I do not own Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The only things that I do own are my own characters, and the storylines that I place them, and characters from the original game, into. TES V has served as inspiration.
Reviewer Responses:
Guest: Cry and Vilkas are cute, and Hainin is the absolute greatest.
Manu: Nobody can wait for the baby. Thankfully, the wait is over.
Nina: I guess we'll have to see.
The End: The Dragonborn
Vilkas ducked into the Harbinger's bedchamber, and looked around. Danica stood at the table at the end of the bed, wetting rags in a bowl of water. Cry was propped up in bed against two pillows, looking as though she wanted to break something. He went over to her and sat down beside her, reaching for her hand. She let him take it, gazing at him gratefully.
Vilkas started to say something, but Cry groaned in pain first, and grabbed at her swollen belly.
"I wish there was something I could do," he said, eyes darting over her face, taking in her color and the shine of sweat on her forehead.
Cry opened her eyes and managed a tired smile for him. "Just be here," she whispered, reaching up to touch his face. She leaned her head back and rested it against the wall. "We can lay back and look at the stars."
Vilkas frowned, and rotated slightly to look at Danica. "Is she…?"
"She's perfectly fine," Danica assured, dunking another cloth into the bowl.
Vilkas returned his gaze to his wife, who was experiencing yet another pain.
The door to the bedchamber opened, revealing Faisley, with Farkas right behind her. The queen examined her sister for a moment before turning to Danica.
"Have you tested any of her urine?"
Danica raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that, and waste a potion?"
"You know why," Faisley bit out. "She could suffer from delivery shock if we don't figure out what's actually wrong with her."
"Do it," Farkas insisted, looking Danica square in the eye.
"I'm sorry, my queen, but have you ever brought a babe into the world?" Danica inquired, ignoring Farkas entirely and keeping her gaze on Faisley.
Faisley crossed her arms. "No."
"Have you ever beared a child yourself?"
"No, I have not," Faisley replied, exasperated, "but I've seen -"
"I suggest you allow me to work based on my experience," Danica stated with finality, and then she turned back to her rag wetting.
Faisley scowled at her back, then turned to the bed and crossed the room to it. Cry looked up at her and frowned in confusion.
"Faisley? What are you doing here? Didn't we already attend the Moot?"
Faisley let out a breath. "We did," she said, and brushed some hair off of her forehead.
Cry tightened her grip on Vilkas's hand as another pain pushed through her, and she threw her head back with a yell. Farkas flinched, and hurried out of the room. Faisley released a breath, and looked at Vilkas.
"Vilkas…" she began, but he ignored her in favor of squeezing Cry's hand.
"It's all right," he murmured to her. As an aside to Faisley, he said, "If you're not going to help, then perhaps you should leave."
Faisley frowned at him, and then she rose from the bed and exited the bedchamber. She found Farkas pacing the hallway outside, where Aela and Hainin had waited, both hoping for good news.
Aela noticed Faisley's return first. "Well?" she asked, and Faisley shook her head.
"It's worse than I thought," she said. "The babe is too small, and my sister is confused. Her risk for delivery shock is growing greater with every passing minute the child remains inside of her."
"Wait, so, what is delivery shock, exactly?" Hainin asked, glancing between the two women.
"It's where, after the baby is delivered naturally, the mother can suffer from the abrupt change in her physical body, and it can result in convulsions." Faisley closed her eyes. "These convulsions can lead to brain damage, or even death."
"So what do we need to do in order to avoid that?" Hainin persisted.
"We'd need to remove the baby from her womb via an open wound below her naval," Faisley responded, letting out a sigh.
"How is it that you know all this?" Aela asked her, frowning slightly.
"My mother," Faisley said, looking at her, "when she was preparing to bear my sister. She was at risk for delivery shock, and my sister was cut out of her, instead of delivered naturally. Both of them survived because of it." Faisley glanced in the direction of the bedchamber Cry was in. "If I'm correct, my sister's chances of survival will increase significantly if Danica delivers the baby in the same manner that my sister was delivered in."
"But the babe?" Hainin asked, and Faisley let out a breath.
"There would be a higher risk of its death, but not so high that we need to fear anything, especially if the delivery is done correctly, and soon." She looked around at the three of them. "An immediate delivery is the only chance of avoiding delivery shock."
"It isn't our decision," Aela said after a moment. "We'd need to ask Vilkas."
"Who won't speak with me," Faisley concluded, and Farkas let out a grunt.
"He'll listen to me."
Without another word, he marched into the Harbinger's rooms. After a few moments, which felt like hours, he reappeared, Vilkas behind him.
Farkas gestured to him. "Explain it," he said to Faisley.
She did, and Vilkas gazed at her steadily as she spoke. When she was finished, he let out a breath.
"Could we do it here?" he asked. "The other method?"
"It'd be safer at the Temple," Faisley answered, regrettably.
Danica appeared, then. "Yes, and moving her now could only bring about worse results," she stated, stepping up next to Vilkas.
"You know that she's distressed, don't you?" Faisley pushed. "She isn't acting the way a normal mother does at this point."
"The Dragonborn is distressed, but she has also been suffering from the pains of childbirth for almost three hours," Danica said, shaking her head.
"Vilkas, time is running out," Faisley insisted, giving up on Danica and turning back to the Master at Arms. "We should've been at the Temple hours ago, when this first began. It would've been safer, and the babe would've been born already."
"If she delivers the child in the other method, do you swear you can save her? Save them both?" Vilkas asked, looking at her without blinking.
"My sister's chance of survival is much higher," Faisley said.
"But not guaranteed, whereas if we continue forward as planned, it is," Danica inserted, sounding annoyed. "Both her survival, and the child's."
"Faisley knows her sister, and she knows about this condition," Hainin put in when Vilkas didn't speak. "We should trust her."
"So you'd take Cry to the Temple?" Vilkas asked him.
"She would've been there three hours ago if it were my decision!" Hainin exclaimed.
From her bedchamber, Cry let out a wail of pain, and they all turned in that direction, eyes wide.
"Gods help us," Vilkas whispered, and then he ran into the room, Faisley and Danica behind him.
The three remaining in the hallways exchanged fearful glances, not knowing what to do. After some time, Vilkas returned, closing the doors to the Harbinger's sitting room behind him. He was pale, and Farkas moved forward to make sure he didn't collapse.
Aela exhaled. "No sense in standing around down here," she said. "We should go upstairs and wait."
Farkas helped Vilkas down the hall, while Hainin remained behind with Aela.
"What do you think?" he asked, and she shook her head.
"I don't know."
Hainin worried his lower lip between his teeth and followed her towards the stairs.
The four of them paced restlessly for what felt like ages. Vilkas kept glancing towards the stairs leading down to the living quarters, as though he expected Cry to appear there, holding their baby, but she didn't. Neither Faisley nor Danica appeared there, either.
Tilma, who'd been lingering on the edge of the mead hall, approached Aela.
"Can I get anyone anything?" she asked, and Aela looked around at the three men before shaking her head.
"I don't think so, Tilma, but thank you."
Vilkas exhaled, and ran a hand down his face. "I just feel so helpless," he confided, and Hainin reached out to pat his shoulder.
"We all do," he said.
Just then, there were footsteps on the stairs, and Faisley appeared, her eyes bright.
"You can come down," she said, breathless. "It's a girl."
"And they're both -?" Vilkas began, and Faisley shook her head, smiling.
"They're fine."
A collective sigh swept through the room. Aela heard Tilma say a thank you to the Divines. Vilkas was grinning, and he hurried across the mead hall and down the stairs into the living quarters, Hainin right behind him.
Aela looked at Farkas, who'd gone pale with relief, and had sunk into a chair with a heavy exhalation.
"That was a lot, wasn't it?" she asked him, and he nodded wearily.
"I'm glad it's over."
Vilkas grinned down at the small bundle he was holding, down at his daughter, and then he looked at Cry, who appeared to be exhausted but happy.
"She's incredible, love," he whispered, returning his attention to their babe. "I love you both so much."
Cry managed a weak smile in response, and leaned further back into her pillow. "I just want to sleep, to be quite honest," she said, and Vilkas turned his grin to her.
"Of course you do." He stood up from the edge of the bed, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You've earned it."
He started to leave the room, still holding the baby, but Cry called him to a halt. He glanced back at her.
"What is it, my love?"
Cry blinked down at the bed for a moment, as though gathering her thoughts. She then looked up at him again. "Will you be all right, taking care of everything?" she asked.
Vilkas smiled again. "Yes, as I've said before. You don't need to worry about that right now."
"I just… I want to make sure that you won't have any problems," Cry said, gazing at him steadily.
Vilkas returned to the bedside. "I love you, very much," he began, "but this is the last thing we should be discussing right now. Our daughter doesn't even have a name yet."
Cry's smile returned. "I'm sure you'll think of a good one." She was silent for a moment, and then her expression turned serious once more. "Just… promise me you'll ask for help if you need it."
"Of course I will," Vilkas answered. "I'm stubborn, but not nearly as stubborn as you." He kissed her again, on the lips this time, careful to avoid bumping the babe. "Sleep, my love."
Cry nodded, and settled down further into the bed. She watched Vilkas leave the room, carrying their baby, and she smiled to herself before closing her eyes.
Vilkas set the baby down in her cradle in the sitting room of the Harbinger's Quarters, grinning to himself. He then turned, and looked at Faisley, who was sitting at the table. She smiled at him.
"I'll stay with them," she said. "You should try to get some sleep."
Vilkas nodded, and then he let out a breath. "Faisley, I apologize for how I've acted towards you," he said, and she shook her head.
"It's much easier to forget all that was said during the last months. Everyone says things that they don't mean." She rose from her seat and crossed over to the cradle, looking down into it. "She's wonderful, Vilkas. That's what matters."
Vilkas nodded in agreement. "I'll see you in the morning," he said, and then he exited the room altogether, closing the doors behind him.
Aela stood outside in the hallway, almost as though she was standing guard. Vilkas smiled when he saw her. "You don't need to do that," he said. "They're both safe here."
"I know," Aela responded, "but I don't plan on getting any sleep, so I'm just… making myself useful." She looked at him, her expression soft. "The babe is beautiful, Vilkas. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Vilkas answered, grinning widely. "I'm tired, though, so I think I'm going to get some rest."
"Go ahead," Aela invited, nodding the direction of her room. "It's not being used tonight."
Vilkas headed that way, but paused before going inside. He looked back at her. "Aela?" She glanced at him, and he smiled again, softer this time. "Thank you, for everything you've done for us."
Aela merely waved her hand. "You get sappy when you're tired. Go to bed."
Vilkas chuckled, and disappeared into her room, leaving the door open. Aela smiled to herself, and leaned back against the wall.
"You're welcome," she said, quietly.
Upstairs in the mead hall, Farkas was telling Hainin all about the time he and Cry had gone giant hunting.
"He knocked her twenty feet. She flew through the air and hit the ground hard. I thought for sure she was dead, but she wasn't, just had a few broken ribs." The burly Companion shook his head. "She can survive anything, I swear."
Hainin grinned at this. "She is the Dragonborn," he said. "Did you go down and see your niece?"
Farkas nodded happily. "She's got big blue eyes, just like Cry. No hair yet, though."
Hainin yawned. "It'll grow in eventually," he said, and then he rose from his chair, stretching his arms over his head and rotating his wrists until they cracked. "Thank you for the story, but I'm exhausted."
"Me, too," Farkas agreed. "Guess we should get some sleep. It's been a long night."
"And a stressful one," Hainin added, dropping his arms.
"You could say that again," Farkas rumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Good night, Hainin."
Hainin smiled at him. "Aw, Farkas, you didn't call me 'assassin'. You're getting better."
"Go away," Farkas grunted at him, and Hainin's smile widened.
"I'll see you in the morning, Companion," he said, and then he started for his guest chamber. He reached it, and closed the doors behind him.
He remained upright long enough to dress down to just his breeches, and then he collapsed onto the bed. Within minutes, he was asleep.
And, just as quickly, it seemed, he was being shaken awake.
"Hainin, you need to come quickly!" He registered Aela looming over him, gripping his shoulder. Her eyes were wide with panic. "It's Cry."
Hainin scrambled out of bed. Not bothering to pull a shirt on, he followed Aela across the mead hall and down to the living quarters. Candles were lit along the hall, and the door to the Harbinger's chambers was wide open. As they approached it, Hainin could hear quickened, pained panting, and he hurried into the bedchamber.
Farkas, Faisley, and Vilkas were all already there, surrounding the bed. Danica was at Cry's side, touching her forehead with a cloth. Cry's eyes were wide and bloodshot, and she was drenched in sweat, her tunic sticking to her skin.
Danica moved away from the bed when Cry jerked, her own eyes huge with fear. Cry scrambled, trying to sit up. "I should be getting up," she said between gasps of air.
"No, no, my love," Vilkas said, putting a gentle hand on her chest to keep her down. "You just need to rest."
Cry squeezed her eyes shut and reached up to grasp at her forehead. "Muh-my head," she whimpered, and then she smacked her palm against it, hard. "My head!"
"Cry," Hainin started, moving forward. He pushed his way to the side of the bed, and dunked a rag into the bowl of water on the table there. "Cry, let me wash your forehead. The cold water will help."
Cry didn't seem to hear him. She let out a sickening wail, and then tried to inhale. It cut off in a watery hiccup. Tears were streaming down her cheeks from her tightly closed eyes.
"Cry?" Hainin watched in disbelief as her quiet whimpering suddenly stopped, and the Dragonborn went stiff.
"Oh, Gods," Vilkas whispered, going pale.
Cry's head pushed backwards into the pillow as her body began convulsing. Hainin grabbed for her shoulders, wanting to keep her still, to stop the jerking.
"Cry? Cry!" She didn't respond. "She can't hear me," he said to no one in particular, and then tried again: "Cry? Cry, it's Hainin. Can you hear me?"
Cry jerked to the side, and Hainin saw her neck work helplessly as her body struggled to take in air.
"She can't hear me," he said again, shaking her. "Cry!"
"Cry, please," Vilkas said, his own face now covered in tears. He leaned around Hainin to be closer to his wife. "Please, please, my love."
Aela turned sharply towards Danica. "What's wrong with her?" she demanded.
Danica was pale as well. "This is delivery shock," she said, "but… it can't be, because she hasn't just delivered. She should be past the point where she'd suffer from it."
"Clearly not!" Aela shouted. "Do something!"
"Nothing can be done." This was Faisley, who was gazing at her shaking sister with a blank expression. "Once the convulsions begin, nothing can stop them."
"Help her, help her, please!" Vilkas cried, shoving Hainin out of the way so that he could grab Cry's hand.
"She can't breathe," Hainin said, blinking as Vilkas placed one of his hands under Cry's head, in order to support it, since her neck was not.
"Please, love, breathe," he urged. "That's all you have to do."
"There has to be something you can do!" Farkas exclaimed, rounding on Danica, who shook her head helplessly, at a loss for words.
"Cry, Cry, please, love, it's me. All you have to do is breathe," Vilkas repeated, turning Cry so that she was on her back, one hand still holding up her head, as though that would help her get some air into her body. He pressed her stiff hand to his cheek, and kissed the back of it. "Please breathe, love, please."
Hainin continued to blink, not really registering what was happening. "She can't… breathe," he said again, and then he staggered backwards a few steps. Aela caught him before he could fall over entirely.
There was no sound in the room other than Vilkas's quiet pleading for Cry to breathe, for her not to leave him. Everyone else waited, silent, helpless. After another minute, Cry stopped jerking on the bed, and then she went slack. She was colorless, Hainin saw, which was so unlike the pink faced woman who'd greeted him at the doors of Jorrvaskr only two weeks prior.
"Please don't leave me, love," Vilkas whispered one final time, and then he broke down in sobs.
Faisley covered her mouth with her hand and ran from the room. Farkas pushed a hand into his hair and left it there, yanking tightly as though to ground himself, his eyes squeezed shut. Aela was still, her eyes fixed on Cry and Vilkas. She didn't appear to be breathing.
Slowly, Danica approached the bed and placed two fingers against Cry's neck. After a moment, she took them away, and closed her own eyes before retreating back to the corner of the room.
Hainin swallowed, thickly, and bowed his head, listening to Vilkas's sobs. He didn't cry, not anymore, but that didn't stop him from releasing a dry sob of his own and covering his face with his hands.
Cry Silverworthy was dead.
There was suddenly the sound of a baby's wail from the adjoined sitting room. Hainin's head rose, slowly, and he removed himself from the bedchamber, leaving Vilkas to grieve and Farkas and Aela to deal with Danica, once they gathered their senses.
In the sitting room, he found the babe's cradle, and he crossed over to it. As he looked into it at the tiny thing, Gods damn him if he didn't have the sudden urge to smother it.
He resisted it, somehow, and collapsed to the floor beside the cradle. He then hung his head between his knees and began to cry right along with the babe.
...
A Harbinger's Trials was 53,317 words. This chapter was 3,317.