Disclaimer: I do not own Skyrim. It belongs to Bethesda Studios. I am just playing on their stage.
Modern Day/Somewhere over Georgia
Lydia Baldwin relaxed back into her airline seat. It was her first time flying first class. But she supposed she could get used to this, now that she was becoming famous in her own right.
That very morning she had stood in front of television cameras, discussing her victory, in a reality television wilderness survival show. She attributed her success to the late Earl Baldwin, an award-winning wildlife photographer. He adopted her as an infant, after being abandoned in a public restroom. He had always assured her she was the best thing in his life.
The two of them spent years trekking in the wilderness, photographing animals in their natural habitat. Earl Baldwin taught her survival skills. He also kept her balanced, by encouraging her personal interest in archery and martial arts. But, mostly he had loved her unconditionally. She missed the old man dearly.
A soft cough distracted Lydia from her musing. Sprawled on the seat next to her was her sword and fencing instructor Alistair Kent. He was striking with the well-defined muscles of someone who spent hours hefting huge swords. He was a disciplined but hard taskmaster who encouraged her to be her best.
As a collector of antique weapons and armor, he loved to spend time attending medieval fairs and cultural events. Lydia secretly believed he would have made a great knight. In fact, his wife often joked he was born in the wrong time period.
Lydia knew this because his wife her best friend Grace, was sitting opposite Alistair smirking at her. She was never concerned about Lydia eyeballing her man. It didn't bother her.
Grace and Lydia grew up together. They were polar opposites who managed to become lifelong friends.
Lydia's best feature was her expressive brown eyes. She favored French manicures, and casual clothes. Her dark hair fell in unruly waves and she rarely wore make-up.
Her main concession to a beauty routine, was to bleach her freckles with lemon juice during the summer. However, physical fitness was her passion. The overall impression she gave, was an outdoors type who cleaned up well when she wanted to.
On the other hand, Grace was a classical beauty who lived up to her name. She carried her petite curvy body with confidence. She favored designer clothes, and followed the latest hair and nail trends.
Lydia often teased her about constantly changing her hair color. But she managed to pull it off. She came across as poised, elegant and groomed to perfection.
Lydia noticed an unusual amount of tension coming from Grace and Alistair. He seemed nervous. Grace smiled encouragingly at him.
Lydia couldn't hide her curiosity "What's up guys?".
Alistair started to speak, but Grace cut him off and said, "Please be open-minded".
Lydia glanced back and forth between the couple wondering why they suddenly seemed guarded.
Alistair spent a few minuets gathering his thoughts. Finally, he spoke quietly, "In 1485 a knight in the service of Richard Plantagenet received a vision from Ellyn the wise, the most powerful witch of his time. He learned his family line was fated to die with him at the Battle of Bosworth Field. But, the witch offered him a pact which would change his future."
Lydia couldn't hide her confusion, "A witch? A pact?".
Alistair captured and held her gaze before continuing, " If he returned a magical amulet to it's true owner, he would find love and be granted heirs. The knight accepted since the promised reward was immeasurable. But, he hadn't yet learned, that cheating fate would enact its own price. Even Ellyn had no idea his true love didn't exist in that time and place. So he sacrificed his honor, and betrayed his king in those dealings with the witch".
Lydia didn't know what to think,"Where is all this coming from?".
The light in Alistair's eyes became more intense,"What if I told you time travel is real? I swear on my honor I'm Alistair the Brave. I traveled through time to this time period."
Lydia sputtered. "How much have you had to drink Al?" she began cautiously.
His answer was to rummage in his pocket, withdrawing a leather thong necklace with an ice blue pendant. It was exquisitely carved with strange runes. In spite of herself, Lydia reached for it.
He moved it out of her reach, "You have to accept it before you touch it. Allow me to explain what you're getting into. When Ellyn the witch cast a seeker spell on this amulet, she promised a path to my true love. None of us expected I would travel through time itself to find Grace. My personal code of honor compels me to complete my promise and offer this amulet to it's owner."
He turned the stone over to reveal what looked like a stylized letter Z curved into the back. It was familiar to Lydia.
She laughed "Grace knew about my birthmark. Why haven't you mentioned this before?"
Alistair closed his eyes as if he was in pain, " When we went swimming yesterday I recognized your birthmark. That's when I realized the owner of this amulet has been right under my nose for years".
Lydia believed her friends were trying to prank her. The pendant had to be a custom-made. elaborate joke. She decided to go along with it. " Tell me more," she said.
Alistair sighed, "Look Lydia I don't know what happens if you accept this. Just let me keep it. If you say no I have a loophole to destroy it.
Lydia knew she would never live this down. But, there was something compelling about the stone. She held out her hand, "It's mine right? Let me have it".
His face fell, " Look I'm begging you don't!"
Her opinion of his acting skills raised a notch. She wiggled her eyebrows, "Hand it over."
His eyes were expressing a range of emotions from panic to resignation. He hesitated before passing it to her. All he said was, "You have been warned".
Lydia sighed dramatically "you're such a drama king."
The pendant felt warm to the touch. Up close it reminded her of turquoise. But it was actually clear with lots of little ice blue runes pulsing inside. She had never seen anything like it.
Authors Note: I have several pairing in mind for this story. But they are not set in stone at at this time. Please feel free to review or leave feedback. I would love to know what you think of my stories. The inspiration for this story is a real life dream about Skyrim.