Girls

Ever since his sixth birthday, Kodlak's mother has been missing for weeks on end. Each time, she'd come back pale with bags under her eyes. At that point, Kod's father would hurry him out of the house and start to comfort her. What Kod did not know was that the reason for this was the Dark Brotherhood. The Night Mother, to be precise. The dead Dunmer was still punishing Niki and the effects are beginning to show. The traditional Dark Brotherhood assassin, Lucien LaChance wasn't brilliantly happy with Niki's decision to leave the Brotherhood. He just had a very differenty response to the Night Mother. He wanted Niki to be kicked out of the Brotherhood for going against the Tenets. However, Kodlak just believes that his is tired from long journeys. On these days, Kod would just go to the market and if Mila is busy then he'd go to Dragonsreach and talk with Dagny. Frodnar seems to be training 24/7 these days so it's just the two of them quite often. The youngest of the Jarl's children is absent often anyway. Today is one of those days. Niki has returned, drained of all energy and Kodlak is stood by Mila asking her to hang out for a while.

"Kod I don't think you understand how busy I am these days."

"I do understand! I was just asking in case you'd maybe have less to do."

"Well I have a lot to do so go and busy yourself elsewhere." Kodlak sighs and climbs his way up to Dragonsreach.

He swears that he loses all fat that he gains climbing up these steps. When he gets inside the palace he bows to the Jarl.

"She's on the balcony, my boy."

"Thank you, my Jarl." Kod says before walking upstairs to the great balcony. He finds Dagny stood right at the end. She has matured a lot since they first met and she has rejected many proposals, most of them from Lars Battle-Born. Now she wears a fine silk dress and her hair hangs loosely below her shoulders.

"Kodlak. You're here." She states simply.

"Where else would I be on a day this fine?" He chuckles lightly.

"You have been 14 years old for the past two weeks, have you not?"

"I am 14. Why?"

"They say that 14 is when young men should start courting."

"They do?" Dagny barks out a dry laugh. She turns to face him and he notices that she is wearing her dress quite low and she has brushed her hair right out.

"What do you think of me Kodlak?"

"Honestly, I think you are a wonderful person."

"What do you think of my looks?"

"Your smile is beautiful. No part of you is less than pretty and I suppose I could call you gorgeous. Is there a reason you are asking this?" Then she presses her front against his chest. She starts to twirl his hair around her finger and then she leans in, kissing him. Kodlak does nothing out of shock. Then he joins in. She knows exactly where to move and how to kiss so that she'll get a response. She breaks away after a minute or so. Kodlak is wearing a vacant look in his eye.

"What do you think?" She purrs in his ear, making patterns on his chest with her finger. All of his instincts are telling him to just give in to her desires.

"I do not know." He answers honestly. She makes her eyes widen in response, trying to guilt him.

"Of course, nobody would want me after all." Falling for her trap, he lifts her chin up with his finger and looks at her with an expression of kind determination.

"Do not be so ridiculous. You are beautiful and I swear on Mara, I love the way you are. Just please, do not force me to make this decision now."

"Why? What could possibly be getting in the way of us? I love you Kodlak and I wish for us to be married eventually. I have known that since the day we met." He stops to swallow that information for a moment. "There is someone else isn't there?" She realizes.

"No. I just do not wish to be thrust into things too young." A mischievous grin appears on her face.

"Too late." With one hand, she grabs the back of his head and she rubs the other hand around his back. She kisses him deeply. This was always her backup plan. She hadn't believed that he had that much control over his natural desires. Fortunately, Dagny has researched the most effective kissing methods and this one usually end up with things happening that really should not be happening. She slips her tongue in and he can no longer resist. After a moment or two he pushes her back against a wall, grunting slightly. She breaks away from him after removing his shirt.

"No I can't do this now. Sorry Dagny." Then he puts his shirt on and calmly leaves Dragonsreach.

Niki's P.O.V

Hadvar holds both of my hands clasped between his.

"Maybe you should visit the graves of your fellow assassins that fell at Falkreath. It may do you some good to remember a time when they didn't hate you." A few more tears escape my eyes.

"Hadvar I don't know how much more I can take. Babette's family to me and I can't see her without extreme pain." He simply wraps his arms around me and we sit in silence for a while.

"Just go to Falkreath. Visit the graves of the ones you miss and I will take care of Kodlak for the day."

"Maybe we should have Rikke visit again to keep him occupied." Then we hear a door slamming downstairs. We both stand up immediately and walk outside the bedroom just in time to see Kodlak storm into his room and slam the door behind him. Hadvar throws his hands in the air and walks downstairs, leaving me to talk to the sulking teenager. I slowly open the door to find his face red and buried in his pillow. I put on my most sympathetic face and pull a chair up next to the bed.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well I want to know and I am your mother. What happened?" I rest my hand on his shoulder.

"Dagny kissed me." Dagny? The Jarl's girl? "I'm confused. I don't want her but she gave herself to me. I guess you wouldn't understand."

"Oh if only you understood how wrong you are. Believe me, I understand exactly where you're coming from." He lifts his head off the pillow to reveal a teary, red, puffed up face.

"Who?"

"In Solitude where I grew up, there was this boy called Sorex. He was a heartbreaker if I ever saw one. He was good looking, he came from a good background, he had never committed any crime and I distinctly remember that when I was your age my mother wanted me to marry him."

"So why did you end up not marrying him?"

"Frankly, Sorex was an egotistical ass if I ever saw one. I hated his personality with every fibre of my being. He believed that I was just like the others, that I swooned for him every time he passed. It's safe to say that I did not. One day, he kissed me in the middle of the street. After that I ran away from Solitude and I didn't come back for 5 years. That's when I met your father." Kodlak chuckles at various parts of my tale.

"So what morals were you expecting me to get from that little tale of yours, mother?" I smile and shift his hair away from his eyes.

"If you do not like her, do not marry her." He nods thoughtfully for a moment.

"The thing was, she said that nobody wants her and she tricked me into calling her beautiful and-"

"It doesn't matter now. Listen, I'm going to be leaving in a few days for personal reasons. I'll only be gone for the day and Rik- my mother will be coming down to see you."

"You're leaving me with Rikke?"

"Sorry." I laugh. He sits up after a while and we chat casually.

"So some guy really came up to you and kissed you because your mum said you two were a good match."

"Yes funnily enough. Back in those days I was much better looking. Unfortunately, I was hardly courting material. I would despise anyone that showed affection for me apart from two people."

"Who were they?"

"Not important. Anyway, you need to confront Dagny again and just tell her that you aren't interested. I'm sure even the most spoilt of his brats could understand that." He nods and stands up. "Wait until tomorrow before you do that. I think your father is making dinner. Maybe you should talk to Mila now that the stalls are closing. You could help to carry things."

"I'll see you!" He shouts as he leaves the front door. Then I wrap my arms around Hadvar's front.

"What's for dinner?" I ask.

"Venison." I lick my lips and then laugh at his lustful expression.

"You have not changed a bit."

"We have been married for 17 years now. Are you sure I haven't changed?"

"Well, you have given up that hopeless war. I suppose the treaty did force you to. Still, you're happier now."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Maybe because I have changed too much." He kisses my forehead.

"You have only changed for the better. Your smile makes you so much more attractive and you've become an excellent mother."

"Two positive changes? Someone wants something tonight." I say with a wink. He gives out a hearty laugh in response.

"I sent a letter to Rikke. She will be coming in two days' time."

"I will write to Babette telling her that I have not died and that I will rejoin them soon." I sit at a desk and begin to write. This is going to be a long week.