- Just so there isn't confusion. Caillech is pronounced KEE-lek. -
The air was acrid and dry, smoke circled and billowed into the dark sky, orange light flickered and danced against olive toned and ivory skin. A woman knelt by a corpse, it's limbs were twisted into grotesque positions, the skin charred and sizzling. The woman's silver colored eyes were glowing from underneath her hood. her nostrils flared from the putrid smell of burnt hair and seared flesh, she rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, her long dark hair fluttering in the light wind that swept through the mountain forest.
"They were burnt alive." she said over her shoulder towards another woman standing a short distance away, pushing rubble around with the toe of her black leather boot. The second woman turned, her eyes glowing the same color as the embers still smoldering around them.
"I don't envy that end, I know what it's like to suffocate." she said matter of factly, kicking a stone into the embers, sending sparks twirling into the night sky. The silver eyed woman gave a curt nod, agreeing with her companions statement. She rose to her feet and adjusted her steel shoulder plate, her amulet of Talos glinted against her exposed breast bone. She looked down at her armour. The light leather was worn and cracking, the once glinting steel plates protecting her center abdomen and spine, were scratched and smudged with old blood and dirt. Soft pleated leather covered her collar bones and throat, protecting the vulnerable flesh, her black cloak fastened around her neck by a small silver dragon head clasp with a large sapphire set into the center. Steel plates layered down her left arm to her fingerless gloves.
The cuirass was long and covered her slender hips exposing the tops of her inner thighs slightly, allowing unhindered movement, her groin protected by a long steel plate between her legs, forming pleated skirt. Her boots were high, and steel protected her toes, shins and knees. The metal was dented in many places and ornate Nordic engravings were almost lost on the dulled metal. Adjusting the strap of her small satchell, hiking it further onto her shoulder, she tucked herself back into her dark cloak.
"Let's got out of here Caillech, there's nothing we can do now." The woman with smoldering gold eyes came to stand beside the other. Her dark leather corset fastened around her curvaseous hips, and dark red blouse billowed around her arms, fluttering in the slight wind. She pulled her black hood tighter onto her head, flicking her eyes around the smoldering city. "Something about this place is making me uneasy."
Caillech glanced at her friend and nodded, resting a hand on the pommel of her Nordic crafted dagger that was fastened to her belt. Her silver ring glinted in the break of moonlight that washed over them suddenly, peaking through the blanket of clouds. The ring was in the shape of a wolf's head, and rested snuggly on her left pointer finger. Her silver eyes were still fixed on the burnt corpse in front of her. It was impossible to tell if it had been a man or a woman, but a smaller body lay beside it. Heartbreakingly small.
"Just a few hours earlier..." she murmered to herself, grinding her teeth together, the muscles in her jaw constricting. Her companion came up beside her and handed Caillech her bow. Caillech wrapped her fingers around the leather grip of her Nordic carved bow, her knuckles flushing white with the strength of her grip. Taking a deep breath she turned to the woman beside her, gazing into the glowing amber red eyes, which were staring back at her, Caillech wondered if she saw a hint of sympathy in the smoldering depths. "Alright Serana, should we continue to Whiterun?" she asked.
Serana smiled at her, "Where ever you're headed, I'm right behind you." she said cooly. Caillech nodded and watched her companion make her way to the norh gate of Helgen. Caillech looked down at the bodies before her once more. Crouching beside the smaller of the two corpses, she tugged her amulet of Talos from her neck. She looked down at it in the palm of her hand for a moment, before laying it carefully into the small hand of the child.
"Talos protect you," she whispered, before standing, turning on her heel and following Serana from the city. What could have possibly attacked Helgen, that even Imperial soldiers lay broken and burned within the rubble. Bandits couldn't have, most were too cowerdly to even try and attack Legionaires. The only thing she could even remotely consider, would be the Stormcloaks. A reckless rebellion lead by Ulfric Stormcloak, the Jarl of Windhelm. But they loved Skyrim, and would rather face Oblivion alone, than murder innocent Nords. No, this was something much larger, and much more dangerous.
The sun was just beginning to break over the Velothi mountains, flooding the plains of Whiterun with warming golden light. The cloud cover had finally moved west towards The Reach hold. Caillech smiled at Serana, who was no fan of the sun at all, as she pulled her hood down further, covering her sensitive eyes from the bright light. Caillech closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, the scents of the moors of the hold flooded into her lungs. The dry wheaten grass, lavender, and flowers, soothed her aching bones. They walked together towards the stables, and they were greated with the smell of horses and hay. Caillech's feet scrapped against the cobblestone road, she must remember to buy a couple of horses.
"Can we go indoors for a while?" Serana asked, glancing at Caillech from underneath the cover of her black hood, her voice was pleading.
"No, I'm going to make you stay out in the sun all dy," Caillech said to her friend, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Serana glared at her, pointedly unamused. They crossed the wooden drawbridge drawing closer to the large front gates of Whiterun. The city towered above the plains of the hold, resting on a hill at the center. The large stone walls protecting the city from every thought of attack. Two guards dressed in the gold garbs of Whiterun, nodded at them as they pushed the gates open and entered.
Cailech always loved this particular city, it was always lively. Kids ran down the street as she and Serena made her way up the Plains district towards the market square. She pushed her hood from her head and smiled at a passing Adrianne Avenicci as she walked with her husband Ulfberth War-Bear, towards Warmaiden's, their blacksmith shop. Serana stuck close to Caillech's side.
"What a curious city. It's so... open." she murmered, more to herself than Caillech. She grabbed Serana's wrist gently, stopping her from making her way into the Bannered Mare, the inn of the city.
"I need to get my blade sharpened, you can get a room there if you'd like and sleep. I'll meet you later."
Serana shrugged "Sure, I'll do that," she said, Caillech handed her a few septims from her coin purse,
"This should cover a room and a meal," she said. Serana nodded in thanks and they parted ways. Caillech made her way up a flight of stairs into the Wind district, a large white tree rested in the middle of the small square, its bark dry and arged. The Gildergreen hadn't flowered in centuries. Taking a right, Caillech made her way up towards the Hall of Jorrvasker, home of the Companions of Whiterun. An exclusive group of warriors known throughout the Nine holds, they mainly delt with issues inside of Skyrim alone, but they did occasionally go to one of the other provinces.
Caillech didn't enter the hall, she veered left and made her way up to the Skyforge. An acient blacksmith forge that had been there since before Jorrvasker was even built. Climbing the stairs two at a time, she spotted Eorlund Gray-Mane, an older Nord man with long gray hair and beard, working the forge, hammering at a white hot blade.
"Eorland!" she called to him and he turned towards her voice, his brow was furrowed and sweat dripped from his forehead. His expression lifted when he saw who had called his name,
"Caillech! Is that you?" he said dropping the blade into th trough of cold water beside him and walking forward to greet her. They clasped forearms and he clapped a hand onto her shoulder. "It's been ages dear girl, I haven't seen you since you were an child." he said and held her at arms length, looking her up and down. "You've grown up well. Strong." he said beaming at her. Caillech returned his warm smile, his face was evidence of how long it had been since she was last here. New wrinkles had appeared on his face, worry lines in his forehead and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, which were almost tired in appearance.
"It has been too long, Eorland, too long." she said. He released his hold on her and eyed her armor.
"The world has been tough on you I see." he said and Caillech grinned sheepishly at him, he was just as much of a stickler about armor as she remembered. He always reprimanded her about taking care of her blades. He wasn't going to be happy with her.
"Speaking of which," she said pulling her dagger from it's scabbard at her hip. The blade was dull, and stained with blood. It had lost its polished shine years ago. The Nordic knot work set into the blade was almost rubbed down and was barely visible. The leather handle was dry, cracked and weather beaten. Eorland glared at her as he took the blade from her and examined it.
"Well, it isn't a totally lost cause. But a new blade might-"
"No. I don't want a new one." she said, her voice was firm and Eorland raised his eyebrows at her. She looked down at her toes and scuffed her boot against the stone, "Will you be able to repair that one?" she asked. Eorland sighed and turned the blade over in his hands, letting the sunlight gleam on the steel.
"I think so." he said turning towards his forge. "It may take a day."
Caillech didn't have time to respond, the breath was forced from her body as a weight colided into her rib cage, knocking her clean off her feet and slamming into the ground. Pain seared through her shoulder as it struck the ground and she gasped for breath, trapped beneath the weight of a man. Dazed and seeing spots, she instictively wrapped her legs around his rib cage, squeezing with her thighs and lifting her arms to defend herself from possible blows from fists. Pulling from the grip of her legs, the man broke past her full guard and mounted her in side control, tucking his knees close to her. Caillech's nose filled with this man's musky scent and his long dark hair fell into her face, his large muscular (and shirtless) body practically suffocating her.
"Watch it!" Eorland shouted.
Adrenaline rushed through her body and her heart accelerated, her muscles tightened and prepared themselves. Caillech looped her arm underneath his body, between his legs and pushed up with her hips. He gave a yelp of surprise as she reversed the position, flipping him onto his back. Nimbly twisting her body, she grabbed his arm closest to her, trapped it between her legs and laid flat on her back. Pushing her hips towards the sky, pulled on his wirst. She could hear the tendons popping in the man's elbow and he gave a strangled roar of pain.
"Ah, fuck Lex! I yeild! I yeild" he yelled. Smiling, Caillech gave his wrist a good tug before releasing him. Sitting up she grinned down at the man she had beaten, he grinned a toothy smile back, his dark hair spilling around his head on the ground around his head. His colorless eyes sparkling with defiance back up into her moonlight ones.
"Farkas..." she said playfully "You should know, that's what you get for sneaking up on me, you bastard." she said standing up and offering her hand to the man on his back. He took and she hauled him to his feet. He embraced her in a bear like hug, crushing what little air she had in her lungs back out again. He was much taller and larger than she remembered.
"Beloved cousin, it has been way too long," he said gruffly, before releasing her and looking at her from arms length. Caillech grinned at him,
"Yes it has. The last time I saw you, you didn't have hair on your face," she said and pulled a hair from his chin with a sharp tug. He gave another yelp of surprise and rubbed his face. "Or here," she said and ripped a few dark hairs from his chest.
"Dammit, Lex!" he yelled at her, rubbing his sternum. Caillech smilled and her heart lifted at the sound of her childhood name. The breath was knocked from her lungs once again, as a body slammed into her back, the sound of steel on steel armor clanged loudly. Strong arms wrapping around her waist and lifted her from her feet.
"Caillech!" She knew without seeing the face of the man who embraced her, that it was Vilkas, Farkas' twin brother.
"You dimwits know air is essential for survival right?" she gasped, attepting to fill her lungs with the precious vapor. Vilkas dropped her to her feet and she stumbled, bending over and resting her hands on her knees, gasping in deep lungfulls.
"Sorry Lex, it's just been so long!" Vilkas said. Caillech looked up at her two cousins. They were grinning toothily at her, she silently thanked the divines they had giving up the identical look. Growing up she could never tell one from the other. Farkas' hair was shoulder length, and had more growth of hair on his face than Vilkas. He kept his hair shorter, but still shaggy and only a shadow of facial hair. They looked identical other than those details, the same straight nose, strong heart shaped jaw, high cheek bones and silver eyes. Caillech grinned back at her cousins.
"Yes, it has been. I'm starving. Let's eat." she said looping her arms into theirs and leading them down towards the doors of Jorrvasker.
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