Eventually, that terrible spring turned to summer, and summer to autumn, and autumn to winter. And thus the years went by, and Ria grew up.

She didn't grow into the stunning beauty her mother had hoped she'd be, but she wasn't an unfortunate sight to see, either. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ria knew her mother had always wished to return to Cyrodiil, once they raked up enough coin, and maybe see if she could marry her daughter off to some noble. She'd given up teaching Ria the ways of the Imperial court years ago, though, as Ria had insisted time and time again that she would be nothing if not a warrior.

Not that being a warrior was something that would happen anytime soon, by the looks of it. Coin never seemed to accumulate, no matter how hard Maris and Pontius worked. Even as Jorck and Irja passed and Mathies took over Corpselight with his new bride, Maris continued tending the farm. Pontius became head blacksmith after Gowan died and Lod took on a job with the Jarl. Ria, meanwhile, worked odd jobs about the town, whatever she could do to raise a little extra gold for her parents' comfort.

Many of her days were spent helping someone or another out, but when she had time to herself, she would sit by her father near the forge, watching him work and listening to his amusing tales of Bruma, or in Dead Man's Drink, passing the hours with Valga and Narri and a bottle of ale, or by the longhouse, where she would occasionally try to distract Lod from his duties as the Jarl's guard.

Lod was a good sort of man, really. He'd more or less tried to fill the gap left when Nereus died, taking care of her as he would his own sister, and she could tell her father appreciated it. Ria did, too, of course, but a small part of her felt as though she were being babied by him, as though she lacked to ability to do things on her own and without protection.

He was her best friend nowadays, better than Valdr, who was gone hunting too often to earn that title, and better than Narri, who had moved to town around the time she and Ria were about sixteen. She was far more concerned with gossip and seemed perfectly content to serve drinks and flirt the rest of her life, which Ria couldn't honestly relate to, but it was nice to have another girl her age to talk to. And it was nice that she had stuck around, when so many left and found other lives in larger cities. People didn't stay in Falkreath very often, much less stick around long enough to befriend the one girl who was beginning to think she'd never get the chance to leave.

And perhaps that was why she was actually such good friends with Lod. It wasn't that he'd tried to be her brother, though that was kind of him, and it certainly wasn't that her father worked the forge outside his house. Rather, it was that he was permanent, the one thing that always stayed the same in Fakreath, and she could relate. She could expect his smile when he saw her, and she could expect a bear hug every time she stayed by her father late enough to see him come home. She knew he was there for her, as best friends ought to be, and as he had been since that fateful day at Lake Ilinalta.

By the time she'd seen twenty winters, the sting of Nereus' death had numbed, enough that there were days when she hardly thought of it at all. Maris still spent almost every Sundas at the graveyard at the edge of town, willing her son to come back to life. Ria had given up on that pathetic hope after about a year of mourning.

Today was one such Sundas, and Ria had little to do besides help Mathies at Corpselight while Indara took care of their newborn daughter. But even Mathies seemed loath to work on a beautiful Sun's Height morning, and so Ria had much of the day to herself. And, as with any day Ria had to herself, she ended up grabbing the sword her father had made her some six years before and making her way down past the longhouse, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lod to see if he had some time to spare for her.

She'd made it about halfway there when she saw him, his smile bright and his hair shining in the sunlight. She waved a quick hello as she caught up with him.

"Mornin', Ri." His smile widened as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a quick squeeze before letting her go again. "Nothing better to do than come talk to me today?"

"Never anything better," she said as she clapped a hand to his back. "Dengeir give you the day off?"

"Aye. He says a day off every now and again's good for morale, and I'm not about to complain."

"Don't suppose you'd like to spend your day off sparring with little old me? I need the practice."

Lod just grinned at her. "Any man who'd willingly spar with you is a fool with a death wish. Lucky for you," he said, shaking the wooden shield he carried on his person at all times, "I'm one such fool. Come on. Race you to the barracks."

And, with that, he was off, running towards the grounds where the hold guards trained. Ria wasn't fast, per se, but she was quicker than him, as his bulky frame and chain mail armor tended to slow him down a good bit. She darted around him with ease, and loped all the way to the training grounds.

"Slowpoke!" she called as he finally caught up with her.

"You have an unfair advantage," he huffed. "You're younger and you haven't got armor on."

Ria stuck her tongue out at him. "Excuses, excuses. Try not to keel over." She tapped her rusted old word on the ground twice, taunting him.

Lod rolled his eyes, but his laughter belied his irritation. "It'll take more than a sparring session to make me do that much. Now, remember," he said as he adjusted his shield. "Eyes forward. Legs apart. Sword arm towards me."

"Got it." Ria had heard his brief explanation on swordfighting time and time again. She knew it by heart, really, and she felt she was ready for something at least a little more advanced. After all, she was going to need it if she ever got to join the Companions.

She took her first swing and missed. Damn. She hadn't really twisted her body in the right way, perhaps. Or maybe she'd just been too slow, and given Lod just enough time to duck out of the way. Yes, that seemed to be it, judging by the grin on his face.

Well, let it be known that she would not make the same mistake twice. She judged again, aiming and planning. It had to be the right amount of force, not so much to throw her off-kilter, but at least enough to move quickly and hit hard. She didn't have as much time to practice these things as she might have liked, but she could at least try to focus.

With another swing, Ria knocked her sword into Lod's shield, causing him to stagger backwards. A spark of triumph filled her and she swung again with all her might. This time, she caught him before he could catch his balance, and her friend toppled over to the ground.

"Gotcha!"

She pointed the sword straight at his chest, urging him to surrender. Lod threw his free hand up, laughing as he did. "You got me. Just don't cut me with it. That thing's rusted enough to give a man bone break fever."

"Ha!" She smiled as she let her sword drop to the side and offered him a hand up. "The Jarl's guard, defeated by an amateur. I like that."

"Don't sell yourself short, Ri. You've got a better arm than most of the hold guards. You ought to join 'em." He grunted when he stood. "Besides, I won't be the Jarl's guard much longer."

The smile slid right off Ria's face. "What?"

"Siddgeir's been pushing for Dengeir to step down lately, and I think Dengeir's finally going to agree." Lod brushed the dust off his knees far too casually for Ria's liking. "I suppose there's a good point to it, too. Dengeir's gone and gotten old. It'll be good to have someone fresh, and Siddgeir's a decent enough leader."

"Siddgeir's a prick and you know it."

"Words like those are a sure way to spend the night in jail."

"I'm serious, Lod!" She would not have him brushing her off now. "The entire town knows he's got dealings with bandits-"

"He's also got dealings with the Empire, and I will stand by the Empire. Won't you?"

"Of course I would, but that's not the point! Is he not keeping you as a guard?" She was too exasperated to wait for him to answer. "Empire or not, he's an awful person who'll mistreat half the people who serve him and let the rest go to save a bit of coin. You deserve better than that."

"I'll be fine," Lod said sincerely, but Ria still felt as though her blood was boiling. "I've got the smithy. Your father's good, but he'll retire one day, and someone needs to make armor and weapons for this town." He smiled at her, warm and calming. "Now, show me what else you've got."

Ria took in a sharp breath as she stared at him. How could he be so cavalier about this? "Fine. But don't think I'm forgetting about this!"

Lod laughed quietly and muttered something she couldn't quite make out. He held up his shield, waving it about a bit and goading her on. Well, if a good hit was what he wanted, a good hit he'd get. She readied her sword arm, focusing on the target and gauging how much strength she'd have to use. Her technique wasn't perfect, but she had the basics down, and that was enough for sparring like this.

Her sword hit the wooden shield with an audible clonk. Lod staggered just a bit, and a wave of pride crashed through Ria.

"What do you think you'll do?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Ria drew back her sword a bit to aim again. "What'll I do when?"

"I don't know," Lod said as he readied himself for the next attack. "You're a grown woman now, and you've not run off to one of the bigger cities or married yourself off to anyone. Just wondering what you're thinking."

With a swish, she hit the shield squarely in the center. "I still plan on joining the Companions, I suppose," she breathed. The sword had bounced back a bit on impact, throwing her off-balance. "Mother and Father still need me around, though, so I'll stay put for now."

"In their house, or in Falkreath in general?"

"Where else would I live but their house?"

Lod shrugged a bit as he adjusted the shield on his arm. "You could join the guard, live in the barracks. Or you could live with me."

"That seems silly," Ria responded as she regained her balance and gave a couple test swings. She would not be caught off-guard on this one. "My parents' house works perfectly well. Why would I move in with you?"

"Well, if you married me-"

Ria's sword fell to the ground with a rather loud clang as her grip involuntarily loosened. The hilt of it bounced off her foot, and she cursed silently to herself. "If I what?"

"Married me," Lod said calmly, as though it were the most normal suggestion in the world and not, in fact, completely insane. Of all the things to be casual about... "Hypothetically, of course. It's only a thought, Ri."

"Marriage isn't just a thought, Lod." She reached for her sword slowly, trying to reorganize her thoughts. "Alright, then. Hypothetically, why would I be marrying you?"

"The usual reasons, I guess." Lod was quickly getting uncomfortable, by the looks of it. He was the one who'd brought it up in the first place, true, but Ria couldn't help but feel sorry she'd reacted the way she did. "Security. Family."

"Really?" Ria nearly dropped her sword for the second time in as many minutes. "Family?"

"People have gotten hitched for less. Look, Ri..." Lod rubbed his free hand on the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to catch you off-guard, I swear. I'm not proposing to you now-"

"But you've been thinking about it," she noted, and winced internally when he nodded.

"I shouldn't have said anything. It was a stupid thing to say." To see this man, one she'd always looked up to, be reduced to this stammering mess made Ria uneasy. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it. Shor's bones, I think about it every day. Your pa would kill me if he knew, too."

"Lod," she said cautiously, dreading whatever was coming next, "what are you getting at?"

"Dammit, Ria, I love you!"

Oh.

And now, as there was nothing left that could have possibly made the situation any worse, Ria stood dumbstruck in front of her friend. The color was quickly draining from her face, and more than anything she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. "Since when?"

"I don't know. Not that long, if you're worried. A few months, maybe." He let his shield arm fall to the wayside as he sighed. "I'm not expecting anything, honest. I'm sorry. Really, I am. Shouldn't have said anything at all."

"No... no, it's fine," Ria stammered. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that there wouldn't be anymore sparring today. "I just... I'm flattered, I suppose."

Whatever shreds of hope Lod had left seemed to fall from his face, and Ria couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. "But you don't feel the same way."

Ria could only stare at the ground in front of her feet. If she looked in his eyes, she thought it might kill her. "It's not that," she said meekly. By the Eight, she hated sounding like that. "I'm surprised. That's all, really. I need time to think about it."

"You can take all the time you want, Ri." When she looked up at him again, she could see he was nothing but sincere, and for that she was grateful. "I don't aim to pressure you."

"Thank you." She swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat, willing herself to become calm again. This was certainly not how she'd expected her afternoon to go, and she didn't much want to risk it getting any worse. "I think... I think I'm done for the day."

Ria gathered her sword and turned away, much quicker than she'd intended. Though she wasn't looking at Lod anymore, she could feel his eyes boring into her from behind. He could tell her all he wanted that he didn't expect anything of her, that he didn't look to make anything happen right away, but something had inevitably changed between them, and she could feel it, like a beast breathing down her neck. What had once been a carefree friendship had become strained in a matter of minutes, and Ria didn't like it one bit.

She walked as fast as she could back through the small village to her cabin. Maybe being inside, further away from him, would let her breath easily. It was absurd, she knew. He hadn't said anything bad, or dangerous. He'd even told her he wouldn't force a decision on her. Maybe she could get away with ignoring the problem altogether. Oh, that was certainly tempting.

After what felt like the longest walk she had ever taken, she finally made it home. Ria shut the door as soon as she walked in and leaned against it. Her heart still pounded in her chest. Why had he gone and said a thing like that?

"Evening, love!" her mother called from a chair by the fire. In the firelight, Ria could see the edge of an old dress hanging off over her lap. She must have gotten home earlier than usual.

"Evening." Ria's voice was thin, as though she barely had enough air to speak.

And, as mothers were wont to do, Maris picked up on it immediately. "Something the matter?"

"No."

"Don't lie, dear. A mother always knows when her daughter is lying."

"Fine." Ria slumped a bit as she wiped her hands over her face. "Lod told me he loves me."

"Did he, now?" This seemed to genuinely pique Maris' interest. "That's absolutely wonderful news!"

The words hit Ria like a smack to the face. "It is not wonderful news, mother! It's... it's the opposite of wonderful. It's the most terrifying thing I've ever heard."

"Now, why in the world would you say that?"

Ria sighed as she walked into the cabin towards the fireplace and took a seat by her mother, getting a glimpse at the old dress she'd been sewing up. "Because I don't love him. What, exactly, am I supposed to say to something like that?"

"You could do worse than Lod, dear," Maris said idly as she stitched the hem of the dress in her hands.

"I know, I just-"

"He's a good man, you know, even if he is a Nord." Her mother grinned. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a gentler man in this town, and probably all of Skyrim. Now, Cyrodiil has lovely men, but I doubt we'll ever get back there."

"But mother, I-"

"And it's high time you got married, don't you think?" Maris snapped the thread she'd been using and tied a knot with it to keep the stitches in place. "Oh, I know you had that fling with that traveling mercenary last year, but that's not enough to keep you secure or to keep your bed warm at night for the rest of your life. And, unlike the people back home, the Nords around this province don't much seem to mind who you've slept with-"

"Mother!"

"Oh, Ria, did you really think I thought you spent all those nights down at Dead Man's Drink just gossiping with Narri? Just so long as you pick up some potion afterward so you don't end up pregnant out of wedlock, I don't mind, dear. Really, I don't, but don't tell your father I've said that. I don't think he'd much care for the idea of you doing anything, even after marriage."

"And why are you talking about marriage?"

"Because, dear," Maris said calmly, "by the time I was your age, your father and I were already wed. Of course, we had nothing in Bruma, but we did have each other, and that's all that really matters. And Lod at least has a business. That's something."

Ria very rarely lost her patience, but she was about to get close. "Mother, I'm not going to marry Lod!"

"Why not, dear?"

"I don't love him!"

"If you think marriage is only about love, Ria, you are going to be horribly disappointed in life." Maris held the dress up to examine the hem, checking for evenness. "Marriage is about partnership and commitment. Love is wonderful, of course, but it isn't everything. Fondness is all you really need to get started."

"But you love father, don't you?"

"Of course I do, dear. I love him very much-"

"Then why would you say that I marry someone I don't love?" Ria pleaded. "Lod's a good man, yes. I know. But I don't want to marry him. Doesn't that count for something?"

Maris sighed as she put the dress down in her lap again. "Yes, it does." She reached out and took her daughter's hand. "Ria, dear, your father and I always want what's best for you."

"And what about what I want?" Ria felt herself growing desperate. "When will that be what's best for me?"

"Ah." Maris squeezed her hand lightly, reassuringly. "This isn't just about Lod, is it, dear?"

"What else would it be about?"

"The Companions." When her mother looked up at her, her eyes were filled with regret, and it stung Ria in a way she hadn't expected. "Ria, love, I'm sorry. I wish we could get you to Whiterun, I truly do. It can't happen now, not with how little money your father and I make. But, when you go there, and I promise you will, we'll see you the whole way until they kick us out of the city."

Ria sighed as she slouched forward in her chair, and Maris let her rather than give her the usual warning to sit up straight, the way young ladies ought to. There was no hiding it anymore. This life, being stuck in Falkreath indefinitely, was not what she wanted.

For now though, it would have to suffice.