Chapter 4

Lydia

"No. We are not friends. Not anymore."

She slammed her fist into the wall then winced. She hoped she hadn't broken it.

Why did I have to say that? I will be lucky if he doesn't bring this to the Jarl.

It had been less than 24 hours since they had seen each other for the first time in years. And it hadn't been good. She had been made his Housecarl, which was about the worst thing that could have happened. For 3 hours she had waited for him to come see her, burning with anger and filled with fear about what would happen. Finally he walked over to her.

"Honored to meet…" was all she had been able to get out before he cut her off and told her to follow him outside.

They walked around Dragonsreach to a spot that would be hard to see, she didn't know why. He then stopped and asked her where they stood. Like he deserved to know that. She lost her temper and swung. She punched him in the side of the head and, when he didn't drop, she kicked him in the groin and then, after he fell to his knees, broke his nose with her knee. She smiled when she felt his nose crumple. He knelt there for a second then stood up and said he had deserved that. Then he grabbed his nose, without showing pain, and pulled it straight while making joke about his nose.

She almost punched the wall again the nerve.

He then asked her if she had any questions. She asked why he left. He told her it was because his sister-in-law had chased him off and he refused to be given any charity. She understood that now, after living how she was now. But she would have willing given her home to him. She then asked why he didn't take her with him. He said it was because he wasn't man enough for her at the time, even though he had been her man. And he said that he never wanted to cause her and discomfort or harm and he admitted that he had failed. But what got to her was that he said he loved her, not just then but now even after she had broke his nose. She lost control and slammed her other fist into the wall.

She heard something snap. "Talos, I broke it this time. Now I need to visit Arcadia to see if she could bind it."

As she slipped on her armor and walked down to Arcadia's shop she thought about what had happened next. She kicked him in the groin again and saw his muscles twitch as he braced for another knee to the nose. She didn't know whether she felt disgusted that he was just taking it or honored that he let her but she turned and walked away. She had just reached the corner of the keep when he asked her as a friend if she would like to go with him to Riverwood.

"No. We are not friends. Not anymore." It was a good thing she was outside or she would have hit something again.

When she walked into Arcadia's shop, Arcadia started to gush over her. "You should be so proud that you finally got a Thane so you can get out of the gloomy keep. And you got a good one too. He asked me to go see to a sick friend and paid for all expenses. And he turns out even half as good as his father he will make this hold a better place." Lydia forced and smile and said thank you.

She then held her hand up. "I need some help. I think I broke my knuckle. Do you have anything to help? I hate having to deal with the priestess of Kynareth."

Arcadia's eyebrows shot up. "You broke a knuckle? What did you do?"

Lydia looked at her with steady eyes. "I would rather not say. I would like it fixed before my Thane gets back. He went to Riverwood and should be back soon." Arcadia shook her head and went to the back.

She came back and wrapped Lydia's hand tight. "Now drink this and then bone should knit by tomorrow. Do not do anything for the next 3 days though."

Lydia downed the potion and grimaced. It tasted like something left out to rot.

Arcadia laughed. "Teach you to break your bones."

Lydia bowed and said thank you then walked out the door. And realized she had nothing to do. She hadn't had a day like that in 8 years.

Since Ragnthor left. She shook her head and walked over to the stables.

She loved horses and had a way with them. She nodded to the stable hand and then when into her favorite horse's stall. He was a tall black gelding with a pure white face. She brushed his coat and cleaned out his hooves. A few hours had passed before she came out. With nothing better to do she walked back to Dragonsreach. She walked up to Balgruuf and asked if there was anything for her to do.

Balgruuf shook his head "I no longer give you orders. That is your Thane's duty. And until he comes back you get to do nothing. When he rebuilds his house, you care for and protect his home while he is away." Lydia nodded and walked away.

She wandered over to the war room and poured over the books. She couldn't read very well but she could do nothing else. It took her 3 days to read all of the books. She discovered that she loved reading and resolved to buy some the next time she was paid. Seeing as there was nothing else to do she asked Farengar if she could read from his personal study. He said it was ok as long as she didn't take the books and treated them like a small child.

He had books that cover everything for alchemy and spells to history to law and all things in between. Time flew and before she knew it 3 more days had passed.

The next day she was sitting on the porch overlooking the city wondering if Ragnthor was ever coming back. She was scared that he was never coming back. And the town was wondering the same thing.

Proventus said at dinner the night before that Adrianne told him that the town was wondering if Ragnthor was going to come back for Lydia.

A wandering bard said that the house looked as good as new. And that struck fear into her. It would be worst to have a thane that was a milk drinker than one who was never there.

It was around noon and she was getting ready to go back inside to eat when she heard the gates open. She decided to wait until she could see who it was. She heard someone working down at Adrianne's forge. A short while after the noise stopped she saw him. He had just finished walking up the steps to the Gildergreen. He was wearing the clothes of a common laborer and a straw hat. He was walking easy and talking to everyone he met. He was being followed by a massive black dog. She ran down stairs and packed her bag, not having many things to call her own. Then she sat down on her bed and waited.

Soon there was a knock on her door. "Who is it?"

A voice outside her door replied "It is Ragnthor, Lydia. I have completed my house and am asking if you would rather make your lodging there so the town doesn't wonder why a Housecarl isn't with their Thane." She swung the door open and she saw a flash in his eyes like he was scared she would hit him but she just had a bag on her shoulder and looked ready to go.

"Lead where you will my Thane."

He reached for her bag and she slammed her good fist into his head. She took a step back as his dog growled at her. He shook and then motioned for her to follow. He told the Jarl he would be back in a week. She gave a start as the Jarl mentioned logs and she saw Ragnthor touch his nose.

Then they were out the door and walking through town. He got some looks walking through town. Jon gave him a shocked look and he mouthed something to him. Then they were out the gates. Tied to the fence outside the stable were 2 horses. One was one of the Jarls better horses, the other was the black gelding with the white face.

"The second horse is yours. I took the liberty of buying you one so you don't have to run behind me." He swung onto his horse.

"Let's go. And he really is yours, feel free to name him what you wish." He started off toward his home.

"I will call you Black Moon." The horse nodded.

Ragnthor put his horse into a lope once he cleared the last farm.

A few minutes later they were there and it took Lydia's breathe away. It looked like it had 18 years ago when they had first met. She had seen what it had looked like before and had a hard time believing it had only taken a week to fix. They rode over to the stable. It was a giant loose box so they just stripped the tack off their horses and put them in.

As they walked to the house Ragnthor said "Someday I wish to have a barn. It's easier to raise horses and cattle when you have a barn to keep them warm in the winter."

As they walked into the house Lydia was surprised of how bare it was. She was scared what she was going to find in her room. Ragnthor walked to a door just past the fireplace.

"This room is yours."

She walked into a fully furnished room. It looked warm and cozy, a change from Dragonsreach. In fact it made the rest of the house look bland.

"Why?" She asked. "Why is my room the only one with furnishings?"

Ragnthor rubbed that back of his neck. "I thought it would be better for you if I got you way from prying eyes and loose tongues. So I rushed to get this room done. I don't mind sleeping outside while I finish the rest of the house and if it gets to cold I will sleep on the floor. That's better than some places I have slept."

Lydia shook her head. "No my Thane. It would not be right for me to have a bed while you sleep outside. You take the bed and…"

Ragnthor waved his hand "No. I will not take your room. It was build for you so that you would not have to be near me as much. It only locks from your side. I should have enough left to build myself a bed when I finish with all the work that needs done on the outside and in. Will you take your room or do I have to order you to." To her his eyes seemed to be one part daring her to refuse and one part pleading for her not to.

"I will…stay in the house my Thane."

He nodded and walked toward to door. "Unpack your things, dinner will be ready in an hour. I hope you like venison." She opened her mouth to object but he was already out the door.

He was back in a few minutes with an armload of wood followed by his dog. Soon he had a roaring fire and was cooking a large slab of meat in a skillet. Within minutes she knew what the best part of her room was. As long as there was a fire she would never be cold. She came out about 30 minutes later. When she opened her door she was enveloped with a wonderful smell.

As Ragnthor was testing the meat he cut off a piece and tossed it to the dog. Slasher caught it and wagged his tail, never making a sound. As she stood in the corner he walked over to his pack and pulled out a few herbs and a bottle of mead.

He dropped the herbs in the poured out the bottle into the pan. In a flash it was on fire but he let it burn and soon it had died down. As she walked over to be closer to the fire Slasher never took his eyes off her.

As she sat he asked "Do you like your meat well cooked?"

She looked down and said "Yes please."

Ragnthor nodded and went over and flipped the meat. He then moved it back away from the flames. Then he walked back over to his pack and pulled out 2 bowl and forks. He handed one to her.

"This is yours, please do not lose it. I am out of money so I can't replace it. If you need a knife there is one in my pack."

Lydia was shocked. "You have no money?"

Ragnthor smiled and nodded "I spent most of it fixing the house. The last bit I had I spent on your horse. And this." He tossed her a package.

When she opened it she saw it was a set of 4 books entitled Beggar, Thief, Warrior and King. She looked at him with a hard glare. "You need not have done this. Why throw away your money with these things."

Ragnthor shook his head. "You need a horse so you can keep up when we move. The books are for this week. I have a lot to do that you don't know how to do. I know how hard it can be doing nothing while someone works." He checked the meat. "Come get your share."

As she walked over Slasher growled. "Easy boy. She means no harm. Lydia, this is Slasher. He is a big softie. Give him a piece of meat and he will love you forever."

She tossed him a hunk of meat and he came over and put his head on her knee. She rubbed his head as she cut off a piece of meat and ate it. It almost melted in her mouth. Before she knew it the meat was gone. Ragnthor walked out and brought another armload of wood to throw on the fire. He grabbed her bowl and washed it in a bucket he had in the corner of the room. Then he turned toward the door.

"Are you coming with me or staying here boy?" Slasher got up and walked toward him.

"Sorry lass, sometimes I think he is more wolf than dog. The meat we ate came from a deer he took down." The he walked out the door.

Lydia made sure there was nothing that could catch fire near the hearth and then went to her room. She put the books on one of the shelves.

"Books. I have my own books. And the horse I wanted. And a room better than I had in Dragonsreach." She then covered the windows and took off her clothes and slipped under the covers and went to sleep.

When she woke up the next morning she felt more rested than she had in a week. She put on her clothes and boots. She debated putting on her armor but decided that she didn't need it today but she did belt on her sword. When she walked out of her room she saw the fire was still going.

There was a bowl there filled with some kind of porridge. She ate it and it was of the same quality as the meat from last night. She then walked outside to see where Ragnthor was. He was over near the road and it looked like he was fixing the stone fence. Lydia looked around for something to do, seeing as she didn't know the first thing about stonework.

She walked over to the stables and saw that the horses hadn't been fed. She looked around and there was no hay or grain but there was 2 large stakes with long leads attached. She put on their halters and led them to a grassy area that was in clear view of the house and tied them out.

She then walked back to the house to try and find the wood chopping block. She walked around to the back of the house and found it along with a massive pile of cut wood. She shook her head in disbelieve. The pile reached up to the second floor and there a huge pile of discarded building wood.

"He really meant there would be nothing to do. Maybe he has something for me to do."

She walked down to the road to talk with him. When she got there he stopped working. He had already finished one whole field. Slasher was nowhere to be found.

Ragnthor smiled "Looking for something to do? Well you can read unless you know how to fix stone fences." She shook her head. "Well then the only thing you can do is bring the horses some water later today. I should have some work for you in 2 days. I will need help painting the house."

She nodded then asked "Where's Slasher?"

Ragnthor smiled. "Oh he is around here hunting something most likely. He really is at least half wolf. I don't know how long that he roamed alone before me and Ralof stumbled across him. Speaking of that devil, Ralof will be here in around a week. He is going to watch the farm while we go up to High Hrothgar to speak with the Grey Beards. It will give me a chance to test you combat skills."

She nodded and started to walk back to the house. Ragnthor shouted after her. "Thank you for the break" she ignored him.

When she got back to the house she grabbed one of her books and walked outside, sat on a log and started to read. It took her a few hours to finish. When she looked up Ragnthor was much closer. He was working on the field closest to the house, on the west side.

She put down her book and walked over to the well and got him some water, seeing as the day was hot, for a fall day. As she approached he stopped and took off his shirt. She gasped at what she saw. His entire upper body was covered in scars.

Ragnthor smiled as she came with the bucket. "Thank you" he said as he started to drink which gave her a chance to look as the scars.

There were 10 or 12 new ones. Most looked like a sword had pierced his armor. There were a few that had the telltale sign of an axe smashing his armor and burying deep in his is body. And there were 15 or 20 bad ones. They had the mark of a spear or sword being driven clear through his body. Most of those were thick and misshapen, like he had been left for dead. Then there were ones that she could not place.

Most men I know that have that many scars are angry, unhappy and enjoy scaring small children. I swear Ragnthor smiles all the time.

The sound of splashing water brought her to the present. He had dumped the rest of the water over his head. He handed her the bucket and smiled and thanked her. She nodded and walked back to the well to get water for the horses. The next time she turned to look at him he had his shirt back on.

He must have noticed my staring.

A few hours later Slasher came back dragging a deer. Ragnthor ran over and started playing with him. He then picked up the deer and brought to the shed behind the house and gutted and skinned it. He cut off a front leg and tossed it Slasher, who in turn brought it to Lydia.

She was shocked. "Who's a good boy? Yes you are. I'm not hungry right now, you eat it." Slasher lay down at her feet and started to eat.

Suddenly he stood and gave a loud growling bark. Lydia heard a yell and looked up and saw two bandits charging at her. She whipped out her sword and within moments had killed one. Slasher had taken out the other. Lydia then charged around the back of the house to see if Ragnthor was alright.

His was fighting 3 men while he was unarmed. Suddenly one with a greatsword attacked. He dodged and grabbed the bandit who screamed as a snap happened and his arm went limp. Ragnthor then broke the man's leg and snapped his neck. While he was finishing that one another tried to stab him with a sword. Lydia thought he just flowed around the blade and then head butted the man. When the man hit the ground Ragnthor slammed his foot down on the man's chest. The leather armor did nothing as the man's chest was crushed. The third had a waraxe. He swung and Ragnthor grabbed the man's arm and broke it. Then the bandit pulled out a dagger and tried to stab Ragnthor. Ragnthor grabbed the man's arm with his left hand and picked him up by the neck with his right. There was a look of cold fury in his eyes as he grabbed the man with both hands and tightened his grip then savagely jerked. There was a loud crack as the bandit's neck broke. It had taken less than 2 minutes.

Lydia though the she would be sick. Ragnthor was a brutal fighter. She shook it off as he walked over.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She nodded. "Good. Now go in the house. I will clean up out here."

Lydia turned then stopped. "Are you ok?"

Ragnthor nodded. "I hurt my foot but other than that I am fine."

She finished walking into the house. She sat there for a second and wondered if she was serving a monster. She would find out when he came in.

She started the fire and walked over to his pack. She saw some meat hanging and cut some off. She then grabbed 2 bottles of mead and some flour. While she was searching for a pot she found a hard, cloth wrapped package. She wondered what it was while she kept looking. She found a pot and walked over to the fire. She put the mead in then cut up the mead and let is cook. Ragnthor walked in 20 minutes later as she was adding flour to thicken the stew.

"What are you making?" he asked as he walked over.

"A meat stew. I couldn't find any vegetables."

He handed her some potatoes. "I found these growing wild in one of the fields." She cut them up and dropped them in.

"What did you do to the men that attacked us?"

Ragnthor looked down and sighed "I gave them funeral rights and then packed them to the hill in the west. I am no priest but I did the best I could do."

So he isn't a monster. She thought. "Why do you fight so…brutal?"

Ragnthor looked thoughtful then said. "Part of it was the Orcs who taught me the way of the blade. They told me to use anger to fight and when I fight I do so in a cold anger. I see the fastest way to kill an enemy. It's one reason I don't duel. I fight in ways some consider unfair and almost always to the death. I fight to protect my life and the life of others. But today wasn't brutal, it was efficient ." He then looked down.

Lydia though he looked tired and sad about having to kill those men. When the food was ready she brought him a bowl. He smiled and thanked her then ate in silence. Then he went outside, leaving Slasher in the house. Slasher scratched at the door so she let him out.

Lydia then went in her room and lay on her bed wondering what had happened to Ragnthor in the 8 years he was gone that turned him into someone like this. She got up and looked out the window and saw that he was sitting on a log smoking something.

She wondered what it was because if it was skooma then she would have been able to smell it from here. He sat there smoking a petting the dog for a while then laid down on his bedroll and seemed to go to sleep. Seeing as there was nothing left to do she went to bed as well.

Author's note: Round 4! This one had no previous Author's note. That has now been rectified and all is write with the world.