I walked to Falkreath to hire the carriage there. It wasn't a long walk to Whiterun but I could get a bit of a nap in before I reached home. As I sat in the back, dressed in plain clothing, I wondered, as I usually did when I had too much spare time to my mind, how things might be if we were still living in Dawnstar.

Pushing away the memories that threatened to flood me, I curled up on the seat and drifted off.

Laughter rang through my dream, the fire absent and the darkness calm. A flickering light revealed the face of an elaborate coffin again. A voice called out to me once more but I could not catch the words. The voice sounded like it was too far away even though I could almost reach out and touch the coffin.

I woke with a jolt, the carriage coming to a stop. The afternoon sun warmed me as I sat up and saw the walls of Whiterun. Thanking the driver, I jumped out and walked up the path towards home.

Walking up to the house, I hesitated for a moment, wondering if my mother was home. Judging by the horse tethered to the side of the house, Tobias was. Taking a breath, I braced myself and entered the house.

When I saw Mother sitting by the fire, stirring at a pot, I started to turn back around. Tobias was there, ushering me forward.

"You traitor." I hissed at him.

"You look nice. I take it you heard the news?" He whispered back, pushing me toward our mother.

She turned and looked up, her salt and pepper hair braided tightly, keeping her hair out of her face. Despite her age, her eyes were as steely as ever. They didn't even soften when she smiled at me.

"Alianna, dear, it's good to see you. You look lovely in that dress. How have you been?"

Tobias gestured for me to sit down and I complied. Forcing myself to not stare at my hands, I made my best effort at a smile. "It's good to see you, too, Mother. I have been well. Yourself?"

"Oh, just worried about the daughter that went gallivanting around Skyrim."

"So, uhm, the war is over. That's nice, don't you think?"

Tobias handed me a cup of tea as he sat in a chair beside me. "I know I'm thankful. It was a long road but the men are happy to be home again."

Mother turned to him, much to my relief. "Do you have any plans, now? Or do you have further duties as a Legate?"

"Oh, I'm sure there will be things that I'll be called in for. Mostly, though, I think it'll be safe for me to join Alianna in her travels."

I winced as Mother's attention snapped back to me with a severity. "You mean you're leaving again?"

"Yes, Mother." I affirmed, turning my cup around and around in my hands. "There are things I must do."

"Why can't you just settle down and get a husband?"

"Maybe that's not in my path, at least not yet. All things come in due time."

"You are so much like your father." she almost spat, storming over to a table to snatch up a basket. "I am going to the market. Try to stay put long enough for dinner."

I winced again as she slammed the door behind her.

I sighed and slumped forward in my chair as Tobias shook his head. Brushing his hair back, he sat back and set his empty cup of tea on the table. I looked down at mine, untouched.

"Sorry about that, Alia. She misses you, even if she doesn't show it that much."

"Don't worry about it." I replied, standing. "She wants grandchildren. Apparently she thinks I'm more suitable for that task than what I want to do."

Tobias smirked. "You mean like stabbing-"

We were interrupted by a noise coming from Tobias' room. I tensed up, feeling naked without any weapons. Tobias waved me back, calm as ever.

"Stand down, Sparky. I have a friend over, he lives in town but he was drunk so I let him stay here."

Relaxing slightly, I sat back. A slight stumbling noise followed by a groan came from the room and I wondered at the identity. Tobias laughed and moved over to the water pitcher. "This will help him feel better."

The door opened and I looked up, almost jumping out of my skin. My attacker gazed down at me, leaning against the door frame, wearing only a pair of worn hide pants. I fled to the other side of the room as Tobias went to hand him a cup of water.

Giving me an odd look, my brother gestured toward the Nord. "This is Sven."

"Yea..." I frowned slightly. "We've met."

"Met?" Tobias repeated. "Met how?"

Drinking my tea, I raised an eyebrow at Sven. He could answer this for me. He scratched the back of his head, looking lost for words and more than a little confused. The firelight cast a glow across his chest and I could see he had burn marks on more than just his face. One trickled down his left side as if someone had thrown the insides of a blacksmith's bellows at him. Scratches and scars decorated him, the signs of a fierce, if not that strategic, warrior.

"Well, I thought she was a bandit or something. I attacked her the first time I met her out of a city. The second, though, I was trying to figure out who she really was but a dragon aided her escape." He looked at me, dropping his hand to his side. "You helped me with the dragon. Why?"

"I honestly don't know. Because I'm a good person?"