Chapter 11- Ivarstead
Raene sat in brooding silence as she rode Alduin. She had drawn her crimson travelling cloak to cover her entire form and held both ends together with a loose fist. Her two followers exchanged concerned looks with each other before turning their attention back to the Dragonborn's slightly hunched back.
It was possible for Raene to dismiss the dream but the image of the horned creature by the creek sent a shiver down her spine as she wondered if the two happenings were related. Looking further up the road, she noticed a sign at the point in which the road forked into two directions.
"Ivarstead…" she peered at the fading words on the wooden sign pointing towards east. "We should be there soon." She announced to her two travelling companions.
Urging Alduin in the intended direction, the Redguard started a steady pace towards Ivarstead. The three women had been travelling in the direction of the small town for three days, a day extra just to get back on the main road after the accident at the watchtower.
"I wonder what's been troubling her," Lydia nodded at her leader.
"She had been quiet since that nightmare two nights back," Aela frowned and bit her lower lip thoughtfully.
"Nightmare?" Lydia turned sharply to the huntress. "What nightmare?"
"She did not tell me, housecarl, but I was with her that night," Aela clicked her tongue in frustration. "She just retreated into herself like an injured puppy."
"A puppy?" Lydia chortled softly and Aela glanced at her with a small smile.
The laughing drew Raene's attention and she glanced suspiciously at the two warriors behind her. Lydia smiled back sweetly at her friend and with a sniff, the Redguard turned her eyes back to the cobbled road. Frowning and steeling herself, Aela heeled Frost towards the Dragonborn.
"What is going on with you?" her tone was sharp and the Redguard almost flinched. "You've been behaving like this since that night."
Raene pulled her hood over her head to cover her face from the bright sunlight, and maybe from the look of the huntress.
"Things have been troubling me lately, Aela," she muttered as she twisted the leather reins in her hand.
"And you don't see me fit to confide in." the beautiful Nord's voice was tinged with resentment. "I did not decide to follow you out here just for you to give us the cold shoulder."
Raene turned to the huntress, the shadows cast by the hood giving her dark-skinned face a mysterious look. "I trust you, Alea," her voice was soft and reassuring. "…but we all have our secrets."
Being able to relate to the words of her leader, Aela nodded and placed a hand on the Redguard's knee. "I'll be here if you want to talk about it." She let Frost fall back to Lydia's side to give her Harbinger the space the woman seemed to need.
"We're here," Lydia announced and Raene raised her eyes to the small town set before her.
Ivarstead was a quiet and almost dull-looking town at the foot of the Throat of the World. A sawmill lumbered nearby as two men hefted a log onto a running rail that sawed the wood into half. Nearby, a shirtless Nord swung an axe downwards, splitting a log neatly into two. A large scraggly-looking dog stood up slowly and followed the small party deeper into the town. Spotting a hanging sign, a tell-tale sign of an inn and tavern, Raene dismounted from her stallion and led Alduin to a nearby post, tying his reins firmly to it.
Ruffling the horse's mane, she lifted her pack off the saddle and trudged to the inn, Aela and Lydia by her side with their travelling gear. The door swing open before they could reach it and a drunken Breton staggered out. He turned to yell back into the tavern. "I'll have my men at you, mark my words!"
A tankard flew out from the open door and the man ducked to avoid it, stumbling into Raene, his arms drunkenly gripping her sides to steady himself. His unwashed smell and the stench of mead on his breath caused the Dragonborn to curl her lips in disgust. Before she could react to the Breton however, Lydia grabbed the man by his arm and swung him off the porch, causing him to tumble into a bush where he lay groaning.
Turning to her housecarl, Raene let out a sharp bark of laughter and Lydia grinned back. Leave it to Lydia to keep her safe from drunkards. She walked into the tavern and was surrounded with the warm glow of candles and the smell of roasting meat. Immediately, she sunk into the nearest chair, sighing appreciatively and dumping her pack beside her. Aela shook her head in amusement at the Dragonborn. A bard strummed a harp from the corner of the room as patrons bent over their meals or traded tales with each other over tankards of ale.
Lydia headed to talk to the innkeeper as Raene stretched her feet out, feeling her muscles relax. Aela sat in a chair closer to the flames and warmed her hands, her auburn hair seemingly the same shade as the flames before her. It was then that Raene noticed the interested looks the huntress was getting from some of the male patrons. Aela seemed oblivious to it as she rubbed her hands together, her lips slightly parted in a content sigh. Knowing what most of the men were thinking, Raene got to her feet and strutted over to the Nord woman.
"We should get ourselves settled in," she placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and emphasized on the 'we'. The huntress looked up at her curiously.
Thankfully Lydia returned with news that she had gotten two rooms for them. Aela rose and hefted her pack as she followed the housecarl and Dragonborn to the rooms. She hesitated at the doorways as Lydia entered one room and Raene headed to another. Feeling the gaze of the huntress' admirers, Raene cocked her head towards her room. Aela beautiful features brightened as she moved past the Redguard into the room. At the doorway, Raene turned her gaze on the men, her fierce eyes meeting each one until they dropped sullenly back to their meal and drinks. Satisfied, the Dragonborn closed the wooden door.
"It has a rough yet comfortable look," the Nord turned around slowly as she took in the room.
Raene sat on one of the two beds in the room and proceeded to take off her boots. The room was sparsely furnished with two beds placed side by side, a battered-looking chest at the foot of Raene's bed and a wooden table and chair in the corner. An unlit stub of candle sat on the table beside a bowl of apples.
Wearily, the Dragonborn reached for the buckles and straps holding her armor together.
"Here, let me." The huntress pushed away the Redguard's hands and got to work on unbuckling the stiff straps.
Raene stood awkwardly tensed as Aela removed the armor with a small grunt and placed it carefully onto the chest. Below the dark metal plates, the Redguard wore a black leather tunic that prevented her armor from chaffing her skin. The material was now uncomfortable to her skin, covered with sweat and dust from her travels. Reaching up to the laces of the jerkin, Aela's deft fingers started untying them. Raene felt a bead of sweat trickle down her back as the huntress unlaced the last knot. Her deep green eyes fixed to the Dragonborn's hazel ones, Aela pushed the jerkin off her shoulders.
For a moment, the two women just stared at each other silently. They stood close enough to feel each other's breath. Aela's eyes roved over the Dragonborn's skin without a hint of embarrassment. The air in the room was still but Raene felt goose bumps prickle on her exposed upper body. She reached out without thinking and brushed a stubborn lock of hair out of Aela's face, tucking it gently behind her ear. The huntress's lips parted but before she could speak, a firm knock sounded on the door.
Snapping out of the moment and hurriedly pulling on a tunic from her pack, Raene opened the door. Lydia stood stiffly at the doorway. She had also removed her armor and donned a blue tunic with white stitching in the sleeves, her bracers remained on her wrists.
"There's a blizzard up in the mountains. No way are we're making the ascent today."
Raene groaned as she sagged slightly against the door frame.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I'm sure we can trust the judgment of the locals."
"Fine, then," Raene rubbed her face roughly. "We'll see how long the blizzard lasts."
"Good. 'Cause I need a drink and some hot soup," Lydia turned away from her Thane as the Redguard closed her door.
Raene leaned her head against the wooden door and let out a deep breath as the anxiety of the meeting the Greybeards got to her. She turned around and her jaw dropped in shock. Aela had her back to the Dragonborn, naked. Her armor was laid out neatly on the bed and she was in the midst of removing her bracers. Raene instinctively studied the woman's muscled yet feminine curves and her eyes widened even further. Flushing, she turned back to the door and stared at it numbly. The huntress had no sense of modesty!
"What are you doing?" Aela's deep voice sounded un-muffled as the woman faced the Redguard.
"Put some clothes on!" Raene's voice came out in a squeak and she frowned and cleared her throat noisily.
A throaty laugh came from the huntress and Raene gritted her teeth in embarrassment.
"You can turn around now," Aela said after a bit, her voice laced with amusement.
Raene took a deep breath and turned around, half-expecting to still see the woman naked but thankfully Aela was fully clothed. Her wide-necked tunic slid off to expose a smooth, tanned shoulder. Trying to maintain a composed face, Raene gathered her pack and placed it into the chest before sitting on the bed. She blushed when she remembered what happened shortly before Lydia's intrusion.
Looking unfazed, Aela stretched herself on the bed, placing an arm under her head as she regarded the wooden ceiling. The silence stretched.
"I like you as well, Aela," Raene carefully watched the woman's chiseled features.
The flame-haired Nord smiled softly and closed her eyes, her face smooth and peaceful. Did she just go to sleep? Raene looked incredulously at the Nord woman. It seems like she had as the huntress' eyes remain closed. Shaking her head, Raene exited the room, closing the door carefully behind her.
Stepping outside the inn, she looked up at the mountains looming close by. Thick clouds covered the icy peaks and a stray breeze blew cold air into Raene's face. A painted wooden sign reading 'Vilemry Inn' swung creakily from a beam on the inn's veranda. The sky overhead was dark as if an incoming storm approached. Hurriedly, the people of Ivarstead went about their daily chores. A shepherd urged his flock into their pen, glancing up from time to time at the sky. Thunder echoed in the distance as Raene crossed the small road to the Nord shepherd.
"Can my horses spend the night in your pen? I will hate for them to be exposed to the weather."
Craning his head to look at the three horses and scratching his straw-colored hair under his hat, the man held out an open palm expectantly.
"Fifty septims," his slightly-impatient voice was rough and gravely.
"Done," Raene placed the money in his waiting hand and he shouldered past her to the horses.
When Raene headed back into the inn, the wind had picked up drastically, howling lightly in the late evening air. She spotted Lydia in deep conversation with two burly Redguard mercenaries. At a word from one of the men, Lydia laughed, snorted and smacked the man's heavy arm. The motion splashed some of the mercenary's drink but he hardly seemed ruffled by it.
Crossing the old wooden floor to the innkeeper, Raene leaned against the counter. "I have a thirst for something strong,"
"Let's see here…" the Nord ducked to survey his stock before straightening up with an orange glass bottle. "Got some Nord mead here. Very good stuff."
"I'll take it," Raene swiped the drink out of the man's hand and headed to an empty table to nurse her drink in peace.
"Our hero, our hero, claims a warrior's heart.."
At those words, Raene closed her eyes and let out a small groan. The last thing she wanted at this moment was to listen to a bard singing a song about her.
"I tell you, I tell you, the Dragonborn comes…"
"If only she knew that the bloody Dragonborn is sitting two tables away from her," Raene muttered to herself as she took a deep gulp of ale.
Some of the patrons started clapping to encourage the bard and her voice rose in strength. Someone started whistling to the tune and Raene almost threw her bottle in the direction of the sound. Instead she tightened her fist around the ale.
"You seem a little tense, beautiful one," a young Nord man slid onto her bench. "Lynly's voice is not to your liking?"
"I'm not one for songs," Raene growled into her drink feeling annoyed by the unwanted presence.
"Lynly will be offended if she heard you say that," the man chuckled. Raene studied him. She might consider him handsome but he had a green look to him, like that of a farmhand.
"I live just across the street," the Nord placed a slightly calloused hand on the Dragonborn's with a lazy smile. "Maybe we could get better acquainted there."
Raene turned in her seat to assess the man. A deadly glint in her eye made, froze the young man's smile. "I have a knife in my boot." She leaned close to him to whisper into his ear. "Would you like to get acquainted with it?"
The Nord's eyes widened and he got hurriedly off the bench, wiping his sweaty hands on his sides before exiting the inn in a hurried manner. Smiling to herself, Raene altered her position so she was leaning against the wooden table, her hands propped up against it. Lydia got to her feet to join her Thane.
"What was that about?" she smirked.
"Just an unsuspecting man making a move on me," Raene winked at her housecarl.
Lydia laughed as she settled beside the Dragonborn, a tankard in her hand. "I bet you wouldn't be in such a hurry to chase him away if he were a girl."
Raene placed a hand on her heart. "You know me so well, my dear Lydia,"
Laughing, the two women clinked their drinks together and sat in companionable silence as the bard belted out 'The Age of Aggression'. A young Nord woman sat across from the two, eyed the Dragonborn coyly. When Raene met her eyes, she winked cheekily at the Redguard. She was dressed in a plain brown dress with the neckline tugged down to expose the tops of her breasts. Raising her bottle, Raene gave a friendly salute to the woman before returning it back to her lips for a drink, her eyes roving over the Nord's form.
Smoothly, getting to her feet and arranging her skirts around her, the young woman approached the two warriors. She sat unusually close to Raene and looked pointedly at Lydia. The housecarl froze with her tankard half-raised as she met the woman's eyes, glanced at her Thane and scowled as she stomped back to the inebriated mercenaries.
"Bassianus can be an ass sometimes," the Nord leaned close to the Dragonborn, her voice a low purr. "I saw you putting him in his place."
"That young scamp?" Raene chuckled dryly.
"Are you a warrior?" the woman unabashedly traced the scar on Raene's cheek. "Where did you get that from? Was it a violent battle?"
"Alas…none of that that sort," Raene smirked but tilted her head slightly away from the Nord's curious fingers. "It was merely a withered old Hagraven."
The Nord gave a small gasp of amazement. She rested her hand instead on the Redguard's muscled arm. "I've only heard stories of them as a child. I assumed they were tales told by my ma to frighten me. "
"You are still a child, young one," the Dragonborn chuckled as she drained her bottle and placed it on the tabletop behind her.
"I am not!" indignantly the woman rose to her feet and clenched her fists on her hips. "I'm woman enough for you."
Raene's smirk widened as her voice took on a teasing note, leaning forward. "Tell me your name, girl,"
The Nord stomped her foot in anger. "My name is Fastred and I'm eighteen!"
"A child," the Dragonborn leaned back languidly, stretching out her long legs and crossing them at the ankles.
Fastred sidestepped to avoid the Redguard's legs as she glared down at Raene. Slowly however, her full lips curved into a smile and she crossed her hands under her breasts, regarding the woman with sly eyes.
"I will like to sing a song for you, my Redguard warrior,"
"If you want to," Raene signaled the innkeeper for another bottle of ale. "What damage can another song do?"
Striding to the centre of the inn, the fair-haired Nord woman sat on a vacant chair and gathered her dress so that it rode up to her knees. She smirked at the Dragonborn and Raene smiled back, unfazed by the small display. Fastred's small show however had gathered the attention of most of the tavern's patrons. Raene imagined most of the men mentally drooling at the sight of the woman's smooth white legs.
"I have a special song for tonight," Fastred announced loudly and winked at the Redguard before starting her song;
"Gather around, all ye whores!"
Lydia loudly choked on her drink at the bawdy opening of the song but Fastred continued on unperturbed.
"Gather around and hear my story!
When a Nord grows old, and his balls grow cold,
And the tip of his prick turns blue,"
Now it was Raene's turn to splutter at the vulgar words coming from the seemingly innocent, doe-eyed woman. She hurriedly wiped off the residue of the spilled ale from her chin and tunic.
"Far from a life of Nord strife,
He can tell you a tale or two.
So pull up a seat, and buy me an ale,
And a tale to you I will tell,
About a harlot named Lifts-Her-Tail…"
The bawdy song was unbearably long and it was all Raene could do to stop herself from squirming under the young woman's gaze and her song. The reception of the song differed among the crowd of listeners. The two mercenaries grinned from ear to ear while Lydia's mouth hung slightly ajar, her eyes fixed on Fastred, a mix of shock and anger. A young Dunmer woman retired prematurely to her room to escape the song, leaving her drink unfinished. The local bard sat, with her harp clutched to her chest, staring at the Nord woman as one stares at a horker.
Mercifully, the song had an end as the mercenaries applauded the woman enthusiastically. Jumping lightly to her feet, Fastred gave a mock bow to the two before skipping back to the Dragonborn. To hide her flushed face, Raene raised the bottle high to take a gulp. Without hesitation, the young woman sat across the startled Redguard's legs and tipped the bottle higher to pour more of the liquid down Raene's throat.
Grabbing desperately at the hand to stop her, Raene swallowed and gasped as her head started spinning from the effects of the ale. From over Fastred's shoulder, she could see Lydia glaring daggers at her, her eyes wide as if to warn her.
"Am I still a child to you now, Redguard?" the Nord placed her hands on Raene's shoulder, leaning back and giving the woman a view of her bosom.
"Well, well, you surely know how to keep yourself busy in my absence,"
Aela! By all the bloody Divines, why? Raene swore to herself as she got up hastily, dumping Fastred unceremoniously at her feet. She hurried to explain herself to the huntress but with a disgusted look at the Dragonborn, Aela snatched the bottle out of Raene's hands and headed back into her room, slamming the door. Raene turned to Lydia, her eyes beseeching the Nord.
Go after her, the housecarl mouthed in exasperation.
Without a glance at the annoyed young woman at her feet, Raene hurried to the room she shared with Aela and gingerly pushed the door. It opened and she breathed a sigh of relief that the angry Nord did not lock her out as she slipped into the room. The tension in the tavern beside her immediately dissipated as conversation picked up from where they let off, a disgruntled Fastred leaving the tavern in a huff.
"Aela, I-" Raene crossed the room to where the huntress sat on the bed, clutching the bottle tightly in her hands.
"No need to explain yourself, Harbinger," Aela's voice was bitter. "It must be hard to resist having men and women fawning over you wherever you go."
"No, listen to me," Raene kneeled before the huntress to peer into her face but the Nord looked away stonily. "Fastred caught me off guard by doing that. I wasn't expecting it, honestly."
"Fastred?" Aela's lips twitched into a humorless smile. "She is a beautiful young thing, isn't she? Her skin fair and unscarred." The huntress self-consciously pressed her hand to her left cheek where light pink scars grazed the skin from an old battle.
Feeling at a lost yet wanting badly to reassure the Nord woman, Raene took the bottle away from her hands and placed it on the stone floor. Clutching the woman's face with her palms gently –she was surprised Aela did not swat her hands away- she planted soft kisses on the huntress' scarred cheek. She felt the other woman shiver at the touch and she smiled softly as she pulled back and brushed Aela's smooth red locks. The huntress met her eyes and then lowered her gaze to the Dragonborn's lips as she gently bit on her lower lip.
"I have eyes for you and no amount of young, bawdy song-singing maidens can change that," she whispered to the hurt Nord woman.
After a short consideration, Aela visibly relaxed and even traced her supple fingers down Raene's arm, following the trail with her eyes. The Dragonborn closed her eyes to savor the warmness of her touch.
"That's good to know, Raene," the flame-haired woman leaned close to the Dragonborn's ear, her voice soft. "Because if I catch you again with another woman, I will hurt you."
Raene's eyes widened and she gulped audibly at the threat wondering if Aela really meant it. The huntress straightened with a cold smile plastered to her face and patted Raene's cheek. Getting to her feet, she headed to the door and spared the Dragonborn a final look before she joined the crowd outside. Raene remained crouched in the darkness of the room, looking at the spot where Aela had last stood. What have I gotten myself into? she wondered.
Lol, what have she gotten herself into, indeed! No one messes with Aela, even a potential love interest! Yeah, this is one of my lighter-tone chapters. The next one will be a little more serious since Raene will finally be meeting the Greybeards. Honestly, those old guys bore the hell out of me but well, it just has to be done. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
And I'm loving the reviews I get. All of 'em :) Keep them coming!
~Ayden