I thought I would take the time to admire how much love this story is getting and it inspires me so much to keep writing it. I thought I would thank the people who are following this story and want to read more. Thank you HAVEABOY, KrissKross, Posei-DONE, dragonlorerd6, feluzar, fenrir2018, mkeidge01, roxas199 and MP7 BOSS for all following this story and keeping up to date! Thank you HAVEABOY, fenrir2018, dragonlorerd6 and Kel Arumar for liking the story. Please if you like the story: following, liking and leaving reviews is the best to let me know you enjoy reading it. Anyways, enough with shoutouts and thank yous. Hope you all enjoy Chapter 4 of: Iron and Magic.

A pounding headache and aching throughout all of his body. This is the feeling Lars felt as he awoke in a double bed as he sat up to see the surroundings. Off in the right corner was a dresser with some pots and food on plates with a brazier of its right made of iron and wood that was currently lit. Directly to his right was a small corner table with a plate and cheese and directly in front of him was a wreath of snow berries.

Am I in the Bannered Mare? Lars thought to himself.

He had been in this same exact room many times when he would travel all around Skyrim to preach the good word and for his services.

Going to be a while before I have that life ever again.

Although he felt an unusual heaviness on his left arm and looked down to see a bodily shape under some covers and a dunmer hand peeking out the blanket.

Oh this isn't who I think it is? He thought.

He slowly lifted up the covers to reveal a stark naked dunmer form of Jenassa, sound asleep. He realized his hand was right near her breast and he could practically feel the blood rushing to not only his face but something else. He drew back his hand slowly away from her breast and noticed he was still in his robes.

Funny, I thought she would've tried something funny. He thought.

He got up from the bed silently so as to not wake up the dunmer and made his way downstairs. The Mare was full with patrons and drinkers as the barmaids Saadia and Olfina Greymane brought drinks and hot food to the patrons with Hulda, the owner, talking to a few male patrons while filling their tankards with good drink. The Bannered Mare was loud and rambunctious and Lars was wondering how in the hell he even slept in with all this noise. Then he thought how the hell he even got here because the last thing he remembered was heading out towards the Western Watchtower after-

"A dragon had been spotted…" Lars said to himself.

Before he could recollect the events from that evening, a loud, slurred voice shouted, "HEY! IF IT ISN'T THE DRAGON SLAYER HIMSELF!"

He looked over and on a bench was Ulfberth who looked drunk beyond belief with his wife Adrianna having to keep him from kneeling over himself.

"I think he's had one too many drinks, Addy." Lars chuckled.

"I'm very much inclined to agree with you." turning back towards her husband. "Cmon ya oaf. Get up."

Ulfberth's blushed face looked at his wife, "Wow my wife is as beautiful as Dibella. See everyone! This is Mine!" he proclaimed.

As Ulfberth and Adrianna made their way out of the Mare, Hulda called Lars over.

Lars made his way towards an open stool near the bar as Hulda already had a drink prepared for the young nord.

"So how are ya young man?"

"I feel like I just got sucker punched by a frost troll then left for dead in the Sea of Ghosts." he grunted.

"Ah. I guess that's what happens when the adrenaline wears off after fighting and killing a dragon eh?"

Oh yea. That's what happened. He killed a dragon.

"Yes I did. Didn't I…" he mumbled.

"Anyways the Jarl's Housecarl told me to remind you to go see him tomorrow for your reward."

Hulda was right. Jarl Balgruuf did tell him to see him once the dragon was either defeated or beaten away from Whiterun. He went over to the door and noticed that it was night out now and Secunda and Massar were high in the sky and recollected that it must be around midnight now.

I guess I'll head back to sleep then. He thought.

As he made his way back towards his room, he saw Jenassa, still stark naked, sitting on the bed now and seemingly in deep thought. When she noticed he was here, she ran towards him and enveloped him in a tight embrace.

"Fucking by the nine hells, I thought you were dead." she sobbed.

Was he really out that long?

He held her there for what seemed like an eternity before she pulled away, grabbed his hand and brought him to the bed. When they got there, she pushed him onto the bed and straddled onto his pelvis region. Lars was confused because Jenassa was acting strangely now but decided to not say anything to not upset the dunmer anymore then she already was. Well that was until Jen started disrobing him and his loins were the only thing that he had on anymore and that's when he decided to say something.

"Uh. Jen, what are you doing?"

She said nothing as she took her hand and grabbed one of his and brought it up to her left breast and pressed it into it.

"Do you feel that?" the voice was barely an audible whisper.

Lars indeed did feel the softness of her breast but almost felt something else: A heartbeat and it was beating at a rapid pace and her face was practically begging for him to accept her feelings and feel the same way.

Now see, Lars was slightly oblivious when it came to figuring out if a girl liked him or not but this was a clear indication of what was happening this moment: Jenassa had liked him in a romantic way but unfortunately Lars didn't view her the same way. Lars loved her but as just friends and that was all. He didn't think that Jen wasn't beautiful because she was the exact opposite of that: She was hotter than the deepest parts of Mehrunes Dagon's realm. Although his head and his head were thinking two opposite things. One was telling him to go for it, she was a beautiful exotic dunmer woman with an amazing body and if anything from his time with her was that she was very experienced. The other head was saying that bedding down with a woman that he didn't love would destroy their friendship once he confessed to her that he didn't feel the same way as she did.

It took a few seconds for him to decide before he answered her.

"Jenassa I am sorry. I can't. It's not because you aren't beautiful or an amazing,strong woman. It's just that I don't feel the same way you do to me."

The next thing that happened surprised Lars greatly. She smiled at him and withdrew his hand from her breast and said, "I am happy that you were honest with me," as she got off him and proceeded to get dressed.

"You're not upset?"

She just shook her head. "Lars I know you value what we are. I took a huge risk by even doing that but I am glad I did."

Hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief but was quickly flustered when Jenassa followed up with, "although it wouldn't have hurt to screw me silly Virgin boy before rejecting me. Gods, you are hopeless Lars."

"Ugh! I swear to the 8 divines Jen, you never stop, do you?"

As Lars pulled the covers over and looked the other way, he heard Jen laughing her ass off before heading downstairs.

As Lars left Dragonsreach, he was a new man. He had just been named Thane of Whiterun and found out that the woman he met a week ago now, Lydia, was actually a Housecarl.

"So you were a Housecarl this entire time huh?"

Lydia just shrugged her shoulders, "What? Just because I was injured when we first met doesn't mean I'm not a capable fighter Lars."

"Oh I know that you're a fighter, if that sucker punch to the dunmer's face meant anything."

Chuckling, "You still remember that?"

"How could I forget it: Nord woman who was not only five minutes ago bleeding out, stands up to sucker punch a dunmer in the face. I am usually a composed fighter but even that caught me by surprise." he chuckled back.

"I guess I am a woman full of surprises then." she shrugged whilst smiling.

They made their way towards Adrianna's Forge where Lars saw Jenassa talking to Adrianna.

"So I tried and he ended up rejecting me."

"Ah, Jen it's alright. I sometimes wonder myself if-" as she looked up to see Lars.

"Hey Lars."

Jenassa turned around and her eyes were puffy but not red. He's seen enough people crying with his time in the temple at Solitude to know when someone has cried.

What else did you expect, Lars.

"Hey Jen."

"Heyo Virgin boy." although she said this really sarcastically. Seeing Lydia behind him. "Ohhh so that's why you rejected me. You should've told me you had someone."

Inspecting the woman head to toe, "she looks tough and Beautiful?" she evaluated

Lydia, embarrassed , "Umm, Lars is just my thane Jenassa. That's all."

Lars could hear some hostility in her voice, so he just decided to get this done and over with.

"Adrianna, do you have that weapon the Jarl promised me?"

"Yea I have it right here." she said as she pointed to a newly made Orcish-made mace with serrated edging. It was truly a finely crafted weapon and Lars smiled like a fool as he picked it up and took a few practice swings with it. When he got done testing out the new weapon, he looked back at Adrianna.

"This is finely crafted, like always."

She just smiled at him and said, "Lars you know I don't anything but finely crafted weapons and armour at my stand. I may not be good as Eorlund Gray-mane but I aspire to be."

Lars just shook his head. "Adrianna you don't need to be anyone but yourself. You may not have the sky forge but your forge is just as good."

She smiled warmly, "Lars, whoever ends up with you is going to be a lucky woman."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he was puzzled.

"Don't worry about it." Jen replied and proceeded to walk away.

Once Jen was out of hearing distance, Lars just sadly sighed.

"Give her time Lars. You broke her heart but I commend you for doing the right thing."

"I just don't want to talk about it."

As they made their way and outside of Whiterun, they headed on the road towards the Ivarstead, where the stairway to the Monahven aka The Throat of the World was. They traveled pasted by Riverwood and Embershard mine where Lars discussed that a trader known as Lucian was having troubles with the bandits there, so he went in with an elf named Faendal and cleared the place out which reopened the iron mine.

As they made their way, they soon reached the now collapsed Helgen where the flames had long since died down by then. As they arrived at the gate and stopped, Lars spoke.

"So, we're back huh?"

Lydia looked at him. "Yea I wasn't expecting to be back this early but since it's the only way to get to Ivarstead, it makes sense."

Lars looked back at Lydia and could tell the mental wounds were still sore in her.

"Who were you visiting? You said that you were visiting some friends when we first met."

She sighed, "I was visiting an old friend. I had known them since we were children. Last time I saw them was them leaving the gates while I tried to keep her safe. Once she made it out I tried helping other people out and the rest is history."

"You're very brave Lydia."

"Ha. I liked to think so," she chuckled sadly.

As Lars pushed open the gate to Helgen, they were greeted with the scorched ruins of the town. They didn't walk more than 5 feet before they heard a voice.

"You entered the wrong area. This is our territory." As a man draped in iron armour appeared from behind a house. With him, 3 others appeared attired in an array of armour.

"Pay the toll or we'll take it from you." the bandit growled.

"Does this answer your question,' Lydia said as she pulled her bow from behind her and knocked back an arrow at one of the men, directly bullseyeing him right between the eyes. One of the men took cover quickly as the leader unsheathed his great sword but before he could, Lars was already front center and took the man's head and slammed it into his knee. This caused the man to reel back and dazed the man. Although that was very short lived as Lars threw an incinerate spell at him which caused him to quickly burn into ash with blood and smoke permeating the area. The two other bandits that were alive looked at each other then took off running to the northern gate of Helgen.

"That was great shooting Lydia." he said as he dusted himself off.

"Like I said: I guess I am a woman full of surprises."

As they traveled, they noticed the sky was orange and yellow, signalling that night was coming and they had to bed down soon. They found a patch of trees and open land a bit of the eastern path and started to make camp. Once it was done, Lars dragged a log towards the fire they started and brought out a stew pot, some ingredients and took out a iron tripod used for hanging food over a fire. The ingredients he brought with him were some leeks, salted meat, potatoes and some spices. He minced up the meat into small cubes alongside with the potatoes. He took out a flask of water and poured it into the pot then tossed in the meat and spices.

"You're a cook too?"

He looked at Lydia who was in her regular clothes and not her steel armour she had dawned. She wore a white tunic shirt that clung to her breasts, some brown linen pants with her steel boots still on and her hair was now loose and flowed down to her chest rather then the usual braid crown it was in. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Yea, a friend I met one day named Fulthiem taught me how to not only cook but how to use this," as he pointed at his mace.

Wow Adrianna was right. He is interesting. Lydia thought.

Once Lars saw the meat form a broth-like substance, he took the minced potatoes and leeks and tossed them in as well and let it cook for a while before taking the pot off the tripod and pouring the meat-leek stew into two bowls.

"Eat up."

Lydia took her bowl and smelled the food and it smelled rather good actually. The meat was cooked medium rare and the leeks and potatoes had a cooked, crispy skin which added a smoky flavour to them.

"This is really good actually!" she said with her mouth full.

He smiled, "Thanks"

A few more minutes passed before they both had their fill of the pot before they decided to settle down for the night.

"I'll take the first watch since that was really good food.." Lydia said.

"Alright. Wake me up in like 5 hours and I'll take the last watch," he replied.

The rest of the journey to Ivarstead went on uneventfully and they reached Ivarstead by late morning/early afternoon.

"Welcome to the Rift," Lars said. "You've ever been here?" he added.

Lydia was taking in the sights and was practically flabbergasted by the sheer beauty the Rift held. The autumn coloured trees alongside the blue, partial cloudy skies with the river that ran through the small community with townspeople walking to and fro from building to building, workstation to workstation gave the town a sense of busyness to it. The smells of fresh water, damp earthen ground and a light white smoke smell coming from the fireplaces of houses created a picturesque scene for Lydia that she had clearly never seen in her life.

Lars smiled when he saw her reaction.

As they made their way into the town, they stopped by the Vilemyr Inn to gather up some salted food and vegetables and made their way over to the bridge that led to the beginning of the stairway. The Stairway to the 7,000 steps.

Monahaven- This means Mother Dragon in the dragon language. It's referred to this because it is said Kyne breathed onto the land.