Author's note:
As usual, I thank all those who are reading/favoriting/following this fic. A special thank you goes to Valtieri (love your nickname), Elspeth, Contrary to Popular Belief 3, LadyBugLissa11 and KSausage (glad you're back) for their kind words and interesting remarks. This week the compliments in some of the reviews (LadyBugLissa11, I'm talking about you!) have definitely lifted my mood, a fact I'm particularly thankful for.
I'm glad that Mystery Woman raised a few interesting theories about her identity. For now, all I can say is that she's from the Thieves Guild, therefore you all guessed that right. Speaking of the Guild, I must admit that I was completely overjoyed when I found Chillrend in Oblivion (the first TES game I played was Skyrim). I adore that weapon!
As for the wolf twins, I love the differences between their rooms (apropos, I have a good imagination, but I really can't figure Farkas playing the lute). And just like Contrary to Popular Belief, if I were to choose between them, I'd go for Vilkas.
As far as lil' Agda is concerned, I'm glad you're enjoying her development as a character. Yet, if Steinarius were to meet her again, he would probably be blown away not only by her improvements with fighting, but also by a very mean and angry fireball cast directly at his head.
Speaking of Steinarius: right when you thought that I'd completely forgotten about him and his adorable smug face, here's a chapter resuming his many adventures in Solstheim.
A tiny warning before you continue reading: this update contains many spoilers from the Dragonborn DLC. Therefore, read at your own peril.
Enjoy!
30th of Last Seed
Steinarius slowly pushed open the door to his house. Severin Manor was a nice building, probably the nicest the Imperial owned: it was much bigger than Breezehome and much cozier than Proudspire Manor. Sadly enough, it was high time Steinarius left that comfortable den to return to Skyrim.
Sighing, the Dragonborn walked down the stairs leading to the main floor of the house. It had taken him a while to get used to the underground buildings of Solstheim, but by now Steinarius felt perfectly at ease inside them. Moreover, during his adventures on the island he had come across much weirder things - an isolated mead hall overrun by rieklings, a village where people lived in huge mushrooms, an odd burial site with a very complicated exit. To be sincere, a part of the Imperial was actually happy to return to the traditional dangers of Skyrim.
Humming a Dunmeri song, Steinarius headed for the first room on his right and lowered the crate he was holding in his arms. When the local steward had told him that his new house hosted a forge, the Imperial had been overjoyed by the discovery. Unfortunately, his adventures hadn't left him a lot of chances to practise as a blacksmith: between killing Miraak and reopening the mines of Raven Rock and helping the Skaal with their problems, the Dragonborn had barely had the time to sleep, let alone create some new weapons.
As he distractedly prepared a crate full of stahlrim for his upcoming journey back to Skyrim, Steinarius thought about the reason why he'd ended up in Solstheim. He'd first heard about Miraak when a few weirdos had attacked him on the plains of Whiterun a few days after his argument with Agda. Upon discovering a creepy letter on one of them, Steinarius had stormed into the city to find that Breezehome had been raided by those so-called cultists, whereas poor Lydia had been tied up to a chair and abandoned in the basement of his house. Moved by rage, the Imperial had immediately embarked on a ship for Solstheim. During the previous three months he'd made his way through ungodly perils and amazing discoveries, then he'd finally managed to kill Miraak at the end of a heated fight.
As he thought about the battle against the First Dragonborn, Steinarius couldn't help but snort. He'd reached his opponent after a long series of adventures and after sacrificing a poor man to Hermaeus Mora's will. Yet, when the Lord of Knowledge had killed Miraak in order to replace him with Steinarius, the Imperial had felt sorry for his predecessor. Also, he'd desperately wished he could find a way out of that situation. Despite his close association with Hircine, the Dragonborn hated Daedras with a passion; as a consequence, during his time in Solstheim he'd always done his best to save the people Hermaeus Mora wanted to enslave. At the end, however, Steinarius had become one of those victims himself, as the Lord of Knowledge had chosen him to take Miraak's place and become his new champion.
Chuckling bitterly, the Imperial tried to imagine his afterlife: he could perfectly picture himself being killed by Alduin only to be welcomed by a bunch of bickering Daedras who wanted his soul for themselves. Steinarius was sure that Hircine would try to drag him to the Hunting Grounds because of his beast blood, whereas Hemaeus Mora would remind everyone that the Dragonborn was his own slave. With some luck, Sheogorath would take part in the fight too - and if he could choose, Steinarius would immediately follow the Madgod to the Shivering Isles. After all, Sheogorath had never done him any harm and looked like a very jolly fellow.
After selecting the metal ingots he wanted to bring to Skyrim, Steinarius headed for his bedroom. He hated packaging, but it was a necessary evil: since he'd finally defeated Miraak, he was leaving for Dawnstar on the following morning. With some luck, during the journey his sea sickness would go easier on him: after first reaching Raven Rock, Steinarius had namely coughed up his soul on the boots of a very angry Captain Veleth. Although the two of them were now on friendly terms, the Dunmer still hadn't forgotten that unpleasant episode.
On his way to the bedroom, Steinarius visited his alchemy lab and absent-mindedly placed some exotic ingredients in a satchel. As he realized what he was doing, he sighed: although he'd broken up with Agda, every time he came across an alchemy lab he couldn't help thinking of her. Steinarius was reflecting upon that fact when someone suddenly spoke.
"You should learn to lock the front door, Crepusculus. Times are hard and someone may get in and steal something".
"And you should learn to shed your helmet when you're in a house, Sero. Times are hard and someone may mistake you for a thief".
Teldryn Sero chuckled at Steinarius' reply, then gave him an unexpected hug. When the Imperial hissed, the sellsword freed him from that tight embrace.
"Sorry, I had forgotten about your broken ribs", the Dunmer chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose that's easy to forget", Steinarius mumbled while rubbing his chest through his light shirt. "It would be different if it was your broken ribs".
Teldryn burst into laughter.
"Come on, Crepusculus, you know that chicks dig injured warriors! Apropos, that blackish welt on your face looks very promising", he added with a grin. "I bet it will leave an impressive scar".
Bringing a hand to his cheekbone, Steinarius snorted. The fight with Miraak had drained him of all energy, sure, but his worst injuries had been caused by the way he'd desperately tried to free Storn Crag-Strider from the deadly embrace of Hemaeus Mora's tentacles. The Daedra hadn't been pleased by that unexpected act of rebellion and had proceeded to leave a few broken ribs and a series of angry marks all over Steinarius' body. The Imperial was glad he could now walk around without whimpering at every step.
"You're really going back to Skyrim, aren't you?", Teldryn suddenly asked.
Though muffled by his helmet, the Dunmer's voice seemed full of sadness.
"They need me there", Steinarius admitted. "So yes, I'm leaving tomorrow at dawn".
"I suppose you don't need a sellsword to come with you".
Steinarius looked Teldryn in the eyes - or, at least, where he supposed his eyes were.
"Sero, Solstheim is full of dangers. You can aid people here rather than come to Skyrim and follow me around like a puppet".
"I wouldn't follow you like a puppet, Crepusculus. I'd follow you like a friend".
Although he tried to hide it, Steinarius was slightly moved by those words.
"I know, Sero - and I also know that you're one the best fighters I've ever met. Yet, I feel safer knowing that the people of Raven Rock can count on you".
There was a moment of silence, then Teldryn hugged Steinarius again. When the Dunmer let go of him and finally shed his helmet, the Imperial gave him a worried look.
"If you're thinking about kissing me..."
Teldryn raised his hands in defense.
"Don't worry, Crepusculus: I do love you, but not in that way".
Steinarius burst into laughter, just like he often did when he was with Teldryn or with most of the other people he'd met in Solstheim. Everything on that island seemed quiet and peaceful, at least as long as one didn't venture outside Raven Rock. Also, no one in Solstheim knew of the Dragonborn's past as a Legionnaire or as a Companion, a fact that deeply reassured him. Even his beast blood was a mystery to everyone but the werewolves of Frostmoon Crag, who were always happy to give him shelter in their campsite. Everything looked easy on that island, but Steinarius knew that he couldn't remain there forever.
"We've organized a little good-bye party for you, Crep", Teldryn said when the two of them were done laughing. "The people of Raven Rock owe you, so they wanted to thank you with a little feast".
"They owe you too, Teldryn", Steinarius pointed out. "You were the one to show me the dangers of Solstheim in the first place".
The Dunmer smiled, then jokingly poked Steinarius' forearm.
"Enough of these sentimental talks", he winked. "The party begins in two hours. Be sure to let the scars on your chest on display, Crepusculus - perhaps you'll find some hot lady for the night. See you later!"
As Teldryn Sero left his house, Steinarius sighed. He was going to miss that loyal Dunmer, just like he was going to miss the lovely atmosphere of Solstheim.
When he noticed the huge crowd that had gathered in the Retching Netch just to bid him goodbye, Steinarius Crepusculus was left speechless for a few seconds. The Imperial quickly recognized the inhabitants of Raven Rock, the warriors from Thirsk Mead Hall, the crew of the Northern Maiden; even the Tel Mythrin mages had reached that tavern, a fact that deeply surprised the Dragonborn.
"Don't forget that quest I gave you", the head of those wizards, Neloth, reminded Steinariusas soon as they met. "After you kill a Briarheart, don't waste time: get on a ship and come back to me immediately. I don't care for your destiny as the Dragonborn or other Nordic nonsense: my research comes first".
Before Steinarius could reply, some more people entered the inn. When he recognized them, the Imperial couldn't believe his eyes.
"We have just been warned that you were leaving", Frea announced as she strode inside the tavern. Confronted with the solemn attitude of that young Skaal, everyone immediately went silent. "My people and I wanted to bid you goodbye, friend".
Steinarius was very surprised by what he saw in that moment. Frea wasn't alone - with her there were many other Skaal who had decided to travel to Raven Rock just to wish him a good journey. With their heavy furs and distrustful expressions, the inhabitants of the North offered a curious contrast to the light clothes and the tanned skins of the people from Raven Rock.
Before Steinarius could overcome his surprise and thank the Skaal for their presence, he found himself deep in conversation with other people. Over the course of the evening the Imperial discussed smithing with Glover Mallory, listened to Talvas' complaints about Neloth's despotic attitude, chuckled at Teldryn's jokes. Eventually, the Imperial took advantage of a rare moment of peace to approach Frea. Unlike everyone else, the Shaman of the Skaal was sitting by herself in a concealed corner of the inn. Not far from her Nikulas was deep in conversation with Hillung, a beautiful girl who lived in Thirsk Mead Hall.
"Looks like the younglings are enjoying themselves", Steinarius cautiously smiled as he took place beside the woman.
"So it does".
Frea smiled, but her pale blue eyes were stained by the usual, lingering sadness. Steinarius immediately understood what was wrong.
"You're still grieving for your father".
It wasn't a question, but Frea nonetheless nodded. Steinarius felt sorry for her: that loyal woman had aided him in the Temple of Miraak, had given him food and shelter despite the suspicious nature of her people, had fought with him on many occasions - and in return, he'd brought death upon her family.
"Frea, I am really sorry for your loss", Steinarius said. All of a sudden, the happiness he'd felt a few minutes earlier seemed to vanish into nothing "Had I known that Hermaeus Mora meant to kill your father..."
"You already apologized many times, friend", the young Skaal said with a reassuring smile. "Also, I don't blame you for Storn's death: there is nothing you could have done to change the fate the All-Maker chose for him. Moreover, you made sure that my father's passing was not in vain, and for that I deeply thank you".
"I just wish there had been another way", the Dragonborn sighed. In his worst nightmares, Steinarius could still see the way Hermaeus Mora's tentacles had killed Frea's father in front of his eyes.
The woman smiled at the regret in the Imperial's voice.
"You tried to prevent that creature from murdering my father and you also put your life at stake in order to protect us all", she told Steinarius. "By doing that, you saved this whole island from the end - and you paid a heavy price for that, my dear friend".
As she spoke, Frea gently brushed Steinarius' cheekbone. When Hermaeus Mora had attacked her father, the Imperial had tried to save Storn from the many tentacles of the Daedra. The consequences of that fight were still very visible, as the Dragonborn now had a deep gash that went from his right temple to the right corner of his mouth. The cut was accompanied by a nasty blackish bruise and by many little blisters that vaguely reminded the suckers on the tentacles of squids and other marine creatures. Similar injuries marred Steinarius' chest and a big portion of his back, where they were adorned by smaller red welts.
While trying to free Storn from Hermaeus Mora's deadly embrace, the Imperial had also earned himself a few broken ribs and a black eye. At first the pain and the burning caused by those wounds had been very strong; nonetheless, Steinarius' rage had been even stronger. Therefore, as soon as Storn had lied dead in the middle of his village, a very livid Dragonborn had entered Apocrypha and made his way towards Miraak. Him, Steinarius had killed; yet, he had had no chance to slay Hermaeus Mora himself.
"You were a fool to face Miraak less than a minute after receiving those wounds", Frea murmured. Her hand was still lingering on Steinarius' cheek, whereas her light blue eyes were full of reproach.
"Actually, I believe that the rage and the adrenaline played an important role in my battle against Miraak", the Imperial sheepishly admitted. "And then, I had plenty of time to recover after my adventure in Apocrypha. You and Teldryn kept me bedridden for almost a week!"
Frea smiled at the memory.
"Actually, you remained in my hut for less than two days", she recalled. "You were bloody and tired and battered, yet you couldn't stand lying in bed and doing nothing at all. You do have a fire in you, my friend".
"I am the Dragonborn, after all", Steinarius cuckled in reply.
With another one of her sad smiles, Frea laid a hand on the Imperial's chest, right where his heart was beating. At that sudden display of intimacy, Steinarius felt the urge to pull away. Frea was a wonderful warrior, a brave follower, a loyal friend and a loving shaman to her people; nonetheless, there was no way the Imperial could depict her as a possible partner - the young Skaal was too busy protecting her village, too bound to the memory of her father, too serious and stern to make a man like Steinarius happy.
Willing to make that clear, the Imperial entertained the thought of taking Frea's wrist and leading her hand away from his body. Yet, he was surprised when the young Skaal spoke, thus letting him realize that he'd misunderstood her intentions.
"Your loved one will be happy to see you", she tenderly smiled as she looked Steinarius in his grey eyes and gently rubbed his skin through the shirt he was wearing. "You kept on calling her name when you were asleep after defeating Miraak".
The words caused Steinarius to think of Agda. His face fell flat at the memory.
"I don't have a loved one, Frea. Not anymore, at least".
Confronted with that discovery, Frea frowned. For the first time since Steinarius had met her, she looked slightly embarrassed.
"I am sorry for assuming that. I shouldn't have brought it up".
There was a moment of silence, during which Frea looked at the way her fingers were still resting on Steinarius' chest. Eventually, the woman withdrew her hand and smiled. This time her eyes didn't convey any sadness.
"I'm sure that the All-Maker will grant you a long and happy life, Dragonborn - and I am also sure that it will give you love and peace. You fully deserve it, my friend".
With those words, Frea sighed and stood up from her bench.
"It is time for me to go back to my village", she announced. "I'm not at ease when I'm so far from my home. I'll leave Nikulaus and the others behind, though: it looks like they're enjoying themselves".
As he looked around him, Steinarius nodded: Nikulaus was tentatively courting Hillund, Deor was passionately discussing the perks of stahlrim weapons with Glover Mallory, Morwyn was talking to the owner of the Northern Maiden. Of all the Skaal, the only one willing to leave so soon was Frea.
Smiling, the Dragonborn bid that amazing warrior farewell. Frea gently squeezed his forearm in the traditional goodbye of her people, then made for the exit of the inn. Yet, before reaching the stairs of the tavern, she turned once again to look at Steinarius.
"There is one last thing you should know", she sternly told him. "As shaman of the Skaal, I am charged with the spiritual well-being of my people. You weren't born in my village, but you are my friend. Therefore, I give you this warning: Herma-Mora forced you to serve him in order to defeat Miraak. Do not let him lure you further down that path".
"I have no intention of doing that", Steinarius reassured her.
Frea smiled, then spoke again.
"There is something else I wanted to tell you, Steinarius. The All-Maker made you Dragonborn for a higher purpose. Don't you ever forget that".
Moved by that advice, Steinarius immediately thanked Frea for her wise words.
Later that night, as he made his way to Severin Manor and looked at the wonderful starry sky above him, the Imperial smiled.
For the first time in his life, he finally felt at ease with his fate as the Dragonborn.