Author's Note: Dovahzul translations can be found at the corresponding deviation at my DeviantART page.
Eriah and her husband, Farkas, arrived home in Windhelm after running a mission for the Companions. They couldn't wait to get back to Hjerim where their children, Samuel and Sofie, were in the care of Eriah's housecarl. Calder was a fine, able warrior. They arrived at the house and walked in. Immediately, something seemed off. "Calder?" Eriah called as she and Farkas withdrew their weapons. A pained whine issued from upstairs. The two Companions eased up the stairs and were greeted by Vix, Sofie's pet snow fox. She whined at them and headed for the master bedroom. The two came into see Bran, the dog Eriah had brought home after a stint in the Dawnguard, lying wounded and near him was a badly injured Calder. "My Thane." Calder groaned as she and Farkas rushed to his aid. "What happened?" Farkas asked, hoisting Calder up as Eriah started casting a healing spell. "They came out of nowhere. Said they had a message for you and you would find it with Jarl Ulfric." Calder grunted.
"Who came, Calder?" Eriah asked. "I'm sorry, my Thane." was all her housecarl said before he passed out. "We need to get to the Palace." Eriah said before turning her magic on Bran and healing his wounds part of the way before her magicka ran out. "I'm worried about the kids." Farkas said, as he pulled Calder to his feet and started moving him to his room. "I'm sure that they're safe in the Palace. Once we see what the message is, we can finish helping Bran." Eriah said. Bran growled and limped to her. The husky pulled his lips back. "Seems he wants to go along. Stubborn dog." Farkas said. Eriah knelt down and rubbed his head. "Stay here, Bran. Look after Calder and Vix." she said. The husky sat down and quietly barked. The Companions then left the house and headed for the Palace. When they arrived, they were bustled in by a pair of Stormcloak soldiers. Though the civil war was long over, the Stormcloaks continued to serve as the Windhelm guards.
Ulfric was pacing before his throne and when he saw Eriah and Farkas entering, he stopped and ordered Jorleif and Wuunferth out of the room. "You've finally returned, Dragonborn." he said, coming to meet them. "What's happened? Are our children here?" Eriah asked. Ulfric looked angry and scared, which threw her for a loop. He wasn't known to openly show fear. He pulled a sealed letter from his coat. Eriah took and ripped it open. She read it, her face growing darker. Her hands started shaking and even Farkas took a step back. "Those damn Thalmor! They've abducted my children!" she screamed. Her husband snatched the letter from her hands as Eriah's rage caused her entire body to shake. "Those bastards!" Farkas snarled, crunching the letter between his hands. Eriah's eyes shot to Ulfric. Without any warning, her fist flew and caught him hard in the jaw. Caught completely off-guard, the Jarl was sent back into his throne where he grunted in pain. The Stormcloak guards made to apprehend her but Ulfric gathered his wits faster and waved them off. "Why didn't you protect them!? How the hell did they manage to get into this city and kidnap my children!?" Eriah raged. Ulfric rubbed his jaw, his own eyes glaring at the Dragonborn, his anger in tandem with her own. "They must've come during the night and carried them off. The courier came later in the morning. I'm just as surprised and angry as you are." he said.
"Oh, I'm way beyond anger. The Thalmor are going to pay dearly for crossing me. They not only took our children but they injured Calder and Bran. I will tear them to pieces." Eriah growled darkly. Farkas knew what she meant and set his hand on her shoulder. "I can't let you go alone." he said. The Dragonborn looked at him. "I can handle this myself. It's me they're after. I need you to take care of Calder and Bran." she said. Her husband saw the fire in her eyes, as well as the beast that still lurked in her. She had already rid him of his beast blood but she had yet to find the last Glenmoril Witch to cure herself. He knew she was more than a match for the Thalmor even without it. Still, he worried about her. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I'm sure. I can't bear it if the Thalmor hurt you, Farkas. I know you could take them on but right now, I don't want to take any chances." Eriah explained. "Are they keeping the children at the Embassy? If so, how do you plan to get there and into the building?" Ulfric asked, reminding them both he was still there. He had gotten back on his feet with a hand pressed to his jaw where Eriah slugged him. "You know I have an ally or two in dragons, right? I know Odahviing would be happy to give me a ride. As for how I'm getting into the Embassy, that's easy. I'm going to break the door down." she replied.
Ulfric and Farkas looked at each other. "I suggest you take him with you, Dragonborn. Samuel and Sofie are just as much his children as they are yours." the Jarl said, noting that Farkas clearly did not want to be left behind. Eriah was silent for a moment before she looked at Farkas. He stared into her eyes. "If you're planning to do what I think you are, you're going to need me. Probably not as backup but you know what I mean." he said. Now that her anger was simmering a little, Eriah remembered that transforming into a werewolf was a surefire way of damaging her Blades armor. Farkas would be instrumental in hanging onto her weapons and armor while she was off tearing the Thalmor apart. "You're right." she said quietly. She lowered her gaze to the floor and tears sprang up into her eyes. She fell to her knees as her sorrow and fear erupted. Farkas knelt down and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
Ulfric remained standing where he was. He didn't blame her for throwing that punch. He had done nothing to actually deserve it but he and Eriah had been friends long enough for him to know that when her anger exploded like it had, she was often blinded by it. Such was the nature of the Dragonborn, a dragon soul wrapped in a mortal shell. Eriah possessed some traits that defined the dov, aside from the innate ability to use the Voice. If pushed to the point she had just been, her anger was reminiscent of the dragons. The fact she had no love for the Thalmor combined with the fact they had taken her children had summoned her draconic wrath. This had been the first time she had ever raised her hand against him, which surprised the Jarl more than it actually angered him. His rage at the Thalmor for what they had done was greater than his anger at Eriah punching him in the face. Even Ulfric, who knew firsthand just how clever the elves were, found their gall to be extremely shortsighted and stupid. They knew full well what Eriah was. Taking her children never should've been an option if they were trying to get back at her for practically ending the civil war they were trying to prolong so they could remain in power. Kidnapping children was a new low for the Altmer bastards. He decided to save it for another time. Right now, there were two children on the other side of Skyrim waiting for their parents to come after them.
After Eriah cried out her rage and sadness, she allowed Farkas to pull her to her feet. "We make for the Embassy. Please send some guards and a healer to Hjerim to look after Calder and Bran for us." she said quietly, not meeting Ulfric's gaze. "It will done. Fly swiftly, Dragonborn. I await your return." Ulfric said. Eriah and Farkas left the Palace and a guard went ahead of them to warn the citizens the Dragonborn was going to summon Odahviing with orders for the soldiers not to engage him. "Stand back." the Dragonborn said to her husband. He did so and Eriah closed her eyes for a moment. "OD AH VIING!" she Shouted. The Throat of the World was easily seen as far east as Windhelm and given the speed her dragon ally had, he'd be there pretty quickly. Odahviing was a red dragon and former second-in-command to Alduin during the Dragon War. He swore to answer her Shout should Eriah need him after the black dragon's defeat in Sovngarde. The guards waiting with them heard an answering roar and understandably got jittery. This hadn't been the first time Odahviing had been summoned this close to Windhelm or or any other population center in Skyrim but the simple fact that he was a dragon still set them ill at ease. It took only fifteen minutes for Odahviing to appear. "Steady." Eriah calmed the guards, who instinctively placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.
The red dragon circled overhead for a moment before coming to land on the road. "Dovahkiin, thuri (1). I could smell your fear and anger a league out. What has happened?" he asked. "The Thalmor happened. Somehow, they managed to sneak into Windhelm and abducted Samuel and Sofie. They wounded Calder and injured my dog." Eriah explained. Dragons had limited facial expressions but Odahviing's shock at the news was palpable. "Abducting the Dovahkiin's kiir?(2) Vir meyus.(3) I assume you wish me to take you to where they are?" he asked. "That's correct. They're being held in the Thalmor Embassy near Solitude." Farkas said. Odahviing raised his head to look at the sky. "I have sworn my service to the Dovahkiin. I will carry you and yours to the place. While the dov have no concept of kiir, you're also a mortal who has them and thus are spurred into action in order to protect them. Getting you both to the other side of Keizaal will take about four hours if I push myself." he said. "Let us set off. We can't waste any more time." Eriah said. Odahviing lowered his neck to the ground and she mounted. Farkas got on behind her. "Hang on, joor. The Dovahkiin is versed in dragon riding but this is a first for you." the dragon said to his newest passenger. Spreading his wings, Odahviing was airborne and they were flying through the sky.
"Samuel...Sofie. We're coming for you."