Her Thane had not been quite what she had expected. Lydia liked to think that she was not a particularly prejudiced person, at least not compared to many of the northern folk in Skyrim anyways. But still she had the same misgivings about magic users as all Nords did, and certainly the few mages she had run across had done little to break out of the stereotype that came with being a magic wielder. Often they were thin, wiry and pale, a result of spending most their time indoors with heads buried in a book and having never lifted a hand to do any physical labor on their own behalf. They were either outspoken to the point of disrespect or seemingly incapable of communication like normal folks. Either way, they were unsociable and hard to relate to.
Yet when she had laid eyes on her Thane for the first time, she knew that he was unlike the other spell casters she had met in her travels. His dark hair and fair skin gave away his Breton ancestry, and while not as muscle bound as many of the hardy northern men, he was no scrawny milk drinker either. He stood tall, tall as most Nord men if only perhaps weighing about half as much seeing as he chose to wear leather armor over the more popular heavy variant that most the northern folks preferred. His back was turned to her as she approached, speaking with the Jarl and the many important people who had gathered at court to meet the new Thane of Whiterun.
His voice was deep and powerful, one that commanded attention with authority not given by title or deed but rather a hypnotic quality that caught the ear and would not let go. Even as Lydia approached, she could hear the many people surrounding the man burst into peals of laughter at whatever it was he had said. The Jarl himself seemed particularly animated with delight, clutching his sides as he clapped the dragonborn across the shoulders in a friendly display that had many of the nobles green with envy.
Straightening, the ruler of Whiterun wiped a tear from his eye before finally catching sight of Lydia. Seeing her leader beckon to her, she hastened her steps and moved towards the group of people who all seemed eager to speak to the new Thane.
"Ah my friend," boomed Jarl Balgruff, "with your new title of Thane of Whiterun comes more than just a seat amongst my court. May I introduce you to your new housecarl, Lydia of Whiterun."
Lydia felt her breath hitch as her new Thane turned to face her. Once, this was a face that would have been perhaps the most gorgeous across all of Skyrim if not the entirety of Tamriel. Handsome features that were so evenly balanced that it may have been carved into stone by the gods themselves were marred by a two lined scar that ran from the ridge of his right eyebrow downwards across the eye almost to the bottom of his cheek. They scared eye itself was milky white, similar to those who had gone blind, yet in the midst of the blank gaze was a strange glow of red that glared out at onlookers as if it could pierce through flesh and into the very soul of the unfortunate person. His left eye was a deep blue that pooled in such a way that a person could lose themselves in his gaze, and painted carelessly across his normal eye was black war paint in a style that mirrored the scar on his right side.
His mismatched eyes made keeping eye contact with him uncomfortable, and the corresponding scar and war paint did nothing to distract from his unnatural gaze. Forcing herself to meet his scrutiny, Lydia placed her free hand across her chest in a traditional Nord salute before bowing slightly before her new Thane.
"I am honored my Thane. My sword arm is yours, and I will protect you until my dying breath."
Startled by her Thane's deep laugh, Lydia looked up and caught sight of unnaturally sharp canines standing out against the row of perfectly even and white teeth.
"Let's try to leave the dying to our enemies shall we?"
Nodding dumbly, Lydia straightened up as the people around them once more broke out into appreciative laughter and jeering cries at her Thane's statement.
"Well said lad," growled the Jarl of Whiterun with approval in his eyes. "I do not envy your foes my friend. What do you plan to do next?"
Lydia stood uncertainly as her new master turned to face her Jarl and the group of eager faces that surrounded them. She was uncomfortable amongst the nobility of Whiterun and preferred to speak with her blade and fists, but she endured her discomfort and forced herself to pay attention.
"Well the Greybeards have sent their less than subtle invitation to their home," drawled the dragonborn. "I suppose it would be rude not to answer."
What would have been blasphemous coming out of anyone else's mouth was met again with the laughter of the people watching their new Thane with adoration in their eyes. Though Lydia felt slightly offended by the casual way in which her Thane dismissed the authority of the Greybeards, she could not help but find some amusement and ease in which the way he spoke. Truly here was a man with a silver tongue.
Balgruff nodded and sent the other people away with a glance and gesture. As the disappointed crowd moved away to chatter in their own little pockets, Lydia followed her Thane and Jarl as they moved back to the throne.
"I envy you my friend," said Balgruff. "To take the journey up to the temple at High Hrothgar, to walk the seven thousand steps of pilgrimage and see the sacred scriptures. I took that trip once myself in my youth. The throat of the world is unlike any place you will find in Tamriel. Take care my young friend, your journey I feel that will shape the destiny of more than just the people of Skyrim."
"Well no pressure then," quipped the new Thane of Whiterun. "I'll send them your regard shall I?"
The ruler of Whiterun shook his head with a chuckle. "You are too much my friend. Will you be leaving in the morning?"
"I might be leaving sooner than that. A moonlit stroll appeals to me at the moment. I am a traveler at heart, and the call of the wilderness is hard to resist even amongst your beautiful home."
"Ah to be young again," sighed Balgruff nostalgically.
Lydia dutifully followed after the two men, wondering what strange turn her life had suddenly taken.