Boss: Well, here's my first Skyrim fanfiction. My main character was actually Khajiit but in reality, I look like an elf so I decided to make an elf that looked more like me with a similar background in that I'm a mutt. It helps me immerse myself into the game more, I guess. The points of view will shift from follower to Dragonborn in each chapter so there's more insight into how each character sees each other. Anyway, please enjoy and review. Constructive criticism is fine. Being a dick for no reason isn't. Thanks.
The first time Teldryn Sero met his companion, Kano, was in Solstheim. As usual, he had taken his preferred spot by the fire in the Retching Netch with a cup of sujamma on the table, listening to the merriment taking place downstairs. The Retching Netch had become busier since the arrival of the outlander that everyone had taken a shining to (save for Mogrul but he didn't like anybody). Speaking of the outlander, the familiar black armored form had just stepped through the door. The armor they chose to wear somewhat confused him. It looked so...penetrable. As if just a quick run through with a great sword would end her and the design only made him more curious. The only thing he could make out on the armor was the design of the bird on the chest but beyond that, the make up of the suit just confused him. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice the outlander approach him until the black form stood directly in front of him, looking down at him, or so he assumed since all he could see beneath her hood was two white, shining dots where he guessed her eyes were. She said nothing at first, making him raise an eyebrow beneath his own headgear but he simply put down his mug and turned his attention to her.
"Teldryn Sero, blade for hire. If you have the coin, I'm at your service", he introduced. She remained quiet for a moment, sizing him up before tossing a bag of coins into his hand and turning around, jerking her head towards the door. He smirked beneath his helmet and put the coins into a compartment in his armor. "Lead the way". During their time traveling, he made a few observations on his new employer. She didn't speak very much unless she felt it was important, making conversation with her a bit difficult outside of doing business with people or during a fight. Another habit, he noticed, was that much like him, she kept her face gear on as much as possible. He'd never seen her face. Teldryn would sometimes try to stay awake later than her to see if she would take if off before bed but he always ended up dozing off and by the time he woke up, it would be morning and she would already be awake, adjusting the armor back on her face. He imagined that's how some of his past companions felt when it came to him and his helmet, which at the current moment was driving him insane to breathe under. They had just ventured to the bottom of a Dwemer ruin and ended up in a place called Blackreach.
When first mentioned, he simply shrugged. It didn't sound like that great of a place upon description, but the moment he and Kano stepped through into the glowing world beneath, he had to admit he was pleasantly surprised. It was a breathtaking sight and even Kano had to give their surroundings a small applause.
"Oh, my...this is...", she said, unable to find the right words. They made their way through the area, discreetly at first while she gathered what he was told were crimson nirnroots, but the farther they went, the more Falmer and Dwarven Centurions they came across until there was a mass behind them, following fast. Kano's hands began to glow purple as she conjured up her swords and turned to the enemies behind them. "Ready, Sero?" she smirked. He chuckled as he summoned his flame atronach and drew his own sword.
"Nerevar, guide me!". This lead them into their current situation. They had managed to cut down almost everyone that had come after them but not far from their position, the echoes of the fight began to attract more Falmer and other creatures, backing them up onto the platform leading back to the upper level. Before their enemies could reach them, Kano flipped the large golden switch, taking them away from the glowing underground city and back to the upper level. She looked over at Sero who was currently hunched over on his knee, his breathing as heavy and audible as hers. The feeling of her breaths heating up her face frustrated her to no extent and with a growl, she reached up and yanked down her hood and face cover, leaning her head back as she took in large gasps of the cool air and allowed herself to fall back against the stone wall behind them since the threat was gone. Teldryn also managed to pull himself together and leaned back against the same wall, looking at her from the corner of his eye as much as his helmet allowed. It was a pleasant surprise on his part to see his companion was actually quite attractive. Black as night, straight hair that fell in an unruly yet soft way just below her shoulders, skin of an odd shade as if a mix of several different races. As she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face, he saw the points of her ears, confirming she was mer, albeit they were shorter compared to many and easy to hide. Light scars ran down the right side of her face in somewhat jagged lines that dragged from the top of her high cheekbones to just above her jaw. She could somewhat feel his gaze on her and turned her full attention to him, showing dark scleras with irises of a red and brown mix like blood across the earth after battle that was only accentuated by the black kohl she wore around her eyes. In short, he was impressed.
"What? What's wrong?" she asked, catching her breath. "Are you hurt?" . Teldryn let out a chuckle and turned to her.
"No, no. I'm fine. Just...satisfied", he said. A small smirk graced her lips.
"Near death experience to get your blood pumping?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No. I was just wondering which one of us would be the first to finally show the other their face". She silently looked at him for a moment before rolling her eyes at him.
"Do you ever take that damned thing off?" she frowned. A deep laugh shook him as his breathing evened out and they sat together, coming down from their battle high.
"I get that question quite a lot, you know"
"But do you?". He turned his gaze to her and she could feel the smirk from beneath his red bandana, causing her to gently rub at her temples. "I can tell this partnership is going to be an absolute joy", she mumbled. Teldryn arose from his spot and approached her, offering her his hand.
"Oh, I agree", he said. The thought of what would come excited him as she took his hand and he pulled her up, looking at her up close. "An absolute joy, indeed".
He learned much about her in the coming weeks as she slowly became more and more talkative. As it turns out, he was correct on his hunch of her being mixed. Her father was Bosmer and Altmer and her mother was Breton and Nord, making her what she liked to call 'a mutt of man and mer' as she explained how the members of her family disregarded concepts of 'social status' and 'blood purity', unintentionally making things difficult for her through life as she grew up a 'mutt', the term bestowed upon her by others she grew up around that didn't approve of the relationships that brought her into existence. At the same time, despite her issues with her bloodline, when she told him she was Dragonborn, she couldn't help but express how she loved the look on the faces of some Nords when they found out their Nordic legend was part mer which at this point, Teldryn was sure she was pulling his leg. He didn't believe her until the day a dragon attacked and he watched her absorb the soul of the giant winged beast after witnessing the power of the Thu'um that erupted from her small elven frame.'Perhaps that's why she doesn't get involved in the war', he pondered.
They were currently in Dawnstar where the new Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary resided. She told him of the different factions she was a part of in order to clarify that if there were any issues with him being around certain people or areas where she needed to tend to business, he had the opportunity to back out but he laughed. "It's going to take a lot more than assassins and thieves to make me uncomfortable, sera. Whatever it is you have to deal with is fine so long as I'm not the target at any point". So, here he was, sitting by the hidden entrance to the Sanctuary next to the Khajiit caravan that could normally be found outside of the town. While he didn't care about what factions she was in or what she did in her spare time, he wasn't going to intrude on her business or get nosey. She hired him to have her back, not judge what she did. His eyes wandered over to the caravan beside him, watching as they sat patiently, awaiting interested buyers. One stoked the fire while another cut wood to stay warm. He didn't think they got cold due to their fur. They were in Riften when he decided to ask one (politely, mind you) about it, to which they said, "It is not so much that Khajiit get cold as it is our homeland of Elsweyr stays warm, so Khajiit are used to warmth". Made sense to him once broken down. Them not understanding how others dealt with the cold could be compared to how he didn't get how anybody in Skyrim grew ANYTHING in soil without ash, but he supposed it was simply a cultural thing and left it at that. A creak behind him let him know that Kano was finished with whatever it was she needed to deal with in her Sanctuary as she popped up beside him. The smell of blood caught his attention and he turned to see a large spray of blood painted across her blank face. "And whose blood is that exactly?" he asked, knowing it wasn't hers and silently admiring the contrast of the crimson compared to the mixed tones of her skin that he had come to appreciate.
"Heh. Don't remember her name but she was being a real bitch", she laughed lightly. Kano stuck out her tongue and licked what she could reach off her lips and the side of her mouth slowly with a small sigh of satisfaction. She hadn't really gotten around to telling Teldryn about her association with the vampires in Volkihar, but at the moment, Teldryn wasn't concerned about his companion's unspoken vampirism as he was too busy watching her tongue slowly run across her full lips before retreating back into her mouth. He was currently very thankful for his insistence on keeping his headgear on, otherwise she may have caught the entranced look on his face as he watched her small attempt at cleaning up some of the mess she had made. She pulled at the cape on her armor and swiped it across her face, cleaning up the rest of the blood she couldn't reach. "Ready to get going?" she asked, pulling her hood back over her head to obscure her from the light.
"Where are we headed next?"
"Back to Riften. I have to check on some things", she said. A frown graced his lips but all Kano saw was the nod of his head. It wasn't that he had an issue with the place or the Guild beneath the city. He heard all kinds of tales about Riften from Glover. The problem was that he wasn't very fond of Brynjolf, Kano's right hand man amongst the thieves. There was something there, he could tell. It was evident in the way he looked at Kano and vice versa, his tone when addressing her, the agitating smirk that crossed his face when talking to her. Every time he heard 'lass' from him, it grated his nerves to no end. Of course, their relationship was none of his business and he knew it but he couldn't help how his eyes rolled when they started in on their ever so 'flirty' conversations. They were still talking business but good gods, they always insisted on speaking as if they were fucking each other with their words.
"Well, hello there, lass"
There it was. The trademark accent of the redheaded thief that his employer seemed to be so fond of. Kano pulled down her hood and shook out her hair, smiling at the thief. They had just descended the ladder of the secret entrance into the cistern and were greeted by Sapphire and Rune when Brynjolf approached.
"Hello to you too, Brynjolf", she responded. Brynjolf's eyes turned to Teldryn and he nodded.
"Hello, Teldryn. What brings you two back to so soon?" he asked as they made their way to the Ragged Flagon.
"I have some things for Delvin and since I'm going to be in the city for a few days, I figured now would be a good time to see how things have been going since I've been away", she responded. Sero rolled his eyes again. The sickeningly sweet tone she used when talking to him could be used in place of honey to make mead if she really put forth the effort and if he were not a well-mannered, intelligent man, he'd shout at them at the top of his lungs to just fuck and get it over with already, but he was definitely not going to insist on Kano fucking the other man. Whether it be because of the jealous streak he developed for her or otherwise, many of the men she introduced him to held an air about them that he was simply not taking a liking to.
"They've been going rather well, lass, although with you here, things always seem better", he said to her with that wolfish grin he always sent her way. Kano let out a laugh as she approached Delvin who merely shook his head at their antics. Teldryn liked Delvin. He was to the point and not attracted to Kano.
"Delvin Mallory, just the man I wanted to see", she said, sitting down in front of the older thief. He raised a brow.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that but okay", he sarcastically remarked. "What is it you need to see me for?". Kano smiled as she reached into the bag she had been toting around and began to pull out certain trinkets and statues from various places they had traveled to, setting them neatly on the table.
"You wouldn't happen to be interested in these, would you?" she asked. The man's eyes wandered the objects as he leaned forward against the table with a growing look of satisfaction.
"Well then. Been lookin' for these beauties for a while. Where'd you manage to find 'em?" he asked as he inspected each item. Kano leaned back in her chair and cocked her head.
"Work doesn't stop just because I'm not here, Delvin. You guys are always on my mind when I steal other people's belongings", she smiled, looking up at Teldryn. "Isn't that right, Sero?". Teldryn chuckled. It was true.
"She is quite chatty when it comes to all of you down here. I even got an earful about Mercer frey", he said. "Nasty bit of business you all had to deal with". Delvin sighed and shook his head.
"Nasty, indeed, but nothin' we haven't been able to bounce back from", he responded as he shucked out the coin for the items Kano brought in. "In fact, I dare say we've been doin' bettah, 'course that's a given since we don't have someone stealin' from the vaults no more".
"True. And let's be real, his voice was that of a khajiit's nails dragging against glass", Kano said with a grimace. "Wasn't a fan of hearing him speak". Delvin chuckled for a moment before he looked to the side, seeing Vex walk in from the cistern.
"It's been lovely catchin' up there but I got some things to tend to", he said as he rose from his seat, making his way to the blonde thief. Kano raised a brow and kinda laughed before turning to Teldryn, gesturing for him to sit down in his place.
"Nocturnal love him, he's never gonna stop gunning for Vex", she laughed as she split up the money from Delvin, pushing Teldryn's half towards him.
"How long has he been trying to woo her?" he asked, shoving the money into his coin purse. Kano threw up her eyebrows and shook her head.
"Since before I was even here, apparently. He hasn't given up yet, so I'm kinda hoping at this point he succeeds to be totally honest", she said as she rested her elbow on the table and leaned her head in her hand. "I think it would be kind of cute, in a somewhat strange way".
"Does anybody else here have any relationships within the Guild?" he asked. She shrugged as her eyes looked around at everyone in the Flagon.
"Well, as far as I know, Tonilia and Vekel may be in some type of relationship which would explain why she insists on hanging out in the Flagon most of the time. And Vex is everybody's favorite here to be honest as far as general affections go but other than that, I haven't the slightest idea. Sapphire isn't one for closeness, so I don't think she's got anyone she's particularly interested in here". As Brynjolf came into view and took a seat at the high bar, Teldryn decided to get a bit more curious.
"What about Brynjolf?" he asked. A smile came across Kano's face as she looked at the thief who smiled back at her.
"No. He likes using his charm to his advantage since he knows he's attractive. For him, it's just another tool for the trade, like a really good lockpick. Of course, I'm fairly certain he's picked more than his fair share of 'locks' in his time with the Guild", she laughed. Teldryn let out a half chuckle, somewhat relieved to know that there wasn't a relationship between the two, but it was short lived when the redhead made his way over to them, pulling a chair up between them.
"You wouldn't happen to be talking about me now, would you, lass?" he chuckled with a tankard in hand. She shrugged, grabbing the cup from his hand and taking a swallow from it before handing it back to him.
"Maybe. Teldryn just wanted to know about all of the possible relationships going on within the Guild, so I informed him of the two maybe existent one and then the many you've perhaps used to your advantage. Of course, 'relationship' may be a strong word for describing what you've gotten into", she smirked. Brynjolf raised a brow with a smirk.
"Hey, now, I never did anything more than what I was invited to do. Technically. I guess I ran off with more hearts than gold on accident", he said in his cocky tone to which Kano rolled her eyes and looked at Teldryn.
"What'd I tell you? Definitely picked more than his fair share of 'locks'"
"'Lock' would insinuate it was difficult to get into", Brynjolf smirked as he leaned back in his chair, reminiscing on past 'accomplishments'. Beneath his helmet, Teldryn's eyes were rolling like skulls off of a stone staircase. The thief certainly had no problem acknowledging his 'endeavors' beyond his current profession. "Come on, now. You can't say you haven't fluttered those pretty lashes once or twice to get a job done or blown a kiss here and there to empty some poor fool's pockets, lass". Kano chuckled.
"I've never had to shed one bit of clothing to get what I wanted, Bryn. I'm good enough that I don't have to do that", she said as she smirked at the older thief.
"Oh, lass. You don't have to, but it's more fun if you do". There it was again. That wolfish look he gave Kano that made Teldryn want to vomit on command. Kano raised a brow.
"And that's the fine line between a thief and a common harlot, my dearest Brynjolf. So, in a way, you just said it was fun to be a harlot. Is it, Bryn?" she asked.
"Hey, I am not a harlot. I can't help if women find me attractive"
"Still makes you a harlot when you run off with their belongings afterwards". Brynjolf turned to Teldryn.
"Teldryn, back me up here. If a woman throws herself at you and makes it clear what she wants, is it really so bad to take a few things afterwards as 'compensation for services rendered'?" he asked. Sero sat there, looking at the thieves, wondering how exactly the conversation took a turn for a debate before leaning back in his chair and cocking his head a bit, the smirk on his face obscured by his bandana.
"Honestly, Brynjolf", Teldryn said,"it definitely makes you a harlot." Kano threw her arms into the air.
"Told you so!" she said teasingly to Bryn, who rolled his eyes with a light smile.
"You can't say you haven't perhaps done the same thing", he said to the chitin armored elf.
"Oh, I'm not denying spending nights with women, I just never took anything after"
"Why not?". A grin crossed Teldryn's face.
"They remember me quite well and fondly without me running off with any of their belongings".
Brynjolf's jaw nearly hit the stone floor.
Boss: So, there it is. That's the first chapter of my first Skyrim story.
Please review. Thank you for reading.
