CHAPTER 27: THE STREETS OF WHITERUN
"Come on, Lucy," Natsu urged below her. "The fall's not that high."
Lucy sat on the edge of a crag, clutching her fingers to the cold stone. How easy it had looked when Natsu had jumped down, agilely like a cat. Now, as it was her turn, it felt impossible to go after him. She couldn't turn back either, for the mountain wall was too steep to climb up. But the sun was setting, and she had no intentions to stay there either.
Lucy lifted her eyes from the mage to the mountain behind her. She could not believe they had survived this far, even if it had taken the whole day to climb down, and more than a dozen close calls. At one point they had to literally slide down the mountainside, holding onto mere faith that they wouldn't hit a tree or a crevasse. Her legs were frozen now, refusing to take a single step forward as the dangerous path finally came to an end.
"That fucking spell must've been invented by someone who wants people dead," Lucy shouted. "Clairvoyance, my ass. Yeah, there was a path, but then there wasn't! Gods, if I would've known what –"
"Hey, we made it," the mage answered. "So no complains."
"I'm still stuck here!"
"Just jump down!" he yelled back. Lucy had been sitting there for a good while now, and Natsu was losing his patience. "It's getting dark, so hurry up. We still have to find a place to camp. Bend your legs when you land and roll forward." Then he walked closer to the crag. "Or then I'll just catch ya."
"Get out of the way, idiot. I'd just crush you."
"You aren't that heavy."
"Gods," Lucy growled and took a deep breath. "Come on, out of the way! I'll jump now."
Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, and when she couldn't see the fall, she found the courage to push herself over the edge. The seconds her body flew through the crispy air felt like an eternity, wind and blood rushing in her ears until a loud crack filled the silent night.
She landed, and completely forgot to bend her legs.
Lucy shrieked as the realization hit her with an extreme pain radiating from both of her ankles. She fell on her knees on the cold rock and moss, muttering silent curses as she tried to grasp how badly she had hurt. The damn sound echoed in her mind, making her break in a cold sweat. Such cracks were seldom a good sign.
"Shit…" she whimpered, trying to hold her feet still through the throbbing pain when the mage rushed beside her. "I think… I think I might've broken my ankles..."
"Yeah, sounded like that," Natsu answered.
Lucy scoffed. With shivering fingers, she undid the laces of her boots and tried to take them off. It proved more challenging than usual, even the gentlest touch burning like fire, but she managed to remove her shoes and socks. Natsu cast a Candlelight to hover above them, letting her examine the damage under its light. Both of her ankles were deformed, looking twisted and bruised.
Natsu cringed at the sight. "Ouch."
She grimaced, still trying to deny the severity of her injury. "I… I'll just heal them real quick and –"
"In that position?" the mage asked and crouched in front of her. "They're dislocated. Cast a healing spell at them and they'll stay like that forever. They have to be put into place first."
Lucy swallowed, gasping. "You mean –"
"Yeah," Natsu said and grasped her left foot, the worse one, with one hand on the heel and the other on the forefoot. Lucy tried to resist, a tremor shaking her whole body. "Let's start with this one. Hold your leg below the knee and pull it towards you."
"No, wait –"
Lucy's vision went black as Natsu wrenched her foot back into place. A scream escaped her throat as an intense pain pierced through her ankle, eventually fading into numbness. She pulled her leg, instinctively sinking her nails through her leggings. A perceivable 'clunk' cut the edge of her pain as her foot finally popped to the right spot.
Natsu moved his hands to her right leg and grabbed it the same way. Lucy's arms shivered helplessly as she grasped her calf again, and prepared to pull.
"This isn't so bad, only sprained… but hang in there for a moment."
"Are you… are you sure what you're doing?" Lucy asked, her breath running short.
"Igneel had shitty ankles, so you have no idea how many times I've had to do this," Natsu explained, yet his tone was still somehow unsure. "I'm a master of estimating from how high I can jump without breaking anything, but Igneel just… didn't. He taught me this fix, I know it's nasty, but wait 'til you have to pull an arrow out of your leg –"
"Shut up, for fuck's sake!"
"Yeah, sure," Natsu said and pushed her twisted ankle, making her scream again. A similar sound followed as the bones and joints returned to their normal position, but Lucy still whimpered from pain.
Natsu then lifted both of her feet into his lap, placed his hands on her ankles and cast a healing spell. The agony now eased as the light seeped into her bones, doing its best to repair the fractures, restore them into their former shape. His spell wasn't perfect, far from it, but at least it was something.
"Better now?" he asked, and Lucy nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "You should cast some ice on them. It'll help with the pain and reduce the swelling, but don't try to walk today."
Lucy did as he told her. The spell Frostbite enveloped her ankles in a shroud of frost, tingling and numbing, and then she pulled back her socks. She didn't even try to put her boots on, so she placed them into her backpack. There was a lot of space now, for they had no food or spare clothes anymore.
"But we still have to find a campsite," she said, the pain now fading from her voice. Camping near the mountainside wouldn't be safe, for rocks and snow could fall on them. Lucy attempted to stand but fumbled forward on the moss as her legs gave in.
"Don't worry about that," Natsu answered. Suddenly, he grabbed her from the waist and tossed her to his shoulder. Her head hung on his back as he took her thighs into a tight hold, and Lucy felt blood rushing hot to her face.
"Hey! Let me down –"
"You know, it was my idea to go down that stupid path," he said and casually set forth. Lucy struggled to get released, but his hold persisted. "Sorry about it."
"Yeah, yeah, but don't carry me like this!"
"Why?"
"Your hands are on my ass, idiot!" Lucy shrieked and squirmed. "Seriously though, I can walk."
"As you say," Natsu answered and swung her down, placing her to the ground – and the moment her feet touched the rocks, a wave of pain swept the legs from under her. Natsu caught her before she could fall. "See? Hop on my back then."
Forced to swallow her pride, Natsu helped her on his back. Still ashamed, Lucy wrapped her hands around Natsu's shoulders and leaned her cheek onto his hood. She closed her eyes, not daring to see how he fumbled forward in the dark forest, encumbered by her weight.
Lucy's memories of the troll attack were scarce, but she remembered Natsu had carried her away from the troll. How, she couldn't recall, possibly the same way he had just attempted. It had been justified then, but at least she was conscious now and deserved better than to be carried on his shoulder like a bag of potatoes.
Somehow it made her wonder how many bags of potatoes and carrots he had to lift in his life to become so strong.
"There are better healers in the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun, you ought to see them tomorrow. I'm not that good at restoration, you know, first-aid is the best I can do," Natsu said to her. "Those priestesses will get you up and walking in no time."
Lucy nodded, too tired to answer with words. Even if he thought he wasn't good at restoration, Lucy didn't even imagine how much her feet would hurt if not for his healing spell. Or his skill of reducing a dislocated limb. She had never thought he could do a thing like that. Life with Igneel and his shitty ankles had taught him a lot, it seemed.
She was thankful for that. Her pride just didn't let her admit it.
They went through the woods until they reached a river. It rushed in the night, loud enough to advise them not to cross it. There had to be a bridge somewhere, but that could be found tomorrow. An opening among the trees was a perfect place to stay for tonight.
"Let's camp here," Natsu said and laid her to sit on a tree stump. He lifted his eyes to the fields on the other side of the river. Firelights danced far, far across the shrouded lands. "We made it pretty close to Whiterun. Too bad we don't have any food left…"
"Yeah," Lucy answered sullenly and wrapped her fur cloak around her, shivering. "And didn't die."
"As I told ya," he said and smiled. "Just let me catch you next time."
The month Frost Fall got its name from the thin layer of frost which covered the earth in the morning, melted away during the day and fell again on the night. It often marked the end of autumn, for then the snows would fall all over Skyrim and the days would get darker until the sun only came to visit briefly above the horizon.
Lucy cursed silently as her foot slipped again on the road made of cobbled stone, now slippery from the melting frost and decaying autumn leaves. She couldn't put much weight on her left leg, and her right wasn't in good shape either, so she had found a wooden stick from the forest to provide her stability and support. Each step hurt, but it hurt her pride more to be carried by the skinny fire mage, so she chose to walk, even when it was slow and painful.
She hadn't slept much last night, as the cold had kept her awake. It had seeped through the conjured furs, crawled on her skin like a thousand tiny needles, tormenting her to the point where she almost considered rolling closer to Natsu. She knew he was warm. However, she never dared, and eventually managed to fall asleep for a moment, until she awoke to the dysmorphic feeling of falling. The mountain path still haunted her dreams.
They had set forth at dawn after Lucy had cast another healing spell on her broken ankles. It had only helped with the pain, for the injury was far ahead of her current restoration ability. She could only heal grazes, bruises, and other skin wounds, but not bone fractures. Even Natsu couldn't heal them fully. She hoped the priestesses of Kynareth would help fix them, or it would be one pain of a journey to Ustengrav. The time they had saved would be wasted on her recovery.
Thanks to the Frostbite spell, Lucy had been able to put back her boots, even though the laces had to be loosened greatly. Walking on the forest in socks only would've been brutal, all the needles and sticks and sharp rocks sinking into her soles. At least there was one use for Gray's gift.
But as they crossed the bridge across the river and arrived at the crossroads, Lucy felt relieved. A weathered, wooden sign stood where the roads met, pointing them towards Whiterun. She had been here many times before, as the southward road went to Riverwood, and from there to Helgen. The familiar landscape warmed her heart, but she had to scrunch her nose at the smell of cowshit. She remembered that way too well.
Whiterun served as a commercial centre of Skyrim, and so the lands surrounding it were used in agriculture, harvested wheat fields carrying on as far as Lucy could see. The people here lived in a traditional manner – their lives were simple, harsh, and rooted in ancient ideals. Farmers sew winter barley into the blackened soil, children picked the late apples from the colourful trees, shepherds tended the lambs running in their stanchions. It was a pleasant sight of life as it had been before hers changed forever.
Lucy glanced at Natsu, who stared into the horizon. Only Dragonsreach, the highest point of Whiterun could be seen from here, but an hour or two and then they'd reach the city gates. Hopefully. The mage seemed to be deep in thought, and Lucy somehow sensed what bothered him.
'You'd really take a death-row prisoner to Whiterun?' he had once asked, when she had suggested they'd go there. It was unclear where the city stood in the civil war, but considering his former bounty and the Legion's activity in Whiterun, it wouldn't have been smart to go there. And though Jarl Ulfric had pardoned his crimes, it didn't mean he'd be safe there now.
"If you think they'll arrest you there, I won't let them," Lucy said, breaking the long silence. "And it isn't like anyone would recognize you in those monk robes."
Natsu smirked and pulled the large hood over his head. It wasn't enough to cover all of his wild, pink hair, his most prominent feature. In all honesty, it just made him appear more suspicious. Almost like a vampire shielding himself from the sunlight. Lucy chuckled at the thought. He looked so ridiculous dressed like that.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Nothing," she answered, though she meant to say 'you'. "Did you ever do something… illegal in Whiterun? Have you even been here before?"
"Oh yeah I did," he said and grinned. "I stole some Argonian ale from The Bannered Mare for some beggar in the city. Thought I'd do the good deed of a day but got cuff on the ear by the angry innkeeper."
"You were caught stealing ale?" Lucy scoffed. "Amateur."
"I was younger then, so of course it wouldn't happen now. Besides, what do you know about stealing some drinks?"
She held back a grin. "Let's just say that I might or might not have sneaked into our neighbour's house and borrowed a few bottles of juniper mead."
"Really? Borrowed?" he chuckled and glanced at her with disbelief in his eyes. "I thought you didn't drink."
"Just that once. It was Loke's stupid idea," Lucy answered. It no longer pained her to speak the name of her deceased best friend. "Fun while it lasted, but the next day was horrible. I told my parents I was sick."
The mage smirked at her. "That's what I call amateur."
"And who are you to say!" she laughed. "As in Fort Amol, you nearly puked on my feet, passed out, and had to be carried to sleep by Erza…"
"Gods, I'd rather not be reminded by that. That was an exception!"
And so, they threaded forward on the road, Natsu sharing tales of his drunken nights with Igneel, and Lucy replying with bursts of laughter that hurt her ankles as her whole body shook. The mighty city walls revealed behind the meadows and hills, the area becoming more and more lively as they approached Whiterun. Farmers and guards passed them by, not paying them much attention from their daily chores.
It had been a while since they had talked like that, for in High Hrothgar they mostly discussed about magic and spells instead of memories. But when they travelled, there wasn't a better way to spend the time than telling stories. Lucy had missed it.
"… and when I found 'em like that next morning, Igneel swore he had gone to bed with an Imperial woman instead of a drunken Bosmer huntsman –" Natsu paused suddenly, his chuckle dying as he turned his head to the strange noise from afar. "What's going on there?"
Lucy had been so captivated by the story she hadn't heard anything until he mentioned it. She snapped her gaze towards the battle cries and distant, low grunts. She sheltered her eyes from the sunlight with her hand, as if she could see a fight on the outskirts of the city. Something towered above a cloud of dust, swung a massive club through the air and launched a man to the sky.
"Holy fucking shit," Lucy stuttered, watching as the man, probably a city guard judged from the green cuirass and a shining helmet, flew into the sun. Only one thing could do such a thing. "That's a giant!"
"Yeah, gotta be. Sometimes they stray too close to human settlements, and then this happens," Natsu explained, his eyes locked on the flying man. "Hey, your fall wasn't so bad, actually…"
The dust cloud settled, revealing five or six fighters who swarmed around the giant, swords clashing and arrows flying. Lucy had seen a few giants when they had crossed the volcanic tundra, but then they had just calmly herded their mammoths. An enraged giant was an ugly, terrifying sight. Its loincloth swayed as it stamped its feet to the ground, the bones adorning the fur chiming like wind bells.
Though Lucy had fought against a dragon, this battle felt like something she didn't want to charge into in her current condition. How could one even fight such a beast? Giants were like humans in shape, but colossal in height and immense in strength. They were far enough to sneak past it, but it would leave Lucy feeling like a coward.
Panicked farmers ran past the mages, throwing their tools and baskets to the ground. Natsu pulled Lucy aside from the road before she'd be stomped by the escaping crowd. They hid behind a fence, deciding to observe before taking any action.
Lucy watched as someone dodged the giant's arm and rolled on the ground, armour gleaming in the sunlight and scarlet hair cascading in the wind. The warrior swung her blade at the beast's hand, severing it from its body. The giant's growl echoed all across the fields. Crimson liquid burst from the wound, the shade a perfect match for her tresses.
"That's Erza!" Lucy exclaimed, sure it had to be her. That mettle could only belong to Erza. "We have to go help her!"
She stood up, leapt over the fence and took a few running steps, her injury forgotten until she tumbled into a rock and fell. She squealed a curse and pushed herself back up, the pain in her ankles clarifying she wouldn't be able to run. But she couldn't give up yet. There was still something she could do.
The giant was still within the reach of an arrow.
"You alright?" the mage asked.
"Yeah," Lucy answered. "Wait a moment."
She inhaled the dusty air deep into her lungs, concentrated, and summoned a portal on her palms. Purple light swirled upon her command and formed the shape of a Daedric bow. Casting the Bound Bow was costly, but she could now do it without depriving all of her magicka. Getting too close to the giant to pour flames on it would be futile and dangerous. She didn't want to end up flying to the sun.
With a familiar motion, she picked up an arrow from the quiver which had formed from the same magic. She nocked it, drew the string, and aimed carefully. The arrowhead pointed slightly above the giant's head as she released. Hoping the giant would make no sudden movement, she watched the arrow fly through the fields until it hit the beast's shoulder. The giant let out a pained growl, its eyes searching for where the arrow had come from.
"Lend me some fire," Lucy asked from the mage beside her. As they had done many times before, Natsu cast a flame on his hand, and Lucy used it to lit the arrow afire. She shot the flaming arrow which set the giant's skin ablaze as it hit its chest.
The heads of the fighters turned towards them now, and even the giant noticed them. Before it charged at the mages, it tore the magical arrows from its flesh, angrily grunting in a language no humans could speak. Using its confusion as an advantage, one of the fighters slashed his sword against the giant's calves, severing the joints which kept it standing.
The giant fell on its hands and knees. The scarlet-haired warrior climbed on the beast's back and struck her blade to its neck, the greatsword sinking all the way to its hilt into the giant's flesh. Taking its last breath, the giant whined, closed its eyes and died.
Cheerful roars filled the air as the Companions celebrated the victory, held their swords high to the clear sky. But the scarlet-haired warrior welcomed not the applauds without giving a note to those who had aided her. Slowly, she pulled the bloody steel from the giant and pointed it towards the mages, standing a yard away.
"You there!" she shouted. "Thank you! Come closer so I can see your faces."
Lucy didn't know if they were too far for her to recognize them, or if she pretended not to know them. She glanced at Natsu, who nodded as a reply and offered her walking stick back to her. Lucy let her bow expire, the weapon vanishing into the air as she received the stick. Using it made her feel so much older than she was.
Slowly, they crossed the distance between them and the Companions. There was five of them, including Erza. One of them was a brown-haired, young woman with two steel swords, one for each hand, clad in skin-tight leather armour. The other two were tall, dark-featured Nord men, looking so similar they had to be twins. Another red-haired woman wore rather revealing garments, and she was the one with a bow.
Natsu lowered the hood from his head, and then something changed in Erza's eyes. A smile spread on her lips as she climbed down from the giant's back, no longer pointing at them with her greatsword. Lucy felt a knot opening in her stomach.
"Natsu! Lucy!" Erza exclaimed. "Sorry, I did not recognize you."
"Who are these?" Lucy heard the brown-haired woman ask.
"These are my friends," Erza replied to her, then turned back to the mages. "What brings you to Whiterun on this fortunate day?"
They walked a bit closer so they wouldn't have to shout. The stench of iron lingered in the air as the ground eagerly drank the giant's blood. Lucy had to look away from the enormous corpse.
"Well, I…" Lucy stuttered, gazing down at her aching ankles. "A lot. A lot brings us here today."
"Most importantly, she fucked up her feet," Natsu commented.
"Really? You should see a healer in the Temple of Kynareth," Erza said and thought for a while. "I could take you there. There's a lot from my end too we should talk about."
"It would be amazing," Lucy answered. She couldn't fight back a smile – she just wanted to jump to the warrior's neck, but her feet didn't allow her. "I've missed you."
Natsu snorted. "I haven't."
Fiercely, Lucy stared at the mage, hoping he could just once swallow the old quarrel between them. It was supposed to be settled already, so why he still had to pretend that he despised Erza? Lucy knew he didn't really hate her, he just had to be so damn rock-headed.
"We're going to celebrate this victory tonight. Slaying giants is challenging work. Deserves a good feast," Erza said, gladly not paying attention to Natsu's jeering. "Would you like to join us for mead and meal in Jorrvaskr? You did your part in helping us take down this beast."
"Really? That's even better! We've been starving," Lucy answered, delighted, and turned to the mage again. "What do you say, Natsu?"
Natsu scratched his neck and avoided looking into each of them. "Well, if there's food and drink then I could come…"
"There will be to your heart's content. As I once said, you're welcome quests to our mead hall," Erza said and turned to her slightly confused comrades. "Cana, will you get rid of the giant's corpse with Vilkas and Farkas? And Aela, would you go looking for the guard? Condolences must be sent to his family."
The others nodded to her and headed to their tasks.
"Meet me later in Jorrvaskr," Erza told to them before they went. Then she turned to the mages and smiled. "Shall we get going?"
An utter wave of nostalgia wiped over her as she limped through the streets of Whiterun, assisted by the Companion. She remembered the blacksmith's shop right near the entrance, the wooden houses lining the street which led to the marketplace. Just seeing so many living people felt delighting. Children played tag laughing aloud, a few women carried their babies in cloth slings, the guards patrolled around to make sure everything was alright. Even two dogs came to greet them.
But through all liveliness, Lucy sensed something in the air. It wasn't just a nip of the cold, but certain restlessness, as if the laughs were only to cover something dark. All the time she spent in the monastery, she kept wondering what was happening in the world. Though it wasn't on fire, it was clear that the people waited for something, holding their breath, tense as if a thunderstorm was creeping near.
"I probably shouldn't ask this here, but from the rags you're wearing, I believe you made it to the… one place in particular," Erza said suddenly, gazing at their grey monk robes.
"Yes," Lucy answered. She knew what Erza meant. "We left there yesterday."
"Yesterday? Just how did you –"
"We slid down the mountainside," Natsu told and chuckled. "Not one of our brightest ideas."
"By Ysmir, you've got to be kidding me," Erza sighed, her eyes widening. "What did I tell you about not getting her into any trouble?"
"Wait 'til you hear about what trouble she got me into!"
Natsu and Erza kept arguing for a while, and Lucy tried her best to filter it out. She focused on the life which pulsed through the streets, breathing in the scents of spices, autumn apples, chopped wood and yes, cowshit, it could still be smelled through the walls of the town. But it was the scent of life, almost like it had been at home.
They reached the marketplace, where the booths were filled with goods – fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, jewellery, trinkets and odds and ends. But they didn't stay to buy, and headed upward through a gate which led to another district of the town. There was a circular plaza where grew a majestic, pale tree with withered leaves. She had heard it was called Gildergreen, and considered sacred by the worshippers of Kynareth.
"This way," Erza guided her to the left. "The temple is right here."
Lucy lingered for a moment to adore the beauty of the tree, even though it looked somehow sickly, as if it was struck by lightning. Decorative wooden structures surrounded the tree, and benches were placed beneath it for the townspeople to rest on. Natsu gazed at the tree too, probably planning to climb into it. Its branches were perfect for climbing.
A path from the plaza led through fountains and formed a long stairway ascending to Dragonsreach, the Jarl's palace. Lucy had never been there, only in the lower districts of the city. As a kid, she had dreamed about being allowed to the palace, but such a thing never happened.
"You know, we Companions don't trust in magic, so we don't often visit the temple to heal our injuries," the warrior explained, catching Lucy's attention. "But it was a fortnight ago when my shield-sister Aela broke her wrist. As an archer, it would've been a death sentence for her." Erza paused and helped Lucy through the stairs which led to the temple's courtyard. "But I remembered how you used to heal your wounds with magic, and then I told her to try the same. And so, after three days, she gave in and went to the temple. The priestess healed her hand back to the way it used to be."
Lucy smiled slightly. She hoped the same could be done to her ankles. "They must never run out of patients to practise their healing arts on."
Many flowers were planted in the borders of the temple, and Lucy couldn't even name them all. They bloomed beautifully as if their life was prolonged by a blessing, their petals still not withering in the frost of a night. Colourful, painted icons adorned the large glass windows, the flowers appearing in the art too.
"Exactly. Sickly farmers, wounded soldiers, everyone is welcomed here," Erza said and opened the temple's door. "Get in."
Lucy glanced over her shoulder and saw the mage still gazing at the giant tree. Maybe feeling her eyes on him, he turned his head and found them gone. Quickly, he came to them, and then they went into the great hall.
To Lucy's surprise, a little girl came to greet them, her azure braids reaching her waist. She wore an orange, long-sleeved dress, and an amulet hung around her neck. "How can I help you, children of Kynareth?" she asked, voice meek and shy. "My name is Wendy. I'm an apprentice here."
Natsu and Erza looked at Lucy, letting her explain by herself what had happened.
"Well, my ankles broke yesterday, and I came in hopes to have them healed," Lucy said. "I'm a traveller, so I –"
"Of course, come in," the girl said and flashed a warm, welcoming smile. "Let us see what can be done."
They followed the girl deeper into the temple, into one of the many alcoves. Other priestesses in yellow robes aided other patients, all of the sickbeds full. Lucy was seated on a chair while Erza and Natsu stayed behind. Though nothing was threatening in the girl's presence, Lucy felt somehow uneasy, like she was being a burden. There were so many others already who needed a healer.
With careful hands, the girl undid the laces on her boots and took them off, as well as the woollen socks Lucy was wearing. Ugly bruises adorned her feet, looking as painful as they felt like.
"What happened?" the young priestess asked, concern in her quiet voice.
"I… I fell from a crag. About three or four meters," Lucy explained, still ashamed of it. If she had bent her legs and spread the impact evenly on her body, this wouldn't have happened.
For a second Lucy doubted if an apprentice could do much to her broken feet, but then she cast a healing spell which shrouded her injuries in warmth, like a light breeze of summer wind. Lucy's restoration magic, or even Natsu's, was nothing compared to this girl's. The spell reached down to her bones, mending the damage until there was none.
Even though the girl was young, maybe eleven or twelve, her skill as a healer was astonishing. Lucy had heard that those with azure hair came with a blessing, and healing had to be hers. She was in a right place – Skyrim needed more people like her in the healing field.
"Be more careful next time," Wendy said as the light on her hands went out. "Usually, these kinds of injuries become a lasting issue. Either the pain persists, or the ankles keep slipping out of place constantly. But as they were treated right after the accident occurred, it shouldn't be a problem."
The girl began to wrap her ankles in tight linen strips, and Lucy sighed from relief. She'd never do anything so stupid again, no matter what. The next time she'd have to jump, she'd keep her damn eyes open to see when she'd land. Or then just let the mage catch her.
"Thank you so much," Lucy praised. She could barely express her gratitude.
"Take it easy for the next days, and you should be fine," the girl told when she was done bandaging her feet. She stood up and gave her a deep bow. "Grace of Kynareth be with you."
Lucy brought her hands together and bowed in return. And when she got up, there wasn't a single hint of pain left in her ankles, like they were cured by a miracle.
Lucy wanted to stay and talk more about healing with this little girl, but then another wounded farmer was brought into the temple, and so Wendy hurried to take them in. Maybe she'd come back one day when they'd be less busy, but somehow she had a feeling there wouldn't be such a day in the nearby future.
By the time they made it out of the temple, Natsu's stomach was growling with hunger. Lucy danced and leapt across the yard, laughing as she could walk again. She disappeared behind the great tree, and Natsu wondered where the energy came from. They hadn't eaten anything since they left the monastery. However, it eased his guilt to see her so happy and out of pain. He had been blaming himself the entire day.
A group of guards passed by them, but none of them paid any attention to Natsu. Back then, when he had stolen the stupid ale, the innkeeper had dragged him into the guard's barracks to be scolded. They had sworn that the next time he'd steal something, they'd cut off his arm, but Natsu thought it was just a way to scare kids off. Guards loved to put people into jail instead of mutilating them. There they could scorn constantly and throw nasty jokes to those behind the iron bars.
They stopped below the tree, sheltered in the shadow of its dying branches. Natsu watched to the opposite side of the plaza, where Jorrvaskr stood atop of a hill. He remembered seeing it when he had been in Whiterun before. According to the local legends, it was the oldest building in the city, built from one of the longboats Ysgamor used as he returned to Skyrim with his Five Hundred Companions. Ysgamor's friend, a warrior named Jeek the River commanded the boat called Jorrvaskr, and its hull was now used as the roof of the mead hall.
Loud ruckus caught Natsu's attention. A statue of Talos stood in the corner of the plaza, next to the stairs which led to Dragonsreach. It was strange that the Legion hadn't torn it down yet. A lone priest stood in front of the statue, his arms extended to the sky as he preached a passionate sermon.
"… so rise up! Rise up, children of the Empire! Rise up, Stormcloaks! Embrace the word of mighty Talos, he who is both man and Divine! For we are the children of man! And we shall inherit both the heavens and the earth! And we, not the Elves or their toadies, will rule Skyrim! Forever!"
Natsu sighed, not daring to listen for a second more. Erza and Lucy discussed about the sacred tree, but Natsu was too hungry to participate. He felt like he could eat a whole wheel of cheese, and it somehow reminded him of the cheesy potato soup his mother used to make. It was strange how the distant tastes came back when he was starving.
Suddenly, a rider arrived on the plaza. A man in a foreigner's robes, with many staffs bound to his back, rode a pitch-black stallion through the streets. He wore a green scarf around his neck, but Natsu's eyes caught the strange tattoo or war paint around his right eye. It was rare to see someone with azure hair, but now he saw a second one today, making him wonder how Kynareth had blessed this man.
But as the man's frozen gaze pierced right through Natsu, he realized he had felt that somewhere before. Frowning, he halted as the man told his horse to stop near the women.
"Erza," the man said to the warrior. There weren't any others around, except for the crazy priest, and so he continued, "I've retrieved the additional documents from the depths of Bleak Falls Barrow, but I have other news as well."
"More from Rorikstead?" Erza asked, her voice suddenly full of worry.
"No," answered the rider. "Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak has sent his axe to Jarl Balgruuf the Greater. Balgruuf is going to hold an emergency council meeting tomorrow, to consider what he should do. Farengar insisted that we should be here too, offering our insight about the dragon aspect, which can't be overlooked, even in war." He took a quiet look at Lucy and Natsu. "I suspect they are the survivors from Helgen."
"Yes," Erza answered, and the way she said nothing else made Natsu shiver in unsettlement.
The horse let out a loud whinny as Natsu stared at it. Lucy seemed completely unaffected by it, but the man's presence felt utterly sinister to Natsu. He lifted his eyes from the horse to the azure-haired man, who smirked and whipped the reigns.
"They should be there too. The meeting will be held at noon. Make sure they'll come," the man said, a small hint of amusement lingering among his words.
The warrior nodded to him. "Of course."
Natsu stood still as the man rode away, towards the stairway of Dragonsreach. He exchanged an awkward stare with Erza, and suddenly Natsu realised who that man was. Repeatedly, he blinked his eyes at his own foolishness of not getting it right away.
"Who was that?" he asked, wondering what the warrior would say.
"Brother Mystogan," Erza answered, a lie clear as a day in her tone. "He's a scholar from Cyrodiil, a dragon-expert. He has been studying them for a decade, and he's helping Farengar. That court wizard was years behind his study."
Natsu didn't say anything. Damn, they had actually brought his stupid idea into life? All the risk so that they could do… whatever couples did together. They had to be desperate. But Natsu cared none about that, so he left it be, for it wasn't any of his concern. Instead, the other thing interested him a lot more. "Is Ulfric really going to attack Whiterun, or what does that axe thing mean?"
Erza went silent for a moment, but then decided to speak.
"It has been rumoured that Ulfric finally got his hands on the Jagged Crown, a symbol from a time when a king was a king because his enemies fell before him, and his people rose because they loved him. Ulfric thinks he will be that king, and now that damn crown strengthens his claim," Erza explained. "I think he's ready to act."
"Gods," Lucy sighed. She had been quiet for so long. "Only an idiot would wage war while the dragons are raging around. But what about Rorikstead? What happened there?"
"You'll hear more about that tomorrow in the council meeting," Erza answered and pointed towards the mead hall. "Now is the time for a feast."
Those words made Natsu forget all about the priests, kings, and assansins. At least for a while.
A/N: Hi guys, hope you liked the chapter! This was a quick and fun one to write, but now my wrist hurts so much that I have to let it rest for a few days, otherwise I'll have to pay visit to the Temple of Kynareth.
So, I decided to place Wendy in the temple as a healer. I think it fits her character the best. I only gave her a brief introduction now, but she might come around later in the story. Jellal and Erza have also made their move meanwhile Natsu and Lucy where in the monastery, and that dynamic will unravel in the next chapters.
I think this chapter also shows how much closer Natsu and Lucy got during the time skip. There wasn't much interaction between them in the last chapter, unlike now. They're much more relaxed around each other, and Natsu for example wasn't afraid to carry her like before. In the beginning he dreaded to even touch her.
Actually, I have a request for you, my readers. As there's going to be a feast in Jorrvaskr, there's also going to be a drinking game hosted by our dearest alcoholic, Cana. But… I'm in dire need of filthiest, most embarrassing drinking game questions one could ever imagine. So, I'd really appreciate if you'd share some questions with me in the comments, and I'll make them into the story. I'm going to need questions which can be answered either yes or no, so if there's anything you'd like to ask from our heroes, now is your chance xD
Thanks for reading and supporting!
