Hildegarde
Hilde sat back, smirking contently. There was whipped cream everywhere, but they were all much more relaxed now. Her face suddenly grew dark as she observed them.
"Lance, Hunk, we have a serious matter we need to discuss," her tone must have been more grave than she intended because she had their immediate attention, "I'm assuming you've never been to Nirn before, and on my honor, I can't leave you on your own. But I have business in Whiterun that I can't ignore, which means you have to come with me," she drummed her fingers on the oaken table thoughtfully, "And you can't be seen wearing… that."
"This is our Paladin armor!" Lance protested, Hunk also looked offended. Hilde rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Yes, you mentioned that more than once, but you stick out like an Argonian in a room full of Nords!" she pointed out as smoothly as she could, they looked utterly lost with her analogy, "Look, I have an idea but it requires cooperating with me," she watched them exchange skeptical looks.
"Okay?" Lance said it more as a question, but Hilde leaped to her feet anyway and gestured for them to follow her. She bounded to the other room and ripped open the cellar, grinning wolfishly at them before leaping down without using the ladder. Lance and Hunk followed, she watched their faces gleefully as she lit the torches revealing an entire cellar filled with weapons and armor. Leather, steel plate, chainmail, longswords, broadswords, morningstar's, maces, shields…
"You have a lot of time on your hands," Hunk breathed, spotting her forge and half treated leather, and various tools of the many crafts she seemed to entertain herself with. Hunk slipped past her to admire her different crossbow designs, the smelter smoldered in the corner.
"I do, I'm a restless sleeper. I baked last night instead so I wouldn't wake you while I tempered the metal," she explained cheerfully, picking through armor sets. Lance picked up a beautifully carved longbow and made a noise of appreciation. Hilde smiled softly
"I'm guessing your idea involves some of this stuff?" Hunk stated matter of factly.
"What gave it away?" Hilde replied sarcastically, grabbing some imperial mail and leather cuirasses. "Here, try this on," she shoved the armor into Lance's arms and dragged some steel armor out of the depths of a chest and handed it to Hunk. They both stripped off their Paladin armor and pulled on her creations. She helped them with the straps and buckles, ignoring Lance's suggestive wink when she yanked on his belt to make sure it was tight enough.
"This armor is actually really comfortable," Hunk admitted, Hildegarde laughed as she tugged and prodded at each piece to see how well it fit.
"Could use some adjustments," she muttered "Ill-fitted armor gets you killed around here," she yanked roughly on Lance's chest plate and ignored his pained protests.
"How long will that take?" Hunk inquired politely, Hilde rubbed her eyes.
"Your chest plate needs to be measured and adjusted to be wider for you, and Lance's shoulders aren't as mobile as they need to be. Maybe a day or two, at most," she said mostly to herself as she helped them out of the armor and dumped it on her work tables. They submitted quietly to her careful measurements, Lance winked at her again while she stepped in close to measure his shoulders and chest. She resisted the urge to sock him in the jaw and instead, wrote down his measurements on some parchment.
"Do you need any help with this?" Lance asked her seriously as she prepped her forge and opened the vents in the walls, allowing fresh, crisp air down into the cellar. The smoke being sucked out immediately.
"Probably not. Your welcome to read, eat, wrestle, or whatever you do for entertainment while I work. Just don't wander too far from the manor, and don't pick fights with any giants, trolls, bears, saber cats, wolves, frost spiders, or citizens. Stay close, and you'll be safe. Unless a dragon shows up, then I would suggest swimming to the bottom of the lake and hiding," she replied absentmindedly as she gathered her tools and started prepping the leather for adjustment.
"Frost spiders..." Lance shuddered convulsively, Hilde didn't even look up.
"Yep. Horse sized arachnids that eat men whole for fun and spit acid," she added loudly over the shearing noise as she cut some strips of leather.
"They are disgusting," Lance spat vehemently, Hildegarde laughed hard for a moment.
"Yes, they are," she agreed with glittering eyes "But they are surprisingly frail and easy to kill as long as you avoid the fangs and acid. Have a weapon and don't be stupid," she gestured at the ladder to quietly ask them to leave. They did, but their footsteps never left the house.
AN: Finally an update on this fic. Sorry if the chapters are so short, but we're justs trying to get through exposition and get to the action which will be happening in a few chapters. Promise ;).