Chapter Nine

One week later…

"The big sweetroll family…the big sweetroll family," Avyanna sang, watching as Lyanna and Faolan fell asleep in the crib. "The mischievous cooked sweetroll, the gentle sugary sweetroll. The dessert sweetroll is a bit of a dreamer. The strawberry jam sweetroll always look prim, the tasty sweetrolls. Put all of them together to make a family of one hundred."

"The baby sweetroll is always in the midst of happiness. The old sweetroll narrows his eyes," Lyanna yawned, her eyes fluttering shut as Avyanna stroked her small tuff of hair. "The friendly sweetrolls all hold hands and create a bid round ring. They laugh together while making towns on the sweetroll star. The rabbits wave from the big moon in the sky. It takes all the happy and sad things and rounds them up."

"The big sweetroll family…the big sweetroll family…" Avyanna broke off as Lassarina crept into the room, finding her children sound asleep.

"You have to teach me that one," she whispered as they left the room, closing the door behind them. "Thanks for dropping the tonics by."

"It's no problem," Avyanna smiled as they walked downstairs. "I have to go anyway; I'm taking Rohan and Farkas to the hunting lodge in the mountains."

"Have fun."

Avyanna left Breezehome just as Farkas and Rohan were heading down, everything packed with Caleo perched on her brother's helmet. "Ready to go?"

"Yes!" Rohan exclaimed, running ahead as Avyanna laughed at her younger brother's enthusiasm. Farkas kissed her head, entwining his fingers into hers as they walked at a slower pace to the stables. When they arrived, Rohan was waiting impatiently by Rosso who was happy to see the young lad.

"You two are slow," he complained at them. "I want to get there and test my hunting skills! Then I can show Kiraya how good I'm getting."

"Alright, slow down," Avyanna told her brother, helping him mount Rosso and climbing behind him. "It's at least a day's journey from here."

Farkas looked at her as the horses trotted along the road. "Are you sure I should come? It seems like a family thing."

"But you are family," Rohan pipped up, grinning at his brother-in-law and Avyanna smiled at her husband.

"Aye, he's right. The moment you married me, you became one of us. The hunting lodge welcomes all of those who carry the Halliwell name; whether it'd be from marriage or birth," Avyanna reassured him with a twinkle in her eyes. Farkas nodded, smiling back before grinning and setting off. "Farkas! You don't even know where you're going!"

"Go, Rosso!" Rohan exclaimed and the cream stallion complied, sprinting after the Nord Companion.

By nightfall, they were halfway there as they set up camp. Rohan was chatting happily with Farkas as they sat by the fire, Caleo sitting next to his master while Avyanna leaned against her husband.

"What is the hunting lodge exactly?" Rohan asked, turning to his sister. "And why haven't you said anything before?"

Avyanna gave her brother a sad look. "Father was supposed to take you and Roran when you became twelve. A sort of family tradition for the men," she explained softly and Rohan's face fell slightly, feeling guilty as Avyanna cleared her throat. "The hunting lodge was owned by our ancestor Aciano Fire-Heart and has been in the family since his time. It's our little place to escape."

Rohan's eyes widened in awe. "How old were you when you first went?"

"About ten I think, it was before you and Roran were born."

Rohan opened his mouth to speak, but cut off by a yawn and Avyanna chuckled at her younger brother. "I think it's time we rest, we should reach it around mid-day tomorrow."

"Night Anna, night Farkas," Rohan mumbled, getting settled onto his sleeping matt and Farkas smiled warmly at the young lad.

"Good night, Rohan," he replied and kissed Avyanna's hair. "Good night, wife."

Avyanna blushed slightly, still taking a bit to get used to it as she turned around and kissed his cheek before settling onto their sleep matt. "Good night."


Rohan took in the sight from the back of Rosso as the familiar wooden cottage house came into view. Avyanna smiled at her younger brother's reaction as the three of them dismounted, Avyanna taking the horses to the back.

"Rohan, Farkas," Avyanna smiled, walking back to the front and watching the two most important men in her life gap at the hunting lodge. "Welcome to the Halliwell hunting lodge," she walked past and onto the front porch, lifting the loose floor board and grabbing the key. "This is where we keep the key."

"Can I unlock the door?" Rohan asked eagerly, running up onto the porch as Avyanna held out the key to him. He grabbed it off of her and began to unlock the door as Farkas stood beside her.

"I can see why it's located here," he said. "The open spaces, the peace, the game…Aciano was a smart man."

"He came here to be with Meridia," she agreed just as Rohan threw the door open and ran inside, going crazy with the sights as the two adults followed after him.

Something blue caught her gaze and she looked outside, finding Dillon leaning against a tree and watching his son run around in the house.

"I'll be right back," Avyanna told Farkas before heading back outside. "I had a hunch you might show up."

Dillon smiled at his daughter as they both stood back and watched. "He's grown so much, I still remember him screaming when he was born."

"Everyone grows up," Avyanna pointed out and Dillon gave her a pained smile, stroking her hair with his hand.

"Aye, you've grown from the small lass who couldn't put an arrow on a bow," he chuckled at the memory. "To this beautiful, grown woman right in front of me."

"Would you like to meet him?" she asked and saw the surprised look and the hesitation in her father's eyes. Without waiting for him to respond, Avyanna turned and called out to Rohan.

Rohan ran out, hearing his sister call out to him and found her outside. "Yes, Anna?" he asked, standing beside her as she knelt down and grabbed his hand.

"I want you to meet someone very special, someone who has been waiting to meet you since the day you were born," she told him, placing his hand over Azura's Star and watched his eyes widened, seeing Dillon right in front of them.

"Anna," he whispered, looking at his sister for help, but she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Rohan, this is our father."

Rohan's eyes widened at the revelation. Dillon knelt down and with a pained cough, hugged Rohan as best as he could in his astral form. Rohan stood frozen, feeling the faint heat from the ghost.

"You're more than I ever imagined," Dillon choked out, pulling back and looking at his son. "I've dreamt of this day for a very long time."

Rohan furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "You're my father…why did you go away and leave Anna and Mama?"

"Because my time on Skyrim had come to an end," he answered, ruffling his hair. Rohan smacked his hand away, much to the spirits surprise.

"Anna cried a lot because of you!" Rohan shouted at him angrily and Farkas appeared on the front porch, witnessing what he could as Avyanna looked at her younger brother in shock.

"Rohan!" she told him sharply, but Dillon held a hand up to her, staring at his son with a calm expression.

"I know," he answered solemnly. "There is not a day that goes by that I wish I had stayed, kept alive and do all of the things that I promised I would do," Dillon glanced at Avyanna. "You're sister has done the best she could, following our traditions in your mother's and mine absence. If I had stayed alive, you would have never met the Companions and Kiraya."

Rohan's eyes widened in realisation at the information. "Really?"

"Aye, that's why I am sorry for any pain my absence, has caused you."

Rohan moved closer, hugging him with one arm as he still held onto Azura's Star. "It's okay."

In that single moment, father and son had truly found an understanding of each other, across two different dimensions.


"Anna," Rohan complained, sitting on the bed and shaking her in attempt to wake her up. "Come on, you promised to go hunting with me!"

Avyanna opened one eye and looked at him. Before she could answer, Farkas sat up and yawned tiredly.

"I'll take you, your sister needs to rest," Farkas told the young lad, patting Avyanna's back. "Besides, I thought you might want to have a man's day out, no women allowed."

Rohan grinned. "Yeah, Anna you stay in bed," he ordered her and she was only too happy to comply. As Rohan ran outside, waiting for Farkas to join him and calling out for Caleo, Farkas left a soft kiss to Avyanna's head.

She turned onto her side, looking at him sleepily. "Thank you."

"Camille tire you out?"

Avyanna nodded, snuggling into the fur covers more and Farkas chuckled, leaving one more kiss to her forehead before climbing out of bed and throwing on his armour before leaving the wooden cottage. As their voices faded into the distance, Avyanna fell asleep once more.

She awoke three hours later, refreshed and still no sign of Farkas and Rohan so she took the opportunity to relax a bit more. She threw on a simple dress and made some stew for lunch.

The peace and quiet soothed her thoughts, the sound of birds chirping outside filled the silence a bit. By the time Farkas and Rohan returned from their hunt, Avyanna had finished her meal and was reading The Lusty Maiden in the chair on the front porch.

"How did you two go? Did you enjoy your 'men time'?" Avyanna asked, looking up from her book and by the wide grin on Rohan's face, she knew her answer.

"I saw father," Rohan bounced over, telling her excitedly. "Well, I didn't actually see him but he helped me catch some rabbits."

Avyanna smiled and ruffled his hair. "Go eat your stew, you can tell me more later," she told him and he nodded, heading over and grabbing the bowl Farkas held out to him. "It's good to see a bear didn't eat you."

"Do you doubt my skills?" Farkas asked in mock hurt and she grinned, receiving his kiss as he leaned down, careful to not spill any stew on her.

"Me? Never."

Farkas's eyes softened. "How do you feel?"

"Better, I needed the rest," Avyanna sighed as he sat down on the chair next to her, eating the stew. "What I'm not looking forward to is the ride home tomorrow."

"I know the feeling," he grimaced before looking outside. "We have to do this again, but bring our own little ones with us."

Avyanna looked at him in surprise and Farkas looked at her, seeing the look on her face and flashed her a warm smile. "Not at the moment, love. I just mean, you know, in the future…"

She calmed down and gave him a small smile. "Of course, it's the family tradition. You can feel this place call to you, it is our home."

"My home is wherever you are."


Sorry if it's short, I blame Pikachu...

Disclaimer: I do not own Lassarina, Faolan, Lyanna or Kiraya as Mirage159 owns those nice folks and cute babies :)