Author's Note; This chapter originally ended with Skyrim's people being forced to flee their original landing site because someone ends up stabbing them in the arse. Let's just say I was stupid in this instance and tried to rush the action, rather than build the world first. Someone rightfully said it looked like the chapter had been written by someone else, and in the light of day, I had to agree. You the reader were short changed with a poorly written facsimile. That will not be allowed to happen twice. By the old gods and new, and by the light of the Nine, I swear to deliver better than what you've been given.
I will say this, I'm getting tired of these petty complaints in the review section. If it's not her being a vampire, it's her choice of being a lesbian. No one has considered there might be a good reason for both and more, and perhaps we just haven't gotten that far. Funny that no one seems to remember that Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell are confirmed homosexuals, and while I have nothing against it, you want to complain about my gal being of a similar nature? Can you see where you sound ridiculous and short sighted? But whatever, continue to complain, and write your own stories if you think you can do better. As for me, I'll continue to write this as I see fit, until there comes a time I move on because of petty insults outnumbering actual, meaningful reviews and actual feedback instead of the crap I've been getting. "Please update, I like the story" does not make for much motivation. I'd rather hear honest to God criticism over nothing or a simple request for more.
As for those that have left something meaningful, thank you, truly. Your encouragement and helpful criticisms make this story better and spurs us on to actually improve ourselves. I wish more people would follow your examples, but I'll take what I can get at this point.
Westeros.
Unknown.
The following several days were a blur as the ship was unloaded and a temporary tent city was established by the shore. Scouts were constantly sent out in all directions, seeing what, if anything, was within their newly established territory that would warrant further investigation. The only things within a hard day's ride were a number of small hamlets, a castle to the east, and a small fishing village further up the coast which was hemmed in by a large wall of mountains with a number of trails winding through them. No doubt that when winter came, the passes through the range would become difficult, if not outright impassable, which made Giselle quite glad they had chosen to make camp south of the mountains that were just within sight of their current location.
Riding down one of the main thoroughfares through the sea of tents that had been pitched, the dark elf nodded her head to anyone that she passed who stopped long enough to give her a cheer or a friendly greeting. Lucia was riding next to her, a smile on her face and a song on her lips as she hummed a tune to a little ditty she had heard earlier that week. "Do you think we'll get any visitors, mama?"
"I imagine so Lucia. It won't take long for people to notice they have strangers on their shores." Giselle replied, honestly surprised they hadn't received riders with letters from their respective lords or ladies already. She knew it would only be a matter of time though, and as much as she didn't want to say it in front of Lucia, the longer it took, the better in her opinion. The fields were still being planted, the walls of their houses were still being raised, and they were still offloading their supplies from their ship. They weren't ready to defend themselves if the need arose, not by a long shot.
Stopping their horses once they had come upon a nearby hilltop, Giselle couldn't help but stare at the empty fields that rolled off into the distance. It was a beautiful if empty country. There was a low fog that covered most of the land, which brought to mind the barrows and cairns she had explored while in Skyrim, but the morning light burned the fog away, revealing the fields of grass and the occasional tree in the distance. "It's kind of dreary, mama. But it's better than being on that cramped old ship." Lucia stated, earning a light hearted laugh from the dunmer. Lucia's grin blossomed into a smile that reached both of her ears.
"Just don't let the captain hear you say that, little wing. Besides, I actually liked the voyage, although I could have done without Elenwen and her forces following us all the way out here." Of Elenwen and her ship, or rather what had been left of it after Giselle had finished with them, there was no trace. Most of the people under her banner assumed they hadn't cleared the portal before it had shut hours after they had left it behind, but she wasn't so sure. Still, the chances of Elenwen having made it through the lunar gate were slim at best, and even if she did, that didn't mean she would be any more welcome than her own people. No, she wouldn't let a ghost bother her, not when they had come so far.
Her thoughts were pleasantly interrupted when she saw a rider approaching from the east. Giselle almost sent Lucia back, but held that urge in check when she saw that the rider was alone, waving a recently sewn banner with her new sigil born on a black flag. The twin white swords, crossed at the center of a black field. The seamstress had wanted to include a dragon skull beneath the swords, but Giselle had shot that idea down, stating that not all dragons were the monsters their fallen leader had been.
"Is it Delphine?" Lucia asked, straining her eyes in an effort to see who was approaching them. Delphine had been gone since early that morning.
"No, I think it's Sven." Giselle replied, nodding her head when the rider crested the nearby hill, the morning light hitting him full on the face before he disappeared at the bottom before he stopped at the top of their hill at last. "I was starting to worry that honeyed tongue had failed you Sven."
"It almost did Dragonborn." The Bard replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Lady Dustin's a hard, bitter woman, but she's willing to open up talks with you." Giselle nodded her head, but when she noticed he looked like he had more to say, Sven hesitantly continued at her silent prompting. "I got the impression she doesn't like the family in charge of this area of what she called the Seven Kingdoms. She didn't say why, and I didn't ask, but when I inquired about the Starks, her gaze hardened and she said nothing else on the subject. If you talk to her, I'd avoid bringing it up."
"I'll keep it in mind." Giselle said, a noticeable edge to her tone as she turned her horse around and led the way back into camp while Lucia and Sven flanked her. "Is there anything else you can tell me about this Lady Dustin, anything about Westeros itself?" Giselle asked, hoping to hear any hint of what the Elder Scroll had warned them about, in this land that they found themselves in.
"Quite a bit actually. There's nothing but humans out here. And besides wolves, deer, the occasional bear, and what they call shadowcats prowling the more mountainous regions, they don't seem to have anything truly dangerous besides cutpurses, bandits, and brigands, which we're pretty used to already. All in all, we seem to have found a place that isn't riddled with monsters and undead creatures….besides Serana I mean. Uh….I'm not doing well right now am I?" Sven chuckled nervously, but visibly relaxed when he saw the playful smirk on the dunmer's face as well as the grin on her adopted daughter's.
"It's ok Sven." Giselle said, trying to ease Sven's fear before he got any more tongue tied. "I know you meant no offense. Besides, if this land is as peaceful as you claim, then we might not have as much to fear, but I still want scouts and guards posted along our borders, just in case."
"Of course, only a fool would do otherwise."
"You were a fool once." Sven looked at Lucia in mild bewilderment, but she ignored the Nord's confused expression, "Mama told Delphine how you and someone else in Riverwood were after the same woman. Didn't you try to pay her to try and talk to the girl you both wanted?"
"Uh….something like that." He and Faendal had wanted someone to deliver a letter to Camilla, and Giselle had stopped in town at the best time, or so they had thought. When Camilla had called them in the middle of Riverwood's main road, she had promptly slapped them both before storming off. Giselle had pulled a fast one on both men, and had given Camilla both letters, which had revealed how far they were willing to go to win her hand. Sven felt his cheeks flush crimson at the memory as he tried to ignore the teasing smirks on their respective faces. "I'm actually glad you talked some sense into us Giselle." Sven said at last before he rode off with all haste.
Only after he was gone did Lucia and Giselle let out a short burst of laughter. "That was cruel, Lucia." Despite her chastisement, Giselle couldn't keep a smirk from pulling at her lips as they rode back to camp at a fair slower pace. "You didn't have to tease him like that."
"I know, but he was a fool. Him and the other man were idiots, fighting over someone like they had some unspoken right to her." Lucia retorted, a note of disdain in her voice. Giselle found she was proud of the fact Lucia was learning to form her own opinions, since she had been careful not to sway the Nord girl one way or the other on most matters.
"You're wiser than you know Lucia." Before she could say anything more, Giselle looked over her shoulder and narrowed her brown eyes when she saw riders coming over the hill. The riders were too many for the number of scouts she had sent out, and the banners they carried were not her own. That meant Lady Dustin had sent messengers, or one of the other Northerners had sent their own people. If their intentions weren't peaceful negotiation, then she didn't want Lucia within thirty yards of the strangers. "Go back to camp, I'll be back soon." Lucia only nodded her head before riding off with all haste. She'd go to Lydia or one of their many friends, and they'd hurry back to stand beside her. All she had to do was buy some time regardless of the riders' intent.
Once the riders pulled up before the Dovahkiin, Giselle nodded her head at the leader when he introduced himself as one of Lady Dustin's bannermen. The dunmer noted the sigil, two longaxes between a black crown, for only a moment before seeing the curious look on the man's face as he let his gaze sweep over her almost pitch black skin. Despite his curiosity at her appearance, he was all business "Where is the leader of your camp? I would speak with him as soon as possible."
"You are speaking to her." Giselle stated firmly, her voice level while her brown eyes narrowed, and all but pierce through the man's armor. Considering it consisted of simple boiled leather under a brown, deerskin fur cloak, it wouldn't be that difficult for any of their weapons to pierce that armor.
"You?" The man asked, unable to keep his surprise in check.
"My man, Sven, has already told me you follow a woman of high standing. Why should it surprise you that I too am capable of leadership?"
"Lady Dustin rules in her late husband's name." That answered quite a lot of questions on how things were done in this country, and the young man realized too late he had said far too much. Giselle hid the smirk that wanted to appear on her face since he was not the first that had had such a slip of the tongue while in her presence. Her short time with the Bards had paid off dividends in her future negotiations, both with merchant and leader alike back in Skyrim.
As for why she was bitter, Giselle had a pretty good idea on that as well thanks to Sven's warning and this soldier's words, but she filed that away for future consideration. "Then I wish her luck in shedding her grief." It wasn't a wish for Dustin to find herself shackled to another man, but Giselle had phrased her comment to sound unassuming, uninsulting. Despite that, again she saw that she had taken the Dustin man off guard as he looked at her with renewed interest.
"You speak like one used to leadership. Perhaps my words were ill chosen? In any event, Lady Dustin bids you safe passage to her door so that she might meet with you in person, Lady Morgonnis was it?"
"Yes." Sven had done his job well after all. She'd have to seek him out when she returned and thank him for paving the way.
"Of what House, if I might ask?"
The question took her a moment to answer, but when she found the words, they felt right to her as she leveled her gaze on him with renewed intensity. "Tell Lady Dustin that I am the first of House Dovahkiin, from the province of Skyrim."
"The names do not sound familiar to me, but I will do as you ask. Welcome to Westeros, Lady Morgonnis." With that, the bannerman and his two companions turned back the way they had came, just as three of her Dragonguard rode up to the hill.
"I take it we have an audience?" Delphine asked, watching the party return to the nearby castle she had seen on her travels.
J'zargo couldn't resist the jest that poured off of his tongue a moment later. "Do you see any dead bodies, Delphine?"
"A fair point, cat." Delphine retorted, a brief grin appearing on her face.
"When you're done poking fun at me, perhaps we can get ready for this little social call?" Giselle grumbled, even as her brown eyes lit up at the good natured humor that had been made at her expense.
Sorine only shook her head as she fell in beside Giselle, one hand resting on her stomach while the other held onto the reins of her horse. "But it's such a nice change of pace from our normal routine. I usually get stuck babysitting Gunmar's trolls after a long night of drinking with you." The Dawnguard hunter and master inventor said as a chuckle escaped her lips.
"Will you let that go?" Giselle groaned, the mere mention of the party sending a brief bolt of pain through her temples. "I wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the time."
Sorine shot her an amused look before she spoke again. "And who's fault was that? I'll brawl with anyone in a fair fight Giselle, but I draw the line at doing it in the skin the Nine gave me."
"Please tell me you're joking." The dunmer fought the urge to find the nearest hole and pull a rock over the entrance as her fellow riders laughed at her embarrassment.
"She is Dragonborn, trust J'Zargo over these heathens." The Khajiit said between chuckles, unable to help himself even as he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Serana made sure you did nothing you would regret in the morning. She is a good woman, and one I am glad to have met."
"That is something we can agree on." Sorine stated, and coming from her, a vampire hunter, it was high praise indeed.
Barrowton
Like the lands around it, Giselle couldn't help but wonder if it was infested with the ghosts of long dead men and women from the fog that lingered even under the noonday sun. Still, no specters attacked, no wraiths wailed their chilling cries before trying to gouge their eyes out, and no draugr were shambling about with their cold blue eyes and their old but surprisingly preserved and sharp weapons.
They had plenty of living people to worry about. The strange looks their party were receiving were a mix of open curiosity and disdain, a few were outright afraid of them. It was strange, to be feared simply because you were different, but she didn't let it bother her. The people of the north were just as odd to her, so she reserved her judgment as she and her Dragonguard, all of them, rode through the castle gates in their best raiments. Well, the ones that cared about such things of course. Aela had refused to change out of her near scandalous leather armor, with its simple ties in the front that held it all together, thus revealing more than most considered proper, even in Skyrim.
Aela had summed it up best though, stating that she had nothing to hide, and if others didn't approve, they could rot in Oblivion. Farkas had laughed heavily at that, and Giselle hadn't had the heart to persuade the huntress to change into something more 'appropriate' for a day in court. As for Farkas, he was just as pig headed and had chosen to carry his skyforge steel greatsword on his back as he always did, in full view of everyone, just as Aela proudly wore her longbow on her back. It was little wonder people were giving them nervous looks since the Companions always stood out from other men and women. They always looked fierce and proud and more powerful than most, and among the folk in Barrowton, they stood a head taller than most.
But today, the Companions had competition since Delphine had returned just in time to join the entourage. She looked far more imposing than even the steel armored Farkas in her bronzed armor from Akaviri, her long katana in plain view on her hip which swung with every step of her horse. The scowl on her face only made her appear just as hard as the woman in charge here was said to be. She looked upon the castle grounds with disdain, but she kept her opinions to herself, which was a small favor in Giselle's mind. "I don't like this." She said at last, noting the unfriendly gazes from the guards that patrolled the stone walls and the ground itself. "Feels like we're walking into a trap."
"You've been running from the Thalmor too long." Gunmar stated, riding beside Sorine in the back of their little group. "The castle could use some work though. Stone looks half worn down from the elements. Almost makes me think of all those cairns back home."
"This castle was raised on the site of a mass grave, the site of an old battle, or so the legends say. The Children once held this place in great reverence." The same man that had ridden out to Giselle, had escorted them back to Barrowton. "The land around Barrowton has long since carried the name, the Barrowlands."
"That explains a lot." Sorine quipped as she shared a look with the rest of the party before she and the rest of them climbed down from their horses nearly simultaneously. "It's beautiful country though. I can see why your people have settled the area."
"Thank you m'lady. This way, your mounts will be well taken care of."
Giselle nodded her head, but she didn't leave her midnight black horse's side without a word of comfort to the powerful beast. Pulling the red eyed horse's head down so they were peering into the other's eyes, only then did Giselle speak. "Peace, Shadowmere. Do nothing unless provoked." To the man's astonishment, the horse seemed to bow her head in acknowledgment to the dark skinned woman's words before she turned on him next. "She will not harm anyone that approaches now. Your boys can tend to her needs without fear so long as they do nothing to upset her."
The man nodded, but said nothing, still in shock of the horse's appearance and intelligence. The sun had hardly passed high noon, and yet he had seen dozens of odd things since meeting these strangers. The least of which was a woman with skin grey as ash that seemed to move with a grace of a shadowcat, and she commanded great respect among her peers. Another woman that had the eyes of a wild beast flanked her right, while the woman on her left carried a shield and sword as if she were born to them. The one in bronzed armor made the most imposing impression among the group, yet it was the cat that walked as a man that was the oddest of them all, a heavy oak staff strapped to his back. The dark skinned woman was odd enough, but the cat that talked and walked like any man he had ever seen? That was something else altogether, but he tried to keep his astonishment behind a mask.
If he thought he was fooling anyone by keeping up his mask of indifference, the Dustin man was sorely mistaken as another look passed between Giselle and her eight companions as they walked into the great hall moments later. They weren't fooled, and they knew exactly the kind of image they were presenting. Despite their weakened state at having just arrived, first impressions were important, and appearing stronger than they were would hopefully deter unwanted visitors. So when they stopped before the small stone chair, where Lady Dustin herself sat before a long wooden table with her own men at arms, it was Giselle that stepped forward with Lydia and Serana at her side. "I take it you're Lady Dustin of Barrow Hall, the one the people here look to for counsel and safety?"
"I am. Your bannerman, Sven, had said you were….odd in appearance, but he understated that there's a certain grace and beauty about you." Flattery that had no warmth to it, but it was more than she had expected given Sven's warning about the woman in mourning clothes. Lady Barbrey Dustin did indeed look as cold and hard as the stone itself, but Giselle could see there was a grave intelligence behind her hard gaze. Wrinkles were prominent around her mouth and eyes, and she had equal parts brown and gray throughout her hair which was tied into a widow's knot. "Who are you, and the people you bring before me?"
"Aela the Huntress, of the Companions m'lady." The red headed woman said with pride, her wolf like eyes shining with a ferocity that had some of the Dustin men shaking in their boots.
"Farkas, twin brother to Vilkas. Companion raised and trained." The giant bear of a man rumbled, his gaze softer but no less feral than Aela's.
"Lydia, Housecarl to Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun, and now I serve as Housecarl to Giselle Morgonnis, for services she rendered to the Jarl." The Nordic woman stated with a far quieter pride and respect, and Lady Dustin nodded her head before she leveled her gaze on the next in line.
"Gunmar, Dawnguard hunter and smith." They had talked about revealing the fact he trained trolls on the side, and had agreed it was better to keep some things to themselves.
"Sorine Jurard. Inventor, weapon smith, and another of the Dawnguard at your service m'lady." The genius if albeit paranoid Nord woman only nodded her head, but it was more than any of them had done to show some iota of expected courtesy to someone of Lady Dustin's rank.
"J'zargo, apprentice mage from the College of Winterhold. At your service, J'zargo is." The Khajiit said this time, further surprising the men of the north by the simple fact he spoke as easily as they did, even if his accent was a little strange.
"Serana Volkihar. A….long time associate and friend to the people here." As much as the vampire loved the dunmer, they had agreed that announcing it to everyone might not be such a good idea. Even in Skyrim, there had been a few people that hadn't approved of their union, and this land was far from Tamriel. The twin daggers on her hips, forged by Giselle's hand, were a different matter though. They had agreed she wouldn't go anywhere unarmed, and as a part of her Dragonguard, Delphine had approved without a second thought to the matter.
"Delphine. I am a member of Morgonnis's Dragonguard. Before that, I was a Blade, a group that once protected the Emperor of our country of Cyrodiil, which is a part of the continent of Tamriel." That bit of news caused a storm of whispers to echo around the hall Giselle's party noted how they reacted to the word, dragon, over everything else she had said, and Delphine was the first to ask the obvious question. "I take it you've heard of dragons?"
"Dragons have been dead for hundreds of years. The last ones of note died with their master, Aegon Targaryen, the Conqueror" Another of Barbrey's men stated, a bit too loudly for Delphine's liking as she turned her gaze on him next.
"Not in Skyrim." Delphine retorted to the fool that had opened his mouth. "It's the duty of a Blade to slay dragons. Just as it's a duty of a Blade to protect the Dragonborn, the legendary hero of our Nordic tradition and legends. You stand before the best dragonslayer from our homeland, so show some respect."
"Peace, Delphine." Giselle reprimanded, "They do not know of Skyrim and its beasts. Keep that in mind." Delphine only nodded her head in apology, but it was enough as the dunmer turned back to Barbrey. "In any event, we didn't come here to bore you with tales of past glories. I suspect you have a lot of questions. We'll answer what we can, in the hopes we might become allies if nothing else."
Lady Dustin took only a moment to consider her next question before she spoke once more. "Why have you come here?"
"Why have we come to you, or why have we come to Westeros? Because the first question is the easier to answer, while the second would require quite a lot of explanation." Giselle countered truthfully, her hands folded behind her back while she swept her gaze over the woman's men before turning to Barbrey last. "Yours was simply the closest of our neighbors. I have plans to talk to every Lord and Lady of the land who will receive me Lady Dustin, so in that you have my thanks already."
"And as for the reason you came to Westeros?"
Now was the time for the cover story. Delphine had insisted, strongly, that they keep their business to themselves. While Giselle had been reluctant to agree, she understood that not everyone would likely believe them if they said they were there to stop some dark, unnamed evil from wiping out everything in its path. "We're peaceful explorers. Some of us wanted to start a new life in a far away land, and Westeros was about as far as we could get."
"What are your reasons for leaving your homeland?" One of Dustin's men asked after a pregnant silence had fallen between the two groups.
Giselle thought for a moment before deciding that she didn't like the suspicion she had heard in the man's voice, and instead focused on the Lady herself. "Our reasons are our own. We came here of our own free will, but if you wish to know who gave us the means to get here, our ship was given to us by our High Queen, Elisif the Fair." Let them make of that what they will.
"We will hear them in good time, of that I am sure. But now, I think you and your… people must be hungry. You will be my honored guests. I extend to you my hospitality and protection in the light of the Seven. As long as you are here, no harm shall come to you."
"Thank you Lady Dustin. It'll be an honor to share your table and hearth." Giselle replied with a solemn bow to the Lady before leading her friends out of the main hall for now. For once, she was glad Vilkas, Farkas, and Aela had caught onto the need to be careful about what they said, and had assured her they'd stay away from the heavy liquor while away from their camp. Delphine was too paranoid to let anything stronger than water pass her lips, Sorine was pregnant, and Gunmar was a little overprotective of his fellow Dawnguard. J'zargo had once said a drunk mage was a dangerous mage, and she had seen the aftermath at the College when one of the students had gotten his hands on his first mug of Nord mead. The results hadn't been pretty. Lydia took her job of Housecarl too seriously to risk anything stronger than wine, and since alcohol didn't affect the vampire in the slightest, Serana was the only one that could drink and eat to her heart's content and still remain sober and watchful. With all that in mind, she had a feeling Dustin and her people would employ some underhanded means to get more out of them than she was ready to reveal. Only a fool believed the first words out of a stranger's mouth.
Once they were outside, only then did Serana speak her mind. "I've seen corpses with more warmth to them than Lady Dustin."
"It's natural for them to be suspicious, Serana. But you're right. They could at least act like they don't plan to stab us in the back." Gunmar grumbled as he cast his gaze on a guard that was a little too close for his comfort. "I'd move it boy, unless you want to see what happens when I get angry. You won't like it when I'm angry." Coming from a man that wrestled trolls into submission, and won, his threat was backed up by his size. The Dustin guard did his best not to run with his tail between his legs.
"Awwww…." Serana playfully cooed, "Too bad. I was a little thirsty."
"We're not attacking anyone, Serana." Giselle said firmly, "We still need to respect these people. We are guests in a foreign land… surrounded by strangers. I'd rather they become friends, not enemies. And eating our neighbors is not a smart move in an effort to foster good relations."
"As you wish, my love," Serana playfully bowed, before her small smirk disappeared when she cocked her head to the side. Her superior senses had picked up on something of note from a group by a nearby forge. "Are you serious?"
"What have you heard?" Aela asked as she and those around the vampire noticed the disapproving frown on Serana's face.
"Men are pigs regardless of the lands they inhabit. They're talking about which one of us they find the most attractive….to put it kindly." Serana wasn't about to tell her friends what those around them had truly said. There was no surer way to ensure blood would be spilt than to tell Aela what one of the guards wanted to do with his tongue if given the chance.
"Ignore them. They're just words. Unless they act on it, we do nothing." Giselle nodded her head to Delphine's stern words since she agreed. There was no point in getting worked up over it so long as it stayed as simple talk and not actions. "Besides, if I got angry every time someone tried to grab my ass back at the inn, I'd have quite a few dead bodies to worry about."
"You served at an inn my Lady?" Delphine barely held the urge in check to draw her blade and cut down the man that had somehow gotten up behind her without her being aware of it. Instead, she turned on her heel and met a pair of deep, pale green eyes set in a stern, yet warm face. He was tall and almost as big as Farkas was wide, but his hair was far more brown than dark brunette. "I apologize for startling you, but I wanted to meet you all for myself. News of your landing has spread quicker than you might have realized."
"And who are you?" Giselle asked in a respectful tone as she put a comforting hand on Delphine's shoulder, before turning her brown eyes on the stern faced man in front of them. If she wasn't already married and madly in love with Serana, she might have found him handsome in a stony, hard kind of way.
"Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell. Warden and protector of the North, under King Robert of the House Baratheon." Eddard replied in a quiet, humbling, almost somber tone as he swept his gaze over all of them, as if he were taking a measure of them all and liking what he saw in them. "Your people are strong and hardy, Lady Morgonnis."
"Forgive me Lord Stark, but meeting us like this...some would call that a reckless act." And one that had gained Delphine's hard earned respect. She didn't believe for a moment that this Stark was a fool, not with the way he had looked at them and seemed to judge them as equals rather than potential enemies.
"Reckless perhaps, but how else would I see what all the talk is about? A man who rules from afar is not fit for rule."
"You prefer to shed your blood with your men when glorious battle calls?" Aela asked, and earned a nod from Ned, although it was measured somewhat. She didn't notice and cheered in approval. "Glad to see not everyone hides behind their walls."
"There is wisdom in fighting with your men Lord Stark, but there is also wisdom in taking shelter when there is a need for it." J'zargo stated, and did his best to ignore the disapproval on the Companions' faces.
"I know a few people at home that would disagree with you. Most of them are dead." Giselle said with a shrug, while her eyes said something else altogether. She hadn't enjoyed the battles against the Stormcloaks, something her friends knew all too well. As for who she meant, mainly, all of Ulfric's supporters during the rebellion, but Giselle didn't feel the need to share that with Eddard.
Once more, Eddard swept his gaze over Giselle's friends before settling on the dunmer last. His lips pulled up into a small smirk as he nodded his head before speaking once more. "Thank you for proving my point, Lady Morgonnis. It's starting to become clear why you have gained such a strong following."
"Our Dragonborn has a tendency to greatly reward those loyal to her." Serana quipped, much to Giselle's annoyance as she rammed her elbow into the vampire's side. The woman merely chuckled before addressing Eddard again. "In all seriousness, let's just say that Lady Morgonnis has earned our loyalty many times over since we've all met her during the last two and a half years." Giselle was certain there was a double entendre in there somewhere, but for the life of her, the dunmer couldn't find it. Besides, the honest praise dulled the hidden joke, and she shot the vampire a brief smirk before turning back to the Lord of the North.
"I feel I must apologize for my friend here. She likes to talk more than is sometimes wise." Giselle countered, a round of quiet chuckles following her statement as she led the way further from the main hall.
Serana shrugged, "You've never complained about my tongue before."
Eddard raised an eyebrow, mildly shocked at the sexual banter between the two women, but suppressed his smile, "And I feel I must apologize for Lady Dustin's behavior. It's an old wound that she has allowed to fester that has led to her current state."
The moment of levity had been brought to an end with that, but it was just as well since Giselle, and her friends, would want to know what they had gotten themselves into. "The Lady Dustin was kind enough to allow us into her court at least." She carefully said, and wasn't surprised when Eddard only nodded his head. "I heard from one of my messengers that your family might have been the cause of the tension."
"We've come out of two wars in the last decade and a half. Lady Dustin lost her husband during the rebellion, and her husband's bones were never brought home. She blames me for that disgrace, and rightly so, but as I told her, if there had been a way to bring her William home, I would have done it." The silence that followed Eddard's grave words were interrupted only by the occasional bark from the kennels and the neigh of the horses in their stables.
When someone did speak, to Giselle's surprise, it was Farkas that took the initiative. "Men of honor are hard to come by. Glad to see it's not limited to our country of Skyrim. Sounds to me like someone needs to get her head out of the horker's ass."
"Farkas!" Giselle reprimanded, but Eddard Stark held up his hand.
"I take no offense from honest words my Lady, and I also appreciate a man who is willing to speak his mind."
"I thank you, but there's a difference between being honest and being downright rude." Giselle said as she shot a stern glare at the man who only shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. Why I agreed to let him become a Blade and a member of my Dragonguard, I'll never know.
"Agreed. But he certainly got my attention," Stark said with a smirk as he stared up at the giant of a man. He could give Hodor competition for sheer size. The greatsword on Farkas's back made it clear he was no gentle giant like Hodor. "I assume Lady Dustin has extended guest right to you?"
"Guest right?" The term was unfamiliar to Giselle, but if it meant what it sounded like, then she assumed that so long as they didn't cause trouble of any kind, they would be protected while a guest at her table.
"She has invited you to dine at her table, under her roof?"
"Not in so many words, but aye she did."
"Good. Then you should consider yourselves under her protection, and mine as well. It is against the laws of gods and men to attack a guest while they are under your roof." The stern look in Stark's eyes silently implied that the same moral code was expected of the guest.
"Honor is important to you here." Lydia said at last, but whether she meant the land in general or the country they were in, no one could say for certain.
"A man without honor is no man at all." Eddard firmly stated.
"Honor is important to us as well. Without it, we are no better than common criminals." Aela said in turn, earning a number of nods from her fellow Companions.
"J'zargo can see this becoming a nice place to live for the foreseeable future with people like you around Lord Stark." The Khajiit nodded his head and waved a clawed hand before putting it back under his arm again. "It's a little colder than J'zargo would like though."
Giselle could hardly contain her stunned amusment when Eddard Stark turned to the Khajiit and addressed him without so much as a surprised blink. "A common complaint by those used to warmer climes. It's said that the North breeds hard men with ice in their veins in place of blood."
"Can't imagine why. Still, it's better than Winterhold by far." Serana emphasized her words with a shudder. "Makes this place seem pretty warm by comparison."
"You haven't seen the far North, my lady. It's much colder than here. Perhaps colder than your city of Winterhold."
"I'd rather not find out anytime soon." Sorine chuckled dryly, but grinned when Eddard let his gaze fall on the heavy crossbow strapped to her back. "Like what you see Lord Stark? You'd be surprised what I can do with a few bits of metal and some wood. A friend found the designs in some old ruins, I made it better with some tinkering." The brief but grateful look Sorine gave Giselle made it clear who had found the designs she had mentioned.
"A learned woman and a fighter? You are truly full of surprises." Eddard remarked with admiration, and was about to say more until someone ran up to him and gave a sigh of relief.
"I wish you wouldn't disappear like that m'lord. Especially in Lady Dus-" Jory's thoughts came to a screeching halt when he saw the company his Lord was with. To say they were the oddest collection of people he had ever seen would have been a gross understatement.
"If you're going to stare boy," Aela grumbled from deep in her throat, "at least have the courtesy of doing so with your mouth shut."
The young man didn't seem to hear her as he continued to stare, especially at Serana's piercing eyes. Eddard lightly, but firmly, pushed the young man to shake him out of his stupor. Jory blinked and muttered a quick apology for his rudeness. To his surprise, the dusky gray skinned woman merely smirked and shrugged. "She gets that a lot from young men, and more than a few women." If it were possible, Jory's cheeks turned even brighter when that loaded comment sunk in.
"Now you're just torturing the poor lad." Eddard chuckled at last as an honest to gods smile appeared on his face.
Jory was quick to recover as he turned his scarred face to Eddard, a mild look of disapproval appearing on his lips. "I see you found them, m'lord. You should have let me accompany you."
"I was in no danger Jory. If anything, I suspect we'll be seeing a great deal of Lady Morgonnis and her countrymen in the future."
"In any case, m'lord, Lady Dustin has sent me to bring you all in for dinner." Jory replied to his lord before whispering into the man's ear. Whatever Jory had told him, Ned only nodded but, she noted a slight grimace appear on his face before it disappeared.
"Very well, we will be there shortly." Jory nodded his head quickly and walked back towards the main hall. He had a feeling tonight's dinner would be most interesting. Eddard turned back to the company before him, "Shall we?"
"Them?" Giselle managed to make that one word reek of equal parts sarcasm, suspicion, and a tinge of disapproval. "If you wanted to learn about us, all you had to do was ask."
"I spied on you before I made contact with you Giselle. It's not an unwise tactic when used to learn more about a potential ally, or a future enemy." Delphine reminded her before the situation became more tense than it was already. "Can you blame Lord Stark for being cautious?"
"No, I honestly can't." She relented with a heavy sigh, remembering more than a few occasions when she had had to act the part of spy and worse when she had gone up against Elenwen during the early days of her actually caring about what happened to Skyrim. It was with that thought in mind that she leveled her brown eyes on Eddard with new found respect for his choice of observing from a distance before coming to them openly. "You're wiser than I gave you credit for."
"I'm glad to hear it." It seems misunderstandings and prejudice aren't limited to the First Men. That observation he kept to himself. Before Giselle entered the hall however, Ned stopped her with a hand on her right shoulder. "I feel I should warn you now, before you find out another way. Strong women are rare in Westeros, Lady Morgonnis. Men here will not respect you so easily as they might in your homeland."
"I got that impression already, but thank you for confirming it." Giselle replied before gently pushing her way into the main hall. She didn't have to see the look on his face to know that he respected her already.
Later that night…
Aela, Sorine, and Gunmar chose to eat their meals out on the training field, which left Giselle, Serana, Lydia, Delphine, Farkas, and J'zargo in the company of Barbrey's men and the Lady herself. Despite her cool greeting earlier, and the none too subtle glances some of her soldiers were giving them, Giselle at least found the affair quite enlightening and in its own way, entertaining. It became quickly apparent that just as she had tried to present a strong, lasting impression to the locals, Lady Dustin was trying to do the same by loading her side of the table with some of her house's strongest. They were found sorely lacking compared to Farkas, who towered over all of them in both height and build.
But she didn't let it bother her since it was Lady Dustin herself she was the most interested with. Despite her attempt to intimidate her friends, which fell on deaf ears in any event as they ate and chatted amicably with anyone that approached, Giselle could see Barbrey was just as intrigued by them even as she tried to appear aloof and distant to the strangers at her table.
Then there was Eddard Stark and his man, Jory Cassel. Delphine had struck up a conversation with the northmen that had swung towards dragons. "You don't fight a dragon on a whim. You go in prepared, or you come out the other end of such an engagement in smoking and bloody pieces. The dragons of Skyrim are as intelligent as any man here, and just as cunning, but they are proud, arrogant beasts. Anger them, get them to land, and you take away their greatest strength. Their ability to fly."
"You sound like you've hunted quite a few down Lady Delphine." Jory commented, having taken a near instant liking to the Blade despite the fact she was dressed for war. The blade on her hip was just as sharp as the expression on her face, but Giselle had to give the man credit, he wasn't easily intimidated.
"That's because I have. As a Blade, we once protected the Emperors of Tamriel as I said once before, but before that, we protected the greatest dragonslayer of the land, the one we call the Dragonborn."
"I take it there's more to the title than their ability to slay more than the rest." Eddard's observation was dead on, much to Delphine's admiration. Even Giselle was taken aback by how smart the man was turning out to be.
"You could say that." Delphine said at last, a subtle look having passed between her and her Dovahkiin before the Blade turned back to the two men. "But I think that'll be a story for another day. Suffice it to say, not everyone was happy for the return of the Dragonborn since there were some that revered the dragons as god like beings. They repeatedly tried to stop our progress in subduing the dragons that pillaged and burned all in their path."
"You make them sound quite formidable." Most of Giselle's companions nodded their heads to Barbrey's words. She had no idea just how formidable. "The few dragons we've ever encountered have been dead for centuries. The Targaryens were said to have been able to command the beasts, and united the Seven Kingdoms into one after conquering the known world." The look that passed between Giselle and her companions didn't go unnoticed by Lady Dustin. "You seem surprised by this." It was not a question.
"We are." Giselle admitted with some hesitance, her food forgotten. "I understand our two lands are vastly different from each other, but I guess I hadn't expected to hear some similarity between them. Only a select few can command as proud and powerful a creature as a dragon. As Delphine was saying earlier, most believed themselves above every race except their own, and as such, would never allow another to ride them like some horse." Giselle chose not to mention the fact she had ridden a couple of dragons in her war against Alduin and his allies. She wasn't sure she wanted to learn what the people here would think of that news, especially with the disdain she had heard anytime they brought up the Targaryens. Wars had been started over less.
"The Targaryens were said to have had dragon blood in their veins. But since the last of them died out with their dragons, no one can for certain if that's true." Eddard stated before Barbrey could speak anew. He ignored the glare she threw his way, and instead focused on the far subtler look that passed between Lady Morgonnis and her people. He had a feeling that when they returned to their camp, the main topic up for debate would be dragons and the Targaryen dynasty. He made a note to gather as many books on the Seven Kingdoms as he could, to present to this curious woman the next time they met.
Barbrey meanwhile locked her old resentments away and looked to her guests with renewed interest, her own mind furiously at work in an effort to understand their fascination with dragons, among what she had learned about them herself. "Can we perhaps turn our attention to the future?" Lady Dustin asked, and she was quite satisfied to note that the strangers seemed to have forgotten all about Eddard Stark, for the moment anyway. An advantage she planned to hold onto as long as she could before Stark got his claws in them further. "You will want protection no doubt, materials, food, men, and knowledge of this land. I can provide all this and more."
Her diplomatic nature went only so far, and Giselle's nerves were already frayed from the treatment they had received by Lady Dustin and her people. "What's your price?" Giselle's bluntness took the woman back a moment, but she recovered quickly as she met the dark skinned woman's gaze.
"An equal trade." Barbrey replied, just as bluntly. "You'll have to no doubt swear loyalty to the king and promise to uphold his laws, but that is the price we all pay for living under King Robert of the House Baratheon, the first of his name. Beyond that, my price will be far smaller. I simply wish the respect women in our position deserve, and the right to get to know my new neighbors."
What she means is that she wants to know if we're a danger to her rule. She's right to worry. She wasn't the only one to note the veiled threat as she saw the disapproving frown on Eddard's face. However, her suspicion was understandable, a potential hostile force had landed near her homestead and could prove to be just the scouting force of the army to come. With that thought in mind, Giselle took a breath and regained some measure of her calm. "I know our word isn't worth much right now Lady Dustin, but I can assure you that we are not enemies. The only way we'd consider such actions is if we were provoked. I might not be willing to share our exact reasons for being here at the present time, but we are explorers, seeking to find our own way. If we must pay such a small price to ensure our continued survival in this land, then we'll pay it, all I ask is the same respect."
Eddard was pleasantly surprised by Giselle's calm response to the veiled threat that had left Lady Dustin's mouth. He was even more surprised to see that Barbrey looked somewhat ashamed for her words, and looked a little less coldly to the strangers at her table. "Perhaps we can learn to coexist if everyone from your homeland are as wise as you are Lady Morgonnis." The woman said at last, earning a slight nod of understanding from Giselle and her people. It was more than she had a right to, she realized, and was far less aloof and distant throughout the rest of the dinner.
It was only after the party started to wind down that Eddard walked up to Giselle and her friends once more, a silent nod of approval at how she had handled the situation passing between them. "For a moment, I was concerned on how this might turn out."
"For us or for Lady Dustin, Lord Stark?" Lydia asked, having a feeling she knew the answer to Eddard's unspoken question.
"Both." Was his simple reply. Before she could ask why, the northman continued. "There is an unspoken trust that extends beyond the norm of soldiers protecting their liege lord or lady that I sense anytime I look at you all. You have truly bonded with your people, and for that alone, you have earned my respect Lady Morgonnis."
"I don't ask them to do anything I wouldn't do myself. I lead by example, nothing more."
"I wish more would follow your way." With that, Eddard started away, but stopped and turned to face her again. "If you ever need assistance, you will have mine. Winterfell will be open to you as well."
If she was surprised by his offer of support, Giselle didn't show it as she held out a hand to the man, who firmly grasped it in his own. "I thank you for your assistance and kind words, Lord Stark." Perhaps their time in Westeros wouldn't be as difficult as she had feared.
Despite the fact it had taken almost every trick she had to gain ground on Lady Dustin, she felt quite satisfied with the progress she had made. While they hadn't learned anything about the threat foretold in the Elder Scroll, they had learned a great deal about the land they found themselves a part of. The small, satisfied smile on the dunmer's face was well earned in the minds of her companions and close friends. "Lord Stark was right about one thing, my Thane." Lydia said, a twinkle having appeared in her eyes as Giselle turned in Shadowsmere's saddle.
"About Lady Dustin's chances of getting out of her own hall in one piece if she had crossed us?"
"Indeed. Although I was more worried about us. Not everyone can Shout the ceiling down." The Housecarl countered, earning a round of chuckles from the rest of the Dragonguard.
"Maybe not, but I'm surprised Farkas didn't try to eat her when she let that veiled threat slip past her lips." Serana stated, a sly smirk appearing on her face as she looked to the giant among them.
Farkas laughed and shook his head at that. "Too bony and hard for my liking. I would have chipped a tooth, trying to tear into that one. Werewolves might not be picky eaters, but even I have standards."
"J'zargo does not see why you people are so obsessed with her. We have succeeded and gained allies when we need them most. We need only survive long enough to make our homes, then we can bargain from a stronger position from there if need be." J'zargo's words were emphasized when they crossed the second of the two rivers that stood between them and Lady Dustin's home, and they came within sight of the mountains again. It wasn't long after that, that the group of battle tested warriors' found their gaze riveted to the beautiful sight of their countrymen transforming the surrounding land to suit their needs, slowly but surely. "This is what matters to J'zargo. Our people, our hopes, and all that they hold dear."
"That we can agree on J'Zargo." Giselle replied with a somber nod of her head. "We avoided a war today, and found two strong allies to support us at the same time. I can only hope our luck holds from here, not just for our sake, but for every soul in this world." With that, Giselle led the way to the mountains, where she had left orders with captain gro-Malog to lead enough of their people to start construction of their new castle. He might not have been suited for the task of working stone, but commanding men was another matter, and from the progress that had been made already, she had chosen well.
"What do you plan to call this little pet project of yours Giselle?" Serana asked, having a feeling she knew the answer already as she hopped down from her horse once they stopped at the edge of the new tent city. From the wide stairwell that had already been carved out of the mountain ridge in front of them, she had a feeling their homes would quickly follow. As for the castle itself that Giselle and several of their stonemasons had drawn up once they had seen the mountains on their northern border, that would come last knowing the dunmer as well as she did. She'd see to the wellbeing of the people first, then worry about her own fortress.
"Monahven. It means Throat of the World. I chose the name as a reminder to keep myself grounded, and because if not for the Greybeards and Paarthurnax's guidance, well, I'm sure I don't have to explain." The somber mood was ruined when Giselle heard a muttered curse and turned in her saddle, just in time to see Aela reach into her saddle bags.
"Pay up Aela." The Huntress grumbled but handed a small money pouch over to the vampire.
"Why am I not surprised?" Giselle asked, her annoyed question earning a number of chuckles from her friends yet again.
Vergil1989; I do apologize for the harsh opening notes, but I wasn't happy, as you can no doubt guess, but neither did I feel the need to erase it with recent events. That aside, I hope that this revised, much better thought out chapter works for everyone involved. The Game will change soon enough, and I'm just as excited as you hopefully are to see where things go from here. Adios!