A large array of clouds dominated the morning sky, covering Falkreath in a temporary shade of darkness. The air carried an abnormal chill. Perhaps foretelling a possible storm. Edna gently rocked in her chair, holding on to a piping hot cup of tea. Bundled up in a thick blanket, she watched as Lod, the local blacksmith, finished chopping a bit of firewood. He stacked the last two chunks beside her front door, signaling the end of his duty. Edna pulled out a handful of gold from under the blanket.

"Oh no, I couldn't." Said Lod.

"Stop that Lod! Honest pay for an honest day's work. And you're always welcome to spend the night."

Lod blushed as a shy grin crept across his face. "Hm, what are you doing tonight?" A returning Dovida spoiled whatever plans they were about to make. Back in Falkreath after her trip to Windhelm. Dovida threw her bag down and leaned on the porch railing.

"Greetings Lady Edna. How are you?"

"Hello my girl. I am well. You look to be in a much better mood. I also see you have found no man, but religion instead. That's quite nice dear."

Dovida shook her head and laughed. "Believe me, I am no servant of the maker. Talos is my guide. A pure hearted soul...donated this robe. Sorry to report that the dress you sewed for me got ruined. It's a long story."

"One you can tell over a hot meal." Suggested the gleeful old woman.

"Absolutely." Dovida noticed Lod smiling at her. She shot him a look of disinterest, which he didn't react to.

"I remember you. The female elf that was training out here not too long ago. Your techniques were very impressive for a lady like yourself." Lod considered his last few words and quickly rebounded. "I mean it's very uncommon for a gorgeous creature such as yourself to be practicing for battle."

Hands on her hips, she asked. "As opposed to what? Cooking? Cleaning? Having children?"

Lod cleared his throat. "My apologies. I didn't mean to offend."

"Edna, can you believe this? Leave it to a man to try and put us girls in a box. Just know that women are much more than pretty faces. We are fully capable of fighting as well as any man can. Now if you'll excuse us, we have business to attend to." Lod politely nodded and waved to Edna before heading home.

"That's quite the speech." Said Edna.

Dovida scoffed and relaxed her shoulders. "One I've heard from many female Stormcloaks...and my wife. I'll admit that it's quite funny from the other side."

"And what exactly makes that funny?"

"Because it's simply not true. Shall we step inside?" Edna rolled her eyes. The old witch had a pot of beef stew simmering while Dovida sat at the table, giving the rundown of her and Skoref's mini adventure. The bandits, the Imperial woman, the bridge jump and everything else in between. Edna stood behind Dovida, attempting to untangle the filthy jumble formerly known as hair.

"So now I'm stuck in this body with no way out. Calling it heartbreaking is an understatement." Dovida sighed as her long locks drifted forward. Edna had it straightened within four minutes.

"All done child."

Dovida stroked the longs strands of hair. Flicking any clumps of dirt, she felt. "Lady Edna, you're a master of various crafts. I don't know how you do it."

"With a handful of spiced nirnroot and two glasses of Argonian wine." She leaned next to Dovida's ear. "And a lonely blacksmith who lives two doors down. HAHA!" Edna patted Dovida's head and trotted over to the kettle.

Dovida's spirit lifted whenever she was around Edna. A woman in what many would consider their worst years, lived as if nothing bothered her. So full of vigor and wisdom. A beacon of light in such a dark time. Dovida understood why Skoref wanted to protect her at all costs.

"I've been thinking. If there is a silver lining to this new lifestyle, I have no responsibilities, no commitments. I can do whatever my heart contents."

Edna scooped a large amount of stew into a bowl, tapping the ladle to prevent any spilling. She placed it in front of Dovida and sat across from her. "Tell me then, what is it that your heart wants?"

Dovida slammed her fists on the table, sending waves rippling through the stew. "To sever the head of the mage that ruined my life! She barked and reverted back to her normal state. "Beyond that, I don't really know. What's been my entire existence up until this point has been nothing but war. Preparing for war. Training for war. Killing for war. Finding a few moments of peace with my friends and family. All of that no longer exists."

Edna slid her bony fingers over and gently held Dovida's hand. "In this house child, you'll always have a friend."

"Thank you, Lady Edna. That means a lot."

"Anytime. Besides, you could always find an alternative. Settle down and work a regular job. Find a nice man. Or woman, I don't judge."

"Oh yes, I'll just pick up a shovel and become a farmer. Wake up six in the morning to pull potatoes from the dirt. Then I'll start tethering clothing. Traveling from town to town, hawking stolen jewelry and wares like one of those damn Khajit."

"Or maybe you should become a professional smart ass. You must have learned that from Skoref."

Dovida twirled around the stew. "Pardon my attitude Lady Edna. I've just been thinking about it the entire ride back here. I can't help but feel deflated."

"I understand. You are in a very rare position indeed. The only thing to do now is to make the best of your situation." Edna lit her pipe, smoking a full bowl of her special mix. Inhaling and exhaling like a champion. She passed it to Dovida, who was more than happy to accept. She took a hit, which went smoother than the first time. Dovida licked her lips after exhaling. This flavor was mildly sweeter than the last.

"Is this a different concoction?"

"You didn't think I just had one?" Edna cackled in her villainous manner. "I have different mixtures for all times of the day and different moods. It's what keeps me alive." Dovida smoked the last bit and exhaled. Even with more tolerance than before, her baby lungs couldn't stop a hearty cough. Edna poured two cups of tea.

"Let's get to the serious business. I do believe I can put you in that suspended dream state you talked about with Savos. Although I do not possess the materials necessary for this procedure on hand."

Doivda swallowed a large spoonful of stew, burning her tounge. "Let me guess. I have to go get them?"

Edna shrugged. "You don't have to. Unless you truly wish to find the mage, you seek. It's no skin of my old bones. Whatever skin is left."

"Alright, what do you need?"

"I'll flip through my old books and put together a list. Shouldn't take me too long to find. In the meantime, get settled in and rest. You're welcome to anything you need."

"Many thanks. I'll go speak to the blacksmith to readjust my old gear." The wind started to pick up outside. Dovida checked the sky. More clouds started to form. A storm was coming for sure. Lod stood by his forge, wailing on a steel sword. One pound after another, molding the blade into the perfect shape.

"Blacksmith. I have a request."

Lod dropped the sword in the water to cool. "Hello again my lady. Apologies for my ignorance earlier."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it. I have a job for you." Dovida placed her spiked gauntlets and boots next to him, along with her axe and a sack of gold. Lod stared at the armor and back at Dovida with a face of worry.

"Is there a problem?" She asked.

"This is Stormcloak armor. Where did you get this?"

"A dead body. I need it resized to fit me. Can you do it or not?"

"I can, but I must warn you, there are people here who support Ulfric and his movement. They won't appreciate pretenders walking around in this armor."

A pretender she is? If he only knew. Arms crossed, Dovida sarcastically pondered the thought. "Tell you what, if anyone has an issue, send them to me and I'll gladly handle them. Can you fix the armor, or shall I take my business elsewhere?"

"Aye. An armor refitting and a sharpened axe. Be back tomorrow morning."

That night, the storm kicked in. Loud thunderclaps, followed by rain dropping like meteors from the sky. Edna's door hung on for dear life as the vicious winds tore across Falkreath. Dovida boarded it with a few wooden planks with hopes that it'll hold until the storm passes. With that taken care of, she ended the night with a hot bath in the basement. Feeling refreshed after a soul soothing soak and a deep hair cleaning. Edna left one of her nightgowns for the elf to wear. While wringing out her hair, Dovida noticed herself in a body length mirror on the wall.

Besides her first time meeting the Dorn's, Dovida never took a full look at this body. It spooked her to see what the former Stormcloak had become. Never in Braxen's life did he ever imagine a scenario such as this. One thing that stood out were the various scars. Neck bruises which turned from purple to brown. Healed cuts along her arms and legs. Stretch marks along her stomach from dual pregnancies. These in particular reminded Braxen of his past. They also served as a reminder for her current mission as well. She threw on her gown and went upstairs to check on Edna. To no surprise, Edna slept as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Peacefully cuddled up in her bed with a book half open. Dovida flipped it over and read the title. "The Lusty Argonian Maid? Heh. Edna you are something else. Good night." Dovida adjusted Edna's blanket to cover her fully. She planted a kiss of the old woman's forehead and blew her candle out.

Dovida climbed into Skoref's bed. She laid dormant, then tossed and turned with that past memory on the mind. Spending time with Edna brought up memories of Braxen's parents. They weren't good ones. His father left before Braxen exited the womb. His mother was an alcoholic, never paying much attention to her boy. Spending day and night either sleeping or blaming Braxen on how he ruined her body. This became one of the driving forces of Braxen joining the army. It made him feel wanted. To a part of something bigger and get away from that waste of space he called a mother. Not exactly the best reason for becoming a soldier. Maybe his life would have panned out differently if he had parents who cared. A parent like Edna who loved a child for who they were. On the other hand, the Stormcloaks made Braxen into a beast. Being able to defend himself and his loved ones. Taking all of those fears and bad experiences and inflicting his pain towards any adversary. Someone extremely nurtured like Skoref wouldn't be able to do that. Braxen swore to never ignore his child like that. Dropping whatever important job he had to handle Rorke's needs. Whether it was checking for monsters under his bed or teaching him how to be a man. Now Dovida can only hope that Ulfric planted those same principles on his boy.