to Vilkas. She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled up at him, much to the former werewolf's badly disguised relief. "Thank you for going over my head, just don't make a habit of it."
Vilkas chuckled and rolled his shoulder where the woman's hand had just been, slightly amazed he still had an arm. "You are most welcome Harbinger, but I make no promises. I have no doubt when we reach Solitude, Elisif will have a fleet of ships waiting to follow us into the vast unknown beyond Tamriel's borders."
"The only question left is who gets to tell Lucia what's about to happen." Lydia stated rather than asked, but before they could turn their gaze to her, Giselle had already started towards the door to her girl's room. Neither of them were surprised when the dunmer gently shut the door behind her, wishing to share the news of the journey being planned in private. "She truly loves that girl as if she were of her own flesh and blood." Lydia said, a mix of pride and wistfulness seeping into her voice.
With Hircine's 'blessing' removed from his body and spirit, Vilkas had been far more open to the idea of raising pups of his own with Lydia at his side, but old fears remained. While the urges associated with his animalistic nature were gone along with the curse itself, he was afraid any child born to him would carry the curse as he once had. Lydia understood his fears, but had said she was willing to take that risk. She firmly believed they were unfounded, and had said as much in previous arguments on the subject.
Before she could say anything about it though, Vilkas spoke first. "I know what you would ask Lydia, but even cured of the beast blood, I do not know what would come of our union." Vilkas replied softly, the conversation an old one by that point. "None of those that have remained in the Circle as werewolves have taken the chance, as have none of us that were cured of our affliction, uncertain of what might come into the world if we did. But….I am not as superstitious as most, and if you truly wish to begin a family, then I am….willing to take the risk, as you are." Vlikas said at last, grunting softly when Lydia embraced him tightly in her arms to the point he was sure his ribs would crack if she tightened her hold in the slightest, but just as he was about to protest, she backed away, but not before crushing her lips against his.
While Lydia and Vilkas were discussing their plans for the future, Giselle was sitting on the side of Lucia's small bed, with the girl looking up at her from underneath the covers, a thoughtful expression on her face. The ten year old child was smart and tougher than she had been at that age, but Giselle hadn't been abandoned by her family, unlike Lucia after her parents had died in the war. When Lucia finally did speak, it was one of the few times the Dragonborn was taken by complete surprise. "I heard the Imperial Moth Priest when he read the prophecy. You thought I was asleep, but I listened. I….had a feeling it was important mama, and I was right." Hesitantly looking away, Giselle had to strain to hear the girl's next words. "Does this mean….you're going to leave me here?"
"Oh Lucia no." Giselle stated softly as she pulled the girl against her chest, her hands making small, soothing circles against her back while she continued to speak. "I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't even sure if I'd leave in the first place. And besides, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you behind. I don't want to take you away from the only home you've ever known, even if that bastard uncle of yours also calls Whiterun home." Lucia looked up at the dark elf's face then and she made it a point to gently wipe away the child's tears.
"But you can't ignore an Elder Scroll. Even I know that's a bad idea mama." Giselle felt her heart burst with love and pride as she noted the determined look on Lucia's face and eyes. Two years of being in her company, when she was able to come home, even if it was only for a few hours at a time, had done more good than she could have hoped. "I want to go."
"Alright little wing, alright." Giselle said before kissing Lucia's thick head of dark brown hair before she tucked her in and blew out the nearby candle. "Get some sleep my child. I have a feeling the next few days are going to be quite hectic. Good night Lucia."
"Good night mama." Giselle offered her one last smile as she went to the door and lingered in the passageway, watching Lucia's eyes drift close before quietly shutting the bedroom door. Whatever came, she would be damned if she'd leave Lucia behind again.
As if reading her thoughts, she turned her head as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder, and met Lydia's soft gaze. "She was too young to follow you, even if her heart was willing to brave the same perils you did for us all. You have given her more than a home of full of warmth and love my Thane, you have given her a chance to grow up and have children of her own one day. She told me that herself after you destroyed Harkon and saved Serana from his madness." Again Giselle wasn't surprised when Lydia saw the worry in her brown eyes and spoke once more. "She'll find her way home, I'm certain of it. You don't take a clan as old as hers and hope to change its habits overnight."
"I hope you're right, because if something happens to her out there, I will personally lead the Dawnguard into Castle Volkihar and kill every last one of them, the prophecy rot in Oblivion." Lydia didn't doubt her Thane's venomous words since she felt the same way about the millenniums old vampire. While she didn't love her as her Thane did, Lydia knew without a doubt that Serana would cut off her own head before harming an innocent soul, a fact she had proven many times in the past after Giselle had found her sealed away in a crypt Serana's mother had created to keep her daughter out of Harkon's hands.
"Before you do anything, I think you should follow your own advice Giselle." Lydia ignored the annoyed look the dark elf cast her and started up the simple wooden steps that lead to their separate bedrooms. "Until the morrow my Thane."
"Good night to you as well old friend."
End Notes; Before anyone asks, I chose Lydia because I have a tendency to get her killed quite by accident lol. During my last attempted playthrough, (my PS3 decided to take a dump so I had to reformat it,) she got her face chewed off by a frost troll on my first trip to High Hrothgar. Oops. That and I've seen other stories where the Lioness, Mjoll, or other Thanes and heroes across the country of Skyrim are paired off with their respective Dragonborns in other stories here on FF, but Lydia seems to be the least favored or so I've noticed. So I thought I'd give the ol girl a shot and see how it plays out.
As for Lucia, I recently discovered Hearthfire's heart warming adoption options, and I almost teared up just writing this small chapter alone. I don't get emotional often, but seeing her running up to my dunmer heroine, computer controlled actions that it is, was quite inspiring, needless to say. Even when she asked me for an allowance, I couldn't help but grin lol.
At any rate, enjoy folks, and while I'm not sure how often I'll update this, I'll definitely try to do so in a somewhat timely fashion. Adios!
