A.N: Yay for more plot bunnies! Of course, I had a lovely review on my last Skyrim one-shot, and had to write one more. This one is a fair bit darker than the last one, and contains character death and violence.
Anyways, I do not own Skyrim, but this story is mine. Please do not steal, alter or re-post without my permission.
Please read, review and enjoy!
He'd been away for some time, reaching close to three weeks, which wasn't uncommon for her warrior husband. Most Nord wives expected their mercenary husbands home by week's end, but Aela knew Markus, as the Dragonborn, would spend more than two weeks away from home at any given time. Sure he had stuck around home as much as possible when Dengen was just a baby, and had even taken up errands between Morthal and Whiterun while Dengen was growing, but now that their son was five years old, Markus was back to full-on traveling and fighting. As he was traveling between Morthal and Whiterun, he had spotted a plot of land in The Pale, and had quickly set off to inquire about it's acquisition with the Jarl of Dawnstar.
He had subsequently hired a few mercenaries, who knew a fair bit about construction, to help him build what he thought would be the perfect home for their growing family. Within just a few months, the family had relocated from their shrinking house, Breezehome, and had made themselves comfortable in Heljarchen Hall. Aela was, actually, quite fond of their settlement, and Dengen was always bustling about, finding new places to hide or practicing some very basic sword handling with Gregor, their housecarl.
Aela, at seven months pregnant with their second child, was busy cooking lunch in the kitchen for herself, Dengen and Gregor, when the latter came rushing into the doorway. Since formalities were not necessary between them, he simply called her by her name.
"Aela, grab Dengen and hide! Quickly!" He commanded just as she had turned to face him.
She nodded her head and grabbed her son's arm, leading him towards the cellar, when the front door burst inwards. The sudden chill hit all three of them, and Aela pulled Dengen to her side, quickly pulling her dagger from it's sheath and facing their attackers. A horde of bandits quickly moved into the main room, ransacking the dining area and advancing towards them. Aela pushed Dengen towards the wall and turned back just in time to stab one of the bandits in the chest. He fell forwards onto the floor, but was soon replaced by a second, who was quickly decapitated by Gregor.
Gregor did not know about Markus and herself being werewolves, and even if he did, a transformation this late into her pregnancy would ultimately be fatal to the infant in her womb. She had to fight, but she had to fight smart if this pregnancy were to survive. Gregor was advanced upon by three bandits, and was forced against the wall, separating Aela from his immediate protection. Four more bandits advanced upon her, and try as she might, she was quickly overpowered by a cheap shot to the back of her head. As her world began to fade to darkness, the last image she saw was of their son being bound by ropes and hoisted up by one of the bandits.
And then darkness claimed her.
When she awoke some hours later, she found herself shackled to the wall of some dimly lit dungeon. She shook her head, trying to clear away the dizziness from the blow, and tried to take in her surroundings. Her eyes finally landed on the object of her maternal search: Dengen was sitting in the corner, huddled against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chest. Her heart melted, seeing her pup scared in the corner.
"Dengen..." She called, her voice gravelly from not being used in an extended amount of time.
"Mother?" He turned his head and locked eyes with her, "Mother!"
He stood from his spot in the corner and raced towards his mother, who's leg was chained to the wall of the cell. She embraced him as he fell against her chest, crying tears of happiness that she was okay.
"Hush now pup... I'm okay, you're okay, and your father will find us. Be patient my son."
"I'm scared mother... I want father here..."
"I know, Dengen. I know. I do too." She said, kissing his forehead before pulling him close again.
A bandit came down the stairs towards their cell, looking the pair over before sliding a tray of bread and two cups of water into the cell. Aela stared daggers at the young Nord as he walked away from the cell, but the safety of both of her children kept her from speaking against him.
"Bring the tray over here pup... I'm afraid I can't move." She said, nodding towards the shackle around her ankle.
Dengen happily obliged and brought the tray of bread back over to Aela before going back for the two tankards of water. Aela broke the loaf in two and handed the bigger piece over to Dengen, who politely declined it in exchange for the smaller half, stating that she 'needed to eat for the baby'. The two of them ate the bread in silence, and Aela pleaded with the Nine Divines that her husband would find them soon.
Markus, just returning home from his training with the Greybeards of High Hrothgar, found his home in shambles.
"Oh no..." He thought as he quickly made his way into the main entryway.
The house was a disaster. Broken glass lay on the floor of the dining room, furniture had been destroyed, and the chests and cupboards had been cleaned of any potions, gold or valuable trinkets. Markus sniffed the air, trying to locate his wife and son, but became aggressive at the lack of their scent. Moving to the cellar, he found Gregor bound in the forge room, eyes desperately scanning for anyone to help him. Markus made quick work of the binds and then took Gregor's shoulders in his hands.
"Where are they? Where are Dengen and Aela?" He asked, his voice laced with fear and anger.
"I don't know, but those damn bandits left this note behind for you, my thane."
Markus took the note from Gregor and read it. His features grew dangerously dark as he scanned the note before discarding it in the flames of the forge. He shot back up to his feet and turned back towards the ladder out of the cellar.
"I'm going after them. Clean and repair what you can, Gregor; I'll be back with them soon." Markus said as he ascended the ladder back into the main room.
Fort Greymoor was close, and Markus knew it to be crawling with bandits. The thought of his wife and son being held in that location made his blood boil, and his wolf spirit growled deep within him. His eyes began to glow a deep gold color as he approached the fort. The crisp night air on the plains shifted the very faint scent of his family to his nose, and in an instant he was transforming into his bestial form. Shadowmere pranced nervously behind him, startled by his transformation, but quickly settled when she became aware that the werewolf in front of her was still Markus.
He slowly stalked up towards the fort, mindful of any bandits that could be on lookout for him. To his right, he noticed three bandits, one dressed from head to toe in steel armor, and the two followers dressed in fur armor. Knowing he had to feed to maintain his bloodlust and transformation, Markus made quick work of the three bandits and then turned his attention towards the fort.
Dengen was safe, but Aela was facing a battle she couldn't win. Not in her condition, anyways. The young Nord bandit had made his way back down to their cell, and had immediately started to rattle her cage, stating that she was unfit to mother children if she was captured so easily, and that she would die here with her husband if he ever came to save her.
She reciprocated by stating she would send him, and his family, to the Soul Cairn if he so much as moved the wrong way around her. This enraged the young Nord, who quickly became hostile and held her to the floor of the cell, landing blows on her whenever he had an opening to do so. She struggled against his weight, but without the ability to transform, she was quickly subdued by the man and took the hits as they were dealt. Even the few that were aimed at her stomach.
She closed her eyes as the pain intensified within her abdomen.
"My little pup... I'm so, so sorry..." She thought as another blow landed on her cheek.
As she awaited the beating to continue, a low roar was heard echoing through the halls of the fort, all the way down to the cell. The Nord straddling Aela quickly stood up and drew his blade, ready to face whatever creature had just infiltrated the fort that they had claimed. Before he could bat an eye, the severed head of the chief was thrown down the stairs leading towards the cell block. His eyes grew wide at the rolling body part, and then he turned his eyes and locked them with the beast who stood only seven feet away from him. The beast's eyes traveled over to where Aela lay, Dengen sitting next to her and checking her over, and then back to the Nord with a new level of anger imbedded into them.
Markus raced towards the Nord man and sank his canines into the soft flesh of his neck. The man screamed in pain, and Markus quickly snapped his neck and dropped the body to the cell floor before turning towards Aela.
His wife, his mate, was lying on the floor, bleeding out from the wounds that covered her body. He dropped down to all fours and moved towards her, nuzzling her cheek with his snout. She slowly turned her head towards him and locked eyes with him.
"Aela... I'm sorry..." He lamented as he broke eye contact with her.
"My love... This wasn't your fault..." She replied, moving her hand to brush against his ear.
"Father?" Dengen asked, looking towards the werewolf.
It wasn't often that Dengen had seen his father's beast form, so when he noticed how this werewolf acted towards his mother, he knew it was his father who had come to save them. To his question, the werewolf before him nodded his head, and Dengen broke out into a fresh set of tears, embracing his father's hulking form, telling him to help Aela.
Markus turned towards the chain that kept Aela shackled to the wall, and, grabbing it in both hands, ripped it clean from the wall it was attached to. Aela sighed beside him and slowly started to move into a sitting position. Her body was weak from the assault, and as she tried to push herself up, her arm gave way and she began to fall back to the floor. Markus caught her with his arm and helped her up from the floor. As she sat there with Dengen, Markus moved away as the bloodlust wore off and he reverted back to his human form. Throwing his Wolf Armor back on, he moved back to his wife and son. He gently cupped her face in his hands and looked over her wounds.
"Oh Aela... What did they do to you?" He asked sadly as he traced his thumb over a gash below her right eye.
"My love... It's over and I'm okay..." She replied, reaching up and taking his hands in hers.
"Far from it... I can smell the bleeding." He said as he moved towards her legs.
Gripping the shackle around her ankle, he quickly pried it apart and let it fall to the floor. He stood from the floor and brought his hands down to his wife, who took them in her own, and slowly helped her up from the floor. She leaned heavily upon her husband as she tried to find stability on the ground again, and the three of them moved towards the entrance of the fort. Just as they made their way outside, Aela stopped suddenly, her face paling. She doubled over in pain, wrapping her right arm around her abdomen, clutching the fabric of her tunic as the pain began to rip through her body.
Dengen was at his mother's side, confused about what was going on, and trying what he could to take her mind off of her pain. Not wanting to leave his wife alone to suffer, Markus gave out a sharp whistle and, within moments, Shadowmere was galloping towards them with fury in her eyes. She stopped near the trio, and Markus took little time in hoisting Aela, and Dengen, up into the saddle. Grasping the reins in his hand, Markus began to sprint towards Whiterun, hoping against hope that the healers at the Temple of Kynareth could help his mate and unborn pup.
Having to leave Shadowmere at the Whiterun Gate, Markus hoisted Dengen off of her saddle and ushered him through the doors, following closely behind with Aela writhing in his arms.
It was the strong scent of blood that first alerted the members of The Circle, but when the wind shifted the scent of Aela, Markus, and fear towards them, the werewolves quickly left Jorrvaskr and made their way to the Temple of Kynareth. Farkas and Vilkas were the first to enter, followed closely behind by Lydia and Dengen, who had went straight to Breezehome to find her. Their eyes scanned the area, and Vilkas immediately found his Shield-Brother, and Shield-Sister, to his right near the far wall. He nudged his brother, and the four of them made their way towards the pair; Dengen gripping Lydia's hand the entire way.
Aela was curled up on the bed, gripping both her husband's hand and her abdomen, as Danica Pure-Spring used whatever healing spells she could to lessen Aela's suffering. Markus was kneeling near the head of the bed, his face nestled within Aela's red locks, as his mate fought the urge to scream in agony. He lifted his head at the change in scent, and laid his puffy eyes upon his son and Shield-Siblings. Vilkas slowly made his way towards Markus and Aela, ever wary of his Shield-Brother's posture and scent. Markus turned his head back towards Aela as she whimpered in pain, gently brushing his fingers through her hair and whispering soothing words into her ear. Vilkas placed a gentle hand upon Markus' shoulder, causing him to let out a choked sob as he held his wife's hand in his own, powerless to do anything to stop the pain that was coursing through her body.
Danica moved to the base of the bed and gently rolled Aela onto her back. The She-Wolf complied, and settled back into the more comfortable position of lying on her back. Danica gently lifted the tunic skirt from Aela's legs, and gasped when she saw that the baby was crowning. She knew Aela was only seven months along, and that there was no way the baby would survive more than a week with the injuries that were inflicted upon Aela's body. Still, she looked up towards Aela and Markus, a cloud of sadness in her hazel eyes. Markus immediately picked up on the change in scent and her features, and his heart broke at the realization. He buried his face into the crook of Aela's neck, letting his tears fall freely against his mate's skin. Aela, in turn, followed suit, clutching Markus' hand in her own when she saw Danica's eyes herself.
As the pain intensified into a contraction, Aela pushed with all the strength she could muster while the tears fell freely down her cheeks. Her pup would not survive, she knew this, but she prayed for the Divines to be merciful and give the babe a chance at life. Her body convulsed as her pup was slowly pushed from her womb, and after each contraction, she fell back against her mate, crying out her apologies for her quick tongue. Markus reassured her that it wasn't her fault, that he didn't blame her for any of this, that he loved her and their children.
Aela pushed with the next contraction, and her body fought to excrete the pup from her birth canal, and with one final push, Danica was able to pull her pup from her body. Aela fell back, exhausted, against Markus' shoulder. Danica held the small child in her arms, clearing the infant's mouth and nose of any fluid before wrapping it in warm furs.
"It's a boy..." She said softly, handing the weakly crying infant off to his father.
"My son... Our son..." Markus said as his eyes traveled over their newborn's weak body.
The small boy squirmed slowly within his father's arms, as well as giving off weak cries and whimpers, which brought forth a new batch of tears from his father's eyes. Aela turned her head towards her husband, bringing her arms up towards him.
"Please Markus... Please, let me hold him..." She asked, her voice a whisper that contrasted greatly to her normal voice.
Markus laid their pup in Aela's arms, and she couldn't stop the tears that fell down her cheeks as she gazed upon him. He had his father's deep brunette hair, much like his brother before him, and her forest-green eyes. She choked out a sob as she traced her index finger of his tiny arm, his cheek, and then the tuft of hair on his head.
It wasn't fair. Her pup, just minutes old, was going to die before he had a chance at life. She held him close to her chest, her heart beating a gentle lullaby, and he slowly fell asleep. She turned her head and gazed upon Dengen, who wanted so badly to have a sibling to grow with and protect.
"Come here pup..." She called softly, extending her arm towards him.
Lydia gently nudged him towards his mother, her own tears trailing down her cheeks as she gazed upon the family that she had sworn to protect. Farkas and Vilkas gazed upon their Shield-Siblings, eyes full of tears that the two warriors refused to let fall, but their wolf spirits howling a mournful tune deep within their hearts.
Dengen approached his mother's side, taking hold her her hand, and sat next to her on the bed.
"Meet your brother, Roggar." Aela said as she held her pup close to her side.
Dengen brought his hand over to his infant brother, knowing full well that, with the level of sadness in the room, death would come to claim the infant. He made his greeting memorable.
Gently, he wrapped his arms around his brother and pulled the small babe from Aela's arms, holding him close to his chest. He leaned down over the babe's face and placed a gentle, brotherly kiss upon his brow.
"Be good, Roggar. We will meet again." Dengen said sadly as he gazed upon his baby brother.
Aela couldn't control the tears that fell now, seeing her son understand the severity of the situation, yet still vowing to see his brother again when the time was right. She wrapped her arm around Dengen's shoulders and kissed the top of his head, praising him on being such a wonderful older brother to Roggar. He gently handed the newborn back to their mother and stood from the bed, going back to stand at Lydia's side. Farkas and Vilkas both stood on either side of Aela, wrapping their arms around their Shield-Sister and consoling her. Each whispered a soft goodbye to the young pup in her arms before taking their place with Lydia and Dengen.
Lydia walked over to the side of the bed and gently spoke her apologies to both Markus, and Aela, before saying a soft goodbye, and whispering a small prayer, to the infant cradled against Aela's chest. Markus and Aela sat together, gazing fondly at their son whom they knew wouldn't see his first sunrise. The two of them held each other as their pup slowly took his last breath.
The mood was somber, and only the members of The Companions stood around the Skyforge. Roggar's small body was laid on a pedestal over the coals of the forge; the fire light flickering softly off of his pale skin. Markus held his family close to him, never wanting to let them out of his sight ever again. Aela shook next to him, fresh tears falling as Vilkas spoke of Roggar being a true Nord in his very short life, pushing his soul to Sovngarde as the pedestal was ignited in flames. Aela, in her grief, made to move towards the flames and rescue her pup, but Markus held her close to his chest, speaking soothing words into the ear of his grief-stricken mate. She sobbed into his chest, letting her tears fall freely in contrast to her usually collected composure.
The Companions each offered their condolences to the grieving couple, vowing to honor their lost son with a great feast that night in his memory. Markus thanked them, stating that they would be staying in Whiterun to collect their bearings.
As the flames died down, and Roggar's body was no more, Markus slowly led his family back to Breezehome, where Lydia was found sitting near the fire, staring into the flames as they danced around the cooking pot. She acknowledged the family as much as their body language would allow, offering Dengen her bed for the night. Markus nodded his head in agreement, nudging the young boy towards Lydia, who led him upstairs and into her sleeping quarters.
Markus carried Aela up the stairs and into their bedroom, laying her gently on the quilt that covered the soft furs underneath. He slowly climbed into bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his chest.
"I can't... Believe that he's... Gone..." Aela choked out.
"I know... My love, I know..." Markus replied, nuzzling into her shoulder.
"He didn't even have a chance, and now he's gone..." Aela whispered, tears falling once again.
"Aela, my love, please... Please, do not grieve. He is in Sovngarde now, with Kodlak to watch over him. He is safer there than he ever would be here." Markus said as he wrapped his other arm under Aela and held her close to him.
She let out another choked sob before turning over and burying her face into her mate's chest. Their baby. Gone. Dead before he even had a chance to live his life. And Dengen, standing off to the side as his baby brother died before his eyes. Her heart broke for her children, but none more so than for her husband, who blamed her capture and, subsequently, Roggar's death on himself.
As if reading her mind, Markus spoke his feelings to her.
"I should have been there... I could have prevented this." He spoke so softly that it barely touched her ears.
"Markus... You can't blame this on yourself." She replied, stroking the side of his rugged face.
"Aela, I left you alone... I left you and Gregor to defend yourselves, and Dengen, when you were this far along in the pregnancy. This is all my fault..." He continued, tears falling onto the pillow beneath him.
"My love... We will get through this... As a family. Dengen is just as affected by this as we are. He loved the thought of having a younger sibling to play with and protect. He would cuddle up against my stomach every night that you were away and just wait for Roggar to move beneath his hands. He would list ways that he would protect his sibling from bullies and bandits, never once letting them lay a finger on his sibling, because that's what older brother's were for. Our pup is just as wounded as we are, and he needs to know that we will get through this together."
Markus looked down into Aela's fierce eyes, taking in the sincerity of her words, as well as the pain that she tried to hide. He kissed her lips and then stood from the bed, walking out to Lydia's room. He returned moments later with Dengen at his side. Aela couldn't help but notice the sadness in her pup's eyes, and her heart sunk into her stomach as he walked towards the bed. Markus hoisted him up onto the bed, and Dengen immediately cuddled into Aela's side, just like he had done while he was a toddler, and while she was pregnant. She held him close, running her fingers through his brunette hair, soothing her baby as best she could given the circumstance.
Markus lowered himself down onto the bed next to them, wrapped his left arm over Aela's shoulders, and rubbed soothing circles over Dengen's back with his right. The young boy, exhausted and upset, cried himself to sleep in his parent's arms. Aela leaned into Markus' shoulder and promptly fell asleep as well, and Markus was soon to follow.
Months passed as the family grieved over the loss of young Roggar, and with time, the wound finally scarred over. Markus had quickly begun working in Solitude, making a name for himself and earning the title of Thane for Haafingar Hold. Upon acquisition of this title, he promptly requested homestead within Solitude's walls, which Jarl Elisif the Fair and Falk Firebeard were happy to reward him with. When he returned to Whiterun, he escorted his family out to the stables, where a horse drawn carriage awaited with Shadowmere.
"Where are we going father?" Dengen asked as Markus lifted the young boy up onto the carriage.
"To Solitude. It will be safer there." He replied as he helped guide Aela up into the back of the carriage.
She sat next to Dengen as a chest of their belongings was loaded up with them, holding her son against her side. Markus moved over and mounted Shadowmere, nodding to the carriage driver that they were ready to go. With the flick of their wrists, both horses were moving down the road in the general direction of Solitude. Markus fell back so that he was riding along side the carriage, and he looked at Aela.
"Keep your bow drawn. These roads can be hostile, my love." He said as he, too, kept his hand near his sword.
Aela nodded and pulled her bow and quiver from the bottom of the carriage. True to his warning, the road was sometimes filled with bandits and wizards. Aela took every chance she had to loose an arrow into the skulls and hearts of every bandit she laid eyes on.
They took her baby from her. She would take their lives.
After several hours of traveling, the group was more than happy to see the gates of Solitude loom before them on the road. The guards opened the gates for the incoming party, and upon stopping, were quick to gather their belongings and bring them to Proudspire Manor. Leading the way, Markus kept Aela at his side, while Dengen, noticing three other children running around and playing, quickly excused himself to make new friends.
The couple made their way into Proudspire Manor, and Aela was shocked at the beauty of the stone building. Upon entrance on the second floor, she took in her new surroundings, especially the spaciousness of the living area itself.
Markus merely nodded his head towards the staircase, and Aela moved up towards their bedrooms. She gazed into their son's bedroom, and was surprised to see a small practice dummy, situated at just the right height for Dengen to practice his swordsmanship on. She shook her head with a smile, tossing her locks about her shoulders, before turning her head towards their bedroom.
Inside, she laid her eyes upon their bed, the table in the corner, the end tables on either side of the bed, and the chest at the foot of the bed. Turning her head to her right, she noticed something else against the wall: A baby's crib.
Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of it, and she quickly turned on her heel, coming face-to-face with Markus. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close.
"The crib is for later... We can always plan for the future." He said softly, kissing her forehead.
All she could do was nod, too afraid to speak as the tears slowly fell. Markus pulled her back downstairs and surprised her with a home cooked meal that he made himself. The two of them ate in a comfortable silence, thinking of the day that they would finally be able to welcome a second child into their lives.