They found themselves facing an unfamiliar scene as they entered Breezehome.
Lydia was sitting at the large table at the back of the room, a fork in her hand, filled with a piece of snowberry crostata and aimed straight at Saadia's open mouth as she was leaning over the table.
Both women froze when Bishop and Aeyrin entered and their eyes turned to them uncertainly.
It almost became commonplace every time they met unexpectedly at the house. It was unbelievable that, yet again, the uncomfortable silence fell over everyone in the room.
Until Bishop's barely subdued snort, followed by a merry laughter, broke the silence.
Lydia dropped the fork quickly, with a loud clattering sound, and she rested her forehead against her hand as a deep sigh escaped her lip. All the while, Saadia shifted on her seat in clear discomfort.
"Ehm… should we start knocking?" Aeyrin chuckled a little at their rattled state. It was not like they had to hide anything, but from how frazzled Lydia got the last time when they had pried into her relationship with Saadia, she suspected that it hadn't really gone very far. Or maybe Lydia was just too uncomfortable discussing her personal life.
"No! Of course not! This is… your home," Lydia shook her head briskly.
"And yours too. How many times do I have to tell you this?" Aeyrin laughed at her and waved her hand dismissively.
"So… what you got there?" Bishop grinned at her as he marched towards the table and sat himself next to Saadia to grab the plate with the crostata and a fork for himself.
Lydia rolled her eyes at him before she turned back to Aeyrin with a hint of defensiveness in her voice: "I just invited Saadia to taste my crostata."
"Oh, I bet you did," Bishop snickered in an instant, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively. That made Lydia flush brightly in horrified embarrassment while Saadia shifted uncomfortably on her seat again.
"Maybe I should go and… leave you to catch up," the Redguard cleared her throat and readied herself to get up from the bench by the table.
"Saadia, don't leave. Just ignore him," Aeyrin threw Bishop a chastising look, earning an unapologetic grin in return.
"No, no. My shift starts soon anyways…" Saadia finally got up with a wry smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lydia," she nodded to her before she gave a wry smile to Aeyrin and a somewhat uncertain nod to Bishop. She headed for the door with hurried steps and only looked back over her shoulder briefly before she left the three of them in the house alone.
"I hate you…" Lydia groaned at Bishop, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Yeah, what else is new?" he snickered at her again while he dug his fork into the food before him with gusto.
"She seemed pretty frazzled. How are things with you two?" Aeyrin sat down beside Bishop and watched Lydia's face to determine the answer. Lydia was so tight-lipped about Saadia. But at the same time, she seemed so happy the last time the two of them were staying in Whiterun, when she was spending her nights at the Mare.
"What do you mean? I never said that…" Lydia got defensive again, but when both of them fixed her with an exasperated stare, she merely sighed deeply in defeat. "Alright. Fine. I like her. Happy? I just don't know if she feels the same way or if she's just… being friendly."
"You invited her to 'taste your crostata' and she agreed. What other hint do you need?" Bishop scoffed at her mockingly.
"Maybe it's not that obvious since I didn't invite her with an unnecessarily lewd tone in my voice!" Lydia snapped back at him, shaking her head again.
"So be obvious," he shrugged in response. "At least you'll know. Believe me, if I wasn't obvious with her she'd still think that I just genuinely liked adventuring for some reason," he inclined his head towards Aeyrin with another chuckle. She jabbed him in the flank while rolling her eyes, but she couldn't hide the smile forming on her lips. She tried picturing him 'not being obvious', but she couldn't. She couldn't imagine him any other way.
Lydia scowled at him, but she seemed to ponder his idea nonetheless. She turned her head back to Aeyrin, after a while, giving her a questioning look.
"It… was weirdly endearing," Aeyrin chuckled a little, eliciting a smug smirk from Bishop instantly. "It seems like it bothers you that you don't know where you stand. Like Bishop said, at least you'll know."
"Come on, I doubt that she'd actually let you feed her like that if she was just being 'friendly'," Bishop snorted at her with another smirk playing on his face.
"Well… it doesn't have to mean anything. It's nothing weird between friends…" Aeyrin frowned a bit. Now she seemed to be getting somewhat defensive herself. Bishop looked at her with narrow suspicious eyes, scrutinizing her slightly flushed face for a while.
"Please don't tell me that you did shit like that with that idiot paladin," he groaned. It was enough that he had to imagine them doing that 'healing training' with those massages, now he had to have that image in his mind too.
"Fine. I won't tell you," Aeyrin stuck her tongue out at him defiantly. "And stop making every little thing sound lewd! You're ruining my fond memories!"
Lydia watched their exchange for a while. She still seemed to be really uncomfortable with the entire topic, but after a bit, she let out another defeated sigh. "Alright… I guess I'll try to be more… frank. Knowing where I stand with her would probably be better."
"Good," Aeyrin smiled at her. "Now, how about you two make some lunch and I'll go see if we can get some contracts."
Bishop turned to her instantly at those words with a conflicted expression on his face.
He was hoping to speak to Lydia privately. He wanted to ask whether Saadia had been approached by anyone at the inn or whether she had noticed any strangers looking for her. He needed to keep track of all the runners.
But he found himself reluctant to let Aeyrin out of his sight, especially after the whole ordeal in the Reach. It would only take a little while for her to get some contracts from Jorrvaskr, and she'd be surrounded by the Companions the entire time. They were in the city… it was unlikely that she'd get attacked here. And she wouldn't just leave like she did in Markarth, if he was right there at the house.
But he couldn't shake the concern, no matter how rationally he tried to talk himself out of it.
"Hurry back," he gave her a somewhat forced smile in an attempt to sound eager for her company, rather than overly worried. She couldn't know that there was anything bigger going on than their usual shitstorm of trouble.
Aeyrin gave him a brief peck, smiling affectionately, before she got up from the table and walked out of the house briskly.
Just as the door closed behind her, Lydia looked Bishop over with a surprisingly content smile. "You seem in a good mood." But she was not met with the reaction that she had anticipated. Bishop's eyes darted back to her with palpable panic and worry in them right after the words left her lips.
"Are you kidding?! Everything is fucked!"
…
"Look who's here! I haven't seen you in ages!"
Aela greeted Aeyrin with a friendly smile and enveloped her in a brief hug.
Aeyrin chuckled a little in her embrace, giving her a wry smile as the woman released her. "Yes… I guess. We've been busy all over Skyrim. I can't wait to tell you all, but I'm just here for some contracts now. If you have any that is. But we'll be back for a feast for sure," she giggled. Feasts at Jorrvaskr were always something to look forward to. And hopefully, by then, her mind would be cleared of the worries about Bishop's bounty.
"Just using me for contracts, huh?" Aela pouted and punched her in her shoulder lightly with a teasing smile. "It's alright, no one's really here right now. But keep at it and I might think you're avoiding your pack! Especially after the last time. I heard that you were in the city for days and you didn't even stop by." Aeyrin earned a decidedly chastising scowl from her.
"What? I wanted to! I met Farkas at the market. He said that you were all on some bandit raid and that no one from the Circle was here! I… I'm not really that close with the others," Aeyrin bit her lower lip nervously. She knew that the junior members hated her for getting so much attention from the Circle, but what was she supposed to do about it? Rebuff them? It wasn't her fault that they took an interest in her abilities. Hopefully not only those caused by the dragon blood and soul.
"Oh? He did, did he?" Aela raised her brows at her in shock and her face turned deeply pondering.
She looked like she was working on some elaborate puzzle for quite a while, before her expression turned back into the easy sly smile that she often wore. "Well then… I must have gotten the dates of your stay here wrong. It's too bad that we missed each other. I would have loved to hear how many dragons Bishop cowered from this time while you did all the work," she laughed at her heartily.
Aeyrin smirked in response at her. Bishop would surely love to compare scores on their hunts with Aela again, but first, the threat of that stupid bounty needed to be taken care of. She couldn't let it catch them off guard. What if Tullius had already sent the word to Whiterun?
"I… don't have any contracts for you right now, but… there's something I've been meaning to discuss with you," Aela interrupted her pondering. "It's a… mission, of sorts, you might say. I wouldn't want the whelps to know about it though. It's not urgent or anything. But… I think it's time we discuss this. Do you think that you could meet me at dusk under the Skyforge? If you have time for me, that is," her tone was somewhat mockingly accusing, as if she was pouting again about not seeing Aeyrin for a long time.
But by dusk, Aeyrin would surely have both Bishop's name and her mind cleared.
"Alright. I'll be there."
…
"For the love of Ysmir, Bishop! Tell her! I cannot believe that you're still keeping this from her!"
Lydia shook her head at him incredulously with a permanent frown etched on her face.
"Look… I know… but it's not that fucking simple!" Bishop sighed defeatedly. If only he had an assurance that she wouldn't go after Thorn the second that he told her the truth. He hated how guilty all these secrets made him feel, but he never saw another option. "I can't… I can't risk her doing something stupid and putting herself in danger with these people."
"How long are you planning on making that excuse?" Lydia scoffed at him, shaking his head.
"It's still a fucking valid reason! Do you really think that she would just do nothing?"
"Are you doing anything? Because it doesn't seem like it! If these people are so dangerous, why not get some help? You said that this man's gangs are plaguing the entire south! Can't you just ask the jarls for help? What about Balgruuf even? He owes you some favors," she looked at him somewhat pleadingly. He knew why she was so eager to have this resolved. Not only would getting rid of Thorn keep Aeyrin safe, but it would also ensure Saadia's own safety.
But that was not an option. Not only were all the guards and soldiers busy with the war and the dragons, but telling anyone in power would just put them on high alert against Bishop. Especially Balgruuf. It would be worth it if he knew they were gonna help. But he knew they would not. They never did, not even before.
Besides, there was one hurdle that was still left to overcome.
"Nobody knows where Thorn is. He's in Falkreath, but have you ever tried to find something in those fucking forests? He could be hiding anywhere! And while people would be looking for him, he'd pick them off one by one. He's done that before." I've done that for him before. "There are people who are trying to resolve this. Trying to find him and to get rid of him, but… I don't know how long that's gonna take," he sighed. He was sure that Karliah was capable of doing the impossible. But her plans were convoluted and long-term. And he needed a fast fix.
"If no one can find him, why are you so worried that Aeyrin would manage to attack him?" Lydia pondered after a while as she swirled her mead in her tankard.
"She wouldn't. She'd look for him and he'd find her first. That's how this always goes. Look, I've thought about this. Fuck, I feel like I haven't thought about anything else for ages. There's no scenario where this ends well. The best thing to do is just… to keep her in the dark and avoid anyone who might be connected to the bandits until Kar-… Until those people manage to get rid of him," he shook his head in defeat again.
"I just need to know if someone's been after Saadia again. If she's seen anything suspicious," he looked at Lydia again. His expression must have looked tired from the constant stress.
"She hasn't mentioned anything. I think she'd tell me. She doesn't really have anyone else to talk about this," Lydia nodded.
"Good. That's good at least."
"It doesn't look like you have anyone to talk to either…" Lydia mumbled after a while and she gave him a somewhat sympathetic look.
It was… kind of nice of her. And it did feel a little better to confide in someone about this. Bishop had always hated talking about the past and shit like that. What was the point anyway? But having someone listen to him and not instantly condemn him, was rather novel.
Still, it didn't help as much as he needed it to.
"I don't need to talk. All I need is for Thorn to finally die."
…
"Dragonborn! A pleasure to see you again," Balgruuf nodded at her amicably.
She nodded at him as she stood in front of his throne, fidgeting a little. She still felt guilty about breaking her promise to Bishop, but what else was she supposed to do? Tullius would have made sure that Bishop would be prosecuted if she wouldn't bow down to his demands.
"Jarl Balgruuf. It's a pleasure to see you too. I was… hoping that I could discuss something with you privately," she rubbed the back of her head nervously.
One of the men standing by the Jarl's throne, clad in what looked like armor from some type of bone, narrowed his eyes at her dangerously with a suspicious look on his face. "You think us fools, girl? The Jarl doesn't accept visitors without his personal guard."
"Hrongar, don't be ridiculous. Lady Aeyrin is a Thane of this Hold. And she's proven her good intentions plenty of times before," Irileth scoffed at the Nord. She herself was clad in new armor from something that… looked a lot like the skin of a dragon. Was that what they used the remains of the dragons for? But only the skeleton always remained after the battle. Perhaps they had skinned the dragons that remained alive… the ones she wasn't around to absorb.
"Precisely. I see no harm in it. Follow me, Dragonborn," Balgruuf inclined his head before he rose from his throne and ushered her towards the stairs at the back of the room.
They proceeded up into the large chamber where a man in full-plate Imperial armor stood, peering over a map with familiar red and blue flags, along with several other soldiers. Aeyrin watched them for a while. They kept pointing towards Eastmarch on the map with deep creases on all their brows. That was… ominous.
Balgruuf suddenly cleared his throat, riling her from her curiosity, and she quickly hurried to catch up with him with a slight blush on her face. She hoped that her staring wasn't somehow suspicious, after that guard's reluctance to leave the Jarl alone with her. It made her even more nervous.
Balgruuf led her through a large set of doors onto a half-roofed balcony, large enough to even have another building atop it. What was the purpose of such a large balcony? Did the Jarl throw some parties there?
They walked towards the small wall over the edge that was overlooking the horizon. There was a cold wind in the air there, howling and assaulting their faces when the man finally turned towards her.
"I thought this more appropriate than shooing my guards away. And I wanted to show you something," he gave her a pleased smirk before he pointed towards the roof over the balcony.
There, right under it, was a strange contraption. An enormous bent beam made of wood, fastened with chains leading down towards some big cogwheels.
"What is that?" she peered at that thing curiously. Was it a trap to crush people underneath? It seemed like something like that could be constructed in a much more efficient manner.
"A dragon trap," Balgruuf smiled proudly.
"What?!" her eyes went wide at him. Did he have a dragon trap constructed? Right at his palace?!
"It is an ancient thing. One that was used by Olaf One-Eye to capture the dragon Numinex in the First Era. If you're interested, I believe the resident bard at the Bannered Mare, Mikael, tells the tale splendidly. But this is not about history. The trap has been broken, rendered unusable over the eras. But I had it fixed." Again, his proud eyes turned to the wooden beam. "You cannot be everywhere. I wish that there were more Dragonborn around to help us deal with this menace, but so far… there aren't. At least not those that my own men had confirmed," he grumbled somewhat morosely. Was he referring to Ulfric and the rumors about him?
"In any case, I merely wanted you to know that it is here. If another dragon attacks my Hold and my people, I have instructed all my men to strip it of as many resources as they can and then bring it here until it resurrects. The dragon would then… await your arrival, so to speak," his brows creased a bit uncertainly as he looked at her. "I understand that you go through a lot of pain while absorbing the soul, but you understand, I have to protect my Hold. May I count on your help if we actually manage to capture one of the beasts?"
"Y-yes… I… of course. I would do the same if it was in the wilderness after all," she shrugged at him, although the idea of approaching Dragonsreach only to be hit with the dragon soul out of the blue wasn't exactly pleasant. But on the other hand, that could really happen anywhere if someone left a dragon carcass unattended.
"I would, of course, have my scouts inform you if this comes to pass and you are in the vicinity," Balgruuf nodded at her with a kind smile, discerning the concerns under her scowl. That was definitely comforting. It would have surely been better if she had a heads-up.
"I'd appreciate that. But… is it really smart to transport a dragon into the city? What if it gets loose? What if it destroys Dragonsreach?" She looked over the trap again. It looked like ordinary wood. Would it really stop a dragon?
"That shouldn't happen. But… those are valid concerns that I share, of course. Yet, is it any better than to let it roam around the outskirts? It could target the city at any moment. Not to mention the defenseless villages. It would be under constant heavy guard here. You know, there's a reason why these beasts concentrate on attacking caravans and travelers around the mountains – they can be slain by mortal men just like any other beast. Attacking a heavily fortified city… is not in their best interest, I believe."
That was true. Dragons never lasted long when they were met with such resistance. Not in Morthal or at the outskirts. The beasts must have known that it was too dangerous. Only Alduin attacked a town successfully, but nobody was prepared for him then. And it was unlikely that the Jarl would manage to actually capture the World-Eater himself.
Although that could have made a lot of things easier.
"Now, you wanted to discuss something?" Balgruuf folded his arms across his chest and looked at her expectantly.
She had almost forgotten the original purpose of her visit after she got distracted by the dragon trap. But now this was her opportunity. She had to tell Balgruuf about everything. Surely he would understand and do her a favor after all the help that she gave his Hold.
"Oh… yes… it's a little… hmm. Have you ever heard of the Thrice-Banished?" she shuffled her feet nervously as she gave him an uncertain look.
"Of course. A clan of bandits. All one family, if I'm not mistaken. They wreaked havoc all over Skyrim some twenty years ago, I believe. They were banished from three Holds, including Whiterun. Hence the name. Eventually, the late king banished them from the province altogether. Why do you ask? Did you have a run-in with them? I don't have many soldiers to spare, but if you need assistance…" The deep scowl on his face was somewhat disheartening, making her all the more nervous. But she had to continue.
"No. It's nothing like that. I don't think that most of them are in Skyrim. It's… you know… some of the ones affected by the bounty on their heads were their children," she bit her lip, trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject.
"I am aware. I was the one issuing the bounty, after all. If you feel sympathy for the children, don't. Believe me, those people were bred only to continue in their parent's footsteps. The bounty is issued for the entire clan, regardless of their age. Not to mention that the children often participated in those crimes, used as a distraction or a lure," he grumbled a bit hatefully. This was really different from Elisif's sympathetic reactions. "I am very curious to find out how you know about this. It is a rarely discussed topic these days." Balgruuf narrowed his eyes at her, searching her face carefully.
Suddenly, this didn't seem like such a good idea.
Maybe she should reconsider…
But Tullius would tell him anyway, unless she swore herself to the Legion. And who knew how far he would take the blackmail?
"L-look… I know that their crimes were… bad… but… can you really persecute the ones that were so young at that time? That weren't even born yet?" she tried to appeal to his empathy, hoping to see the same look on his face that she had seen from Elisif before.
"So… you are dredging up a twenty-year-old crime simply for principles? I think not. I would assume that you are familiar with one of their children and are now attempting to get rid of the bounty, correct? What other explanation would there be? The man you travel with, perhaps?" Balgruuf's scowl deepened as she looked up at him timidly. Well… that didn't work out very well. He seemed really peeved. But she had to convince him. There was no other way.
"Why? I would not have noticed. Why come to me and tell me… or… insinuate it in any case?" the Jarl still looked at her skeptically, trying to discern her intent.
"Alright," Aeyrin let out a defeated sigh. "Look, somebody knows about the bounties and they're threatening to expose them. They threatened to inform you and the affected families of Whiterun. I was hoping to speak to you before it happened. To ask you to forget the crimes of the man who was three years old at the time of his conviction. I'm sorry, but that is absurd! He has saved your Hold twice from dragons already! Believe me, I would not have survived the battles without his help," she tried to stand defiantly and imposingly, but his scowl kept making her too nervous.
"Oh, so you are saying that, after his conviction, this three-year-old whelp realized the error of his ways and abandoned his clan? Are you saying that there is indeed a bounty on an innocent man who did no wrong in his adult life and threw himself at dragons to protect my people, or are you asking me to absolve a life-long criminal because he got roped into battles where he was required to fight for survival? For a hefty reward, if I might add."
She stammered incoherently at him, before she managed to compose herself and take a deep breath. "But he's done nothing to your people personally! How can you convict him for something that his family had done? You even go as far as convicting those who weren't even born yet!"
"Clan. A bandit clan. Is it so inconceivable that an entire bandit clan is wanted? It is a common practice and it is hardly my concern whether they had a choice in that matter. When you attack bandits, do you stop to ask each of them if they got forced into that life or do you slay them where they stand, hm? And what exactly do you think will happen when the nobles find out? The Battle-Borns, for instance. They were the most affected family in my Hold. They've lost fortunes to the clan's schemes. And a son. Do you think that they will be pleased to hear that one of those people roams around at a thane's side while the Jarl pardons him without any repercussions?" he pierced her with a cold stare before scowling even more with palpable hatred in his face. "I myself have lost much in their raids. What you are asking me to do is, quite frankly, outrageous, Dragonborn."
Her heart sank. Bishop was right. She made it all worse by trying to help. Now she practically put Tullius's plan in motion herself!
But she still had one trump up her sleeve.
"And you expect me to help you protect your Hold against the dragons while you would banish him from it?" she folded her arms across her chest with a look as determined as she could manage in her desperate state.
"You are welcome to stay away from Whiterun as long as you like, along with your bandit. Stay away from the Companions, stay away from your home and friends. And let the innocent die for your spite. I do not expect you to wage war at my side like some. I do not expect you to come running every time a dragon circles the northern mountains. I have made no such demands of you in the past and I did not plan on making them now. The trap is secure. It was a mere courtesy to inform you of its existence so as to not catch you off guard. You have helped me, true, but you have also been rewarded for it sufficiently. There is no debt of gratitude. Not one which can erase the crimes of the clan, in any case," he puffed up his chest with his eyes still narrowed dangerously, but his voice was painfully calm.
She stood there at a loss for words. She couldn't argue with that. He was right, after all. About everything.
Why did she think that this would ever work?!
Elisif was surprisingly eager to erase Bishop's crimes and now it dawned on her just how rare and lucky that actually was.
And now there was no way out of this.
"But… in the spirit of… unity against our joint enemies," Balgruuf sighed, "I will not hold you accountable for harboring the criminal. And, as much as it irks me to say this, he can leave by nightfall. Peacefully. If he is seen in my Hold after that, even simply travelling through… my men will respond accordingly," he nodded at her resolutely.
She felt like a small child being chastised again. Powerless like she did in front of Ulfric.
Every time she thought that she could handle dealing with the powerful and influential, she only got manipulated, used or humiliated by them.
She was starting to prefer the dragons.
And now she had to go tell Bishop all about what she'd done. Despite her promise, despite his pleading to leave things be, she did this anyway.
And she made everything worse.
She turned on her heel abruptly, unwilling to let Balgruuf see her in her utterly defeated state. She swiftly walked back towards the balcony doors on steady feet. She wanted to preserve at least some semblance of dignity for now. It was humiliating and heart-breaking enough to be scolded like that, she certainly didn't need to let him know just how much that affected her.
She hurried her steps, walking back down to the throne room, while she ignored the soldiers there adamantly, as well as Irileth's curious stare.
Only when the doors of Dragonsreach closed behind her, she broke into a run. The cold wind hitting her face was not helping one bit with her stinging eyes.
When she reached Breezehome, she tried to take a deep breath to calm herself, but it hardly worked. Not that it mattered. She'd break down again the second she'd see his reaction anyway.
She opened the door with a shaking hand to see Bishop and Lydia putting plates of food on the large table.
"Good, you're back! We've made…" Lydia greeted her excitedly, but she trailed off when she caught a glimpse of Aeyrin's face.
"What's wrong?" Bishop scowled deeply and, in an instant, he dropped the plates on the table and rushed towards her with palpable concern in his eyes.
"Bishop… I did something stupid."