Author's note: This is my first story on this site, though not my first piece of writing. I will be doing other chapters for this if I can actually figure out how to work the site, so that will be in the future. Any additional information on this story or any in the future should be in my bio!
Disclaimer: The story is, naturally, mine. However, the game is not.
The house has been getting rather crowded as of late. Lydia notices, and disapproves, but unfortunately she can't really do anything about it. Aranel just seems to attract people, and pets as well, and though Lydia wants to do something about it, she can't object. Aside from her complaints about footprints, and the constant bumping into people, it's not that bad.
It started innocently enough with Aranel bringing home some elf. Lydia had clucked her tongue, but hadn't done anything then. After all, it was only one elf. And who was she to question her mistresses decisions? The elf could sleep downstairs or something. But then, true to fashion, things had started to escalate.
Not long after the elf, she had brought home some dirty child. Not even a respectable child at that, just some dirty little girl who had been begging near the Gildergreen. And to top it all off, Aranel adopted her. Lydia still can't really object, though she can't say that she likes the banging of the doors at all hours or the constant muddy footprints.
It really only gets worse from there. Aranel somehow finds a talking dog, and brings it home, and though she says that he's only staying until she can find his mistress, Lydia knows better. Then there's the other child. Just a few days after the dog, Lydia finds out that Aranel has somehow found another little beggar, and is bringing them home. She's not sure where this one is from. It's one of those big, winter cities, that she has never gotten to see, and probably never will. So, naturally, when Aranel is supposed to be visiting the honorable Greybeards (or something like that, she can't keep track), she instead brings home yet another family member.
At this point, they have herself, the elf, two kids, a dog, and Aranel, and the house is practically splitting at the seams. That isn't a bad thing, she keeps reminding herself, but… still. She liked it better when Aranel, herself, and that annoyingly silent elf were the only ones in the house. But it brings Aranel happiness, and whatever pleases her mistress will please her. Hopefully.
And then one of the kids brings home a fox. But that is a story for another day.