Ties To A Redguard

by TheAbyssalDepths

Everything can change in an instant. Whether the change is good or bad is all up to Fate and Destiny. For Rayyri, her fate is in Skyrim. Her destiny, is to be the savior of men. It's too big of a task to do alone. Who knew that she would end up finding help in the deepest parts of the underground. The Thieves Guild. M for Mature

7. Chapter 7: Voices In The Air

Ties To A Redguard

---

Chapter 7: Voices In The Air

---

The road to Solitude was long and potentially could've been boring, if it weren't for the carriage master who told stories of his adventures in Skyrim. The small group of three had to frequently stop in smaller towns for food and sleep, which caused the journey to be a bit longer than normal. On the second and a half day of being on the road, Lydia stopped by at a small bookstore that was tucked between wooden buildings in the town of Rorikstead. She decided to get every book on the Daedra she could find and proceeded to explain them to her Thane on their continued journey to Solitude.

"This one is about Azura," Lydia said, as the three women were riding on the carriage towards Solitude. "She is the Prince of dusk and dawn. I don't think she would speak to you in such a sinister matter, but it's worth a read." Lydia handed the book to Rayyri who took it and set in on top of her bag next to her. Lydia pulled out another. "This one is on Boethia. She is the Daedric Prince of deceit, secret plots of murder, treason and other such crime-filled acts. She might be the one speaking to you, but you said the voice sounded male. Again, not a bad read." she also handed that book to the Redguard. "Now, this one could be of some interest to you. It's about Akatosh. I know he's Aedra and not Daedra, but I thought it would help with your understanding of some things. I'm sure you remember that name." Rayyri nodded.

"He's the father of all dragons and he's the one that blessed me with the power of the Dragonborn." she stated. Lydia nodded back.

"That's right. He is the leader of all the Aedra, too." Once more, she handed the book to Rayyri. Lydia went through another four books before she glanced down at the last one. Rayyri noticed that Lydia was almost hesitant to pick up the shiny black book. Lydia's fingers flexed over the book as she stared down at it, almost waiting for it to jump out at her and consume her within its pages. It seemed to be in the best condition out of all of them, like no one dared to buy it or even touch it. Lydia sighed before swiping up the book in her gauntlet-clad hand. "I was reluctant to buy this one, but it might help. This one is about Molag Bal. He's the Daedric Prince of domination in its most vile form. From what you told me about the voice that spoke to you, it might have been from him. Sometimes he likes to pick champions to do his bidding, to serve him for eternity. Even when they die, he claims their souls as his." Lydia handed the book over to Rayyri who took it in her hands with great care. There was something about it… It felt heavier in her hands than the other books. It was as if waves of power were seeping off of it before climbing onto her hands and slithering up her arms to her head, encasing her mind into its embrace.

She remembered all that she learned on the Daedric Princes, yet it was not from her father. He forbade himself and her from ever reading up on them. He seemed fearful of all of them and wanted nothing to do with them. It was her mother that got Rayyri into studying the Planes of Oblivion and their rulers. She remembered every single one of them. From The Deadlands of Mehrunes Dagon to the Evergloam of Nocturnal, she knew them all by name. Coldharbour was no different. Molag Bal was no different.

"My Thane…" Lydia's voice broke into the silence of Rayyri's own mind. The Redguard blinked up at the Nord with wide eyes. "Are you alright, my Thane?" Lydia asked, her gentle yet firm grip on Rayyri's shoulder tightening. Rayyri blinked several times, coming back to the here and now slowly, but surely. She glanced around them and saw the beautiful, lush scenery of Skyrim's wilds pass them by as they rocked on the back of the carriage. Rayyri glanced back up at the woman next to her before nodding slowly.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the books, Lyd. You really didn't have to do this for me." she said, placing all of the books in her bag. Lydia chuckled with a wave of her hand.

"It was my pleasure. Plus, it gave me an excuse to go to the bookstore. I might have gotten caught up in some of the stories while I was there…" Rayyri giggled.

"Is that why it took you so long to finally get back to the carriage?" she asked amused. Lydia sheepishly nodded with a small smile. Rayyri giggled again. "You and your books, Lyd." she teased. Lydia gave her a proud smile before pulling out a story book from her own bag. The housecarl flipped to her page and leaned back in her seat, beginning to read. Rayyri decided she would let Lydia have her time to herself and picked up the black book of Molag Bal once more. She swiped her hand slowly over the shiny cover before opening it to the short introduction.

"If you are reading this book, congratulations. You are brave enough to dive deep into the world that is my lord, Molag Bal. The most powerful Daedric Prince, in my own humble opinion. In this book, you will learn who he is, what he does, and perhaps further your knowledge and lust for the power that my lord Molag Bal possesses. On a side note, if you experience any sort of nightmares from what you might find in this text, you're on the right track to enlightenment. Let's get started, shall we?"

Rayyri blinked down at the text once more. Whoever made the book definitely had the demeanor of being a follower of Molag Bal. The Redguard sighed, preparing herself on what this mad follower of the Daedric Lord was about to tell her. She sat back, crossed her legs, and began to read.

---

It took another day and a half, but they got to the great city of Solitude in one piece. It was around 6:45 when they arrived and the sun was gracefully setting over the mountain tops. Rayyri was in awe of the place already as they pulled up to the whole farm dedicated to carriages right outside the city walls. The two women jumped down off of the back of the carriage with the help of the driver and paid him accordingly for their long journey.

"Good luck, Dovahkiin." he whispered to Rayyri as she shook his hand. Rayyri smiled up at him and dipped her head in thanks before meeting back up with Lydia. The two women walked up the road to the large stone walls of Solitude side by side.

"Are you ready, my Thane?" Lydia asked as they came up to the gate. Rayyri looked up at her and nodded.

"It's about time I learn more about being Dragonborn. If it gets me closer to finding out how to defeat Alduin, then I'm more than ready." Lydia smiled down at her before looking on up ahead to the gate. The two guards at the front gate both went to their positions by what looked like cranks at the side of the large door. They both began to work the cranks and the large door creaked open slowly. Rayyri began to wonder why not every city had contraptions like that. Once the door was open, one of the guards welcomed the two ladies before they headed inside. The two women thanked him before walking into the city. Rayyri gasped.

"Wow…" It was the most beautiful city she had ever seen inside of Skyrim. The buildings were large and built with the hardest of stone, the roads were paved in an orderly fashion, and there seemed to be more people bustling around than in Whiterun. Large groupings of children whooped and giggled as they chased each other through the large crowds of people, and the sweet smell of what the vendors were offering seeped into Rayyri's nose. It was busy, but it felt orderly. It wasn't as homey as Whiterun, as humble as Riverwood, or as chilling and unforgiving as Windhelm, but it was something truly special in its own right. Lydia glanced down at her Thane and chuckled.

"Like what you see, my Thane?" she questioned playfully. Rayyri took a few steps forward, admiring the splash of color from the hanging lines of flags zigzagging in between the buildings.

"I've never seen a Skyrim city this big before. This rivals Sentinel of all places!" Rayyri never thought she would see a city anywhere else in the world that rivaled her home city. Lydia chuckled again, amused at her Thane's wonderment. She pointed over to a large building with a heavy looking door.

"I believe that is where we are to meet the Wood Elf, my Thane. The Winking Skeever, correct?" Rayyri glanced through the crowd of people and saw what Lydia was pointing to. She nodded.

"That's the place. Come on, we shouldn't keep him waiting." The two women pushed their way through the crowds and entered the large stone inn. Once they were inside, Rayyri scanned the large dining area for the elf. She soon caught sight of him sitting in a darkened corner of the room. She led Lydia over to the small table.

The Wood Elf seemed to be deep in thought as they approached. His brown was furrowed and his head rested on top of his knuckles. His amber eyes were cast down at a spot on the dark wood table, staring at it intently. Rayyri approached calmly before pulling out the chair in front of him and sitting down. It was onlying then did the elf's eyes met hers.

"Malborn?" she asked him. The elf raised an eyebrow before lowering his crossed hands from his chin.

"Who's asking?" he questioned back, looking between the armored Redguard and the more heavily armored Nord standing behind her in front of him.

"Delphine sent me. Us. She told us to meet you here." Rayyri explained to him. The elf's face soften a bit letting his guard down.

"Really? You're the one she picked?" he asked, looking at both of them in disbelief. He rolled his eyes in exasperation before leaning back over the table. "I hope she knows what she's doing." he murmured to himself. He glanced back up at Rayyri. "Here's the deal I can smuggle some equipment into the Embassy for you. The Thalmor take their security very seriously. Give me what you can't live without, then meet Delphine back down at the stables. There is a carriage there waiting for you." Rayyri slipped her knapsack from across her body and slid it across the table. She stood up and instructed Lydia to undo her carrying case for her Nordic battleaxe. Once it was undone, she slid both the strap and the axe across the table to the elf. Malborn picked the gear up and gave a nod to her standing up.

"I'll see you in the Embassy." With that, the elf walked back towards the entrance and disappeared. Rayyri sighed and glanced over to Lydia. She looked worried out of her mind.

"Are you sure about this, my Thane? What if something happens and I'm not there? I should go with you." she stated. Rayyri shook her head.

"Lydia, if something does happen to me, I need you to be here for Lucia and Aventus. I can't let them be alone again." Rayyri's eyebrows furrowed in determination and seriousness. Lydia looked into the Redguard's ice blue eyes before nodding. She was completely genuine about how she felt of the two young Nord children. And for that, Lydia had to obey her commands and wishes.

"I will, my Thane. I give you my word." Rayyri gave a single nod before motioning with her head for Lydia to follow her out to the stables.

Once the two exited the city, they walked back down the steep hill and made their way to the stables where a very familiar, small Nord woman stood in her armor. This armor was different, though. It was bigger, more hearty than her leather ensemble. It was all black in color and seemed to make the small woman seem bigger. Delphine glanced over to the two woman approaching and reached into the knapsack that was slung across her body. She pulled out several pieces of clothing and waited for the two to walk up to her. Once they did, she handed the clothing to Rayyri.

"Here, put these on in that outhouse over there." she pointed to the small, wooden outhouse next to the stables. "A carriage is waiting for you once you do. I'm guessing you met with Malborn?" she asked. Rayyri nodded.

"He's all set with my things." she answered.

"Good. Now, go on and change then get into the carriage. The party is starting soon."

Rayyri made her way to the outhouse and called for Lydia to stand next to it. Once she entered, she removed her thick iron armour and her scorched cloak, before peeking out of the outhouse to hand each piece to Lydia. Once she was in her undergarments, she grabbed the light dark green dress and slipped it on over her. She grabbed the thick light brown belt and tied it around her small waist, making it as tight as it could go. Finally, she slipped on the thick fur cloak and placed it around her shoulders, also slipping on her fine shoes. She grabbed at her hair and tugged on the single dreadlock that was holding the rest of her hair up before swiping all of her hair to one side over her shoulder. Once she fluffed out the long skirt of her dress, she exited the outhouse.

Lydia had to double take as her Thane stepped out of the outhouse. Her mouth hung slightly open as she took in her commander's form. She had never seen the Redguard woman in anything but the armour that she had in her hands. A small blush sprouted onto her white cheeks as she gaped at her Thane. Rayyri glanced at her housecarl and giggled.

"I know. It's strange for me, too." Lydia scratched at the back of her head shyly. Rayyri walked over to Delphine.

"Here's your invitation. Lydia and I will wait here for you." she handed a folded piece of fine paper to Rayyri. The Redguard took it and turned towards the carriage that was parked a few feet away from her. She climbed in with the help of the driver and sat down. Delphine walked up to the carriage. "And Rayyri?" she started, the redguard glanced down at her. "Just… be careful, okay? Please." Rayyri nodded with a small smile, not expecting a person like Delphine to actually worry about what was to come. Delphine nodded back before yelling up to the driver to leave. Rayyri gave one last wave to the two women before the carriage was driven out of sight.

---

Rayyri took a deep breath as she glanced up at the intimidating building in front of her. The sun had completely set now and the twin moons were dancing in the night sky together. Light snow began to fall around her, making the glow from inside the building become much more ominous. The things that probably went on in there… Rayyri clutched at her invitation tightly before finally moving her feet towards the stairs. She lifted her dress and carefully walked up the steps towards the two very tall High Elves standing in their golden armour at the entrance of the Embassy. Rayyri tried not to sneer in disgust at them. Flashes of what happened to her family back in her homeland of Hammerfell began to play on a loop inside her mind. Those same faces could be seen covered in the blood of her people and now, here they were, standing on guard for a corrupt system. That burning hate within her began to flare up, but Rayyri did everything in her power to fight it back down.

"Your invitation, miss?" one of the guards asked, his hand outstretched. Rayyri placed the best smile she could on her face before handing him the folded paper. The elf took it, opened it, and gave it back to her. "Enjoy the party, miss." Rayyri gave a small thanks back to him before the other elf moved to the door and opened it up for her. Rayyri thanked him as well and entered the building.

Rayyri sighed deeply before placing the invitation in the pocket of her dress. She lifted both hands and rubbed at her face. She had to stay calm. If she was going to help Delphine and find out where her brother might be, she had to keep calm and poised. She had been to high class parties before in Hammerfell, she could play the role again. She took a few deep breaths before straightening her back and moving forward down the short hall to the joyful music and loud chattering of the party goers. Suddenly, a tall High Elf woman in a black dress walked elegantly up to her. Rayyri studied to tall woman's face. Something about it was cold, collective, always thinking. As if she was trying to size up and find any weaknesses in those that she conversed with. Rayyri made sure to be on her guard. Something about her was off. Even though she had on a kind face during the party and in the public eye, Rayyri could tell that there was a more sinister side just hiding beneath the surface.

"Welcome. I don't believe we've met. I am Elenwen, the Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim. And you are…?" she asked, her voice was like velvet. Rayyri put on her best smile and slightly bowed her head before answering.

"My name is Rayyri. Pleased to meet you." she said, the formalities rolling off her tongue with ease. The elf woman smiled.

"Ah yes. I remember your name from the guest list. So good to meet you, dear." The tall woman walked over to Rayyri and offered her arm to the smaller woman. Rayyri hesitated for just a moment before taking her elbow. Elenwen lead the Redguard into the large ballroom full of chattering people of all kinds. Rayyri could've sworn that the room seemed twice as bright from all of the fancy jewelry the nobles and higher businessmen and women were wearing on various parts of their bodies. She estimated that there were close to a hundred people inside the room, not including the servers and the small band of musicians at the very back of the room on a small wooden stage. Every one of them were laughing with each other with a large chalice of drink in their hands, not having a care in the world. Rayyri wondered how many of these people really cared about the people of Skyrim or Tamriel. It was a question she asked to herself and even to her family when she was a younger girl who was forced to attend such parties.

"This is quite the party." Rayyri said, breaking the silence between them. Elenwen laughed outright.

"This must be your first time, my dear. I make sure all of my guests have the best time here."

"Do you host these parties often?" Rayyri asked.

"Quite often, yes. The only thing I enjoy more than luxury is sharing that luxury with those who can appreciate it. But I also enjoy learning the latest gossip and hear the most intriguing rumors."

"I can see you spared no expense." Rayyri glanced over at the small band and the bountiful platters of fresh food on every table. She was afraid that the tables would give way at some point with all of the food that was stacked on top of them. Elenwen laughed once more.

"Of course not! One does not gather the most important men and women of Skyrim and serve them cheap ale and stale bread. This is a taste of the benefits that accrue to those who align themselves with Thalmor interests."

Do those interests involve slaughtering hundreds of innocent people and their families just for the fun of it? Rayyri wanted to blurt out. With every snotty word that feel out of the High Elf's mouth, Rayyri wanted to slice the woman's throat more and more.

"Yes, yes. Give into that dark desire, my dear. Give her a taste of what you're capable of." That voice again.

"Leave me alone!" Rayyri whispered, glanced up above her.

"Pardon?" Elenwen asked, waving to some of the other party goers.

"Nothing. Um, so is there a place where a lady can get a nice drink around here?" she asked. Elenwen smiled down at her.

"Of course. Right over here." Elenwen turned them around and ushered Rayyri towards the bar where Malborn stood behind. "Malborn, make sure this young lady gets whatever her little heart desires."

"Yes, Madam Ambassador." he answered.

"Enjoy the party." Elenwen said before walking back into the slew of nobles. Rayyri waved to her before her kind smile instantly dropped off of her face and a look of hatred replaced it. She turned back to Malborn.

"Is it wrong that I wanted to kill her as soon as she started talking to me?" Malborn chuckled humorlessly.

"Not at all. But I'd advise you to keep that kind of talk to yourself around here. I take it you had no trouble getting here. Good. As soon as you distract the guards, I'll open the door back here and we can get you on your way. Let's hope we both live through this day. Here, take this brandy. Don't want to raise suspicions." He pushed a chalice towards her filled with the brown liquid towards her. Rayyri picked it up and turned back to the party, sipping the strong drink. She walked away from the bar, thinking about how she was going to pull it off. Suddenly, she heard a deep sigh next to her.

"What does a fellow need to do to get a drink around here?" Rayyri glanced to her left and saw a finely dressed man sitting on a bench. He was Redguard, like her, and had a more friendly face than the rest of the people in the ballroom. She smiled down at him before sitting next to him.

"You look thirsty." she giggled at him. The man chuckled and nodded.

"My lady, you are very perceptive! I have a powerful thirst that cannot be slacked! And none of these waiters will bring me a drink. Elenwen must have told them to cut me off. Afraid I'll cause another scene, I suppose… Ah, but where are my manors? Razelan. Pleasure." He stuck out his hand for Rayyri to take. Rayyri stared at him before taking his hand to shake it.

"Razelan?" she questioned, thinking she would never hear that familiar name from someone outside of her family.

"Yes. Do I know you? I apologize if my memory is a little fuzzy. Drink may be my best friend, but it does little to help my knowledge of other people I may have met in my… more colorful state." Rayyri dropped his hand and waved him off.

"Oh no, no it's not that. I… My brother is named Raazelhen. Do you spell it the same way?" she asked.

"R-a-z-e-l-a-n. That sound familiar, too?" he asked with a smile. Rayyri shook her head, slightly disappointed. It would've been a pleasant surprise in a dark time for her.

"No, no he spells it a different way. Two "A's" after the "R", an "H" after the "L", and an "E" instead of an "A" before the "N"." Razelan chuckled.

"Ah, the true spelling of that wonderful Redguard name. I swear my parents were drunk while thinking up a name from me. Where are you from?"

"Sentinel."

"Ah, you fit right in here with all of these rich folk. More than me, anyway. So, if you're here, where might your brother be?" Rayyri sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"That's what I'm trying to find out. I think he was taken prisoner and I need to…" Rayyri glanced around her, making sure no one else was listening. She leaned in closer to Razelan and continued in a whisper. "To get into some of the Thalmor's secret files to see what I can find. If they have him, I need to know where to find him." The Redguard man nodded.

"You have a good heart. I'm sure if the roles were reversed, your brother would be doing the same thing to find you. Well, if you need my help, there is only one thing I ask for."

"What's that?" Rayyri asked. Razelan pointed down to the brandy in her hands with a knowing look. Rayyri smiled and handed it to him. "Here you go."

"Now, what is it you would have me do?" he asked, taking a generous swig into his mouth.

"I need you to create a bit of a diversion. Get everyone's attention for a few moments." Razelan laughed outright.

"Is that all? My friend, you have come to the right person. You could say that causing a scene is a bit of a specialty of mine. Now stand back and watch my handiwork. Oh, and I hope you find what you are looking for…?"

"Rayyri. My name's Rayyri." she informed. Razelan shook her hand once more.

"And I say good luck to you!" With that, the Redguard man stood up and made his way to the stage, brandy in hand. Rayyri waited until Razelan had everyone's attention before backing away and quickly retreating towards Malborn.

"Let's go, let's go! Before anyone notices us." Both Rayyri and Malborn push through the door and the elf quickly locks it behind them. "So far, so good. Let's hope nobody saw us slip out. We need to pass through the kitchen. Your gear is hidden in the larder, just stay close and let me do the talking. Follow me." Rayyri followed close behind the elf who lead her towards the dimly lit kitchen. Once they were inside, the Khajiit cook sniffed the air and squinted her feline eyes at Rayyri.

"Who comes, Malborn? You know I don't like strange smells in my kitchen." she said sharply.

"A guest, feeling ill. Leave the poor wretch be." Malborn answered her.

"A guest? In the kitchens? You know this is against the rules-"

"Rules, is it, Tsavanni? I didn't realize eating Moon Sugar was permitted. Perhaps I should ask the Ambassador…" The feline woman bared her teeth.

"Tss! Get out of here. I saw nothing." The woman went back to her station, stirring the pots once more. The two entered the pantry before Malborn pointed to the chest sitting on the floor.

"Your gear is in there. I'll lock the door behind you. Don't screw this up. Good luck." Rayyri opened the chest and took out her bag, strapping it across her body and picking up the holding case for her battleaxe. She strapped that on as well and picked up her heavy battleaxe. She gave a single nod to Malborn before quietly sneaking into the corridors of the Embassy with her axe firmly in her hands. Malborn quietly closed and locked the door behind her. She was on her own now.

---

Rayyri's dress was drenched in the blood of the Thalmor she had to kill to get inside. Her battleaxe was faring no better. Rayyri took a few moments to calm herself down before placing the axe back on her back. She had to keep it together. The party was still going on and she couldn't jeopardize innocent people's lives. Her heart was beating against her chest from the adrenaline rush and her blood felt hot under her skin. Something about killing the members of the Thalmor fueled her need for blood more than killing a simple bandit or thief that got in her way on the roads of Skyrim. It was like a drug. A drug that she couldn't let herself become addicted to. If she did, she would be no better than them. She had to keep her head.

"I'm sure someone would be proud of your slaughter here. Hm, I guess that would be me! Oh Rayyri, you have a deep darkness inside of you and you deny its existence. Why must mortals make everything so... complicated?"

"Why can't you just leave me alone? Go find some other mortal to speak to." Rayyri rolled her eyes before walking over to an open office. She shuffled through the bookshelf, looking for anything that might have some interest to her.

"What would be the fun in that? You're the protege of Akatosh himself. What better way to spite that weak-willed Aedra than to corrupt her with my presence? You have plenty inside you to be twisted and bent, mortal. You will learn of my persistence." Rayyri growled and threw another useless book onto the floor. She sighed and looked around the room. She saw the desk and quickly pulled it open, shuffling through folders and smaller books.

"Look, unless you can actually help me, stop talking. Can you manage that one?" Silence. Rayyri waited a moment for the voice to continue, but heard nothing more. She sighed again and went back to searching the desk. All of a sudden, the chest behind her burst open with a loud bang as it hit the wall behind it. Rayyri shreeked in horror, spinning around quickly and covering her mouth.

"Aha ha ha ha ha ha!" the voice cackled. Rayyri huffed and lowered her hands. "Try looking in there." The voice sounded too amused for Rayyri's liking. "You are welcome." The voice silenced himself soon after. Rayyri walked over to the chest and pulled out four, small brown books. She opened each up and noticed that they were logs on important people that the Thalmor have been keeping track of. One was for Delphine, another for Ulfric, and the final one almost took Rayyri's breath completely away.

"Raazelhen…" she whispered to herself. She placed her fingers over her brother's name affectionately before quickly flipping the pages, reading what they said out loud. "Could be the key to plundering that sad excuse for a province, Hammerfell. If the need arises, beat him until he gives us what we need…." she flipped another page. "Mentions a sister on several occasions. Sometimes even mumbles her name in his sleep. "Rayyri", we've found out is her name. Note: make sure every Thalmor Embassy gets acquainted with the name "Rayyri." If need be, capture her and bring her to the Thalmor outpost near…. Solitude…He's here…" Rayyri felt a surge of relief and fear for her brother, stronger than any other she's felt since she got to Skyrim. She quickly packed away all of the small books and hightailed it to the stairs that lead to the holding chambers of the Embassy. She quickly opened the door and slipped inside, careful not to make a sound.

"Where is she?" Rayyri quickly crouched down at the booming voice, cursing under her breath. She slowly made her way towards the railings of the balcony and saw a Thalmor wizard inside one of the holding cells. "I won't ask you again. You know how much I hate repeating myself."

"Please… please, I don't know where she is…" Rayyri had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping. It was him. It was really him! He was alive!

"Listen, I know how much you want to protect your precious sister, but is her life really worth more than your own? Her name is starting to pick up traction among the cities of the holds and we have a suspicion that she is this fabled "Dragonborn" that these pathetic Nords keep talking about. This makes her even more valuable to us. If we could use her powers over the people of Hammerfell, she could lead us to the riches we seek and bend the knee of those stubborn Redguards of that dusty land." The Thalmor bent down to meet Raazelhen's eyes. "Now I will ask you again. Where. Is. She?" Raazelhen slowly lifted his head, sheer hatred swimming in his deep brown eyes.

"I'd rather die than tell you. Even if I knew where she was, I wouldn't tell you shit." The Thalmor elf frowned fiercely before laying a quick and painful slap across Raazelhen's face. The Redguard man groaned in pain from the sharp leather of the glove against him. He could feel scarlet blood trickle down his cheek. Another painful reminder of what he's endured.

"That can be well arranged." the Thalmor sneered. He stood back up and exited the cell, closing the door behind him. He went over to the large wooden desk and pulled out his chair, sitting down. He shuffled around some papers and books on his desk, finding what he needed. Rayyri's eye caught on one of the books the Thalmor had. It was a small brown book just like the others. It was probably important to her mission and it would be best to stay on Delphine's good side for the time being. That Thalmor was going to have to die.

Rayyri pulled out her axe once more and wasted no time in rushing down the stairs. She didn't care whether or not he heard her coming. Raazelhen was so close and that elf hurt him greatly. She rounded the corner with haste, yelling, and caught the elf off guard. She swung her axe above her head and quickly brought it down. The elf gasped and rapidly used a magic spell to cast a shield in front of him. The axe bounced off of the shield causing Rayyri to stumble back. She caught her footing with ease and yelled once more, charging after the elf. She lifted her axe again causing the elf to raise his translucent shield up to his head. Rayyri smirked. Got you right where I want you. Rayyri faked out the elf successfully and swung at his legs, cutting into them deep. The elf screamed in pain and fell to the floor. Rayyri wasted no time in killing him. With one final swing, Rayyri jabbed the elf right into his neck. Blood hastily poured out of the open wound and onto the wooden floor. The elf choked on his own blood, convulsing in place, before finally going limp. A pool of red encasing around his head.

Rayyri threw down her weapon before running over to the cell door the separated her from her beloved brother. Raazelhen lifted his head weakly and gasped once he recognized her.

"Rayyri?" he asked weakly. Rayyri threw open the door with tears already streaming down her face. She slid to the floor in front of him and wrapped her arms around her bloody and bruised brother. Raazelhen's hands were shackled to the wall, keeping him from his want to warmly embrace his younger sister. Tears formed at the creases of his eyes before spilling over down his cheeks. Rayyri sobbed into his bare shoulder. She sniffed a few times before pulling away, cupping his face in her calloused hands.

"I thought I would never see you again!" she cried, swiping her thumbs over his cheeks, wiping away the tears that stained them. "I thought they killed you. I've been looking for you ever since I ended up in Skyrim." Suddenly, a sharp realization came over her. There was so much, maybe too much, to tell him. "There... There's something I have to tell you. But, we have to get out of here. Quickly! Is there a key for these shackles?" she asked, standing up. Raazelhen nodded, still amazed that his sister made it all the way to Skyrim. How did she get there? What did she have to do to find him? Surely she saw the dragons flying around on the outside. Did she have to cross paths with the fabled beasts? How was she still even alive?

"Raazelhen. Hey, this is no time to space out, brother!" She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. Raazelhen blinked harshly before glancing back up at her.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Um, it should be in that damned elf's robes. He always taunted me with it. Bastard…" he growled. Rayyri nodded once before quickly moving back to the body of the Thalmor torturer. She searched his pockets before grinning in happiness once her fingers touched the bronze key. She made her way to her brother and walked up to the shackles on the wall. She placed the key inside the keyhole and the shackles unlocked and opened with a click. Raazelhen fell to the ground with a groan. He rubbed both of his sore wrists and slowly stood up. Rayyri gently grabbed his side to stable his stance. Once he was at his full, tall height, Raazelhen moved away from his sister, positive he could stand on his own. Rayyri motioned for him to follow her. She went back over to where she disregarded her weapon and picked it up with one hand. Raazelhen looked on at his sister amazed at her strength.

"Wow. How long have you been using that thing? It looks like it weighs several tons." Rayyri smiled up at him before glancing around, listening for the rapid footsteps of some Thalmor agents that she knew were on their way.

"I really wish I could explain, but there's no time. Do you know a way out of here?" she asked. Raazelhen nodded.

"There is a trapped door over that way." he pointed to the right. "That's where they get rid of the bodies." A chill ran up Rayyri's spine as he said that. He wasn't the only one they tortured. Before they walked over to the trap door, Raazelhen moved over to one of the cells. "We need to take Etienne with us. He's been through Oblivion and back far longer than I have." Raazelhen opened up the door and called for Rayyri to throw him the key. Rayyri tossed it to him with a slightly confused look on her face.

"Who's Etienne?" she questioned. She heard the click of a pair of shackles release and a body fall to the floor. The soft voice of Raazelhen accompanied by another she did not recognize sounded from the cell. Then, Raazelhen slowly came back out with a bloody and broken man with his bony arm around her brother's shoulders.

"This is Etienne. He's a member of the Thieves Guild and the Thalmor have been torturing him for information about a member of some organization. The Blades I think they were called?" Rayyri's eyes widened. If Raazelhen overheard what the Thalmor were talking about, maybe he could be of help to her.

Suddenly, the sound of boots running towards them sounded up above. Rayyri quickly moved toward the trap door and pulled it open. She motioned for the two men to jump down before her. Etienne hastily jumped down and landed with a hard thump before Raazelhen made his way in. Just as the Thalmor were entering the room, Rayyri quickly did the same, pulling the trap door down over them. She stood up on the ladder and placed the key in the door locking it behind them. She jumped down and sighed, throwing the key away.

"Okay, we've got to move. I'll go first just in case we run into more trouble." Rayyri pulled out her battleaxe and took the lead, quickly jogging down the dimly lit cave. She suddenly stopped once they got to a ledge and saw a frost troll eating what seemed like deer at the very left corner of the cave. The exit out was to the right. If they could time it just right, they would all make it out alive. She turned to the two men behind her. "Okay, Raazelhen, I want you to jump down with Etienne and make a break for the exit. I'll distract the troll so you two can make it out." Raazelhen looked at her as if she was absolutely insane.

"What? No, Rayyri, it's too dangerous for you to take that thing on alone!"

"Ra, please trust me on this one. I've fought trolls before. This one is no different. You two are weakened anyway. I just need you safe. Please don't fight me on this." Rayyri pleaded with him. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let her only surviving family member get slaughtered by a troll right after she's found him. Raazelhen looked conflicted for a moment before huffing with a nod.

"Alright, but you better come out alive." he scolded. Same old Raazelhen. Rayyri nodded with a small smile. The Redguard male turned to his prison companion. "Quickly, Etienne!" he exclaimed. Raazelhen jumped down into the lower level with the Breton by his side. The troll was still too busy to notice as it picked away at the bones of the deer it was consuming. Raazelhen kept his eye out for the frost troll before grabbing Etienne's wrist, pulling him quickly towards the exit. Once they were out, Rayyri glanced over to the troll who seemed not to notice at all. She kept an eye on the beast before quietly jumping down the ledge. She slowly tip-toed towards the exit, still watching out for the troll. The beast continued to chomp away at the flesh of the fallen deer, not noticing the potential prey that was sneaking its way to the exit. Rayyri quietly slid the axe back into its case on her back before turning and hightailing it out of the cave.

Freezing air suddenly assaulted her face along with thick snowflakes as she sprinted outside. Her breath was quick and ragged as she leaned over onto her knees. She took a few deep breaths before she felt a large hand on her back. She glanced up and saw her brother smiling down at her. Him and Etienne were both shivering, clutching themselves tightly. A look of worry casted over her face as she fully realized that they were both half naked. Solitude wasn't far from the Embassy. If they hurried, she could get them someplace warm. Or, if not that, then at least to get them some proper clothing. She stood up fully and looked to them both.

"Okay, we need to get you two inside somewhere. Solitude is not to far from here. Hopefully the Thalmor won't come looking for us there just yet. Come on." Rayyri waved her hand for them to follow her. Raazelhen stuck close to Etienne to keep him warm. His larger taller body shielded the smaller, thinner Breton from most of the white flakes that fell quickly from the clouds above. The three quickly took to the road, making their way back to the city.

---

"Rayyri! My Thane!" Lydia all but ran towards her Thane with a relieved look on her face. Her and Delphine were waiting back in the inn as soon as the snow began to fall over Solitude. Delphine was sitting at a table not to far from the entrance in a shady corner next to the warmth of the fire. She sat with her arms crossed, hood over her eyes, and a large mug of frothy drink in front of her. She looked as if she was trying her best to not look as relieved as Lydia, but it was failing miserably. Rayyri smiled with a small chuckle as Lydia wrapped her armored arms around the smaller woman. Rayyri hugged her back warmly.

"I'm fine, Lyd. Really." Rayyri reassured, patting the Nord's back. Lydia pulled away and sighed.

"Well, I'm glad that you are okay. But look at you." she glanced down at Rayyri's outfit still covered in the dried up blood of her enemies. The Redguard sheeply glanced around and saw that some of the other patrons were taking notice. Lydia seemed to notice, too. "We need to get you changed. We can't draw this much attention to us." She looked up and glanced behind the smaller woman. "And who are your friends?" Rayyri smiled up behind her and backed up to her brother's side before crossing her arms smugly.

"You can't see the resemblance?" she asked. Lydia looked back and forth between them before her mouth slowly became unhinged, falling open.

"Raazelhen! Oh, I've heard so much about you!" Lydia's eyes sparkled with the excitement of a dog as she trotted up to the large Redguard man. Raazelhen grinned and seemed impressed that the Nord woman was almost the same height as he was. Lydia placed her fist over her heart and bowed deeply. "I am Lydia. Housecarl to Thane Rayyri of Whiterun. It is an honor and a pleasure to finally meet you, Sir." Raazelhen bowed his head towards her with a smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Lydia. I'm sure you have taken good care of my sister." he said, smiling over to Rayyri. Lydia stood up straight.

"I've done my best, but your sister can be quite stubborn sometimes. It's either her way or the long way." Raazelhen chuckled deeply.

"Oh, how I know that feeling." The four laughed in amusement as Delphine rolled her eyes and stood up from her chair.

"I don't mean to break up this little reunion, but we really should leave. The Thalmor will be looking in every nook and cranny for you and by that time, we should already be back in Riverwood." Her voice was thick from ergency. Rayyri nodded.

"Delphine's right. We need to move before they come. Do you have a way out of here?" she asked the small Nord woman. Delphine rolled her eyes with a scoff, heading for the front door.

"Of course I do. I'm not some ameture at this! Now, let's go, let's go!" Delphine exited the building and held open the door for the others. After they were all outside, the group quickly followed Delphine back towards the stables. She lead them towards a carriage that was parked right next to the road. She ushered them all to get in back while she sat up front with the driver. Once they were all safely in, the driver pulled away and headed back on the road towards Riverwood.

---

The journey back seemed to go faster than when they first made the trip. Delphine was more skittish and insisted that they made less stops in case the Thalmor were somehow ahead of them. Rayyri didn't mind. All she cared about was having her brother back. She made sure him and Lydia got along well. With their love for battle and weaponry, they already became friends the first night they were on the road. It was a nice sight seeing the two go back and forth about which armor goes well for which battle or what weapon works better on the living or the dead. It was the first time in a long time that Rayyri felt genuinely happy. If she really wanted to, she could take Raazelhen and leave Skyrim for good. They didn't have to go back to Hammerfell, even. She would go anywhere in Tamriel if it meant that he was still there next to her. But, she knew that it couldn't happen. Skyrim, Tamriel, even Nirn needed her. Akatosh gave her the soul of one of his children for a reason and she was going to honor him. If he chose her of all beings on Nirn to be the savior of Man, she would do it until her dying breath. Everyone she has met along the way deserved the chance to live in peace.

On their way back to Riverwood, the group managed to find armor that fit Rayyri's burly brother and the smaller, bony thief. Raazelhen was slightly annoyed that he couldn't get his hands on at least one piece of Redguard armor, but his steel armor would suit him either way. Etienne decided to go light and picked up the best leather armor he could find. On their second day on the road, the group was safely back in Riverwood. Etienne decided to take the carriage all the way Riften and bid the rest of the group farewell. Once he was out of sight, Delphine lead the rest of the group back into the inn and down into her secret basement. The small Nord woman threw off her hood and walked around the table, leaning onto it.

"So, besides your long lost brother, what did you manage to find in the Embassy?" she asked, looking expectantly up at Rayyri. The Redguard woman walked up to the table and pulled open her knapsack. She grabbed the three other brown books and threw them on the table in front of her.

"I had to kill a lot of people to get those, so I hope you're happy." Rayyri growled. Even though she hated the Thalmor as much as the next person, slaughtering a whole building of them unexpectedly didn't sit right with her. She grew up with her father always instilling honor into her at an early age. An unfair battle was nothing to honor. Delphine sighed before crossing her arms. Her face twisted into an annoyed look.

"Good thing you did or else you would've never found the information we need." She nodded over to Raazelhen. "And you would've never found him. I think I did you a favor in sending you for the job." Rayyri's frown deepened. How could she even say something like that?

"How dare you! How dare you try to bring Raazelhen into this after all he's been through! I sacrificed everything to get in there and now the Thalmor will forever look for me. I slaughtered so many of them I lost count halfway through! There is no victory in slaughter, Delphine." Rayyri could feel her own rage amplify as she spit at the Nord in front of her. Delphine didn't have the right to treat her like some errand girl. The Nord sighed before softening her face.

"Look I'm.. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you feel like I don't care. Bringing your brother into this was out of line." Rayyri's face also softened at Delphine's apology and nodded her head.

"No, it's okay. I think we're all just tired." Delphine picked up one of the books and opened it up.

"There's no sleep for the heros, I'm afraid." The blonde chuckled before glancing down at the book in hand. Suddenly, Delphine's slight smile dropped from her lips as she turned to the first page of the book. Rayyri's brows furrowed.

"Is something wrong, Delphine?" she asked slightly worried at the Nord's look. Delphine placed the book on the table before rubbing at her face in shock.

"This book," she started after letting her hands drop to her sides, "where did you get it?"

"It was in a chest in the torture room of the embassy,why" Rayyri asked, further intrigued by the Nord's reaction.

"I know the man this book is talking about." she plainly answered.

"Yeah, it said that the Thalmor were looking for him. It also says that they think he's hiding somewhere in Riften. Do you know him?" Rayyri questioned once again. Delphine sighed and leaned over the table with a shake of her head.

"Esbern's a good friend of mine. I thought the Thalmor must have got him years ago. That crazy old man… Figures the Thalmor would be on his trail, though, with all of the dragons coming back. I take it they aren't the ones responsible, then?" she asked. Rayyri shook her head.

"They seem to be just as in the dark as the rest of us. But back to Esbern, why would the Thalmor want him?" Delphine stood up straight with a scoff.

"You mean, aside from wanting to kill every Blade they can get their hands on? Esbern was one of the Blades archivists, back before the Thalmor smashed us in the Great War. He knew everything about the ancient dragonlore of the Blades. Obsessed with it, really. Nobody paid much attention to it back then. I guess he wasn't as crazy as we all thought."

"Huh. So, the Thalmor think the Blades are the cause for the dragons. Talk about irony…" Rayyri shook her head. Delphine chuckled a bit.

"Isn't it? Old enemies assume that every calamity is a plot by the other side. Even so, we need to find Esbern before they do. He'll know what to do to stop the dragons if anyone does. Go to Riften and speak with a man named Brynjolf. He's well connected. And if you think I'm paranoid… You may have trouble getting Esbern to trust you. Just ask him where he was on the 30th of Frostfall. He'll know what it means." Delphine picked up all of the brown books on the table and chucked them into one of the chests that was on the floor. Rayyri glanced over and her brother and Lydia and waved for them to follow her back upstairs. The three trotted up the stairs and exited out of the noisy inn to the outside.

It was just about midday when the small band stepped outside. The sun was high in the sky and there was a light breeze against the warm air. It was definitely one of the more heated days she's spent in Skyrim, but there was still a slight chill underneath the warmth. Raazelhen walked up to his sister with an excited twinkle in his eye. He seemed happy that he had the pleasure of actually being outside and, more importantly, with his younger sister.

"So, Dragonborn, eh?" he asked playfully with a smirk. Rayyri told him about her supernatural power and supposed destiny on the carriage ride back. He talked and teased nonstop as soon as she told him. The younger Redguard giggled.

"Yes Ra, your little sister just happens to be the fabled Dovahkiin that is going to save all of mankind. No big deal or anything." she boasted with a dismissive wave of her hand. Raazelhen chuckled.

"Hopefully me and your loyal housecarl here can go down in history and legend with you." Lydia smiled up at the large man.

"Of course you are! I wouldn't allow anyone to leave you two out of my epic tale." Rayyri declared. "Now, we have to take another long trip to Riften… I don't know about you two, but I'm still recovering from the long as fuck ride it took to get here." Raazelhen gasped.

"Watch your tongue, young lady! There is no way I'm going to let you start cursing like a dirty sailor." he scolded. Rayyri rolled her bright eyes.

"Oh, come on, Raazelhen. We're not kids anymore, I can cuss if I want to. Anyway, I think I should go to Whiterun first before we continue on this interesting quest." she stated. Lydia nodded to her, knowing what she meant by that. The two women started off on the road towards Whiterun with Raazelhen right behind them. Rayyri glanced over by the rushing river and saw a grazing Allie there, barebacked, flicking her tail in content as she ate. It was nice of Gerdur to let her stay when she wasn't needed. Rayyri stopped and lifted up her hand to the side of her mouth.

"Allie!" she called. The horse's ears flicked towards the voice before she looked up, still chomping at the grass in her mouth. She saw her master before neighing sweetly and trotting over to Rayyri with delight. Rayyri giggled and petted Allie's long nose. The horse nickered back happily. "You doing okay, girl? I promise, I'll take you on a ride soon enough, okay?" The horse neighed once more before lifting her head and gracefully walking back to her spot next to the river. Rayyri started back on the road and the group made their way towards Whiterun.

---

"So, what do you think?" Rayyri asked her brother once they crossed into the busy city. Raazelhen had the same mystified look on his face as Rayyri did when she first went to the city. It was an amusing sight to see.

"Wow. This place is amazing! It reminds me of Sentinel…" Raazelhen's face suddenly fell and he quickly looked over to his sister. "W-well, I mean, it's not exactly like home but, um…" Rayyri chuckled.

"It's okay, Ra. I had the same reaction, too. And… if you want to talk about home, I won't stop you or try to shut you out." she said with a nod. It was time she actually started healing herself and accepting that what happened, happened. She had to be mature about it. She couldn't be the weak little girl she always played when she was younger. She felt like she grew a lot in her time in Skyrim, even. She had more people to think about now instead of just herself. Raazelhen's face lightened up.

"Are you sure? You mean it?" Rayyri nodded.

"Yeah. We can talk about home anytime… and about Mama and Baba, too." A sharp sting hit her chest as she spoke their names. It had been so long since she formed those words. She almost forgot what they sounded like. Raazelhen pulled her to him and set a kiss on her forehead.

"They would be very proud of you. I know it, Ray." he said quietly. Rayyri smiled and nodded. Lydia cleared her throat politely and set a hand on Rayyri's shoulder.

"Pardon me, my Thane, but it seems we have a watcher." She pointed past the crowd with a small smile to the familiar body of the large, mountain man that was Lucia's mentor. Rayyri grinned and waved at him before quickly leading the other two towards him. Farkas' lips twitched upward into a ghost if a smile, raising his palm in greeting. Rayyri trotted up to him and hugged the large man without warning. The sudden burst of affection caught the mountain man off guard before he smiled down at Rayyri and wrapped a thick arm around her, hugging her close.

"It's so good to see you again, Farkas! How are you?" The two pulled away from each other. Rayyri glanced down and saw a cloth bag in his hand filled with all sorts of food items inside. "I see you're on shopping duty today." she giggled. Farkas playfully crossed his arms.

"Yeah, so?" he asked, his deep voice vibrating against Rayyri's ears. She giggled again before Lydia and Raazelhen walked up behind her. "Lady Lydia." he greeted the fellow Nord. Lydia bowed her head in greeting.

"Farkas." She answered back. The large man looked toward the new member of the two women's group.

"You gotta name?" he asked with a slight nod. Raazelhen stuck out his arm.

"Raazelhen. Rayyri's older brother." Farkas nodded and firmly shook his hand before pulling away.

"A brother, huh? Aela mentioned something about you having a brother, Rayyri." he said. Rayyri nodded.

"Yeah, he was actually in the clutches of the Thalmor and had to break him out. It's uh, kind of a long story." Farkas chuckled.

"Since you're the Dragonborn, I'm sure everything is a long story with you. Anyway, Lucia is dying to see you. Hopefully that's why you're here. I saw the letter she was going to send you, but it was never finished. She's been working hard." Farkas motioned with his head for them to follow.

"I would hope so. You're not pushing her too hard though, are you?" Rayyri asked in concern.

"That little girl is as tough as steel. She's can handle anything and everything I throw at her. Her progress is astounding." he praised.

"What about Aventus? How is he adjusting to a more stable life?" Farkas' face dropped a bit. His brows furrowed in slight sorrow.

"He's not doing as well as Lucia is. He's a very reserved and timid boy. I try to get him involved with training, but he doesn't seem too interested in doing it. Something about him is a little off putting, for better terms. He seems better fit for a group of assassins rather than a band of loyal warriors." Rayyri understood what he meant.

"Well, he was summoning the Dark Brotherhood when I met him."

"Also, do you know if he's a werewolf?" Farkas asked out of the blue. Rayyri frowned with a slight chuckle.

"Uh, I don't believe he is. Why?"

"I've never seen a child's hair grow so fast over a few weeks." he said with a curious look on his face. Rayyri giggled once more. The group headed deeper into the crowds of citizens and made their way up to Jorrvaskr. Fargas held the door open for the rest of the group once they came up to the large wooden barriers of the mead hall. Once everyone was inside, Rayyri immediately started looking for Lucia. Some of the Companions were sitting at the large table around the fire eating and chatting with one another. Others moved from the training grounds in the back to the inside of the building, decked out in their training gear. Suddenly, a small child opened the door from the training grounds and entered the mead hall, a smaller child sized sword strapped to her waste. Rayyri smiled at the familiar body and called out.

"Lucia!" The young child glanced over at the door and gasped with delight. She squealed happily as she bounded over to the group with her arms out wide. Rayyri leaned down and caught the child in her arms, spinning them around several times before placing Lucia back on the ground. "Look at you! I'm loving the outfit. Did they make the armor just for you?" Rayyri asked looking over the leather armor that Lucia was decked out in. She nodded frantically, a grin on her face.

"Uh huh! Farkas took me up to Skyforge and had Eorlund Grey-Mane craft me some. He also gave me this sword with is made out if special Skyforge steel!" Lucia patted her sword with excitement and pride. Rayyri chuckled.

"I'm glad you're getting on so well." Just then Aela came up by them and crossed her arms over her chest. She cleared her throat and gave the child a knowing look. Lucia seemed to suddenly remember something. She stood tall and placed her arms behind her back, her stance strong.

"Could I offer you and your fellow travelers something to eat or drink, ma'am?" she asked, her voice firm. Rayyri tried her best not to coo over how adorable Lucia was and nodded her head.

"That would be great, thank you." she answered. Lucia gave a curt nod before leading the group to the large table. She held out her arm for them to take their seats. The group all sat down before the tough and professional facade that Lucia put on dropped and a friendly smile etched back onto her lips. She held up a jug of fresh water and carefully poured the liquid into the three's mugs. She set the jug back onto the table and chambered up into the chair next to Rayyri.

"Sorry, I haven't written to you, Rayyri. I meant to, but then I forgot." Her eyes cast down in shame. Rayyri placed a hand over hers and smiled.

"It's alright. I know how busy you are now. In fact, I would rather you keep training then to write to me. You have a lot of important things to focus on now." she said. Lucia looked up at her with a small smile.

"Yeah, it's been busy here. The Companions have been going on a lot of adventures lately. I hope one day I could go with them. I'm getting stronger."

"I'm sure when you're old enough they'll take you for sure. Not only do you have to be physically ready, but also mentally ready." Lucia nodded sullenly and leaned her head on her knuckle.

"Yeah… That's what Aela always says. She says that I need to mentally prepared for what I could face in those places and stuff. She says that there are things there that might traumatize me. But I don't think I'm that weak. I can handle a lot of gross stories Farkas tells me!" Rayyri chuckled once more.

"There's a difference between stories and actually being there, Lucia. You know that." she explained. Lucia sighed and crossed her arms over the table, placing her head on top of them.

"I guess so. Well, at least I'm doing better than Aventus." she piped mischievously. Rayyri's smile slowly turned into a worried frown.

"How do you think he's doing?" she asked. Lucia lifted up her head and shrugged.

"No one treats him fairly here. They all think he's weird. I like him. I'm the only one he really talks to. I even got him to laugh once! But… the others don't think he's normal which is unfair. He's just a kid who's been through a lot. Like me. I don't understand why the treat him differently." Rayyri could see it in the young girl's eyes that she had become rather protective of the Arentino boy. She wondered how Lucia managed to get close to him after what he went through before she met him on that cold night in Windhelm. But, no matter how reserved and cut off from the rest of society he seemed, Lucia was able to break the mold and get down to the soft part of him.

"Maybe you should try to get him out of his shell. Show him the ropes, you know? You never know when something might happen. I want you two to be prepared." Rayyri said back. Lucia looked down to think it over. If she was the only one that could really talk to him, maybe showing him what she's learned wasn't a bad idea. She nodded, a large smile encasing her face once more.

"Yeah. Yeah! That's a great idea, Rayyri! He would definitely want to learn if I taught him! Thanks for the idea." Lucia clasped her hands together in excitement. Rayyri giggled with a nod.

"Anytime, Lucia." Suddenly the front door to the mead hall burst open. A young woman, wide eyed and out of breath, stood at the top of the stairs. The rest of the Companions stared up at her frantic look.

"Please, come quick! There is some sort of monster in the marketplace!" she yelled. Vilkas jogged up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"What kind of monster?" he questioned.

"I don't know! It just burst through the front gate and started rampaging in the marketplace! It looked like it was looking for something, but I have no idea what that could be! Please, you have to help the guards! They'll die if you don't!" Vilkas quickly waved over to some of the Companions and rushed passed the young woman. Farkas stood up from the table and gulped down the food he was currently stuffing his face with. Lucia stared at the door and quickly jumped down from her chair. She hastily took off for the door to follow the others, her face frowned up with determination. Rayyri gasped and ran after her, catching the young girl's arm before she could head outside.

"Woah! Where do you think you're going?" she asked, spinning Lucia around.

"You heard her; there is a monster in the marketplace! I'm going with them to help!" Lucia turned once more and tried to leave, but Rayyri grabbed onto her arm once more. Lucia struggled slightly before she whipped around, glowering at the Redguard woman.

"Let go! I have to go help them!" she yelled. Rayyri sighed and crouched down to Lucia's level, her hand still wrapped around her arm.

"Lucia, I think you should stay here with some of the others." she explained calmly. Lucia raised her eyebrows, looking as if she had just been slapped.

"What? Wait here? No way! I'm going to go help them!"

"Lucia… I don't think that's a good idea. You're still in training and-"

"You just said that you wanted me to be prepared for these things, Rayyri! I've trained for all this time with Farkas and I've learned more stuff than any Companion did when they were my age. I'm prepared now, so why won't you trust me? I can do this!" Rayyri could see the burning passion and desire for her to prove herself in her large eyes. Rayyri sighed and let go of her arm.

"You're right. I should have more faith in you. Come on, we should give the Companions as much help as they need." Lucia smiled brightly before rushing off outside. Rayyri turned to her brother and housecarl and waved them over to follow. The three of them took off after Lucia and drew their weapons, ready for whatever was causing a ruckus in the marketplace.

Rayyri could hear the screams of the civilians and the yells of anguish from the guards as they ran down towards the market. Above all of the screaming, she could also hear the roars from the monster. Suddenly, something hit her. She focused on the roars from the supposed monster and squinted her eyes. No, it can't be, she thought. She slowed herself down to let Raazelhen step in time with her. He had the same confused look on his face. As the three neared the market, the scene became visible and Rayyri's questions were answered. There, in the middle of the crowd, scared and agitated, was Ra'sha. His large, dark mane swished as he swiped his large, deadly paws at the guards who poked at him with their blades, and his large white teeth were bared intimidatingly. Rayyri gasped and stopped at the top of the stairs that separated the districts, Raazelhen at her side. Was that really him? Was her beloved lion's brother right there in the middle of Whiterun? Raazelhen seemed more emotional than she, for Ra'sha was his from the moment he was young. Raazelhen quickly ran down the stairs and pushed his way passed the panicking crowd.

"Wait! Wait, stop!" he shouted, rushing up to his lion. "Ra'sha! Ra'sha, over here! Come here, habibi! Come here!" The lion's ears perked up at the familiar voice. He glanced around hastily, scanning the crowd for his master and best friend. Raazelhen brok free of the crowd with a large smile on his face and his arms wide open. "Come here, Ra'sha!" The lion roared in affection and tackled the young man to the ground. The crowd backed away and watched as the monster that seemed to terrorize their city begin to lick at the Redguard's face in affection. Raazelhen laughed loudly at the sheer joy that Ra'sha was showing. Rayyri ran down passed the crowed and plopped down next to the two males.

"Ra'sha! You're alive!" she exclaimed. The lion glanced over to her and rubbed his large head on her chest vigorously. He rolled over onto his back, his chest rumbling deeply with a growling purr. The three snuggled into each other as the guards signed and yelled at the rest of the civilians to move along. The people of Whiterun seemed transfixed by the large beige beast that the Redguard's were cuddling up to. They were speechless. How could they get so close to the large feline without it biting their heads off? The Companions were just as confused. Lucia and Lydia were the first ones to put their weapons away and the two walked over to Rayyri.

"I'm guessing this is that lion friend you told me about, my Thane." Lydia said staring down at the feline. Rayyri nodded with a smile.

"I thought I would never see him again. Feels like home…" she said softly, joyful tears threatening to escape her bright eyes. Lucia came over to them and stared at Ra'sha with a look of intrigue and hesitation. She inched closer and closer to the lion, slightly hunched over from how massive and intimidating he was. Raazelhen smiled up at her and sat up to wave her over.

"It's okay, you can pet him. He was never the most aggressive lion in the desert." Ra'sha rolled back over onto his stomach and looked over at the young girl who was approaching him slowly. He noticed her body posture and he could sense that she was quite uncomfortable with him around. He lowered his head to make himself seem smaller and flattened his ears closer to his head, giving himself a softer look. Lucia gave a breathless chuckle before she sat down on the ground on her knees and scooted closer to him. She lifted her hand slowly and set it on Ra'sha's large nose. The lion purred deeply and closed his eyes as the young girl stroked the soft fur underneath her hand.

"He's soft." she giggled to Raazelhen. Raazelhen chuckled back.

"You're actually petting him in his favorite place. Hear how he's purring? That's his one weakness." Lucia smiled wider and continued to pet the feline on his nose. She looked back up at Raazelhen and squinted in focus.

"You look like Rayyri. Are you related?" she asked. Raazelhen nodded.

"She's my little sister. I take it you're Lucia. She spoke a lot about you on our way back from Solitude." Lucia nodded to him.

"Yeah, that's me! I never knew she had a brother. She didn't really talk about her when she met me. She mostly wanted to know about me. I was thrown out of my house not too long ago after my mother died. Rayyri found me on the streets and took me in, in a way. I'm with the Companions now learning how to, hopefully, become one of them one day. I think it would be really cool to be a Companion. They're brave and helpful and wear cool armor!" Raazelhen chuckled at her enthusiasm. She seemed really dedicated for someone of her age.

"It's a very noble cause you want to join. Someone of your age probably wouldn't be thinking about something like that yet." he said, still admiring how well the young child was adjusting to warrior life. Rayyri must have had a deep impact on her.

After the crowds fully disbursed and the guards were talked to about how harmless Ra'sha was, the group headed back to Jorrvaskr. Once they were back, the group all sat in the hall to chat and catch up. The rest of the Companions that were still wandering the halls of the mead hall came up to the main chamber to hear of Rayyri's latest adventures. She told them all about the dragons coming back, Alduin, the Thalmor, and how she found her brother. She told them that she needed to go to Riften and find someone named Esbern to come back to Riverwood with her. Even though they asked her why she needed to find him, Rayyri couldn't give a solid answer on why. After all of the time that she and Delphine had been together, the small Nord woman was still keeping some things from her. She didn't know if it was a matter of trust or if Delphine was used to keeping secrets from people she doesn't have strong ties to. Either way, it would be interesting to see what Rayyri will find once she finds the man in Riften.

After a few hours of talking, Aela told Lucia that it was her turn to help with dinner. The young Nord agreed without resistance and quickly took off down in the kitchens to help the cooks. Rayyri noticed that Aventus silently slinked off to follow the young girl as she left. The curly dark brown hair that shadowed his face bouncing along as he followed her. Lucia wasn't kidding when she said that she was the only one to really get through to him. Perhaps when this was all over, Aventus could come and live with them. She wanted Lucia to have a good home to grow up in, and Aventus definitely needed one, too. It would be a nice change from what she imagined he had to do to summon the Dark Brotherhood.

After dinner was served and finished, Aela lead Rayyri, Lydia, and Raazelhen down to the sleeping chambers and picked out a few beds for them. Rayyri had serious deja-vu when Aela showed her where she would be sleeping. Rayyri sighed and quickly changed into her sleeping clothes before crawling under the warm blankets and animal skins. The other Companions who were sharing their room with her all said their goodnights before blowing out the candles and climbing into bed. Rayyri kept her candle on and laid on her back with her hands behind her head.

She thought about everything that has happened to her. It was so much to just sit back and process. Who knew that she would come so far and be named the Dragonborn since the first time she slept in that very hall. It felt so long ago. It felt even longer since she had a normal life. Just a young Redguard woman who was trying to get by and eventually be more independent in life. Well, that was before everything happened. After the raid on Sentinel, she felt like a different person. She felt more capable of taking care of herself and of the people she really cared about. It was bizarre at first, but she soon came to accept that more people needed her than she realized. Even though it had only been a few weeks since the raid in Sentinel occurred, it still felt like a lifetime ago. Rayyri sighed and flipped over onto her side, staring up at the flame calmly flickering on the wick of the candle. She wondered how her parents were fairing in the Far Shores. She wondered how they would feel if they were alive to know that she was born with a dragon soul. She even wondered if she could've stopped the dragons earlier on in her young life. Perhaps the Nine Divines planned it this way. Having her lose her parents and traveling to Skyrim might have all been a part of their plan for her. Alas, she will never know. Not really. Rayyri yawned deeply and felt her eyes droop heavily. It was about time she actually got a good night's sleep. She sat up, blew out the candle, and rolled over, closing her eyes.

And, for the first time since she ended up in Skyrim, she didn't have a nightmare.

---

"Rayyri. Rayyri, wake up." A small voice whispered. Rayyri could feel small hands shaking her shoulder. She blinked her eyes a few times before looking up at a smiling Lucia. "Good morning, Rayyri." she greeted cheerfully. Rayyri smiled back at her and rubbed her eyes.

"Morning, Lucia. What time is it?" she asked.

"It's ten. I've been up for a while now, though. I had early morning training with Farkas and I helped Aela with breakfast. Your brother and Lady Lydia are already up and so is Ra'sha. I got to watch Raazelhen feed him, it was really cool! Oh, and Aventus and I ran errands for Eorlund and Aventus was actually a really big help. I think he's starting to really like it here! Oh, and I saved you a plate of breakfast and it's on the table waiting for you, unless you want me to bring it to you down here." Rayyri was quite amused at the young child's gift of over explaining. She was happy she was thriving, though. Rayyri shook her head at Lucia's request to bring her breakfast.

"No, I'll go upstairs and eat. Thank you though, Lucia." The young girl smiled brightly with a nod and turned to trot away. "Oh, Lucia," Rayyri called. Lucia turned back around. "Where is Aventus, by the way?" she asked.

"Aela gave him a job to help clean up the dishes. I think he's upstairs getting the plates in a stack to take them down to the kitchen. That's the last place I saw him anyway."

"Thanks, Lucia." Rayyri said, sitting up. Lucia gave another nod before trotting off back down the hallway to meet up with her master once more. Rayyri stretched her arms high above her head before standing up. She looked over at the dresser and saw some new clothing sitting there waiting with a small note card on top of them. Rayyri picked it up and read it.

"Thought you could use these. Lucia helped pick them out. Your armor is being fixed and polished by Eorlund at Skyforge and there's breakfast on the table for you.

Aela."

Rayyri smiled and placed the card on the dresser and picked up the outfit. It was composed of a dark blue, long sleeved shirt and a new pair of tight, black leather pants. Before she left the room, she glanced around to find that her steel battleaxe was nowhere to be found. Had one of the Companions taken it? If so, for what reason? She knew she had it with her before she went to bed. Rayyri moaned in confusion before she decided to let it go for the time being and turned out of the room. She made her way to the bathroom down the hall for a quick wash up. After her bath, Rayyri used some more of the mouth wash potion that Aela gave to her and put her new outfit on. She rolled up the sleeves high on her forearm before slipping her boots back on and wrapping her singed cloak over her shoulders. She let her long locks down and looked over herself in the mirror once more. Once she was happy with how she looked, Rayyri exited the bathroom and walked up the hallway to the door that lead to the top main floor of Jorrvaskr.

The mead hall was in full swing once Rayyri entered the main hall. Companions were going about their daily routine. Rayyri noticed that both the front doors and the back doors were wide open and a nice warm breeze whisked through, making the inside a beautifully comfortable temperature. The sun also shined bright through the hall making it even warmer than it actually was. Rayyri wasn't even sure that she would need her cloak. She looked over at the large table and saw a plate of food with a napkin over it and a steaming cup of warm cider next to it. She also noticed Aventus gathering up dishes to be washed like Lucia said. She walked over to the table and pulled out the chair to sit down. Aventus was next to her staking up the plates and mugs he saw. Rayyri pulled off the napkin that was covering her food and smiled down at the sliced chicken breast next to a few grilled leeks and a glazed sweet roll. She took a sip of the cider first before picking up her fork and cutting into the chicken. She glanced over at Aventus who seemed to be ignoring her and smiled at him.

"Good morning, Aventus." she greeted. The young Nord boy said nothing, keeping his eyes on the task at hand. Rayyri tried again. "What, are you not going to talk to me now? I thought we became friends ever since I met you in Windhelm." Aventus kept his eyes on his work, but decided to talk to her nonetheless.

"We didn't. I became friends with Lady Lydia, not you." he snapped. Rayyri was slightly hurt at his statement, but decided to change the subject.

"How are you fairing here? Do you like it?" she asked.

"It's fine. The people here are nice enough, but I wouldn't call them friends." he answered.

"What about Lucia?" Rayyri asked once more. Aventus stopped what he was doing briefly. His dark eyes flickered with light behind his curly hair as he thought about the young girl who seemed to be the only one who didn't give him strange looks. He blinked before continuing his task.

"She's nice to me."

"Would you call her a friend?" Rayyri asked.

" I guess so. She's nicer to me than any of the other Companions. She doesn't seem to care that I was never good at making friends. She became friends with me anyway."

"Sounds like you really get along." Rayyri concluded, smiling up at him. Aventus grabbed a stack of plates and turned to Aela who walked up from the kitchen downstairs and grabbed them to be cleaned. She gave a friendly nod to Rayyri before turning back around and disappeared back to the lower floor of the mead hall. Aventus shrugged and said nothing further. Rayyri smiled to herself and focused back on the food in front of her. She knew Aventus really liked Lucia. Hopefully, after business with the dragons was all over, Rayyri would be able to provide them the life they deserved.

After she was finished with her breakfast, Aventus grabbed her dirty plate and scuttled downstairs to the kitchen to wash it himself. Rayyri decided it was about time to begin their journey to Riften. The sooner they left, the better chance they would have in actually finding Esbern. She stood up from the table and went out back to find her ragtag team. She saw Lucia and Farkas training at one of the dummies. Rayyri was extremely impressed by the way the young Nord swung her weapon. She looked like a real master of her craft. It being impressive was an understatement. The way her blade caught the shining light of the sun as she brought it down onto the highlighted weak spots of the dummy made Rayyri's chest swell. She'd be a master before she turned thirteen.

Rayyri looked up to Skyforge and blinked in realization. She almost forgot that Grey-Mane fixed up her armor. She gave a nod to Farkas and a slight wave to Lucia as she passed them and made her way up the stairs to the small cliff that formed above Jorrvaskr. She geared voices as she jogged up the stone steps and caught sight at the two people conversing with the blacksmith. Raazelhen glanced over his shoulder as he heard her footsteps and grinned brightly.

"Rayyri! I was just about to come get you. Come over here and see this!" he excitedly commanded. Rayyri quickly moved over to the forge and saw the three of them smiling at her as she approached. Eorlund stepped aside and lifted his hand for her to see what he crafted for her. Rayyri gasped. It was the most beautiful, elegant yet deadly looking set of armor she had ever seen!

The chest plate was large and bulky, yet looked like it would fit tightly on her without it getting in the way. The shoulder plates were large bright silver plates with swirls of ancient Nordic runes of fortune and symbols carved into them. The leg plates weren't as bulky, but seemed to be able to protect her from even the deadliest of weapons. The helmet was the same shimmering silver color with ram horns on each side. It had a nose guard and covered the sides of the face for a protective field. She had never seen anything like it.

"Khajiit got your tongue, Dovahkiin?" Eorlund chuckled, crossing his arms proudly. "I must admit, turning your simple armor into my special variation of Ancient Nordic armor was quite the challenge. But, I think I did the best job I could. May it protect you in battles to come. I also made you these…" Eorlund moved aside and grabbed a long and deadly sharp sword off of a table along with a large shield the size of a small child. He gave the sword a few twirls in his hand.

"Ancient Nordic sword and shield. My own special variation, of course. Deadlier and more efficient than the regular, more brittle kinds you find in crypts and dungeons. Be very careful with this shield. I'm sure you noticed the large spikes in the center." He pointed to the large steel spiked that protruded from the center of the silver shield, hungering for the blood of Rayyri's enemies. The Redguard woman stared down at the shield and noticed the large swirls that started at the edges of the shield and made their way towards the spiked center. Something about it was completely hypnotic. Eorlund noticed her spaced look and lowered the shield, breaking her concentration.

"Don't look directly into it, girl. I've studied different patterns that make people completely weak at the knees. It's a perfect distraction to catch enemies off guard and giving them the final blow. Use it well."

"Does it work on animals, too?" Rayyri asked, fascinated by the power of the shield.

"It should. But I wouldn't completely rely on it when dealing with more spiritual enemies. Sometimes they can be too powerful for mortal means to defeat them. The spikes do help with that, though. Now, I would advise you to let me help you get this all on. The first time is always the hardest. It'll get easier the longer you wear it." Rayyri nodded in understanding at his explanation and allowed him to help her.

Eorlund, with the help of Lydia and Raazelhen, helped get Rayyri into her new set of armor. They started with the legs and worked their way up, placing the Nordic gauntlets and helmet on last. The fit of the armor was just right and wondered how Eorlund got her measurements right. Perhaps he was so incredibly skilled that he could tell what size she was by just looking at her. Once they were finished, the blacksmith tied her cloak back around her neck before he handed her the sword and shield. She took them with great care and looked over the shining sword before setting it into its sheathe. Strangely, she was really going to miss the hulking battleaxe on her back.

"Thank you, Eorlund. It really means a lot for you to make these for me." she thanked him with a slight bow of her head. Eorlund waved her off with a smile.

"Don't thank me, girl. It's the least I could do for the Dragonborn herself. You're the one saving the world after all."

"All of that aside, I just want you to know that I will be forever grateful to you." Rayyri said with a smile. Eorlund nodded.

"You're welcome. Now, I should get back to my work. Good luck on the rest of your journey and keep each other safe." The Nord man walked back over to his seat as the side of the forge and continued pounding down on steel and other such metals. Rayyri nodded to Raazelhen and Lydia to get them to follow. The shuffled back down the stairs and entered the training area once again. Rayyri stopped and turned to the two following her.

"Alright, I think it's time we pack up and head for Riften. Who knows how long Esbern is planning on staying there." The other two nodded in agreement.

"How do we know we've found him? Do we have any leads?" Raazelhen asked.

"Delphine said to speak to a man named Brynjolf, I believe." Lydia answered him. Rayyri slightly blushed at the thought of seeing the dashing redhead once again.

"Yeah," she started, "I know the exact man she's talking about. Come on, the sooner we're on the road, the faster we'll get there." Rayyri turned and continued walking down the path away from the training area. Ra'sha, who was basking in the sun on the grassy area right outside the graining area, glanced up and saw his family members walking away. He lazily rolled over onto his belly with a groan and picked himself up, trotting over to them to follow.

Lucia looked up from her training and stopped her slashing altogether. She sheathed her weapon and ignored Farkas' questions on what she was doing before running over to Rayyri. She ran past the Redguard woman and stopped in front of her. Rayyri halted in surprise and looked down at the young Nord's serious face.

"What is it, Lucia?" she asked.

"I want to go with you." Lucia answered. "I've learned so much from these training sessions with Farkas. I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me at all. I'll be a big help and I'll listen to everything you have to say-" Rayyri had to shush the child as she crouched down to her level. She glanced up at her brother and Lydia.

"Give us a moment, you two. I'll meet you at the front gate." The two nodded and walked away with Ra'sha in tow. Rayyri glanced back at Lucia and sighed. "Listen, Lucia-"

"No, you listen this time, I'm not done talking." she interrupted fiercely. Rayyri wasn't expecting the small, sweet girl's voice to be filled with such a fire. Lucia had always been excitable and soft-spoken. This was a side to her Rayyri had never seen. Rayyri had to respect her, though. She nodded.

"Alright, I'll listen to you this time."

"I want to go with you." Lucia repeated. "Training with Farkas has been fun and helpful and I'm grateful, but I don't think I'm doing all that I can to really make a difference. You're the Dragonborn. You're fabled to save the entire world from dragons. You need all of the help you can get, that's why Lady Lydia and Raazelhen are here with you. I am strong enough to help you, too! I want to go with you and help protect you from all of the dangers out there!" Rayyri shushed her once more.

"Lucia… I think you are a very brave young girl to want to come and help me, no matter what might be out there. Most children your age are too scared to even venture outside of city limits. I admire that about you. No matter how hard a life you've had before, you're still willing to brave whatever might threaten you. But… I need you here, Lucia. I know that you feel like training here might not be the best place to really make a difference, but I can tell you that it is. You are giving me hope that you will one day be a powerful Companion, helping all those in need to make Skyrim a better place to live. You have Aventus to look after. He looks up to you. You inspire him. You being here makes me feel like I actually have something to really fight for. You are doing more for me than you will ever know. And if you got hurt… I don't know what I'd do. That's why I need you here where I know you have a better chance of being safe then out there."

Lucia's eyes searched Rayyri's as she spoke to her. She felt so much as she heard the older woman elucidate the reason why she had to stay put. She felt flattery, sorrow, joy, but above all else, she felt anger and helplessness. And there was nothing she could do to change it. Rayyri kissed the top of the Nord girl's head and gave her shoulders a light squeeze.

"I'll be back soon, okay? Don't forget to write if you need to." Lucia said nothing. Rayyri sighed and stood up from the ground. "Goodbye, Lucia. Be good and stay safe." With that, Rayyri walked away from Jorrvaskr to catch up with the others. Lucia slowly turned and walked up to the front to watch Rayyri leave. Again.

The wind blew the young girl's hair back. Lucia could feel something inside her chest. A fire. A spark. Something. Something that made the anger and sorrow towards Rayyri flare up. Lucia knew what she was capable of. How dare Rayyri assume that she was just some helpless child! She used to be, but not since the day she picked up a weapon. She was going to prove to Rayyri just how powerful she was. But she wouldn't be able to do it alone. The face of just the person she needed popped into her head. She smirked to herself before she turned around to the front door. Training be dammed. She would need to get ready.

---

Hello everyone, and welcome back to this little story of mine. Also, happy new year! How has the new year been treating everyone? It's been a pretty awesome year so far. I just had my spring break and my 20th birthday is coming up in a few weeks now. I'm so excited. getting a new tattoo as a present. Insert girlish squeal here.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Lots happened and it also ends on a slight cliffhanger. Sorry about that. But here you go. See you all next time!

Bye!

~TheRedWolf