AN: as usual I own nothing but an old laptop and a ps4 also this chapter does go into detail about religious practices, I tried my hardest to make it as realistic as I could for you all, I researched several ancient religions to get an understanding of how a harvest festival would have worked back in the time period that Skyrim is set in, but if that triggers you then please feel free to skip this chapter.

Also there is some strong language at the end, it's only a word or two from memory but still keep an eye out. Enjoy.

The morning of Harvest end started as every morning did in Whiterun for Katrine.

She got up before the dawn, had a quick bite to eat, then she and Lydia went for their morning run.

It had become a tradition of hers to sneak Allie an apple on the way back from her run, one that amused Lydia to no end.

Because of Harvest end their would be no training or work at the forge, instead they dressed into simple clothes for the Dawn Blessing which would be held at the Gildergreen.

As weapons weren't allowed at the Blessing Katrine took off her sword and scabbard, but she quickly hid her dagger, which she had decided to call Nyérë meaning child's sorrow, into her boot's sheath that she had made her self.

The followed the crowds up to the wind district, nodding at the people they knew.

Once their the took their spot next to the Grey Mane's as Danica begun the traditional first blessing.

"Nirn is of Kyne," The priestess chanted.

"And all that is upon it,"

"Fruit and Fruitfulness,"

"Spring time and Summer,"

"Seedtime and Harvest,"

"We are blessed by Kyne," finished everyone gathered.

Danica was silent for a moment before beginning the prayer in which they would thank the goddess of nature.

"For the promise of harvest contained in the seed we thank you.

For the oak tree in the acorn.

The bread within the grain.

The apple within in the pip.

The mystery of nature, gift wrapped for us to sow.

We thank you."

An acolyte handed Danica the book of Kyne, read only by the high priestess' of Kynareth.

Katrine often wondered if there was some secret magic in each of the Adrea's holy books and if so what would happen if someone read all of them.

"As long as Nirn endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.

Next came, in Katrine's point of view the second best reason for being in Skyrim for Harvest End, The Harvest song.

Which in Cyrodill was spoken as a prayer, why call it a song if you were going to speak it in a monotone voice.

"Sow everywhere the good seed given to you.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine into trees.

The winds they blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy.

While cares drop off like autumn leaves."

Danica smiled and spoke to the procession.

"At this time I'd like us all to bow our heads in prayer for our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers away fighting in the war, let us pray for their safe return regardless of for which side they fight,"

As Katrine bowed her head she thought of her brother and Anwen, please keep them safe, she thought.

Danica cleared her throat, it was time for the final prayer of thanks.

"For summer's passing

And harvests home,"

"We thank you,"

"For seed that has fallen, the promise of spring we thank you,"

"How long is this going to take, I'm bored!" "Shut up, you spoilt brat," Katrine heard.

She turned her head and saw Frothar and Dagny, two of Jarl Balgruuf's children.

It seemed that Dagny was getting impatient, what else was new, and her older brother was trying to get her to behave.

Katrine caught the young boy's eye and gave a small bow of the head in greeting, which made the boy stand up straighter and puff out his chest.

Katrine inwardly smiled, she caught the eye of Dagny and shook her head, to which the girl responded with a dirty look.

Katrine rolled her eyes and turned back to Danica, who was getting ready for the final blessing.

"We bless you,

Goddess of seed and harvest,

And we bless each other,

That the beauty of this world,

And the love that created it,

Might be expressed through our lives,

And be a blessing to others,

Now and always."

With that everyone broke off to get ready for the celebrations that would be held throughout the city.

"Mama, we are going to be late," Katrine called up the stairs.

She had chosen to wear a set of fine blue tunic with matching blue breaches.

Lydia stood beside her, she had on a deep red tunic that been a gift from Hrognar when she had been named Katrine's housecarl.

Katrine thought it was slightly weird seeing her in anything but armour, but she had to admit she looked good.

"I will be down soon," Annika called back.

Katrine sighed, she never understood why it took her mother and Anwen so long to get ready, she recalled the Emperor's annual birthday ball that they had to go to every summer, it seemed to them hours to get ready.

When her mother finally came down she was wearing a golden silk dress that fell to her ankles with slits up her legs.

Her hair, which was usually up in a tight bun, was flowing freely down her shoulders in waves of spun gold.

Katrine had to admit that her mother did resemble what she imagined the goddess Mara would look like if she took on human form.

Katrine turned to see Lydia wide eyed, gaping at her mother, she choked back a laugh.

Annika chucked "You will catch torchbugs in that mouth," she said.

Lydia shook her head "I'm sorry Mistress Annika, but won't you be cold in that?"

Annika was quiet for a moment, as if thinking about what to say, before saying "My metal jewellery is enchanted to regulate my temperature,"

Lydia looked confused "Regulate?"

"They keep her cool in the heat and warm in the cold, always at the same level," explained Katrine.

Oddok, who had been given a bath and brush, leapt up from his place on the floor and padded over to Katrine, since the thalmor attack on her two days prior he had not left her side.

As they walked up towards Jorrvaskr they begun to hear music and loud laughter, it sounded like half of Whiterun hold had been invited and, knowing the Companions, that probably wasn't far from the truth.

As they entered Aela gestured them over two where she was sitting.

The huntress herself had forgone her usual armour, instead she was dressed in a sky blue tunic that fitted like a second skin, but what Katrine noticed was that she had no war paint on.

Aela caught Katrine staring and gave her a teasing wink "Like what you see kid?"

Katrine cleared her throat and said "You look nice, Huntress,"

Aela chucked "So do you Dragonborn," she whispered.

Katrine ignored her comment and instead chose to start up a conversation with Vilkas and Farkas, who were both dressed in matching deep red tunics.

As was tradition in the Nord culture the celebration started with a feast.

Barley beer was served in place of the usual mead, but there was wine for those who couldn't stomach that.

First course was the usual meats, venison, beef, mammoth and horker with harvest vegetables, leeks, gurds, carrots and potatoes.

That was followed by freshly baked apples dipped in honey, sweat breads, apple dumplings, sweet rolls, honey nut treats boiled creme treats and snowberry crostatas.

After the food was eaten the festivities turned to dancing, singing, music and story telling.

The bard Mikeal played the lute and sung songs that were well known, but at some insistence from the Companions Katrine joined in on her flute as well, by request from her mother, a solo called the lonely shepherd taught to her by a bard in the streets of Bruma, it was usually played on the pan flute but Katrine had learnt how to convert it over.

During a dance with Ria, Jarl Balgruuf approached Katrine and asked for a word outside.

As they stepped out, both shadowed by their housecarl's, Katrine turned to study the Jarl.

"Is there something wrong, My Jarl?" she asked.

"Maybe," he replied "Following an investigation, it is Irileth's suspicion that Olfred Battle born was the one who helped the Thalmor, though we have no proof and it is likely that they will attempt another attack unless we can give them a reason not to,"

Katrine thought for a moment before a light went on in her head.

"In the note it said that Elenwen did not know the identity of the Dragonborn and warned her agent that someone that can take down a dragon is deadly, what if we were to send the body back along with a note from the Dragonborn saying that Katrine Kvatch is under the protection of the Dragonborn,"

Irileth nodded "That might work, at the very least it might waylay them,"

"Someone else will need to write the actual letter," said Katrine "I would not put it past the Thalmor to intercept my letters, keeping the identity of the Dragonborn a secret, as much as we can keep a secret in this city,"

"I think this is one of those cases where everybody knows but nobody tells," said Lydia.

Balgruuf nodded his head in agreement "But lets do all we can to keep it in house, Thane Katrine your idea is sound I assume you have someone in mind?"

"It needs to be someone who's writing style matches that of a Nord warrior who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty, not overly intelligent and it needs to be someone that if found out has enough of a connection to me that people could see them killing to protect me,"

"Let me get this straight, you want me to pretend to be you, to write a letter saying that you are under your own protection," said Farkas "Ohh this is making my head hurt," he groaned rubbing his head.

Katrine had slipped back into Jorrvaskr and had gotten Farkas to follow her to the living quarters.

"No Farkas, all I need is for you to write down these exact words, Katrine Kvatch is under my protection, come after her again and you will find out exactly how deadly I am," explained Katrine.

Once Farkas was done Katrine went back upstairs and discreetly handed the note to Irileth and re-joined the celebrations.

She wondered as she watched Vilkas attempt to dance with her mother, succeeding in only stepping on her feet, if she ought not to write a letter to Elisif of what her general was doing behind her back and decided to do so the next morning.

Then she simply went to rescue her mother from getting her toes crushed.

As the days went by the warmer weather went with it as the Autumn chill set in.

Aside from the weather Katrine was in a reasonable mood as it seemed the note did service as a good warning as the Thalmor had yet to try anything else.

As for the letter to Elisif which had read.

'Jarl Elisif,

It is my regret that two days prior to Harvest End the young Thane Katrine Kvatch was attacked without warrant by a Thalmor operative thanks to the Devines she is unharmed.

Per the law of Skyrim any Thane of a hold is granted sanctuary in Skyrim from other countries even Cyrodill, this you know as Jarl.

However what you don't know is that your general seeks to undermine you as upon inspecting the body of the Thalmor agent I found a letter claiming that while you were uninformed your general was not.

I am writing to you because I believe this to be a breach of your trust, I also am writing to inform you that she is under not only Whiterun's protection but my own and I will not allow her to be harmed.

Please pass along this information to the general,

Sincerely Dovahkiin.'

It had been received by the Jarl of Solitude and was met with a satisfying reply.

'Honourable Dovahkiin,

I thank you for your letter and please pass along my apologies to the young thane, as well as my condolences, you will be pleased to learn that I passed on your message to General Tullius and he has agreed to leave Thane Katrine alone,

Sincerely Jarl Elisif,

Jarl of Hafinger.'

Katrine's training also progressed well and Aela begun giving her instruction on fighting with a war axe as well as two handed weaponry in the form of a steel war hammer.

Katrine also went with a hunt with some of the whelps around Riverwood and was able to inform Gerdur of the second dragon.

Katrine and Ulfric continued their correspondence with Ulfric promising to keep an eye out for Tomas and Anwen as well as the gossip of each city under his control.

The best news she had gotten came a couple of weeks after Harvest End, on the tenth of Hearthfire.

Katrine was crafting a new steel dagger for Aela, how she managed to break the old one was not clear, while Eorlund was dropping off a necklace at Fralia's stall.

"Excuse me but are you Katrine, I was told I could find her here?"

Katrine looked up and saw a young nord man standing at the stairs leading down to Jorrvaskr.

"Yes I am, what can I do for you," answered Katrine wiping some sweat from her brow.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lydia move to stand beside her with a hand on her hilt of her sword.

The man eyed Lydia nervously "I-I I've got something to deliver, your hands only," he stuttered.

Katrine and Lydia both relaxed, just a courier.

"A letter from Bear in Windhelm, it came in by hawk this morning," the courier handed Katrine the letter and quickly left.

"He did not even stay for a tip, do you think we made him nervous," said Katrine to Lydia, who smirked.

She opened it and her read her heat raced as the words told her what she had been waiting to hear.

'Katrine your brother's ship came in an hour ago, I'm sending this by carrier hawk so it should arrive by tomorrow.

Ralof went down and spoke with him and Anwen, he said they seem in morning but unharmed.

According to him they plan to take a cart to Whiterun at first light so if this letter gets to you as quickly as I hope by the time you read this they will arrive the day after,

Bear.'

Katrine looked up at Lydia "Tomorrow," she said "As long as nothing happens between then and now,"

Later that evening at dinner Katrine gave the letter to her mother.

"It is useful to have a friend in the Jarl of Windhelm, it seems," said Annika pleased.

She had news of her own "My colleagues from the collage have looked over the lettering and have said that while they cannot translate it, based on the fact that you found it on the wall in the barrow, which is an old dragon cult temple they say it is the language of the dragons and that what you experienced in the barrow was that you activated a word of power," Annika paused for a moment before continuing with "According to them this ability is something only the Dragonborn should be able to do,"

Katrine sat in silence for a moment before saying "So I am the Dragonborn then," she knew that most people thought she was but to hear someone learned, a scholar of the collage, say that she could do something only the Dragonborn could was a very different thing.

Annika moved off her seat to kneel in front of her and gently took Katrine's hands in hers.

"We will figure this out my Omega and I promise you that you are not alone in this,"

Katrine was up early the next morning reading through the book of the Dragonborn for clues.

As Lydia came down the stairs she started at the sight of Katrine sitting by the fire looking like she had been up for hours.

"Katrine are you alright?" she asked coming up to stand behind her.

"I am fine," she sighed "Just looking for answers,"

"Have you found anything?" Lydia asked.

Katrine shook her head, Lydia patted Katrine shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Don't worry, once your brother and Anwen gets here we can start to get ready for the trip to High Hrothga and then I'm certain we will have some, if not all the answers we are looking for,"

That day passed rather slow and by the end of it Katrine was getting worried, she was high strung and it showed, even Njada knew better than to antagonize her.

Annika decided that night to go to the Bannered Mare for dinner, which said how worried she was.

Hulda was quite happy to see them and introduced them to a new worker Saddia, a very beautiful Redguard woman.

A meal and a couple of meads later and they headed back to Breezehome.

Annika noted the overly worried look on Katrine's face and gave a comforting smile "I am sure they are fine, your brother is an experienced fighter and Anwen is an expert mage, no doubt they have just been delayed,"

Katrine nodded and forced a smile as she turned and climbed the stairs, she was too exhausted to take a bath, having forced her frustration out in training and at work and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, she didn't even take her sleeping draught.

She was in a void of absolute nothingness, then a room faded into existence.

It appeared to be a war room, judging by the table with the map that was littered with tiny red and blue flags.

Standing on either side of the table was General Tullius and Elenwen.

Katrine felt an anger unlike she had ever felt before and she charged at the Altmer with full intent to strangle her.

But instead of making contact she ran though her like she was a ghost, Katrine turned, this is a vision, she thought, my sleeping mind would not be so cruel as to give me an image of Her and not let me kill her.

General Tullius spoke to Elenwen his voice laced with frustration.

"Well your spy not only failed but also managed to tip off the Dragonborn and now Elisif watches my every move,"

"Clearly not as much as she should," said Katrine to the un hearing pair.

Elenwen rolled her eyes at him.

"Calm down, we just need to be patient, my spies tell me that the Dragonborn has yet to leave for High Hrothga, my guess is he waiting for the girls mutt brother and that nord's whore to get to Whiterun before leaving,"

Katrine's anger spiked again "Not only am I going to kill you, but I am going to make it go so slow you will be begging me to end it,"

Elenwen didn't hear her and continued with "Once he leaves we will have our moment to get her,"

Tullius raised an eyebrow "And what if she leaves with him?"

"She won't her mother will think that to dangerous of a trip, she'll head to Lakeview or she will stay in Whiterun, she thinks her title shelters her,"

And with that Elenwen faded out of existence and General Tullius was left gazing down at the map.

As Katrine's gaze shifted from the General to the map the red flags melted into what appeared to be blood and it began to ooze its way across the map which, to Katrine's horror, had sprouted mini villages and towns.

As the map was covered in a tidal wave of blood Katrine's ears was filled with the screams of thousands.

Katrine covered her ears with her hands trying to drown out the sound, but it was if the screams were inside her own head.

"Stop it, STOP IT!" she screamed

Her eyes opened and she shot up in bed.

"Katrine! What is wrong?" her mother raced up the stairs followed by Lydia.

"Did you have another dream? What did you see?" asked Lydia.

"General Tullius and Elenwen they are planning to make another move, they are waiting for the Dragonborn to leave, they are banking on us not leaving with him, that we will either stay in Whiterun or leave for Lakeview," said Katrine trying to calm her breathing.

"Well I guess there goes the idea of Anwen and Tomas going to Lakeview while we go to High Hrothga," said Annika.

"And that caused you to scream out stop it?" asked Lydia confused.

Katrine started she didn't realise she had shouted that out in the midst of dreaming.

"No after that I saw a tidal wave of blood covering the land and then it was like the screams of thousands filled my head,"

Annika and Lydia stared.

"I think you had better take your sleeping draught and go back to sleep that last part was probably just a dream," reasoned Annika.

Katrine nodded "Lets hope so Mama, lets hope so,"

"Are you alright Katrine?" asked Eorlund as Katrine was fixing the straps on the armour of a guard who had to damaged it breaking up a drunken fight.

"Just did not sleep well last night," she answered.

"Well your in luck there is one thing left on the agenda than you can knock off." Said the master smith.

"What is that you want me to do?" asked Katrine as the guard left, a little in awe that the Dragonborn fixed his armour.

"The stable master needs that filly that you find so interesting shoed," answered Eorlund.

Lydia snorted.

"I will get right on that," said Katrine, rolling her eyes at Lydia's amusement.

"Need me to do anything?" asked Lydia once they were down at the stables.

"Hold her rope while I shoe her, this will be much easier in the sun,"

Katrine finished the first three shoes with out incident but as she was working on the last one she noted Oddok started to sniff the air and he began to paw at the ground.

"Lydia would you mind going to find what is bothering Oddok for me please?" asked Katrine.

"Do you think it could be a threat?"

"No he would be growling if that were the case, something is out there that he wants to find that is not hostile and it is not food,"

"The last time he did that it was a hunter calling his dog and Oddok though he was calling him," said Katrine.

"Alright,"

Katrine went back to fixing the shoe on when she head a voice say "You're doing it wrong,"

Katrine smiled "Says you," she said placing the horses leg gently on the ground.

"Yeah and I've been doing that since before you were born,"

Katrine scoffed "As if our father let you shoe a horse at three winters old,"

The man in front of Katrine smiled "Nice to see you girl,"

"Nice to see you too Tomas,"