Chapter 7
Author's Note: Well I got a pretty good flow to this chapter and thought what the hell lets do something interesting that would develope Mickaelos even more. Immortal man this is going to be a challenge not to make him look too powerful but I think I have a few ideas on that.
"Please stop following me.", quirking her lips upwards at what was probably the hundredth time since leaving behind the Honeybrew Meadery that her Thane had requested her to desist following him. Despite how repetitive it gotten Lydia found a queer sense of amusement from refusing as she shook her head, brown hair swaying in the wind, "But my "Thane", who will protect your body and possessions if I am not around to do so?", stepping ahead before turning around, lips twisting into a playful smile, "Besides who else will you get to carry your oh so heavy burden of being the Dragonborn as well.", she didn't know why but every mention of that caused her Thane to lift his gaze to the sky-if asking the Divines a question.
So immersed in her playful torture of a man she found vexing-if not also a bit charming in a way that her mind refused to even consider as a good trait-Lydia wasn't watching where she was placing her booted feet when she felt something soft and yielding give way causing her to whirl wind her free arm, the other having a shield strapped upon her forearm. She might have regained her balance if her feet didn't back into a small obstacle that from the smell was of a decaying body.
As she felt the inevitable pull of gravity upon her steel clad body, that feeling where she knew a fall was immediate and the knowledge that from the smell she would soon be landing upon a dead body. Great, now I will not hear the end of this at all, she thought briefly before her mind was filled with the disgust as she felt gravity take hold.
A strong grip upon her forearm before a force pulled her forward, the feeling of a hard body before hearing the a grunt of pain as she felt the body fall away from her and the sounds of a man cursing a swearing followed soon after. Stumbling forward a bit, Lydia too feared she would soon follow her Thane down the small hill before she found her balance. Catching her breath, and after composing herself Lydia allowed her gaze to fall upon her thane who was now kneeling upon the path that curved up around the hill.
What she heard from her Thane's mouth froze the thanks she was about to say, "Well, I see how well you can protect my body and all, gee I wonder if this is protection I dread what you not protecting my "fragile" body would result in.", and of course there was that vexing cheerful smile, that man was infuriating.
Strangely instead of throwing something at him, Lydia instead lifted her free hand to let her fingers tips rest along her cheek, "Oh my, but look a small bump from a dainty lady such as I sent you over head heels, my if I but a fair maiden would send you reeling imagine the danger you would be in from less lady like women such as myself.", peeling her lips back to reveal a flash of white teeth.
Tsking to himself, her Thane stood up before tilting his head in mock thought, "Oh but I am a true gentleman, for I saved even a stonewall body woman such as you from stepping into something quite unpleasant...omph!", bending over suddenly as a rock collided with his stomach, which stopped the rest of what he would have said-Lydia for her part took that as a win as she stomped along the path, mindful to avoid the body of the dead wolf this time.
The rest of the walk towards Riverwood was several moments of Lydia throwing glares towards her Thane, and true to his nature since she had first met him was grinning that was vexing neutral. It was only with small satisfaction that every so often he would wince to rub either an arm or his stomach.
"So, my Thane I heard you were a visitor to Skryim; so how did you know you could get to Irvarstead?", glancing side long to her Thane, considering his actions and responses she at first thought the man would shirk the entire trip to meet the Greybeards. Perhaps I had wrongly judged him, she mused to herself.
"Ummm...actually Riverwood was the only town I actually really visited, you can get to Veristad from there? I had no idea.", absently nodding towards a young girl who waved excitedly towards him for a few moments before returning to arguing with a boy about the wisdom of dressing their dog up as a frostbite spider.
Gritting her teeth, and vainly attempting to keep a pleasant smile which looked more like a feral snarl, "Don't tell me you weren't thinking of visiting the Greybeards?!", the sheer effort not to scream the last part should have given Lydia a coronary, so much for being the house carl to a noble hero.
"Oh, eventually I might wind up there, you know taking a wrong turn somewhere and "Oh hey, I might as well visit the Blackbeards.", you know since I was in the vicinity.", Lydia didn't dare turn around, the knowledge that he was problably grinning that grin, by the Divines the wrong names, he was playing with her.
She could almost hear that tiny tinge of teasing in his voice as he added, "So I would feel considerably wrong to drag you everywhere since you had your heart set on meeting the WhiteBeards. Hey, why do you head there first and I will meet you there.", again instead of turning around a hitting the man, Lydia once more found that pervese side of her personality-it was almost a side effect of this vexing man.
"Oh no my Thane, where you go I shall follow. It is my sworn duty to be your shield and your sword. Besides, I would be guilt ridden if I didn't remind you of your "duty", knowing all the various activities that might take your attention. You being a very busy man of course.", darting ahead to face him, hands upon her hips as she smiled sweetly, the brief look of annoyance more than enough to cause her to smile.
With a shake of his head, Lydia quirking an eyebrow seeing the drop in his shoulders, "If you insist we can visit the Greybeards. So...", as Mickaelos was about to add something, a shout to the side cut his words off.
"You...you ruined everything you sopping milk drinker!", out of the corner of her eye Lydia noticed a tall blond nord man winding up to strike her Thane, time seemed to slow down around them it felt like. Upon the tavern deck a woman with grey streaked blond hair focused on them. Strange Lydia thought to herself the woman didn't seem concern more like she was curious as her eyes focused on her Thane instead of the madden.
A cry from the young girl, a shout of the young boy screaming about a fight as the fist moved towards her Thane's head. The tensing of her Thane's body, a slight twitch of an arm muscle before his body slacked suddenly, the fist impacting the side of his face sending his head turning as his body followed into the wooden deck where a big man with auburn hair and beard watched with wide eyes.
Time sped up, with anger in her eyes Lydia was about to draw her sword when her Thane lifted his hand up to forestall her movement, questions erupting within her mind. She watched her thane got up onto one foot, a knee resting up the ground as he reached up to massaged his redden cheek as blood flowed from one nostril and the corner of his lip.
"I take it you are Sven,", letting his hand drop, before turning his up towards the towering nord with hands held at his side breathing heavily, "you feel better now.", no my Thane, that was the wrong thing to say Lydia looked on in horror as the man screamed before reaching up to pull her thane up with one hand before sending his other into Mickaelos' gut, the punch causing her thane to open his mouth as saliva flew through the air to land on the air, mixed with the blood from his split cheek.
Lydia had watched many one sided fights in her life in Whiterun, but this fight took her breath away-fear for her thane as he made not a single move to defend himself against the unskilled brawler the man named Sven was. Already a crowd was forming, and yet no one was attempting to stop this fight-even a guard recently dispatched was watching the fight, she perhaps would intervene if the fight got deadly, perhaps.
Why is he not defending himself, Lydia thougtht to herself as she heard a few jeers from the town's drunk insulting her Thane. Gripping her sword tightly, she would disobey his command, if she didn't he might die or end up crippled if this fight lasted any longer as she watched Sven use both fights to hammer blow into her thane's back after he tripped him to send him sprawling against the wooden deck. Lydia noticed that the blacksmith was gone, no he wasn't he was coming back with his grip tight on a hammer.
Yet, before either the blacksmith or Lydia could do anything a piercing cry from a woman halted them and Sven, "Sven! What-what are you doing to him! You MONSTER!", twisting her head, Lydia caught sight of a lovely Imperial woman with brown hair staring in disgust towards Sven, the male nord paling as his eyes widened upon seeing the woman who was later joined by a wood elf, an ancient nordic bow strapped to his back. The bosmer's face was white with shock as well, his eyes riveted to the crumpled body of her Thane who despite the beating he received had managed to get to one knee.
Sven face crumpled, whispering one word, "Camilla...", before turning away and walking towards the gate soon he was gone. There was a story there, Lydia thought to herself but for now her focus was on her thane. He looked terrible, one eye nearly completely shut, blood flowing freely from his nose and a gash on his forehead. Or how labored his breathing was from the kicks the big nord had sent into his sides, and as Lydia rushed to his side she noticed the blacksmith was already there helping her thane to sit as a woman who had come rushing out the blacksmith's house knelt next to him. She was considerably startled to see the woman who was standing upon the deck of the inn already there, and in seconds both the woman Camilla and the bosmer was standing next to the group.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lydia saw the other townspeople disperse, the two children being led away by a tall blond nord in a green dress while the guard who had watched walked away while gazing up at the sky. Lydia would definitely make a report of that guard's lack in duty to Ireleth the next time she spoke with the Dunmer woman, what happened her shouldn't have been allowed to happen. Turning her attention back towards her Thane, she was startled to see the man smile, blood staining the white of his teeth as he peered up towards her.
"I guess, I won...", the words were shaky, and soon as he spoke her thane passed out.
Heart filled with worry, even though the man annoyed her she couldn't turn away from someone who was hurt-even though she still had no idea why he didn't even fight back.
"Alvor, Sigurd take him into the inn.", the woman from the inn stood up, taking charge of the group around the man as if it was the most natural thing in the world to her, "There should be a free bed, just tell Orgnar that it is fine with me if he asks any questions. Camilla does your store happen to have any healing potions, preferably something more than a regular health potion?", turning to the Camilla, her gaze brooking arguement about the cost.
"Yes, I believe we do, and I think Lucan will donate it free of charge. And if he doesn't I will remind him about the little claw issue he had awhile ago if he argues.", smiling weakly the young woman turn around to head towards a building with a sign hanging.
For several moments, the woman gazed around the now reduced group-the man Alvor and the woman Sigurd having carried her thane to the inn, "Faendal keep this woman company, I am going to use what healing magic I have to ease that man's pain.", with that the woman departed, heading towards the inn.
Lydia was in shock, not towards the fight but how quickly the woman had taken control of the situation. She almost sounded like a captain giving orders to her squad, Lydia felt if the woman gave her an order she would have jumped right to it like the rest despite she being duty bound to follow the orders of either her Jarl or her Thane. Yet, the confidence the woman gave off, the almost no nonsense way she delegated tasks, if her mind wasn't so muddled she might have thought that very odd but instead she was grateful as she stood with the bosmer in the now empty street that ran through the entire village.
While she came down, Lydia's gaze was focused upon the blood staining the ground, her Thane's blood. Though she found the man vexing and annoying, she also found that she also liked the man in that he could do amazingly sweet actions like promising a child and giving them a place to live for awhile. Perhaps he wasn't much of a fighter, she was one of the group who thought it was more of a group effort that downed the dragon-but again he never really took credit for any part in that either she realized belatedly. He was an enigma, she knew he would eventually make his way to the Greybeards, but she also knew he wasn't in a rush to do so either. In the end he was her Thane, and she let him get beaten so badly-despite him ordering her not to she realized she should have intervened.
She nearly forgot about Faendal standing beside her till he spoke, "Mickaelos should have been able to beat Sven. So why...Sven only has his size and strength going for him in a fight, and not even much skill.", shaking his head he reached up to place a hand upon Lydia's shoulder, "That man is a hard one to figure out, don't dwell much on about him. Just know that what he does is for a reason, even if by the Divines what reason it was for.", with a grin Faendel moved away to walk towards the building that Camilla entered, "I don't envy you traveling with him, but just know that man's a good one, if an odd Imperial if I ever saw one. Getting beaten up for whatever reason.", with a laugh he opened the door to the shop before vanishing.
Lydia watched and listened with her mouth hanging open, apparently she realized that she wasn't the only one who had the "pleasure" of being her thane's traveling partner, but doing something for a reason. As she pondered that, though she still felt worry she realized that several people in this village cared about her Thane, she didn't know why but in the end it was a good thing as she entered the inn. Sitting down upon the bench, she had taken a look at the room and realized there was too many people in there, so she contented with taking a seat facing the room so she could watch.
While she watched the woman heal her thane, Camilla bursting through the door followed by Faendal with two red potions, Alvor the blacksmith leaving right after though his wife stayed for awhile helping by doing what she could with linens and water. Faendal took a spot against a wall to lean against, giving Lydia a brief nod.
Knowing there wasn't much she could do but be in the way, Lydia instead thought about what she knew about her Thane. He was kind, yet he didn't bother to defend himself when people thought the worse of him. Instead he continues moving forward with any action, like that small beggar girl...how I thought the worse of him and he just grinned knowing that I was free to think the worse of him. She felt her cheeks warm thinking of her embarrassment, but soon the heat was replaced with anger, remembering how much he teased her through out it all and saying it was she who added more context to what was there.
Dimly she was aware of the woman Camilla leaving, her head lowered yet as she walked by Faendal joined her side and placed an arm around her waist. The two left the inn together, they entered the inn together and they appeared together, Lydia remembered Sven's face paling at the sight of Camilla, it was a man who realized that he had burnt his last bridge to a goal and the knowledge had forced him to run away. Faendal was with Camilla, and he had traveled with her Thane at one point, that was made clear with his words and knowledge her Thane should have won the fight easily.
Sooo...what connection did those three have with her Thane, Lydia mused as she removed her shield before resting her elbows upon the table top to cup rest her chin upon her folded hands as she stared towards the room. Closing her eyes, Lydia brought her mind to the moments before the fight occurred, she remembered her thane tensing up for a fight and then suddenly he went slack as the fist connected. He was expecting it but still let himself get struck, why would someone actually let someone else hit him.
Hmmm..., Lydia's mind worked through the scenes till she remembered what caused the man Sven to snap. My thane goaded the man into doing that, his words-anyone that lost something would go all out like that, it was like throwing a torch into a haystack.
Snapping her eyes open, "My Thane wanted to destroy the man's hope, that was his reason.", she didn't realize she said that out loud.
"I wager you would eventually get to the reason.", the woman from before moved from the post she was leaning against her arms folded to walk beside Lydia towards another room. As she passed, "What I want to know, is why he would he go that far, that is a troubling question.", with that the woman went into the room before closing the door, throughout this the man behind the bar continued to clean tankards-none of this was his business anyways.
For awhile Lydia sat pondering the woman's words, I wonder that too, she mused as she looked around the inn, noticing how dark it was now as she got up from the table. Making her way to the room where her Thane rested, a smile coming unbidden to her lips as she noticed that the healing magic and potions had healed her thane pretty well. Only a blackness around one eye was the only clue that he had been beaten to a near pulp only earlier.
Taking the chair across from the bed where her thane slept, his body needing the rest to recover its stamina now that the body was healed. She watched the man sleep, and couldn't let the smile go when she saw that grin was still plastered upon his sleeping lips. "You are annoying and vexing...but, you aren't entirely all that bad either. A man who would give hope to a child probably stole the hope from another for their own good, I just wish I could figure out what reason you had that made you think like that.", shaking her head Lydia leaned back, fingers laced behind her head as she gazed up at the flickering shadows dancing upon the roof rafters.
Sleep came slowly, but eventually the housecarl fell asleep, as night grew stronger the light of the candle vanished as a figure placed a blanket upon the still armored form of his unintended companion.
Softly a voice was heard in the darkness, a sorrow tinging the words, "A person who has lost hope can find a new hope for life strives forward knowing it might end. But what if the person has all the time in the world...perhaps its better to help those whose time is limited...eh...that is a pretty good idea, aye."
Sitting down upon the edge of his bed, Mickaelos stared at his hand now covered by darkness, yet in his mind he remembered holding his sister's hand. Adrial you knew my secret, and you placed all your hope upon your brother's shoulders and how I tried...oh how I tried. Clenching his hand into a fist, you died by seconds when your life neared its end, your older brother hadn't aged...who couldn't stay dead.
Falling back into his bed, Mickaelos closed his eyes, he still could remember that day he found out about his curse, the day he ran away from everything as Adrial called his name. "A man who cannot die, can no longer feel hope. How can he ever be the symbol when people need one the most...how can a man such as I be a Legend if hope cannot be found by a man such as I...", closing his eyes, he probably would not find that answer.