A Letter from the Jarl
Emily reached up and pulled down the blue banner, handing it to Vivienne. The New Life celebrations had gone all the way from 25th Evening Star into the new year and through to the end of Morning Star. Vivienne took the banners and garlands she had amassed and packed them away into a crate which she stowed behind the counter. The tree stood in the corner. There was a ring of shed pine needles surrounding it and Serana took up the broom, sweeping them towards the open back door. She swept them out onto the porch and closed the door.
Emily crossed the room to the fireplace and took the kettle off the fire. She opened a small tin tub and took several spoonfuls of small dark tea leaves, adding them to the kettle. The Khajiit caravans brought the tea up from the south. Apparently it was rather popular with those up at the Blue Palace. Emily stirred the tea and set the spoon down on the table. A whole month into the new year and they still hadn't heard a word from Falk Firebeard. Emily poured herself a cup of tea and swilled the contents thoughtfully. They would have to leave soon. She resolved to talk to Serana about it in the evening.
A knock at the door interrupted her train of thought and she got up, setting her cup down on the table. She crossed over to the door and pulled it open. Standing on the doorstep was a man wearing a faded jerkin and breeches. A leather cap shielded his ears from the cold and he was rummaging in a bag at his hip.
"Are you Emily?" he asked as he pulled a sheet of parchment from his bag.
"I am," she replied.
"I have a letter for you," he continued. Emily hesitated. Who could be sending her mail? She did not know many people in Skyrim. There was the Dawnguard but she highly doubted Isran had any interest in contacting her these days. They had not parted on good terms and though he acknowledged their victory over the vampires he was not willing to open up communications freely. Then there was the Mourning Sun but unless a new vampiric threat had arisen they had little reason to contact her.
"That'll be five gold," said the courier. Emily took five gold septims from her purse and handed them to the man. He handed over the letter before continuing on his way. Emily closed the door, all the while looking at the letter. It was closed with a blue wax seal bearing the likeness of a stag's head. It was not a seal she recognized.
"What have you got there?" asked Serana as she sat back down at the table. Emily broke the seal and opened the letter. At the top of the letter was the same symbol embossed onto the parchment.
"Emily and Serana," Emily read aloud, "I have received word through my good friend and colleague, Falk Firebeard, of your exploits regarding Wolfskull Cave. Of course the details of these exploits shall remain unspoken between us as per his wishes." Serana set down her cup as Emily continued reading.
"I have been told that with the right incentive you might be persuaded to lend me your services. So let's cut to the chase, shall we? I have some business needing taken care of within my Hold and if you were to do me this small favour I could make available exclusively to you a small plot of land in the South Falkreath pine forests. I eagerly await your response.
I remain,
Jarl Siddgeir of Falkreath
Emily set down the letter, laying it out flat on the table and smoothing out the creases in the parchment.
"Well, what do you think?" she asked.
"I think," Serana replied, "You should get some parchment."
Emily got up and rummaged behind the counter for a quill and some parchment. She sat down at the table and dipped her quill in the ink. Her quill was poised over the parchment as she considered her choice of words carefully. After a moment during which all that appeared on the parchment was a blot of ink from her poised quill and she swore under her breath before fetching a clean sheet of parchment she looked up at Serana.
"How would you address a Jarl in a letter?" she asked, "Your Majesty? Your eminence?"
"No, neither of those," Serana replied, shaking her head, "Usually you'd say, 'My Jarl,'. Not that I've made a habit of writing to nobles. Or anyone for that matter."
"If we ever were apart," Emily asked, leaning one elbow on the table, "Would you write to me?" Serana smiled one of her rare smiles.
"What do you think?" she asked by means of a reply.
"And how would you start your letters?" Emily asked, tilting her head impishly to one side. Serana pretended to be deep in thought.
"Dear Em, I would think," she replied. Emily smiled at the use of the pet name.
"And I'd write back every time," she said, "Dear Sera." She sat up straighter at the table. "But let's hope my quill gathers cobwebs." Serana quirked an eyebrow at this remark. "Because we never are apart," Emily continued. Serana smiled. Emily dipped the quill back in the ink and began to write.
At the end of the day, just after the sun had set she left the shop and made her way over to a small squat building that lay just before the city gates. It was where the couriers rested after a long journey and where letters to be posted could be dropped off. Emily knocked on the door and waited. It was soon answered by a burly man with a short curly dark beard.
"I'd like to drop off a letter," Emily said, "To be delivered to the Jarl of Falkreath."
"The Jarl, eh?" said the man, scratching his beard, "Will that be by rider or on foot?"
"On foot should be fine," Emily replied. For more urgent messages those sending them could request a rider, that is, for someone to deliver them on horseback. It was much swifter but far more expensive.
"That'll be twenty-five gold then," said the man. Emily handed him a handful of gold septims along with the letter. He thanked her before heading back inside and handing the letter to the nearest courier.
Emily returned to the shop. Serana was sitting by the fire with Finn curled up on her lap.
"Domestic life suits us, eh?" she said as she sat down next to her, "No wolves, no brigands out for our blood and no nightmare skeletons from hell."
"When should we head out for Falkreath?" Serana asked. Emily contemplated the crackling flames in the grate for a moment.
"How about Fredas night?" she replied, "Don't want us getting there before our letter." She leaned back on the wooden bench. "I'll need to pack my things. We should go on one last hunt as well. Make sure we have enough to keep us going."
"I might go and visit mother," said Serana, "After all, it seems only fair to let her know we're moving."
"Shame no couriers can cross time and space," Emily replied, "I'd like to tell my parents about all this. I had a place of my own back on earth, y'know?"
"So this is your second time owning a home then?" said Serana.
"Third actually, sort of," Emily replied, "I lived with my girlfriend for a short while in her apartment. It didn't really work out though. We found we didn't really get on when we were under the same roof."
"Girlfriend?" said Serana.
"Y'know, when we were courting," Emily replied, "That's what you call a girl if you're courting them, or dating as we called it."
"What was her name?" Serana asked.
"Maylene," Emily replied.
* * *
The following night Serana made the trip down to Castle Volkihar. Emily took up her bow and arrows and went out hunting while she awaited the vampiress' return. Tomorrow it would be Fredas and it would be time to leave for the green south. She shouldered the quiver as she passed between two trees growing close together. She hadn't thought about Maylene in some time. Not since she'd boarded the plane to Norway. It all seemed so long ago. She froze as something moved on the path ahead. She slunk back behind the tree and peered ahead into the dark. Ahead of her lay a small pool and by it she saw the shadowy silhouette of an elk. The silvery moonlight shone on its great antlers and broad back. Emily nocked an arrow and fired.
The arrow hit its mark and the elk bellowed in pain, the dark shaft of the arrow poking out of its shaggy neck. It plunged off into the undergrowth and Emily gave chase. Vampirism, she found, had many perks and one of these was being fleet of foot. The elk crashed through the thicket with Emily in hot pursuit. It was starting to stagger, lurching to one side and careening into a stout tree trunk. Its nostrils were flared and its eyes rolled in its head in fright. The air whistled and the elk froze. Slowly it slumped forwards, a second arrow sticking out not far from the first.
It took Emily most of the night to heft the elk back to the city. She carefully skinned it outside the city gates and removed the antlers before setting to work carving the flesh ready to be sold. She would store it in the cellar and ask Vivienne in the morning if she would mind taking it down to the Winking Skeever to sell. Corpulus would pay them four gold for each cut they brought him. Perhaps along with what they got for the pelt it would be just enough to buy a tankard of honningbrew when they passed through Whiterun. She stood up from where she knelt by the carcass and waved at the figure approaching the city gates. Serana waved back. As she drew nearer she saw that a curious creature was perched on Serana's arm. It had jet black feathers and a hooked beak. Most curious of all was its skull which was exposed to the night air. It cocked its head to one side, fixing Emily with empty eye sockets and shuffled its feathers.
"What's that?" asked Emily as she looked at the strange bird.
"A bone hawk," Serana replied, "Mother gave him to me. Said he'll be able to find his way back to the island and carry messages."
"That's great, you'll be able to keep in touch then," Emily smiled.
"How was your hunt?" Serana asked. Emily gestured to the deer.
"Not bad," she replied, "I was able to decant six bottles. That should see us to Falkreath, right?"
"Should do," Serana said.
"You know, I'm actually really excited about this," said Emily as she knelt down again and took up her hunting knife, "It feels like a new chapter, you know, for us." Serana knelt down next to her and the bone hawk hopped up onto one of the antlers which lay in a wicker basket next to the carcass. It cocked its head to one side, watching as they worked. At last the venison lay prepared and Emily tossed the bone hawk a few of the scrag ends which it devoured eagerly. They got up and, hefting the basket between them, made their way back to the shop. Angeline and Vivienne were already in bed and the fire had burned down low in the grate. Emily took a log from the wicker basket that stood by the fireplace and tossed it onto the fire. They sat down on the bench as the fire took, licking its way up over the log.
"A small fire would be alright, wouldn't it?" Emily asked.
"Hmm?"
"In our future house I mean," Emily continued, "It's nice coming home to a warm fire. Nice bottle of mead and a good book."
"We'll need to hire a stone mason for that," Serana replied. Emily sank back further on the bench, resting her head on Serana's shoulder.
"There has to be one somewhere in Falkreath," she said. She looked up at Serana. "We'll find someone, Sera."
After several minutes gazing into the flickering flames her eyes started to close and her head nodded sleepily. Serana reached over and picked up a book from the nearby table, opening it and leafing through the pages until she found her bookmark.
"Mogrul," Emily said suddenly, sitting up from her half doze.
"Huh?" said Serana, looking at the Earthling with quiet bemusement.
"Mogrul, he once told me he used to cut stone back in his stronghold," Emily explained, "Maybe he could be persuaded to lend us a hand. The Ancestor Glade surely can't be that far from our new home. And Gunmar, maybe he could help with any smithing we can't handle."
"Maybe," Serana agreed, "And what about lumber?"
"There's a lumber mill in Falkreath city," Emily replied, "I'm sure we could turn our hands to a bit of carpentry. I quite like the idea of using a blade for shaping wood instead of fighting. Back home I used to do a bit of whittling. Nothing fancy, mind." Serana smiled an amused smile.
"You're such a dreamer," she said fondly.
"You're the one always telling me there's nothing a Nord can't do if they put their mind to it," Emily shrugged her shoulders.
"I guess we'll see what a Nord can do in another few weeks," Serana replied. She looked over at the window where the first rays of morning sunlight were squeezing in between the wooden shutters. "I think I'll go up and pack then have a rest for a bit," she continued.
"Yeah, I think I'll join you," replied Emily as she got up and followed Serana towards the stairs.
* * *
The sun had just set when Emily tied her bedroll to the bottom of her backpack and swung it over her back. Finn hopped up onto the table and from there leapt up onto Emily's arm, scampering up to his usual place about her shoulders. Serana's bone hawk, whom she had named Tibius, was watching the otter with interest, cocking his head and eyeing him with first one eye socket and then the other. Angeline had packed them each a bottle of spiced wine and an amulet hung with canis root to keep away werebears. Serana took her travelling cloak from a peg by the door and clasped it about her neck.
"So, I wonder what services the Jarl wishes us to perform," she said idly as she picked up her pack from the countertop.
"What kind of services would one usually perform for a Jarl?" asked Emily by means of an answer. Serana shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know," she said, "But I doubt it will be fetching his favourite bottle of mead from the tavern."
They opened the door and slipped out into the street. The market was empty, all the stall holders having packed up and left. Emily took one last look up at the great wall that marked the divide between shopping and residential districts and the windmill that turned slowly in the evening breeze, sails catching the first shafts of moonlight. It was a strange feeling to be leaving Solitude once more and this time it was likely she would never again call it home. She turned and followed Serana down the street towards the main gates. A guard was coming up from the gate carrying a burning torch. He had likely just been relieved by the guard now occupying the space by the gate and he gave them a curt nod as he passed.
They reached the gate and after a brief exchange with the guard the gates were opened and they passed through. The wind had picked up and was blowing fresh and cold in from the Sea of Ghosts.
"On the road again," Emily sang to herself, "Just can't wait to get on the road again." Realising that after all she only knew the words to these two lines, she hummed the rest. Serana listened as they walked and when the notes came to an end she asked, "Is that an Earth song?"
"Yeah," Emily replied, "I can't remember all the words though."
"All the words?" Serana chuckled, "I think I heard more humming than singing back there." Emily smiled.
"Come on then, Sera," she said, "Your turn."
"Em, I don't really know any songs," Serana replied, "Except for Ragnar the Red and Age of Aggression and I've heard them often enough this last week. Go on, you've got enough songs for both of us stored in that little light up box of yours." She was referring to Emily's phone. She'd only used it sparingly in the last few months as the battery had dwindled down to almost nothing.
"I daren't switch it on," said Emily, "It's almost done as it is and unless I can find some way of charging it, once it's dead, it's dead. Besides, I'm sure I can remember some other song off the top of my head anyway."
The first night took them down past Dragon Bridge, Emily singing what bits she could remember from Earth songs every now and then. At other times they just watched the scenery go by and listened to the sounds of wolves calling to one another in the dark and owls hooting in the shadowy branches above their heads. Emily looked up into the dense conifer canopy, remembering the time they careered right into the tops of one of those trees on that fateful journey from Winterhold to Dragon Bridge by broom. That same broom she had turned over to an Altmer wizard named Melaran who was apprenticing at the palace whilst serving as housecarl to one of the city's thanes. He had promised her that for one hundred gold he felt confident he could repair the enchantment. Emily had handed him the gold and he had kept the broom for over a month. The broom was now tied to her backpack but so far they had elected not to use it. Serana said she'd like the walk anyway, saying it had been too long since they'd travelled properly.
As the sky began to lighten they made for a familiar cave just over the stone bridge that spanned the gushing river Hjaal. It stood in the midst of a small grove of trees whose branches almost hid the entrance from sight.
"It's been a while since we've been here, huh?" said Emily as they stepped inside. The brazier that marked the turn in the stone tunnel had long since gone out and Emily lit it as they passed, following the tunnel down to the vast cavern where the underground ruins of an ancient fort stood. It was more or less as Emily remembered with its crumbling stone walls and rubble strewn courtyard. The weyforce pedestal still stood at its heart where the Moth Priest, Dexion, had been imprisoned but the turquoise light it had once radiated was long extinguished. Emily heard the sounds of bats from where they roosted in the higher reaches of the cave, their small chittering cries reaching her sensitive ears. Tibius cocked his head to one side, listening out for the small cave dwelling mammals. He flapped up from Serana's shoulder as they reached the fort where he circled a couple of times around the fort before perching on the top of a stone archway where he began preening at his dark feathers with his bony beak.
Serana and Emily rolled out their bedrolls not far from the weyforce pedestal and Emily gathered together some twigs and moss, building a small fire at the heart of the pedestal. As a vampire she did not crave the fire's warmth and nor she need it for cooking but she found its reassuring orange glow restive. Finn was already curled up by the fire, watching the fiery motes as they floated up towards the cave ceiling.
"So a week and a half?" Emily said as she sat by the fire.
"About that," Serana replied, "As long as we don't run into any trouble. We'd better avoid the camp by the river about two miles up the road. Bandits. I thinned their numbers last time I passed through but they've likely regrouped." Emily stretched out by the fire.
"Well, we've got a few hours of daylight ahead of us," she said, "I think I'll get some rest. See you tonight."