Chapter 21: Road towards Home.
"Arundil, you and i will go to Alinor with Sasha." I took a sip of mead. "You can see your father and i will get the priest to help him and Sasha because of. Well you know."
"Yes i know you like the girl, you always laugh when she is near and tries to show off." I look questionable towards Arundil. "Don't play coy sir everyone sees you see her like a daughter instead of a child you want to protect."
I laughed at that. "Can you blame me she is a good child and i am happy she is happy here and well she called me papa when i checked on her the first night she was here."
"And what did you do afterwards?" Arundil asked while sipping her red wine.
"I asked her about it the next morning, you know what she said?" she shook her head in answer. "She said because you adopted me papa. She was happy and i am glad she finds joy here." I brought the mead bottle towards my mouth when i saw Arundil smiling. "You look cute when you smile." I gave her a small wink before sipping the mead. She got a small tint of red on her cheeks. "Well if you have need of anything i will hear it now i will check on Sasha." Arundil nodded and i stood up and walked towards the courtyard. When i opened the courtyard i saw one of the red legion mage slam a long stick into a rune of electricity which explodes on contact. When i look left i saw Sasha jumping up and down with the biggest grin on her face. I walked towards the mage and looked around the courtyard and saw every soldier who patrolled the perimeter either standing far away from Sasha or outside the gates. As i reached the mage i asked. "Teaching her high destruction to her?" the mage turned around like a child who has been caught stealing a cookie.
"Yes sir, but i make sure she does it safe and only what she can handle." The mage replied. "The soldiers where warned that is why they stand far away."
"I wondered that good work." I turned towards Sasha. "How is she doing?"
"Good sir. She is eager to learn, listens when she must and never pushing for more." I smiled towards Sasha when she looked towards me.
"Papa, papa i learned runes and how to ward against spells and healing which is always handy right pa?" she said fast and cheerfully.
I kneeled down and rubbed my hand through her hair. "Yes Sasha that is good, i have a surprise for you but i will give it to you next week."
Her smile disappeared and pouted. "And why not now? And what is it?"
"Because first you will need to pack all your stuff and at the end of the week i will show you why." I gave her a smile. "Does that sound good to you?"
"Well now i am curious what it is papa." She said.
"Now come on show me your ward and i will try to break it ok?" i stood straighter and Sasha ran towards ten paces from me." Tell me when you are ready dear."
"Sir her wards need allot of training so please no high powered spell."The mage said with worry.
"I wasn't planning on breaking her ward, just testing it." I said smiling towards the mage. "Did you really think i would hurt my adoptive daughter?" can't believe i see her like that. Well i promised to give her a good home and life.
"Of course not sir it was my mistake to think that." The mage replied quickly with a small bow.
"Don't worry about it soldier but what shouldn't i do?" i asked to make sure i didn't undo his work.
"Well not to powerful but also not weak show her that she must practice more to become better." He said when Sasha threw a small fireball over our heads.
"He watch it Sasha, you nearly hit Me." i said in mock surprise.
"Sorry, i just was ready and you weren't paying attention." She put her arms behind her back and swiped her left feet on the ground.
"Next time be patience and say when you are ready, now throw that wards up." I said in parental voice. She shot up and brought both of her arms out and produced a ward. I readied my right arm and shot a weak powered lightning bolt towards her. The wards stopped the lightning bolt but also took out all her Magicka because the ward was gone as well.
"Ha stopped it yay." She jumped up and threw her arm up in celebration. She ran towards us with the biggest smile possible. "I will become the best mage this world will ever see!" she put an evil laughter on giving me a smile on my face.
"Good, but you must know more than just magic my child. I want you to learn also sword fighting and with a bow." I ruffled her hair a bit and gave her a grin. "Now i believe Mirvanye wanted you to do something yes?"
"Yes papa." With that she ran indoors and i wondered if i was good enough to be her father since she lost her biological father just a few months ago. I turned towards the mage who still stood next to me.
"Give her enough spell books so she will have something to do when we go to Alinor. Like those flesh spells some conjuration and what not but no destruction i don't think the captain will like that on his ship." I said looking towards him.
"Understood sir i will have it ready before you will leave." He pressed his right hand against his chest and took a small bow before departing. I stood in the same spit for several minute's wondering what will happen in Alinor. But my thoughts where cut short when a scout ran up to me. I looked with a questionable frown towards the scout. "Report." I said flatly towards him.
"Sir, Ramiana is near solitude on her way her and a scout from the Reach reported that there were several Thalmor Justicars and aldmeri soldiers dead near a fort." He said trying to get some breath at the same time.
"Let Mirvanye send out a party to look in to it and deal justice for the soldiers, you're dismissed." I said stroking my chin. I started walking towards the entrance near a couple of guards. 'Soon we will have the blade and he will tell us how many there are left and then they will all die for their actions against the Dominion before the first Great War'. When i arrived the guards greeted me.
"What can we do for you my lord?" a female guard asked me.
"Just came to check upon my men, why?" i asked her flatly.
"No reason sir i was just wondering." She replied quickly with an apologetic hint in her voice.
"We saw the child training. Isn't she a bit young to train magic already?" the other guard asked inquisitively.
I shot him a glare. "Do you question my decisions about my adopted child soldier? And tell me why you are in the legion huh? Did some questionable thing perhaps?" i got irritated. "Or are you saying that she is too young or maybe because she is now my daughter she shouldn't have to learn to fight for her?"
"No my lord i meant... she is gifted in magic sure but the spells she blast around are high level isn't that a problem for you." The guard looked ashamed of himself. "I don't question you i am happy to be here."
"True she is gifted but she learns and without pain none will ever learn." I said. "Look i know what i do but don't question my decisions ever because i am your leader and i will not accept being second guessed by my own soldiers." I looked towards the road and saw Ramiana with the Bosmeri soldiers coming our way. I turned around and walked towards the keep. Underway i stop two soldiers and instructed them to bring the prisoner towards the cells and made my way there.
I opened the door towards the cell and stepped in. "well well it seems you are in luck Natalie." I stepped towards her cell door and handed her a blindfold. "Put this on you are free to go."
"Why must i wear this?" she said holding up the blindfold.
"Because you are not allowed to see where we are stationed, see it as protecting our interests." I said simply. She put it on and i opened the door for her. "Here take my arm."
She grabbed my arm and followed me outside. Ramiana stood there with her horse and i motioned for her to borrow me her horse while one of the bosmer soldiers brought my own horse. I guided her on Ramiana's horse. "Easy up on the horse." When she sat down on the horse i took the duffle back and attached it on my own horse and mounted my horse. I nodded towards Ramiana that she could release the horse. We made our way towards solitude.
"Where are you taking me?" Natalie asked. I noticed a hint of fear in her voice.
"I am bringing you towards solitude where you can go to wherever you want." I said. "But your friend will stay for a while until he corporate with me and then he is free to go as well." The rest of the trip was in silence and when we arrived down the slope towards Solitude i made the horses stop. "Ok take of your blindfold. Which she did and shook her hair free. She handed me the blindfold and i waited until she opened her eyes. "Solitude is that way." I said pointing a finger towards the general direction of solitude. I took the duffle bag from my horse's saddle and reached it towards her. "Here i believe this is yours." She dismounted and took the bag checking its content.
"I took a big risk in trusting you Altmer. Maybe i was wrong about some of my views on your kind." She said without a hint of sarcasm.
"I am glad you did, Natalie would hate to see such a woman as yourself die for no good reason, o and word of advice if you want to hear." She gave an uncertain nod. "The bear is a lie for his past is clouded." I said cryptic. "Now good luck and stay yourself." She nodded and started walking towards Solitude with a pride. 'May the gods watch over you Natalie for Ulfric's cause may be just but the man isn't'.