Argis kept his composure as the two men ate in shocked silence and retired for the night. The Altmer's announcement had seemed to throw both of them off balance and into their own thoughts. Conversation was functional at best, focussing on the following day and how they would address the Jarl, but they said nothing of Ard's revelation. Argis suspected that the elf was still adjusting to the revelation and Argis himself was too hopeful to eat much.
A silence hung heavily between the two men as Argis retired for the night. He left his room door open a crack to help ventilate it after their long absence from the Hall, and he could hear his thane pacing around his room. Laying in the darkness, Argis gradually fell asleep to the repeated, soft steps of the High Elf.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The cold morning sunlight gleamed down on the stone city and sparkled off the waterfalls that laced the city. The silence that had plagued Vlindrel Hall the night before had passed with the night and the two inhabitants began to settle back into the routine of being home.
"We're going to have to get the gold from Jarl Igmund, you know," said Argis with a mischievous grin.
Laughing, the wizard replied, "He's going to be galled to have to ship that sum to us and especially to an Altmer!"
Argis attempted to regain the comfortable and easy going manner that had existed before, but the Amulet of Mara, which sparkled on the elf's chest, seemed to taunt him. He continued to glance at the elaborate golden disk and desperately wished to act on the opportunity that the item represented, but he hesitated in fear of rejection. Not only would he have to risk the emotional rejection, but he could possibly damage the relationship between him and his thane beyond repair. How could they share a space knowing that that unreciprocated feelings hung in the air around them? Then he would be forced to leave his thane, and the prospect of that terrified him more than any of the flashing swords he had faced. So he held back and stayed silent despite how it broke his heart.
Having finished the simple bread and butter breakfast, Ardanthis declared that they would head to Understone keep and collect the latter half of their reward. He grinned like a fool at the prospect of irking the Jarl and they exited the Hall to accomplish this. Argis felt a similar mischievous joy at getting under the Jarl's skin, but he felt worry more keenly. This would be the first public appearance of his thane in the months since he had left, and now he was looking for a husband. The social stir and scandal created by this revelation didn't worry the Nord so much as the suitors who would come. He didn't want anyone else who might win the elf's heart, even if he didn't have it yet.
The elven wizard was not an instantly recognizable figure in Markarth, but many had come to know his face after he was announced as a thane of the city. Argis mentally sighed as they made their way towards the Keep, wondering if the elf was destined to be a continual source of shock for the city. In his leather armor, Ardanthis was much less likely to be instantly recognized than when he wore his black robes, but any Altmer was bound to gather stares as he made his way through the city.
Markarth was much less likely to have a diverse population than other cities. Windhelm saw a large influx of Dunmer and Argonian immigrants, while Solitude's close connections to the Empire encouraged the Imperials, and their cosmopolitan ideals, to come to the city. Markarth's economy was strongly based on mining and usually the only foreigners to arrive were mercenaries or adventurers looking for opportunity.
The elf's golden skin and hair, along with his sharp features, drew glances and whispers as he passed by the people. Argis knew they also noticed the amulet hanging around the wizard's neck. A surprised female voice exclaimed behind them, "What kind of good Nord girl would actually marry an elf!" The speaker was quickly shushed and the crowded streets hid the woman from discovery.
They made it to the Keep with only a minor stir being caused and arrived at the great doors to Understone keep. The two guards glanced with surprise at the elf but managed to bow their heads with a crisp, "My thane!" Argis watched the younger one look back and forth from the amulet to the elf with great interest. He quickly said, "We desire to see Jarl Igmund, may we pass now?" He was desperate to get past the too interested looking guard before he punched the handsome man's teeth down his throat.
The guard quickly nodded and opened the door, letting the thane and then his housecarl through. Argis glanced back to see the guard looking in at his thane and shot a dirty glance at the guard who quickly closed the door. Argis frowned at himself and his own behaviour. Just a short while ago he would have tried to get that guard's attentions for himself, but now he tried his best to ward the attentions of the other man away from his thane.
They approached the Jarl's throne and Igmund sat slouched on top of it and looked at them with disdain. "Back from playing hero for the Imperials?" he asked with caustic sarcasm. Upon hearing his tone, the other courtiers in attendance seemed to melt away into the shadows of the room.
The thane gave the Jarl a serpent's smile and calmly replied, "Only for now, my Jarl. I hope to return to fighting the rebels when the Empire calls, and I would not say no as they do pay handsomely. I think you should see this." Gesturing, Ard indicated that Argis should hand over the payment order. Handing it over with a quick bow, Argis returned to standing behind his thane.
The Jarl read through the letter, his face gradually turning red as he read his way through the letter. He checked the seal twice before crumpling the paper and dropping it on the ground. It rolled down the steps of the throne's dais before ending up back at the feet of the Altmer wizard. Scooping it up, the elf smoothed it out before refolding it and tucking it into the cuff of his leather gauntlet.
Looking into the Jarl's hate filled eyes, Ardanthis quietly asked, "I trust our payment will arrive soon as per the orders of the General of the Emperor's forces?"
"You will have you payment," spat the Jarl. His wrathful expression suddenly turned into a vicious smile, "The gold will do you little good in netting a wife, though. The women of Markarth will think little of gold coins when they lie so close to gold skin."
Ard simply shrugged, "I don't really care what they women of Markarth want. I'm looking for one of its men."
The courtiers erupted into shocked whispers of a shared sentiment. Love was a quick thing in Skyrim's violent world, and the courtship process was usually short. The events unfolding before them were like a bard's tale come to life.
Igmund's face reddened even further and Ardanthis was certain that he would be called upon as a healer when the Jarl burst a blood vessel. The man on the throne impressed the elf by not dying and curtly dismissed the wizard. His words were barely heard amongst the mutters and whispers that were steadily growing louder in the court room.
Exiting the throne room, they marched quickly out of the Keep. Ard led the way out of the keep and Argis shot another glare at the guard, who sneered in response.
"My thane, may I have a word with you?" respectfully asked the housecarl. Nodding, the wizard walked over to a waterfall and allowed its noise to prevent them from being overheard.
"What are you doing? This is not how Nords behave in Markarth," hissed the warrior.
Sternly eyeing him the wizard shot back, "I'm cutting through all the rumors now. I don't care what Igmund says about Nord women because their opportunistic fathers will marry them off in a bid to get better position and wealth. They may hate me for being elven, but I know that greed will make many of them blind to that. True, many of the lower classes would not even think to consort with me, but the rich always lust for more power. After seeing the Jarl's reaction, they know that I've just been paid a large sum. Besides, I'm sure they expect me to die like so many others in this war. They then get their daughter back but with a fortune. The courtiers would have found it out anyway when I flatly turned their daughters away."
Merely nodding unhappily the warrior sighed and said, "We should probably follow the Jarl's edict and remind the people of who we are." The warrior had this strange notion that if they kept moving then the avaricious nobles would be unable to offer their handsome and equally rich sons and daughters to the elf. What reasonable man would take a poor housecarl with nothing left to offer him over a rich courtier's son? He bitterly reflected on his own scarred countenance, which was also something that none of the courtier's sons had.
The elf looked out over the city for a moment and then said with a gusty sigh, "We could check with the tavern keeper. They always know who needs help from having to listen to men gripe all day."
Heading down the winding roads of Markarth, they entered the inn, which was bustling with all of the people coming into and leaving the city who were looking for a drink. They approached the barkeep who was frantically filling mugs and he quickly asked, "What'll it be, sirs?"
"Just information for now, actually," said the elf as he eyed the full room.
"I don't really have time to chat right now."
"It won't be long. We just need to know if anyone needs help as it's a thane's duty to ensure the safety and prosperity of his Hold."
"Ah, that's all you need? There's a group of farmer's over there who are trying to haggle with some mercenaries for help, and they're the only ones I can really think of at this moment." The barkeep finished filling a third mug and passed it to a patron.
Nodding gratefully, the wizard left a septim on the bar in thanks and walked over to the table of men in rough spun clothes sitting across from some other men and women in armor.
A woman in steel plate said with evident anger, "We cannot lower our prices any further! Don't you know we have to eat despite how poor you might be? I don't care if you can't pay more, I'll find someone else to work for."
The farmer, a burly man who glared at the woman, snarled, "If they keep killing all the livestock there won't be anything for you to eat!"
A man in the farmer's entourage muttered darkly, "They've killed all the stupid cows but this one."
The woman stood up so forcefully that her chair tipped over and she shouted, "Which one of you filthy cowards said that? I'll gut you like the pigs on your farm!"
Ardanthis calmly stepped in and said to the farmers, "As a thane of this land, I would help you – free of charge – if you'll let me." Turning quickly to the mercenary he added, "My lady, you already said that they're too poor for you. Why not let them go now? I'm sure you could find someone with a much fatter purse to work for in this city."
Gritting her teeth once more, she nodded brusquely and walked away, still glaring daggers at the farmers.
Sighing with relief, the wizard asked the spokesman, "What's your concern, sir?"
"It seems like every wolf and bear in the forest attacks whatever isn't safely locked up at night after the sun sets, my lord. We need someone to kill them the next time they come around, which is probably tonight. Some of the men suspect that it's Forsworn magics rallying the animals like this, but most think it's just a bold pack that's eaten many other creatures and made the bears desperate." The hope in the voice of the poor farmer was painfully evident to the Altmer.
"Lead the way to where they will appear. We will resolve this issue this night. Markarth depends too much on the food you produce to let your livelihoods be slaughtered like this."
"Right this way, my lord!" crowed the farmer triumphantly as he headed quickly for the door. Argis and Ardanthis were surrounded by the joyous band of farmers who all spoke at once and sought to tell stories of how they had fought the wolves and the lupine tactics employed by the beasts. The creatures seemed to never hit the same farm twice in two nights, but tried to be unpredictable. Ardanthis was amused by the way that they easily overlooked his race when it was convenient to their interests.
The stories seemed almost outlandish to the wizard, but he listened carefully in the event that they actually were true. The long walk out to the farm itself was uneventful but the farmers moved quickly and almost fearfully. They were extremely eager to rapidly move the wizard and his housecarl to the farm where the wolves would likely attack.
A sturdy stone and thatch cottage stood near a large grazing pasture where several cows grazed. Eyeing the setting sun, a farmer said, "I'm going to round up all of the cows but one. This will ensure the wolves come and will help hide your scent."
Being invited into the farmstead, the two from Markarth listened to the wives accounts of the wolves. They had spent as much time fighting them as their husbands had, and pointed out the way that the wolves melted away when faced with real opposition.
Night fell quickly after the long journey and fearful tales of the farmers. The tension in the stead steadily increased as time went on, and a brooding silence descended over the group. The farmers grimly clutched makeshift weapons and repeatedly looked to the door as if waiting to bound outside and defend their cattle.
A terrified low could be heard from the cow's pen and then a long, loud howl erupted. The men rushed towards the door with the warrior and wizard hot on their heels. They emerged into the night to see a wide-eyed cow backed into a corner bellowing fearfully at the many wolves gathered before it. The shifting, dark furred mass was constantly in motion, making taking a count of the wolves impossible. They stilled for a moment as they sighted the mass of farmers. As one, they turned to run and began to make for the forest.
Raising his hands and chanting, Ardanthis swept his hands in a wide arc creating a wall of fire. The flames burned bright and hot, cutting off the wolves' retreat. The beasts milled around for a moment before turning to the Nords gathered around them. "Be careful! They're going to be vicious now that they're cornered!" cried one of the farmers.
"FUS RO!" bellowed Ardanthis as he Shouted and a blast of force knocked four wolves into the wall of flames. The creatures burst into flames and rolled around, desperately trying to extinguish the flames but quickly fell still as the magical fire hungrily chewed through their furred bodies.
A violent melee ensued as the wolves and farmers clashed. Argis places himself at the forefront of the battle and his armour and shield warded off the worst of the wolves' attacks. Ard's two steel swords flashed as he swung them in defensive patterns to ward off the wolves and struck where he could. Fighting the wolves was unlike fighting another swordsman, and the wizard's swordplay had to adjust to that. Magic was out of the question for him as all of his mystic concentration was going into maintaining the firewall. A scream peeled out from the right side of the battle as a wolf clamped its jaws down on the arm of a farmer and dragged him down. The others fighting near the man leapt to save him and bashed the wolves around him repeatedly. Struggling backwards and clutching at his wounded arm, the farmer retreated to the cottage as he knew he would just be a liability in the fight.
The battle quickly turned against the wolves and the last few braved the fire instead of the Nords' weapons. A few gouts of fire immolated the beasts and they collapsed to the ground with a high pitched whine. The firewall faded almost instantly and the wizard looked relieved that the burden was off of him as he called out, "Bring the wounded to the cottage. I will care for them there."
The man's shredded arm was the first thing that the High Elf restored to health. His golden glowing hands caused new, pink skin to seal over the wound and the man grinned widely as he gently rubbed the place the wound had been. The rest of the hardy rural farmers had suffered minor wounds as their own numbers allowed them to support each other against the lupine attackers. The thane made sure to tend to each one but he was nearly spent by the end of the ministrations. The farmers who were healthy immediately went back outside and began to skin the wolves and take their teeth as trophies. They chattered excitedly amongst themselves as the thane sat wearily at the table. He looked to the woman who ran the home and asked, "Is there somewhere we can rest? My housecarl and I would like to stay here for the night before returning to Markarth if that is acceptable to you."
The woman was ecstatic with the success of the ambush and nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! My thane, you can have the bed for the night. Your housecarl can find lodgings in the barn-"
"No," forcefully cut in the elf. In a much softer tone he said, "I will not take better quarters than my housecarl. If you have clean hay in your barn, it will suffice for both of us."
The woman nodded nervously, disliking the thane turning down the bed. She gave them quick directions before returning to the wolf pelt gathering effort. They left the house quietly, garnering little attention from those skinning the corpses. There was too much to do before the bodies spoiled or were eaten by other scavengers for the farmers to devote attention to much else. The terrified surviving cow was led by Argis into the barn. The big warrior soothingly murmured to the beast and patted its neck in an effort to comfort it. He led it to an empty stall and closed the door behind it.
One of the other cows lowed softly, nervous from all of the violent noises it had heard and the smell of blood and fire that had wafted into the barn. The skittish animal fussed in its stall and began to bellow louder. Sighing with annoyance, the wizard walked over to its stall and raised a hand. Argis winced, fully expecting the cow to end up dead in one manner or another but a soft green light flared forth instead of fire. The cow immediately stopped its panicking and settled down. It placidly began to eat as the wizard let the light fade and muttered, "Good to know I can manipulate at least a cow's mind." Turning to Argis he grinned and said, "I may not have your natural knack with animals, but I know a smattering of illusion magic to make up for that."
Argis laughed and began to head to a clean stall. He was at the entrance when his foot caught on something in the hay and he fell forward into a pile of hay. He rose and picked up the dropped shovel and looked balefully at it – this was not the tumble in the hay he was looking for right now.
The wizard managed to not snicker at him as he headed to his own stall and slowly removed his armour and began to care for it. Conversation was sparse as the wizard's drained body prevented him from finding the energy to continue a conversation.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The following day was much quieter than its predecessor. The savage battle that had taken place last night was almost entirely erased except for some stray bloodstains and the burned grass. Clouds hung heavy in the sky and the coming rain would wash away the last of the blood that remained. The cows were kept inside the barn to prevent them from eating any bloodstained grass and possibly being infected with whatever had afflicted the wolves. Besides the pack's abnormal size and coordination, the wolves had appeared to be perfectly healthy. This lent credence to the theory that they were being magically coerced into it, but the wizard did not sense that from the wolves nor did he see any bears.
The High Elf and housecarl left the farm to the waves and appreciation of the farmers who were overjoyed to know their livestock would be safe from marauding beasts. The two men spent the rest of the day making their way back to the city. The late afternoon sun was completely blocked by the heavy clouds and the two hurried to return to Vlindrel Hall before the rains arrived and soaked them. Rushing along with everyone else in the city who wanted to avoid the rain, they arrived at the entrance of the Hall and slowed down in confusion. An older, well dressed man stood next to beautiful young woman who bore a striking resemblance to the man next to her. Ardanthis' brows were already contracting as he approached the pair by the door.
The well dressed man said with a large grin, "My thane! It is good to see your safe return. My daughter here has been dying to meet you since we heard you were looking to marry." He elbowed his daughter, "Isn't that right, Ilsa?" The girl nodded meekly before her father continued, "She would just love to get to know you, and wouldn't you like to spend some time with her? Just look at her – radiant!"
Ardanthis wanted to hit the man who was so obviously hawking his daughter like a prime cut of meat. The girl, Ilsa, was clearly regarding the elf with trepidation and had no desire to get to know him any better. Attempting to resolve it diplomatically he instead said, "You must be behind in court gossip, good sir. I have no interest in anyone's daughter."
With a flustered expression crossing his face the courtier stammered out, "Well, I had heard something of that – of that nature, but I didn't believe..."
Coolly regarding the older man, the wizard replied, "Perhaps you will believe now. Like I said to the court, I am looking for a worthy husband."
With a brusque nod and hasty excuses the man and his daughter left the other two men standing alone at the doorway into the Hall. They quickly entered their home as the first raindrops of a ferocious storm began to hit the ground. Argis quickly excused himself to return to his room. He sunk heavily to the stone bed and sighed deeply at the day's events. For the time they had been fighting the wolves, it had been just like the first time they had fought together. It had been reflexive and not complicated by the politics of the region. Despite the greater implications of the war against the Stormcloaks, Argis couldn't give a damn about it. He would have fought wolves for the rest of his life if he could just fight them with Ardanthis.
The following day saw no more suitors pester the two men and they again went to the tavern for leads. The barkeep, now much calmer, laughingly joked with the thane and his housecarl before handing them a bounty that the Jarl had put out on a giant that was roaming the highlands. It would be particularly dangerous as it had no mammoths with it, showing it to be desperate and more inclined to raid for survival.
Argis and Ard slipped out of the tavern as it began to fill up and headed into the hinterlands where the beast was supposed to lurk. A massive bonfire crackled in the middle of a flat plain despite the sun gleaming overhead. The giant quickly spotted the two men and assumed they were weak and helpless. It recklessly charged them, swinging its club in a heavy overhand swing which missed both men. The two immediately flanked the creature and scored heavy cuts on its legs. The creature whipped around, blood flowing down its legs as it scowled at the two men who split up. It initially pursued the Altmer, it's long legs and heavy feet hammering the earth in pursuit, but it couldn't catch the darting elf. Argis harried it from behind by jabbing his blade into its lower back before retreating again.
The blood loss and squalid living conditions left the creature lurching around unsteadily. It roared once more and raised its hammer to slam it down onto Argis. Taking advantage of the creature's distraction, Ardanthis hurled a fireball into its back. The sudden pain and explosion of force knocked the creature forward and off balance. Argis deftly side stepped the falling monster and immediately pounced on its burned back, and jabbed his sword into the giant's neck and grinned viciously as it released a hot spurt of blood. The creature flailed desperately for a moment longer before it went completely still amidst the spreading pool of its own blood.
Hopping off the body, Argis cleaned his blade on a clean part of the giant's loincloth and was slightly horrified to watch his thane carefully hacking off a toe with his glass dagger. "What are you doing!" asked the housecarl in complete surprise.
Without looking up, the Altmer said, "Harvesting a reagent. Come now, you don't object when I pick herbs but you protest now? This will make a powerful potion or poison depending on what I mix it with."
The High Elf held the toe up triumphantly and Argis winced slightly. Stuffing the toe into a small bag, they hurried back to the city to cure it so it wouldn't spoil.
Before entering their home, they decided to visit Understone Keep and get a few more of the Jarl's coins. The spoke softly to a functionary, the amount being too small to warrant the attentions of the Jarl, who signed off on the bounty and fetched them their reward. Flush with the septims, Ardanthis headed over to the alchemist's shop with the intention of making something out of the toe without bothering to cure it.
The shop was the only reputable alchemist for miles and the wide variety of both ingredients and finished potions made it a popular destination for all kinds of customers. People from rural areas could be seen stopping by for cures for their livestock's illnesses and they stood cheek by jowl with nobles looking for elixirs to make them more nimble tongued in their negotiations. Adventurers formed the greatest number of customers though, and they bought just about every kind of potion the shop sold.
Seeing the alchemist's table was unused the wizard hastily began to barter with the woman behind the counter for some other ingredients. Argis, largely confused by the advanced alchemic processes that they were discussing, wandered the store trying to see which potions and herbs that he recognized from what the elf had taught him.
"Argis!" called the elf, "I'm going to be a while with this." Shrugging indifferently the housecarl watched with amusement as the elf began firing up burners and pounds herbs into paste. The Nord was amused by the wizard's great deal of concentration as he carefully ground some leaves into bits. Continuing his slow browsing of the store as the minutes passed, the housecarl was pleased to see so many herbs he thought he recognized. He considered trying his own hand at making a potion from what he knew when his attention was suddenly drawn to the alchemist's table.
A large Nord in steel armour sauntered up to the concentrating elf, who was carefully mixing drops of various distillations together, and draped his arm around the elf's shoulders for a moment before his hand migrated down to the wizard's butt. The oafish man's hand jarred one of the distilling machines as he said with arrogance, "So I heard that you're looking for a good man to be with. I'm offer-"
Whatever speech the man had prepared was interrupted by the wizard's despairing shout of, "What have you done!" as he darted away from the other man's heavy weight and groping hand.
The Nord looked down at the elf as he was almost a head above the already tall Altmer, "I'm just offering you the chance to be with a real Nord. You know, have a real guard instead of that housecarl you're with now. That and something more." A lewd wink accompanied the last comment, and the elf nearly gagged at the implication.
Fury immediately overcame his disgust and he clenched his fist. He swung it not at the Nord's face as was expected but slammed his fist into the man's chest. In the split second before connecting, the fist burst into flame and an explosion flashed from the point of impact. The effect of the attack was immediate, and the large Nord was knocked over as the metal of his armor caved under the magical assault. The store smelled of cooked flesh and a glance at the red hot chest plate revealed that it was probably fused to the man's chest by the heat.
The wizard stalked up to the prone man and spat down, "How dare you presume to lay your hands on a thane in such a way. How dare you insult my housecarl-" This time, the wizard was cut off a clumsily swung fist. There was no real force behind the blow but the elf stepped back anyway and let it sail past. Glancing disdainfully at the attack, the wizard held out one splayed hand and lightning coursed from it into the reviving Nord. The man on the ground screamed as the energy made him convulse.
After that one burst of electricity, the wizard ended it and snarled to a stunned but equally infuriated Argis, "He can afford healing – he's got a heavy purse on his belt," as he stormed out of the building and into the street. He calmed down once he exited the alchemist's shop and he was unsure of whether or not to regret his actions with this lewd beast. He knew the man deserved it, but the savagery probably hurt his image with the rest of Markarth.
Argis took a deep breath to try to calm himself as the elf looked off into the distance. He softly said, "That was a bad idea. No one would have disagreed with you for putting him in his place, my thane, but that was...excessive."
The elf looked at the Nord and muttered bitterly, "I will not let myself become cowed by some beast of a man, especially when he attempts to degrade both myself and you. Besides, I would think that the other Nords would respect the show of might to protect my honour."
An exasperated sigh burst out of the housecarl and he said with more force, "Had you bested him with a sword maybe, but you used magic. You underhandedly beat him and the story that Markarth hears will reflect that. Did you even think of what people would say when an Altmer nearly killed a Nord in Markarth?"
"Not in that moment, no," responded the wizard with a dejected exhalation.
Argis frowned and gestured back towards the store before adding, "Many of the people in there didn't hear the original exchange between you two and only saw an enraged Altmer blow away and then electrocute a Nord. At the very best, this would be an abuse of position. At the worst it would be a strong example of how the Thalmor are dominating our city." He eyed the wizard critically and said, "At the very least, work on your swordsmanship and best fools with those. Other Nords will appreciate that more than a fireball."
A soft frown formed on the elf's lips as he held up a hand that burned gently, "I just reacted to him and I'm not proud of it. He ruined my potion, treated me like a common whore, and then insulted you. I wish he hadn't done all of that and pushed me into lashing out, but... but you're right. I shouldn't have dealt with him so harshly."
Waving his hand dismissively, the wizard walked away from the store with Argis in tow. The housecarl looked back at the store and several people were cautiously watching them depart with worried expressions on their faces.
They simply decided to retire to the Hall as a way to escape the spoiled day. They approached the hall to see a courier waiting for them there. The young man gave them a smile and handed a small stack of letters to the wizard saying, "It looks like quite a few people want your attention, thane!"
Thanking the man and tipping him a septim, the wizard took the letters and slipped inside of Vlindrel Hall.
Wordlessly, the elf slipped into his room after depositing the letters on the table and the housecarl began to throw a stew together from the herbs and ingredients that were available to him. The wizard shortly re-emerged and sat down to stare into the fire for a moment. He sighed gustily and picked up the first letter and examined its seal without opening it. He repeated the process for each envelope and smirked after examining the last one. "They're all from various noble families from various social strata within the city," he said with a grin.
The burly warrior nodded as he sat down across from the wizard and asked, "Aren't you curious what they say? You haven't opened any of them."
Shrugging, Ardanthis replied, "I'll be damned if they're not marriage offers and proposals. But I should check, shouldn't I?"
Without waiting for a reply to his rhetorical question, the wizard broke the seal on the first letter and quickly skimmed it. He put it down and opened another one and chuckled at it before putting it down next to the last one. The rest of the letters were stacked into one pile or the other and Argis glanced curiously at the two stacks as the wizard looked through the last letter and put it on the larger pile. Noting Argis' curious glance, the wizard offhandedly said, "Go ahead and read them if you want – I was right."
The housecarl picked up the larger stack of letters first and began to read through them. The Altmer was right, they were marriage proposals. The offers were formulaically written and felt like contracts rather than expressions of love. Each one was written by the patriarch of the family and began with a description of the family's illustrious history and current importance within the city. This posturing was immediately followed by a flattering description of the potential partner and their interest in the Altmer. The marriage was always couched in the most emotionless terms possible and was frequently termed an "alliance" or a "union." The housecarl skimmed the rest letters and saw that they were all almost written in the same way.
"They offer their daughters up like sacrifices to the elven beast," disdainfully snorted the wizard as he rose to stir the stew. The Nord picked through the letters and noted which families were willing to offer their daughters up.
"They really are gambling, you know," continued the elf, "If the war goes against the Imperials, then they might have cause to regret their involvement with a High Elf. They'd probably blame it on the Thalmor and get off with being pitied."
Putting down the larger stack, Argis picked up the much smaller stack of letters. Peering at the seals he noticed that a few of them were the same ones from the first stack. These letters were also marriage offers and were written with a similar amount of postulation. Interestingly though, they offered sons instead of daughters. Argis' carefully read these letters as each patriarch carefully laid out how this or that son would be a perfect match.
Seeing that the Nord had picked up the smaller stack, the wizard tasted the stew and threw in some more garlic before adding, "I'm impressed they sent those to me. I didn't think any of them would sell out their sons as quickly as their daughters, but I was wrong it appears." Tasting the soup once more and nodding with satisfaction the elf ladled out a bowlful and put in front of the still astounded housecarl. Getting himself a bowl, he sat down across from Argis at the small kitchen table. "You can throw those in the fire," he said casually.
Argis looked up in surprise and asked, "Are you sure? You could really benefit from some of these offers. Accepting any one of these offers would cement your position in this city." Though the words cut him badly to say, he had to, or else he would feel disloyal to his thane.
Nodding grimly, the wizard answered, "Cement my position while embroiling me in the petty politics of this city." He waved his hand dismissively, "Besides they only really offer wealth and minor position. I could achieve those on my own." He hesitated before looking into the fire and continuing, "I want someone who would love me and share that position with me. Look at the letters – they're all written by the fathers who are willing to use their children like pawns." His voice took on a bitter cast as his gaze continued to rest on the dancing flames of the hearth, "They offer me fops and damsels. Most of the choices I'm offered wouldn't know how to work a kitchen knife let alone any kind of real weapon. I'd be chained down to someone who would never leave the city and would probably hate me. True, love might grow despite the poor soil, but I don't want to chance that. I want someone who would love me for what I am now and not what they hope I could be to them." He pulled his black robes tighter around him and took his amulet in hand, asking softly, "Mara, why do you make it so hard to find this love?"
Argis was dumbstruck by his thane's words. He breathed in to say something but he hesitated. Should he risk all and reveal his feelings? What if he was rejected? What if he was accepted? Time seemed to slow as his mind raced around in fear in this pivotal moment. He was paralyzed by indecision as he tried to judge the right choice. He pushed aside his better judgement which told him not to risk everything he had spent his life building for this. It hissed he was throwing it all away on a pipedream, but the housecarl settled on a decision. He could not live without hope.
"Mara doesn't make it hard to find someone who loves you, my thane. Sometimes he's sitting in front of you with a bowl of stew that's growing cold," he said hoarsely.
His throat felt tight and it almost stopped the rough words from slipping out. His one working eye looked to the wizard with a mixture of hope and resignation before he closed his eyes for a moment. You knew exactly who you were up against, he snarled mentally at himself, but you still tried. What do you think you had to offer? You're a poor housecarl whose service is guaranteed to him. He gains nothing by marrying you.
Slowly opening his eyes he met the bewildered expression of the elf. The confused expression begged for explanation in a way that words never would have been able to convey. The housecarl spilled words out in a mess, all his restraint gone, and nearly babbling, "I didn't like you at first. I hated you because you were an elf and risking both our lives recklessly. But I saw it then. I saw how you were caught by who and what you were. I saw how you fought everyone who just tolerated you, who tried to use you and I didn't want to be one of those people. I saw you were strong and that you cared when you didn't have to, when no one would have blamed you for not caring. Then...then I started to love you."
The Nord looked away, disgusted at himself for letting all of that out. The truth didn't always set people free, but could get them locked away or killed.
Blinking stupidly, the wizard asked numbly, "You love me?"
Argis and sucked in a deep breath and his usually deep voice whispered, "I know I don't have any title or lands, but I have a heart wide open and it's yours if you'll have me."
The words felt foolish and poetic slipping off of Argis's tongue, but he spoke them anyway. Give him a sword and shield and he would face down whatever came his way, but words were a tool that he was never adept with.
Ardanthis' bewildered expression quickly changed into a large grin and he laughed and declared, "Yes, by all the Divines, yes."