You Little….

"You know, this really seems unfair." Blaise announces as he deflects his sister's strikes. Was it just him or was she getting faster the longer they fought? No way was he getting tired yet.

"No less fair than any other time." Sofie says as she spins away from her brother's elven blade. He pulls the blade back while she was in mid spin before rams her with using his shoulder as point. She stumbles but catches herself. "Now that was unfair." She says with a gleam in her eyes now. She laughs before the growling grew again.

He jumps back as a wolf runs in between the two. It tries to bite Sofie who kicks it away instead. "You really don't think we're at a disadvantage, fighting each other as a pack of wolves attack us?" He questions quickly falling on top of the injured wolf and slitting its throat.

"Yes we're both at a disadvantage, but it isn't unfair. It's barely a handicap. A giant use to attack our home every other month, afterall. Do you really think fighting these wolves are harder than a giant from nowhere." She aims to kick him in the side but he blocks with his arm. Blaise shoves the foot away and stands up as fast as he could before she could strike again.

"Giants don't come from nowhere." Blaise states taking a swing at her. She dodges but barely and his fist makes contact with her upper arm. Even after one giant was killed another always showed, until one day they just stop coming altogether. Ma says they just gave up eventually and learned to avoid coming this way when going south. Man was he glad for it. He casts a his gaze towards the large lake. Lakeview manor was his favorite house out of the many his parents owned. It was his sister's as well.

"You're distracted." Sofie sings-songs as she grabs him from behind and holds her knife to his neck.

"Yeah. I was." Blaise admits. His thoughts were still elsewhere and Sofie sighs, releasing him. Sofie decides to try and snap him out of his thoughts by taking a few steps back, before charging him. Blaise knew what she was planning. He waits until he saw her feet leave the air from the corner of his eye. He turns and grabs her while she was still in the air. He begins flipping her over his shoulder but of course she squirms and they both fall. They fell on a wolf which softened the blow at least. Still you would think the stupid creatures would've learned to leave them alone such as the giants did. Sofie ends this one. Quick, and painless, one knife straight through it's head.

There was still two more. Blaise and Sofie turn towards them and glare at the remaining wolves. The wolves glare back, challenging them. The siblings did not look away. Realizing defeat the wolves gave a few more quick, sharp barks before they turn around tailed tucked between their hind legs as they ran away. Silence as they ran away. Blaise was the first to break it. His hearty laugh echoes through the open space as he falls onto his side. Sofie remains sitting up for a few more moments, watching her brother in revel in his hysteria. She finally cracks a smile before falling onto her side and joining him.

When the two finally stop they realize that their clothes were messy with wolf blood, drying mud, and already crusty dry dirt. Balimund was not going to be happy about those. Still they had plenty of clothes in their chests. It wasn't too hard to change. Blaise was already considering what he would change into before setting his clothes on top of his chest for him to wash later. Knowing Sofie she would probably stay in her until late tonight when she changes into her night robes.

"Well we better get going." Sofie says almost in a whisper. She looks over at the house, even from here it's size was intimidating to most. Blaise likes it though. The intimidation that people felt when looking at it. Of course Sofie was reluctant to go back for another reason. Luckily Blaise knew what would cheer her up.

"Come on we'll get Llewellyn to sing us a song."

"Only if father says we are allowed too. Mother may not want to hear it." Sofie cautions. Still she had smiled again for a moment. She always did love hearing bards sing.

Blaise slips his knife into the hand made sheath on his side. He had made it while learning to work a forge with Balimund and Asbjorn. They both excel when near the forge, however Blaise had little skill for it. Asbjorn still gave him lessons here and there but only when he traveled to Riften, which was rare, even rarer nowadays. His father was always smiling and happy, but when he was at work in a forge he was in his natural element then. Still he was trained until he could craft all basic armor and weapons. His best but hardest creation was the sheath he now carried his knife in. It was simple with his name on the back. That had been the hardest bit to get right because he kept slipping and a hole would go through the entire thing or the sheath itself would come out to thin.

Blaise goes straight to his room when they get back. He digs through his things until he finds a nice blue shirt and a pair of matching, comfortable blue pants. He changes out of his green shirt and brown pants before he walks out again. He runs a hand through his hair. Rayya stood near the steps looking around from her spot.

"Hello Rayya."

She nods in acknowledgment.

Blaise walks by her and up the steps. He looks around, but sees no sign to indicate his mother had gotten out of bed yet. From how Rayya was standing at the bottom of the steps, ma was definitely still in bed. He treads carefully to make sure the wooden floors didn't squeak underneath him. The floors were a few years old. When they first visited the house for a weeks they never made a sound. As the years went by they started to creak a little more from the years and the weight of it all. Still he felt no need to be cautious and sometimes he still forgets about it.

He stands outside of the room for a few moments, watching the sleeping figure. He thinks back to all the other times his mother had been sick. She had always found a temple to pray at and then moments later she would be find. As if the aedra were watching out for her. Considering all the legends surrounding her, someone had to be. Blaise knew the legends that everyone in Skyrim knew. Some he was not allowed to hear for his mother and father refused to let anyone consider them or even play with the thought of them while at any of their houses. They could not control the outside world so Sofie and Blaise heard some while out and about. If they weren't sure it was real or not they would ask their mother the next time they saw her. She would either confirm the tale, or tell them the truth that it was spun from. She never kept secrets, not from Blaise. For Blaise was like Lydia, or maybe even uncle J'Zargo. He was there from the beginning and he knew everything about his ma. Even if he didn't hear all the rumors or legends that surrounded her, he knew the person behind them all.

She stirs in the bed a little, and Blaise wonders if she knew he was there. He stands still until she turns over onto her other side completely. Slowly her eyes open. Once they were wide awake she notices him, and tries to push herself up. Blaise's first initial response was to help her sit up but she raises her hand and stops him. She wanted to do it by herself. So Blaise remains by the door until she was sitting up and wiping her face clean of sweat with her hands. When she once again focuses on him she gives him a smile and motions for Blaise to approach her. Blaise complies, and sits besides his mother on the bed.

"You have grown up so much." She begins and it is one of the very few times she brings up the past. His mother didn't like making a habit of such things. "I think it's time that you met someone very important. However it might be dangerous." She says the last part sadly as if it scared her to admit. She turns her head towards the drawers beside her bed and opens the top one. She pulls out a clean, neatly folded letter. "If you send this letter he'll meet with you, but getting to the meeting spot will take a few days so send this by courier ahead of yourself, and use the day to pack." She grabs my hands and places the letter gently into them. "You can read it if you want but I do not think you know the words. I can not remember if I ever taught them to you and your sister."

Blaise turns the letter over in my hand and unfold it. In pitch black ink, carefully written across the entire middle, in large bold words, Sos till mu dir. He had no idea what it said or what language it was written in. He flips it over and there was nothing else anywhere on the parchment.

"What is it? How will the courier know where to take it?" Blaise asks.

"It is in Dovahzul. It means Blood till we die. It is a very secret message that I use very rarely. It has been a long time since we've met face to face. I will be glad that we will do so once more at least."

Blaise listens carefully as his mother leans back onto the bed and begins drifting off. "Ma, how will they know who they will deliver it too?"

"There is a bird, ask the courier for the Soven. If they pretend not to know who that is repeat the phase un soven funrahiik and hand them thirty gold. They will take the message to Soven who will deliver it to it's destination. He will meet you at Labyrinthian. When you meet tell him that I send my regards for not meeting him personally and that you are my son. He will not believe you until you say these words, Hi zalus siigonis." She hands him another piece of paper that was larger than the first. It was a map with a place circled on it and a path drawn in black ink.

"What do those mean?" Blaise begins commenting the words to memory.

"It's has been a long morning, please do not ask anymore questions. Take the letter to a courier in Falkreath." With that the nord woman curls in on herself and closes her eyes as she lays in the fetal position.

Blaise looks back and forth between his mother and the letter. It was an odd request but he wouldn't deny it. So he stuffs the letter into his shirt pocket and walks downstairs. Balimund was cooking. He walks past his father, ignoring his mouth as it began to water at the smell. He was at the door before his father stops him.

"Where are you going Blaise?"

"Ma wanted me to fetch a courier from town to have a letter delivered for her pa. She said it was important so I thought I would go right away."

Balimund tastes the stew with a wooden spoon. "Alright, but take a bowl to eat on your way. The town isn't very far south west from here but you should get something in your stomach." He insists and holds the wooden bowl out for Blaise to take as his other hand continues to stir the soup.

"Ah is that for me Pa. Thanks." Sofie says as she runs out of her bedroom and over to the bowl, Balimund deftly moves it out of the way. Sofie stops on the balls of her feet and pouts. "Hey."

"I will make your bowl next. Your brother is going to town so the first bowl is his." Balimund says with an amused smile on his face. Blaise walks over and takes the bowl from his father's hand.

"Thank you pa." Blaise grabs a spoon from where it sat on the table nearby. He eats a few bites as he walks back over to the door. Gently he pushes it open with his foot and walks out. He didn't make it far, however, before his sister came out after him. He heard her scream his name before he heard her feet running after him. He speeds up so that he could make it before she caught up but somehow she did anyways and continues running a few feet past him. Blaise slows down to a stop and eats the rest of his food. He tips the bowl so he could drink the broth faster as his sister waits for him a few feet ahead.

She was finishing her own food before he reaches her. Once she was done she packs the empty bowl along with the spoon into her satchel. She adjusts the strap so it was on her shoulder instead of around the front of her neck. She fixes her hair and gives him a defiant look.

"I'm coming with."

"Do you even know where I'm going?" Blaise asks as he passes Sofie, not even looking her way.

"To Falkreath."

"Yeah, so why are you coming?"

"Because I have some things to sell. So I am going to open my stall today and sell what I can while we're down there."

"Is all your stuff in that one stachel?"

"No. I have some of it stored in chest at my stall already."

"I bet you it was all stolen already."

"Nuh-uh."

"It definitely is."

"They wouldn't allow that."

"Who would stop a master thief? No one would even see them."

"Why would a master thief bother with my stall and chests?"

"Who knows? Maybe they just feel like it." Blaise counters as he jumps over a fox hole. He could feel Sofie glaring daggers into the back of his neck.

"Whatever mammoth nose." Sofie spits out angrily.

"I don't have a mammoth nose!" Blaise shouts back. Sofie runs past him sticking her tongue out as well. Blaise chases after her. They were at Falkreath before either of them knew.

"Well we're here. See you later Blaise." Sofie runs off towards the small spot in between two larger buildings where her stall stood.

Blaise walks through town looking for a courier as his mother told him too. He passes the jarl house and explores the rest of the town. Eventually he found one. The courier was sitting on a bench outside of blacksmith's place. Blaise catches the courier by the shoulder before he could stand up and take his leave. The courier jumps into the air at the sudden touch.

"I've been looking for you. I need a message delivered." Blaise could see relief spread across the courier's face before it became serious. "I need Soven."

The courier gave him a confused look. "Who are you talking about?" He asks pretending to be clueless, but Blaise notices how he had said who and not what.

"Un soven runrahik." Blaise says stumbling over the words slightly. He pulls out thirty gold and passes it over to the courier.

"It will be done sir." The courier bows at the waist before leaving.

Blaise makes his way over to his sister's stall. "How is business going today?" He lets his body fall backwards until his the top of his shoulders land on the wall. Sofie was leaning up agianst her stall as people walk by.

"Not as great as I had hoped it was." Sofie admits with a sigh before she stares down at her wares, and then at the stall of her itself. She was clearly considering to pack up for the day and go home.

"Come on. If you leave now i'll walk back with you." Blaise offers. Sofie rolls her eyes.

"I don't need a babysitter Blaise."

"Good because I don't want to babysit anyone. Now, do you want to go home?" He asks and he pushes himself up off the wall. He holds his hand out and she smiles before smacking it away.

"How old do you think I am?" She asks jollily.

"About as old as I am."

"So why would I hold your hand?"

"Because I'm your brother and you want too." He teases. She grabs the basket and tucks it underneath one arm. She walks out from behind the stall, having locked or packed everything away in her case or basket. She grabs his hand and they begin walking back home. Occasionally they heard the none-too-careful person whispering. When they were younger it didn't matter that Blaise was a Breton. Most people didn't care. However once Ulfric had taken control of Skyrim things began to change. Quite radically at first but then they slowed. Things became more dangerous for anyone who wasn't a nord. At first no one paid any mind to Blaise who was a Breton. No one questioned if he and Sofie were actually related. Their dark hair, and facial features were similar enough, and the way they acted no one really thought anything else for awhile. Until they grew up and Blaise's Breton features slowly began to become more prominent. His ears started to grow pointed, not as much as elves do, but enough for people to take notice. His fingers became longer and slender a well, unlike most nords who have tough hands and average size fingers that are typically a little more meaty. Small details like that made him a target, despite how ridiculous that may seem. Blaise didn't blame Ulfric. When he was little and they lived in Windhelm he had actually wanted to join the stormcloaks. His mother and father wouldn't let him however.

Sofie had grown up in Windhelm all of her life until mother came and took her in. She didn't feel as much sympathy for the Stormcloaks leader as Blaise did. She loves the stormcloaks but she often thought Ulfric took things too far and often let things get out of hand. Once Sofie had been walking home after packing everything in her stall away. She was traversing through the woods, to get home, and while she growing near the lake she heard a group of people shouting obscenities. Of course she investigated the matter. Much like her mother she did not like leaving such matters alone. If someone was getting mugged they would need help.

She was surprised to see that it was a group of teenagers from the village who were roughly between fifteen and eighteen. At the time she and Blaise were barely fifthteen. Her birthday had been a month before and his two more before hers. They weren't muggers, Sofie knew these boys. She often sold herbs and fish to their mothers and sisters. However her surprised did not stunt her anger. In the middle of the group was a boy lying on the ground. She did not know who this was nor did she really care. What had bothered her so much was the fact that two of the boys were away from their friends and they were fighting a very familiar Breton teenager. He hadn't pulled out his knife and he didn't have any other weapon on him. She couldn't figure out why he didn't just pull out his knife and scare them away. She was done just watching as soon as Blaise forgot one was there as he was fighting with the taller of the two. The other boy slammed his elbow into Blaise's side and knocked him down.

"Hey!" Sofie shouted. She sat her basket down and storms over towards the boys. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked her tone demanding.

"Get out of here little girl. We're teaching these foreigners that they don't belong in Skyrim." Says the oldest boy who was standing over Blaise, who was pushing himself back up to his feet.

"I'm not going anywhere. You aren't picking on a foreigner. That's my brother and if you think I'll just let that go then you're wrong." Sofie explains calmly.

"You're a nord. He can't be related to you." The smaller one hisses.

"And you're not a khajiit so how do you many to hiss like that?" She asks with a smirk. The boy growled before running at her. Sofie punched him in his chest to make him pause before she swung again and hit him in face. That was when the other boys started paying attention to her and Blaise used the momentary distraction to attack the eldest boy who he had been fighting before. By the end of it, the boys had ran away, Blaise had a black eye, a few scrapes and bruises, Sofie was covered in dirt, had a cut on her cheek, and her knee was bleeding. The other boy they had been beating up was a small, redguard kid who had been sent to Skyrim to live with his distant relatives. He had been going to Falkreath to get a couch to take him to her. So of course they brought him home and their dad made a large dinner for everyone to eat while their mom cleaned their wounds and made them some potions to aid the healing. Then the kid got on our couch and mom made sure he got to his aunt's place safely.

After that day Sofie had decided that Nords and the way they treated outsiders was not the way things should be handled. Sofie spent plenty of her time talking to other people and learning the way to convince others how to agree with you. When she wasn't doing that, or gathering materials, chores, or hunting, she would help with the forge. Sofie's talents were smithing, hunting, and speech. She could also use a little bit of alchemy that her mother had taught her. Blaise's talents were hunting, he knew some enchanting which his mother had to spin hours teaching him, and archery. Blaise was more willing to understand the reason people did the things that they did. Sofie was the one more at risk of reacting to a bad situation with a physical solution. She was stronger than Blaise and more skilled in a forge but Blaise was smarter when it came to dealing with others and quicker on his feet. It took quite a it for either to ever get truly angry and when they did it often met that no one was going to see them for quite some time until after they had killed a few things.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Blaise asks as he jumps over a structure of rocks.

"I'm thinking bout that time you had the snot beaten out of you because of a redguard kid. I'm also considering what to hunt for dinner." Sofie answers as she walks around the structure instead.

"Hey, I was trying to help him out." Blaise defends.

"Lot of good you did." Sofie mutters with a twinge of annoyance.

Blaise doesn't reply to that. Instead he looks off, over to the lake, before he states, "I'm leaving tonight."

Sofie stops. "Why?" She asks honestly confused as to why he would do such a thing.

"Mom wants me to go and meet with someone. The letter's already sent. I leave tonight." Blaise answers before he begins walking again, same pace as usual but Sofie fell far behind as she stood still and watches him walk away.

Once he was about ten feet ahead she was shaken out of her daze. She runs to catch up, careful not to trip over the roots, and rocks she knew were there without looking. She catches up within a few moments.

"Wait, are you going alone?" Sofie asks, definitely more curious now.

"Yes. Mom didn't say to bring anyone else."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure if I should say. I don't know where it is exactly but mom gave me a map with the place circled on it and a path laid out."

"Is it dangerous?" Sofie asks her curiosity peaking.

"Mom said it could be." Blaise answers slowly, wondering what Sofie was getting at. He recognizes the sound her voice held. It wasn't anything good. It was her, oh really then I'll just do this thing, voice.

"Well then. Count me in." Sofie exclaims with an eagerness that was always unique to her.

"No way." Blaise states as he passes her and walks past the stables.

"Oh come on. Yes." She insists.

"I said no. I'm only going because Ma asked she never said to bring you too."

"I'm coming."

No you're not." Blaise states as he pushes open the front door. "That's that."

"Stop me." She challenges.

"Fine. I have to tell him anyways, just like you said. Dad!"

Balimund walks out of the kitchen and meets his children by the front door. "What's going on here?" He asks as he wipes his hands clean with a rag. "How did the trip to town go?"

"It went alright." Blaise answers.

"You're home early Sofie." Balimund comments.

"Yeah. No one was stopping by the vendor today. So I came home." She shoots a pointed look at Blaise who gives her a 'don't challenge me' smirk.

"Was there something you wanted Blaise?" Balimund asks looking between his two children before sighing. "What are you two arguing about this time?"

"Ma wants me to go someplace to meet a friend of hers for her. She said it was important, Sofie wants to come with. I told her she couldn't cause Ma only told me to go. Tell her she can't go." Blaise requests before him and Sofie got into one of their glaring matches.

"You're mother didn't tell me anything about this. Hmm, where are you going?" Balimund asks, he knew where all his wife had gone, not always what she did when she went there however. Still he knew what cities and towns many of her friends reside in. He was trying to figure out which one she wanted Blaise to meet.

"Uh, some place called the Labyrinthian." Blaise answers slowing, turning his face away from Sofie to read his father's reaction.

"You aren't going."

"See Sofie,"

"You aren't going either Blaise." Balimund says with a grave expression on his face. 'That's the end of this discussion." He walks away from them and instead goes to Ma's and his room.

Blaise and Sofie stand frozen to their places. Balimund was never this angry or dead serious about anything.

"Well," Sofie begins. "So when are we sneaking out?" She asks causally.

"Mom told me to use today to pack."

"So we leave tonight then."

"No I leave tonight."

"Oh really? Not if I tell Pa you're plan."

"You don't know my plan."

"You're going to put something in Rayya's drink so she turns in early tonight and then you'll wait for the bard to play their music so no one will hear the door above your bedroom open and close."

Blaise blinks away his surprise. "How did you,"

"Did you really think no one noticed you sneaking off to meet that dark elf girl who was visiting the village last year?" Sofie asks with a smirk.

"It wasn't like that!" Blaise defends.

"I'm sure. Anyways, do we have a deal?"

"You're a real troll."

"Thank you elephant nose."

"You little brat." Blaise spats angrily as Sofie runs off.

Thank you for reading and I hope you continue to do so because in the next chapter we officially begin our journey and meet a strange old friend of the dragon born.