*Disclaimer: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim belongs to Bethesda. This is a fan-fiction, based on the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Not everything is perfect and it Is altered to fit my little fantasy world. : ) I hope you like it. Characters: Garret, Drayce, Theodane(Dancer, Dane or Theo), Da'Virr, Sybel and Nerana(Nera) are my own characters and all other characters belong to Bethesda.
Title Unknown
Chapter One
Helgen was the key place for them to day. Nerana had needed some more books before returning to Saarthal to help Tolfider and Arniel Gane with the site. Of course, Nerana being Nerana she forgot just about everything she ever needed. At the moment she had Drayce in tow as her mule, holding every scroll, book and potion that had been bought with not Nerana's own money, but Drayce's. Being the youngest child of a family of orphans had its perks.
"Are we done yet?" Drayce asked irritably. Nerana looked over at her. Drayce had the sides of her head shaved in the style of a Mohawk, but her middle hair was long enough to reach past her ass without being in a braid, but in one it rested at the top of her ass. She had brown eyes that looked black at all times, her eyes rimmed in black with kohl and her lids covered in dark red minerals made from a special plant in Hammerfell. Three small scars rested below her right eye from a fight with Da'Virr, their Khajiit sister.
Her sister by coincidence was wearing a strange combination of armor, melted and twisted together thanks to their brilliant brother Theodane, otherwise known as Dane or as Drayce liked to call him Dancer. Her chest plate was ebony, skillfully crafted to shape her upper body and arms and move like the very thin fabric Drayce wore underneath. The ties where they drew together were at her side, made with a special black silk that had been found through a Khajiit caravan. Her pant legs was a strong leather dipped in black as well with more ebony thinly made to travel down her thighs to her knees and then slipping into her boots. Easily flexible. She had a thick fur cape that traveled down to almost her kneels that concealed her heavy ebony war axe. Her arrows were at her side dangling loosely while her box was over her shoulder.
Ebony was her sister's favorite metal. It was pretty obvious she was made of wealth. Then again she was highly known throughout the Aldmeri Dominion and Hammerfell for her jobs well done. She was strong and fierce. Another reason why she was carrying all the books and potions instead of Nerana. She didn't do hard labor. She did thinking and magic.
"Don't be such a milk drinker." Nerana twisted back to skip to the opening gate of Helgen.
"There is nothing wrong with drinking milk. It's good for you." Several Imperial guards looked over at Drayce and laughed until Drayce penned them with a look that can kill. It stopped their laughter almost instantly. It was enough to make Nerana laugh. Her sister was a scary woman.
"Can we go into Whiterun for just a second on the way back. I haven't been able to get a look at Arcadia's Cauldron. She might have some firesalts and I need some for my latest recipe." It was a long shot, but she tried anyway.
"No." It was almost instant. Drayce refused to enter Whiterun under any circumstances until the Jarl was killed or removed from his position. He had a hard on where Drayce was concerned. Something about her killing his brother.
"I don't like going with Sybel. He sits there and flirts with the girl who runs the food stand in the marketplace and makes me look like an idiot when he gets shot down." Nerana whined.
Drayce was about to whip the book pile at Nerana. "I had to sell my soul to Sithis to pay for all your shit. Including that fancy bullshit robe you're wearing."
"but-"
"No, Nera." Drayce watched her younger sibling put her hands on her hips and stare her down. Well up. There was a good six inch difference with the shoes that Drayce wore. Nerana was naturally a small nord. Garret claimed it being not fed enough or her not eating enough green vegetables and too many sweet rolls. A funny thing since they only went to Skyrim a few times in their life so far. Nerana had pure white hair that fell to the middle of her back. Her skin was a pale as Drayce's own. Her eyes were an icy blue that made her look more like an ice princess with her naturally high cheek bones and delicate pixy-like features.
She wore a piece made from the Aldmeri Dominion that had cost her a good two paychecks for very high profile kills. The neck piece was high in the back and gradually got lower until it melded down into the corset that was low cut in the front. It showed off enough skin to make Garret kill any man who even stared in Nerana's direction. The material was of the same ebony, as fluid as Drayce's own. The joints at the shoulders were made of dark royal blue leather while the sharp angles of the thicker metal gauntlets, boots and separate neck piece were a deep rich purple. The corset stopped at the top of her hips where a belt overlapped a connecting apron of thicker ebony sides and the blue leather front that stopped mid shin. To top off the heartbreak of an empty coin purse she had a light ebony mail made to dangle at the front of the blue leather and the very top of the ebony sides for visual effect. She looked empty handed but in reality she carried to two ebony daggers crafted by Dancer hidden at her thighs under the apron.
Nera went to argue with Drayce when the wagons started pulling into Helgen. They were prisoners tied up in the back, some in Stormcloak uniform and some in ragged tunics. Nera looked for a second before trying to return to the subject of Whiterun, but Drayce walked away, following the wagons.
"Don't walk away from me!" She shrieked.
Heads turned from the porches on the road, but Drayce ignored them and continued walking. It wouldn't have been easier if she didn't have books up to her chin, but beggars couldn't be choosers at this point and she really wanted to see who was dying. Nera followed behind until they were at the front of the tower with a clear view of all the wagons lining up and Imperial generals with their archers ready and lists at hand. Nera stopped at Drayce's left side, her face red with anger.
"I want to go to-" Drayce sshed her before she go finish.
"I want to see who is going to die. It's always a beautiful morning with death is done early."
"You're a sick being." Nera sneered.
Drayce nodded, but remained silent as the people were unloaded from their wagons. She didn't recognize any of them, though one did have a familiar hair color. She knew it was none of her siblings for the very fact that none were female and the only one to ever get arrested in their family was Da'Virr. The Imperials began to name off the prisoners.
"Ulfric Stormcloak." The male Imperial spoke. Nera let out a gasp of shock as she grabbed onto Drayce's arm.
"Knock over the books and die." Drayce snapped.
"Don't be so cranky. I would pick them up." Drayce's glare went right over her head as she asked, "How did they catch Ulfric?"
"How the fuck am I suppose to know how they got him. That's his problem, not ours." Drayce shifted away from Nera to put some space between her and her grasping hands. "Now pay attention." Because of Nera's loud mouth she missed one of the names, but it wasn't like it mattered. It was time to see some heads roll.
Nera felt the need to jab her fist into Drayce's side for being so snappy, but she refrained from it to keep from causing a scene and being the next one to be added to the Imperials headless count. Plus something in the air shifted and the hairs at the back of her neck rose. Something wasn't right. She looked around, but saw nothing besides a man that tried to run from his death sentence. The archers shot him down and he was dealt with, but the feeling didn't go away. It was as if the air was charged with sparks, catching onto her and jumping off.
Something was about to go wrong, and she had a feeling it wasn't because of an innocent man was about to see the end of an already bloodied war axe. She took another step to be by Drayce's side as a piercing roar ripped through the air and the earth trembled at their feet. A book fell from the top of Drayce's pile while a huge Dragon landed at the top of the tower in front of them. The feeling he gave off was indescribable. His body massive and covered with what looked like sharp scales made of ebony.
"Sweet mother of Talos." Drayce spoke. The dragon let loose another roar as villagers took off screaming in every direction. Drayce backed up, stumbling when her foot caught onto to Nera's. "tower," was her singled command. Nera nodded and turned to the tower that had been behind them. They ripped through the door, Drayce dropping more of the books in her arms as they raced up the stone steps to the top of the tower. There was yelling from the soldiers and prisoners below, but that was the least of her concern.
"Where now, we are dragon food." Nera looked behind at her sister who was now holding about four books now from what use to be about ten, and was charging at her. "What are you doing?" The last word came out on a scream as Drayce shoved them over the tower wall. They hit the ground hard while books rained upon them. Drayce rolled gracefully to a stand, but not gracefully enough not to break something in the satchel at her side. The agony of not knowing which potion had met it's untimely fate was almost unbearable as the pain in her back at the moment.
"Come on," Drayce was already over to her and pulling her to her feet.
"You just tackled me off a tower and I need a minute to fix myself before running wild through a forest of roots we will most likely trip over." She kneeled a bit before focusing on her hands and letting her healing abilities come forth and run through her body.
"How about give me a little of your healing hand?"
"How about not using me as a haystack next time?" Drayce shrugged her shoulders before grabbing hold of Nera's wrist and tugging her down the hill. "My books!"
"You don't need them!"
"Yes I do! I will forget about which I need!" Nera yanked her hand out of Drayce's grip as she returned to the scattered books and collected them.
"There is a dragon and you are worried about your fucking books?"
"I don't want to buy them again." Replied Nera as she jogged back over to Drayce.
"You didn't even pay for them!" The roar of the dragon sounded shortly after and it was suddenly a hell of a lot hotter than it had been before. "Never mind, let's go." They took off downhill and in the direction of Riverwood and Whiterun.
The place they called home here in Skyrim was a cave. The only entrance hidden at the base of the mountain near Whiterun. The river ran next to it, the door hidden by a moving rock door that was pressed against the flat side of the mountain, a few trees decorating its area. The button to open the door was hidden in the tree growing next to the door, a false panel that blended into the bark covered it and was lifted in order to reach in and pull the handle.
Once the handle was released it slid back into place and the false panel was replaced as the sound of the rock sinking into the ground rang through the air. Nera entered first and Drayce closed the entrance by pulling the handle on the inside. The cave started off as a bit a of narrow tunnel that opened into a huge room with ceilings so high it looked as if there was a sky of its own. There was running water farther into the cave, but at the moment the first thing you say was an overly large dining table and well carved chairs all around it. There were plates stacked neatly in the middle with goblets turned upside down to avoid any critters from crawling into them. To the right of the entrance the wall was lined with tall shelves filled with cheese, Sweet Rolls, boiled crème treats and fruits galore with the smaller wardrobe that shelved sacks of flours and jazbay grapes. There was an oven on the left side with a cooking pit that was mainly used by Sybel. He was the only one of them that had cooking skills.
The ground was cold and wet all the time, but there was light at the side walls and the other wall of rock behind the dining table. There was an opening in the rock wall that lead into several other rooms. It was more of a mountain inside a mountain, but if you followed the path all other way out you found the spring and indoor waterfall that housed the very annoying ninroot and lots of lost salmon.
The place was found by Garret when he first arrived back in Skyrim. He sent for Dancer to help him deck it out in fancy home wear and before they knew it there was bedrooms, an armory with a little forge by the waterfall and there little dinging/living area. There were only three bedrooms inside the mini mountain within the cave, but each room housed two full sized beds.
"Sybel, you here?" Nera went off skipping to her room while Drayce removed her cape and set it on the tallest chair of the table.
"No, I'm in the Void. Where else would I be these days." His reply came from above and she looked above to see him resting at the top of the mini mountain. He was a younger, shorter version of his older brother. His face softer, his hair longer and trussed up. Instead of a full beard like his brother he sported a balbo(think van dyke or johny depp facial hair). His skin was darker than theirs and he was leaner rather than built. He wore a loose fitted tunic with long sleeves in a mahogany color, his pants leather, dipped in black. He was the lazy boy of their family. He killed when he needed to, but other than that he just kind of went with the flow.
"Honestly Sithis would kick your dumb ass out." She said under her breath.
"So what's going on?"
"Went to Helgen to get some shit for her because Riverwood Trader never has anything. The Imperials were doing executions."
"Really, who was there? Anyone we know in particular?"
"Ulfric Stormcloak."
"The man who shouted the High King to pieces?" Drayce nodded. "Didn't Garret go up to Solitude for a couple of months?"
"Yeah, he was staying at the Winking Skeever. He probably got to get up and close and the High King when Ulfric had at him." Drayce entered the tunnel and went into the room she shared with Sybel. Dancer refused to share a room with her or Da'Virr. It had originally been Sybel with Dancer, Garret with Nerana and Drayce with Da'Virr, but then Sybel decided to die Dancer's hair with fire salts and the lotion that Nerana had made for dry skin. It forced them all to move to their current rooms because Sybel was too afraid to fuck with Drayce.
In her room she stripped out of her armor and placed it carefully on the mannequin next to her bed and then changed into a simple pant and belted tunic with leather boots before walking back into the dining area. Sybel was now at the table with a Sweet roll at hand as he tilted the chair back and balanced it on its hind legs. Drayce took the seat where her cape rested while Nera entered and went over to grab an apple dumpling off the tall shelf.
"What do you think Garret's doing right now?" asked Sybel.
"Contemplating strangling my sisters." The growl came from the tunnel.
"Garret, your back!" Nera squealed in delight as she dropped the dumpling and jumped at him. Drayce turned around to see Garret wearing the Stormcloak uniform, and it was definitely not his size. Garrets six foot four made the uniform ride up to mid thigh almost as if he was just wearing his regular tunic and no pants. She was surprised that he even left wherever he was in it. The man's pride was unbelievable.
"Don't give me that." He grabbed Nera's underarms and set her down away from him before he walked over toward the rooms.
"What do you mean?" Nera followed his tracks.
"I was at Helgen! In that damned wagon with Ulfric!" He turned around and pinned Drayce with a murderous glare. "I heard you talk about it being a beautiful day when death is done early." He turned on Nera as she came even closer. "And what the fuck are you wearing?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Nera shot back.
"We didn't see you, at all." Drayce spoke.
"Is that my dumpling on the floor?" Sybel leaned over in his chair to survey the area by the tall shelves. "I'm heartbroken. I pour my love into this food and my apple dumpling is on the floor." They all ignored him of course.
"How could you not? I'm taller than Ulfric!" Garret disappeared into the halls, probably going into his room.
"I didn't see you and we were looking at Ulfric. You are obviously drinking way to much skooma. Leave that up to Da'Virr." Nera commented.
"How did you end up in that wagon anyway?" Drayce asked.
Sybel had gotten up at this point and walked over to the apple dumpling. He picked it up as if it were an infant and cradled it to his chest. He whispered, "It's okay. I know it hurts, but it will be over soon." He cooed at the apple dumpling as if it were a baby wailing in pain.
"How I ended up in the wagon is none of your concern and Sybel, stop talking to the food." Garret's voice was now distorted from the halls.
"You had to do something stupid to end up there without your armor. You're always armed." Nera took her seat next to Drayce while Sybel walked out of the room, still carrying the dumpling.
Drayce was silent for a second, before it dawned on her. "You were caught in bed with someone in Solitude!" She accused. Garret came in, now wearing his regular loose fitting clothes, his knife belt strapped low on his hips. He was built, and with his build and height he looked terrifying to some. He filled out his outfit well and according to most women he was a piece of Sovangarde they never wanted to let go. He had shorter black hair that was closer cut to his head with a full beard and scars that marred his entire body.
"Be quiet." He snapped.
"But, who really pays attention to people sleeping around unless they-You slept with High King's wife!" Nera caught on quickly. Drayce would have to make a mental note to throw Sybel and herself a party of being an awesome teacher in the ways of speech.
"It's none of your business so drop it." He grabbed a sweet roll and bit into the top where the cream was. He took his seat at the table. "I have to go to Whiterun to talk to Jarl about the little dragon problem you two ran out on." Garret looked around. "where did Sybel go?"
"He left the room with the apple dumpling," said Nera.
"Dammit, Sybel don't you dare bury another dumpling by the waterfall!" Garret left the room with his sweet roll on hand. Drayce looked over at Nera, a smile creeping on her lips.
"Did you see how small that uniform was on him?" Nera asked, giggling.
"Yup. I wish Da'Virr and Dancer were here so they could have enjoyed the sight." The last part of the sentence was spoken through breaks in her laughter. The uniform had been ridicously short on him. He was bulkier than most men.