AN: Just a warning: there is a MxF noncon part here. It will not be too graphically described, but it will be there.
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Argis lay on his side, watching his husband sleep. The elf breathed deeply and evenly despite it being late morning, which was why Argis was watching him in the first place. He gave the elf a silent, amused grin for he suspected that the wizard was sleeping in so late because he had drunk too much the night before. Argis had never even seen his thane drink, let alone get drunk, but it had happened. While having drunk proportionately similar amounts, the Nord was better used to it and didn't suffer from it. He nearly laughed, who knew the dragonborn was such a lightweight? The wizard was also not "a little drunk" like he had thought last night, but "a lot drunk."
A loud bang and crash echoed from the taproom outside their rented room. Swearing softly to himself, Ardanthis rolled over and tried to pull his pillow up over his head. Argis' grin widened at how clearly hungover the Altmer was. They couldn't lounge in bed all day, though, so he gently rose and left the room to negotiate a quick breakfast from the innkeeper.
He returned and gently closed the door behind him, softly placing the tray loaded with a small roast chicken on the table. A groggy voice asked from the bed, "Do you have to be so damnably loud, Argis?"
"I'm actually being quite quiet, you've just got a hangover," replied the Nord softly, "How much of that bottle of wine did you end up drinking?"
"All of it," came the dry response.
With a gusty sigh Argis used a large knife to split the chicken and said, "Well, you're going to have to find it in you to stagger out of that bed some time today. Hjerim is set to be refurnished today and we'll get to meet the new housecarl."
Ardanthis sat up and winced at the light for a moment before saying, "You don't have to use so much bile when you talk of the new housecarl. It's not like he's going to replace you, you know."
A surprised expression crossed the warrior's features for a moment, and he frowned as he said, "I know, but it just feels like I'm not good enough. That he's going to compensate for some failing of mine."
The elf shook his head but quickly thought better of that gesture, "It's nothing like that. It's a matter of duty, as you would well know. There must always be a housecarl for every thane. Besides, the smaller bedroom can be his and he won't intrude on what we do in our own room. Believe me, I'm not going to let him have any control over what goes on in that house." With a softly muttered spell, the wizard's hands flared with golden radiance. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples as the light seeped into his head. Opening his eyes, he smiled and rose from the bed as he declared, "Much, much better."
Taking a seat at the table as the High Elf sat down, Argis tucked into his meal with gusto. He said in between bites, "I know it's nothing personal, but...just promise me nothing's going to change."
Ardanthis reached out and gently traced the tattoo on Argis' face for a moment before softly saying, "Do you think you're the only one who knows about not giving up? Nothing will change, Argis. I married you because I love you, and that won't change. It doesn't matter who walks through that door."
The Nord reached up and gently caught the wizard's hand and interlaced their fingers, "I'm just glad to hear you say it, love."
The rest of the meal passed quickly as the pair wanted to see how their new home was progressing. Finishing the roast chicken, they quickly left down the narrow side streets of Windhelm as they made their way towards the small section where their house was located.
Argis noted the strange effect that the narrow streets seemed to have on the wind. They channeled the wind, which created a constant moan and gusting breezes. Being from Markarth and being used to the constant sound of the waterfalls, Argis quickly came to like the rush and thrum of the wind on his face, and the wizard only seemed slightly bothered by the brisk air.
Upon their arrival, Hjerim looked like an anthill someone had kicked. Bodies bustled in and out of the building, carrying wood, furniture, and other sundries into the house or carting refuse away. Slowing down as they approached, the two men watched with amazement as these men and women bustled to get their home into a livable condition. The workers nodded to the pair as they passed and slipped inside house. Half a dozen craftsmen worked inside the home, constructing the furniture that would be too large to fit through the doorway.
What immediately attracted Ard, though, was the sound of arcane chanting coming from the previously hidden room. No one else seemed disturbed by it, but the wizard's face slipped into an expression of consternation as he quickly approached the room with Argis in tow. Peeking in through the dresser-doorway, he saw that a wizard stood before an enchanting table and was etching symbols into it. He nodded in relief at this discovery, glad that there was nothing malign happening. Taking a moment to look around the room, he realized that there were no signs of blood or violence in the room, and that a few bundles of herbs hung discreetly on the wall to help clear the air.
A voice behind him softly spoke, "It is an honour to see you, my thane, but could you step aside?" Turning around, Ardanthis saw a mountain of a man lugging a small, round, stone table. Quickly darting further into the room and the far corner there, the wizard looked with confusion at the large table being moved into the room, but he quickly understood when the man set the table down in the corner opposite from the enchanter's table and began to set up alchemic devices. The Imperial woman who was setting up the enchanter's table continued her chanting and symbol etching as if nothing were happening around her. Ardanthis, well familiar with the process and concentration required for enchanting, left the woman to her work as she pulled out a large, blue soul gem and pressed it against the table.
The workers bustled throughout the house, and most of them moved disassembled furniture into the various rooms as craftsmen assembled various objects. Trying their best to be unobtrusive, Ardanthis and Argis observed the very hectic but very efficient workers and Argis muttered, "I guess coin really can get results, even just after a war."
With a grim nod the wizard replied, "Especially after a war, Argis."
Getting tired of dodging workers, they decided to leave the house to better allow the men and women that the jarl had hired to do their work. They quickly left the homes of the wealthy behind as they strolled about the city and saw how quickly it had been repaired. The market, which lay a short distance from Hjerim, was already bustling with people and vendors. The pair wandered through the busy market and was quite surprised by the diversity of vendors within it. They spotted not only Nord, but Altmer and Dunmer run stalls. Patrons of many races intermingled here as they poured over goods and wares.
Quickly wearying of the teeming market, they strolled through the blustery streets until they entered the Grey Quarter. The Dunmer here seemed to be far removed from those that shopped or worked in the market near Hjerim. Looking around the district, it was easy to see why. Most of the houses were closely packed and small, with haggard looking Dark Elves walking about. A small shop sat in the district, and as the door opened to let a patron out, the Altmer caught a glance of the interior. He was disappointed to see what looked like a messy hodgepodge of wares, and one lonely Dark Elf standing behind the counter. He softly murmured to Argis, "I can see why Brunwulf wants to help the Dunmer here. They need it more than most." Dirty looks occasionally fell on them, but as a whole they seemed apathetic or guarded.
They quickly left the district and its sundry miseries behind as they made their way to the brine scented docks. Walking carefully along the icy wharf, they made their way past small groups of Argonians who looked disdainfully upon the pair. Out on the docks, the hostility from the Argonians felt slightly more pronounced than anything they had felt from the Dunmer. "Gods, what did Ulfric do to these people to get them to look at me so?" asked Argis in a soft voice. Strangely enough, the Argonian workers responded quickly and without rancor to the Imperials who were coordinating the work on the docks.
Meandering through the streets of the city, they wound up back in front of the Candlehearth Hall. The inn had returned to its previous bustling state, and it seemed that people were only too eager to return to a life from before the battle had swept their city. The High Elf winced when he looked at the door, but tried to cover the reaction. Argis gave a silent, soft smile as he caught the brief flash from Ard and knew that the elf would be more careful about how deep he fell into his bottle.
Ard blew out a sigh that got caught by the wind and whirled away. He glanced at Argis and asked, "Mind if we go back to Hjerim? You may by fine with the temperature, but I'm really starting to feel it." The housecarl nodded immediately, well aware of how the cold could be perceived by different races and well aware of how inured to it he was. A city of Windhelm's size paid no attention to two passersby, which allowed the wizard and warrior to hastily make their way through the streets to the grand manor.
The few hours they had spent seeing the city they were to play a part in restoring had wrought great changes in their house. Entering into it, they immediately saw a grand table set in the middle of the room which vaguely reminded them of the table in the Palace of the Kings. While obviously not as grand as the jarl's table, the large piece still dominated their first room. Sweeping his gaze around the room, Argis was highly impressed with how quickly the various shelves and other odds and ends of furniture had been assembled. Chanting still echoed out from the once-hidden room, which prompted a pitying frown from the housecarl. It suddenly built up into a fevered pitch and a bright light spilled out of the room before the chanting seemed to gradually subside. The light dwindled down to almost nothing as the warrior and elf approached the room.
A tired looking Imperial wizard leaned on the newly-finished enchanting altar with a relieved smile on her features. "Do you...want something? A drink perhaps?" asked the wizard softly.
The woman spun around in surprise before registering who it was that had asked the question. She nodded her head quickly and said in a raspy voice, "If you wouldn't mind. I think I saw them bring in some bottles of Alto wine..." she trailed off hopefully.
Giving her a sour look for a moment, he answered, "Help yourself. We're going to keep looking around the home." She gave the wizard a grateful nod and walked out of the room.
The room was dimly lit with ambient light from the main fireplace, which barely provided any illumination. With the conclusion of the enchanting process there was almost no light within the room, and the wizard conjured his own glowing orb. The newly created light reflected off of several mottled soul gems which were neatly organized on the shelves opposite the enchanting table. Grinning like a child looking at candy, the wizard eyed the gems for a moment before reaching out and plucking one off the shelf. Scanning the roof of the room, he saw a small hook for a lantern and quickly fetched one off of the shelf outside. Returning, he placed it in the middle of the table and the gem on the emblem of illusion. "Let's test you out," he whispered to the table.
His own hands flared with green light as the soul gem crumbled to dust and sunk into the table. The light seeped from his hands into the table and slid to the emblem of illusion before shooting into the lantern. It seemed to collect in the lantern, which glowed softly as though it had captured one of the magelights the wizard could conjure. Smiling with satisfaction at his work, the wizard hung the magical lantern on the hook that lay embedded in the ceiling. As he left the room, Argis noted that the lantern dimmed to the barest glimmer and the room was shrouded in darkness once again as they departed.
Returning to the main room, they saw that the female wizard sat at the table pouring wine into a tankard. She raised the tankard in salute to the other two as she gulped down its contents.
Heading up the stairs Ardanthis noted the changes that the swept over the upper floor. The dirt, dust, and cobwebs were gone and replaced with weapon racks, glass cases, and bookshelves. Walking slowly and admiring the calibre of work that the furniture showed, the Altmer was pleased with what his coin had bought. He also noted the decorations that gave Hjerim a "homey" feeling and smiled. The jarl really wanted the wizard to feel comfortable in the city.
With slow strides, they made their way to the smaller of the bedrooms and glanced inside. A large wardrobe, chest of drawers, and bed filled the majority of the room but it felt cozy instead of cramped. A small, unlit fireplace sat in the room which would provide warmth throughout the cold Windhelm nights.
Giving his housecarl an excited smile, the wizard headed for the main bedroom. Beautifully fixed up, the room was well lit by the warm glow spilling out of the fireplace and spoke of welcoming. A dresser, multiple bookshelves, a place to display a shield, a table with two chairs, and the large bed rounded out the room. An old male Nord stood by the bed and nodded to them with the words, "Having seen the home, I hope you find it up to your standards."
"It is a beautiful home, friend. I hope you and your workers were well paid by the jarl for your efforts," enthusiastically answered the wizard.
With a relieved nod the man said, "I'll go collect Ilania before she drinks out the entire supply we brought you." He moved to leave, but hesitated at the door for a moment before adding, "Hjerim is an old and proud manor, please care for her."
Ard gave the man a solemn nod, eliciting a relieved smile. Slipping away from the homeowners, the man slipped down the stairs and Ardanthis heard the man loudly tell the Imperial wizard that they had to leave. The click of the door closing behind them told the wizard that he and Argis were finally alone in their new home.
With a happy sigh, they slowly made their way back down towards the kitchen. Sifting through their kitchen for something they could eat, they were pleasantly surprised to find a well-stocked kitchen. Fresh fruit, roasted vegetables, and seasoned pheasant breast quickly began to be prepared. As Argis cooked the meat, something Ard couldn't be trusted with, while the elf sliced and prepared the fruit. Knowing that a third person would soon join their household, extra food was being prepared for this unknown figure.
Despite the apparent serenity of the very domestic scene a subtle undercurrent of tension ran beneath that calm. This mysterious housecarl was supposed to arrive at Hjerim today, and it was already late afternoon. He should arrive very soon, and this imminent arrival made both the men nervous and quiet in their tasks.
Argis was the first to break the silence, and he asked, "Do you think the new housecarl will be an oaf?"
After a short, barked laugh, Ard replied, "I certainly hope not. Not that I'm even sure what role he's going to play around here, but I wouldn't want a stupid brute for a guardian." He sighed softly before continuing, "We've killed our fair share of savage and brutish men, haven't we, Argis? I would not want to live with one as a demand of the jarl."
The warrior nodded quietly as he turned the cooking bird meat and quietly asked, "What if...what if he has a problem with us?"
"Then he can leave, jarl's expectations be damned. I would rather renounce my position as thane, give up Hjerim, and demand every last septim back from the jarl before I let anyone come between us Argis," said the wizard in a voice full of intensity.
Rising quickly, the elf stood behind the warrior and placed a hand on his armoured shoulder. "Please, Argis. Do not be afraid of losing me or anything else over this. You are the most important thing to me, now and forever. I don't care who steps through that door – I've bound myself to you out of love, not necessity, and I will never break that."
"Maybe I've just been listening to too many bards, with their stories of lovers lost and stolen," said the housecarl as he took the wizard's hand in his own and smiled up at the wizard.
The unmistakable click of the locked door opening sent a sudden chill through Argis. Regardless of what had been said, now was the time when words stopped mattering and actions became central. Only two keys were ever made for a thane's home, one for the thane and one for his housecarl, ensuring that the house was only able to be easily accessed by either person. The door's lock clicking open meant that the housecarl had arrived.
"I had better meet him so he doesn't walk into an empty house," muttered the wizard as he swiftly departed for the door which was even then creaking open.
Argis listened carefully as the wizard said, "Welcome, housecarl, to Hjerim. I am Ardanthis, who are you?" The answer was pitched too low for Argis to hear despite the close attention he was paying to the speaker. Suddenly, Ardanthis spoke loudly and called back, "Argis, come and meet the new housecarl."
Argis rose slowly and calmly called, "Coming, love." He mentally berated himself for feeling so nervous over meeting this new man. He didn't feel this tremulous when fighting Forsworn or giants, but this one stranger reduced him to a hesitating mess. Straightening his back, he mustered his discipline to ensure his stride was even, that it was unhurried and confident. He would not let this stranger see his fear.
Entering the main dining room he caught sight of the new housecarl and his breath caught in his throat. He immediately recognized the man, despite the years that stood between their last meeting. To him, the crystalline blue eyes and red hair were unmistakable.
Managing to maintain his cheerful and upbeat tone, the wizard said, "Argis, this is the new housecarl. His name is-"
"Calder," interrupted Argis in a flat voice. Though the figure before him was no longer the youth that he had known during his training, his core features remained unaltered, which allowed the big Nord to immediately identify him. Unlike Argis' features, Calder's had remained unscarred by the passage of the years. His body had filled out to a man's form, and though he was not as burly as Argis, Calder was clearly in shape. Argis' breath hitched slightly when he recognized the armour that the other man wore. It was the same make as Argis' but it was not nearly as well cared for. Argis recognized worn straps and small dents in the steel, which must have been earned from combat.
Giving the warrior a curious glance, the wizard said, "Yes. Do you know each other?" His gaze flicked between both of the dumbstruck looking men before he said in an exasperated voice, "Someone tell me what in Oblivion is going on here!"
"Calder and I met in the war to free Markarth. We didn't fight together, but we trained together and...I think we both fell in love. I never saw him after the final battle," said Argis in a soft and still amazed voice.
Now the wizard's expression took on the same sort of bewilderment that coloured both of the other men's faces and he asked the red haired housecarl, who had remained silent thus long, "Is what Argis said true?"
The new housecarl seemed to suddenly stir to life and he said quietly, "Yes, my thane. All of it, even the part about love, is true."
"I am- I am sorry, but Argis and I are married now. I trust those feelings remain in the dust of the two decades that have passed," stated the wizard with only a slight edge to his voice.
Calder nodded rapidly and said briskly, "Of course. I wouldn't dare to interfere in a marriage, my thane."
"Very good," said Ardanthis, "But please, call me Ardanthis or Ard instead of 'my thane.' It took me an ungodly amount of time to break Argis of that habit, so I hope you drop it faster."
The wizard's attempted jovial attitude fell flat in the face of the astonishment that the other two shared. Clearing his throat loudly, the Altmer said, "Well, I'll be in the kitchen making sure the pheasant doesn't burn," and left the two Nords alone.
Argis was suddenly caught by the awkward silence that extended between them. Emotions roiled within him, as the poignant but long buried feelings from his youth demanded release in the face of his first love. He quickly quashed those gut impulses. He was a married man, and not the love struck and easily overwhelmed boy he had been when the two had first met.
Calder opened his mouth to say something, but Argis hastily muttered, "I'm going to make sure he doesn't burn anything. You'd think he would have learned to cook by now but no, he chars everything. I'll be right back out." The words rapidly tumbled out of Argis' mouth, and he sounded flustered even to himself. He turned away and entered the kitchen in an effort to escape that space where neither of them wanted to speak.
Upon entering the kitchen he was met by a confused expression on his husband's face and the wizard asked, "Didn't you two want to talk?"
"No - well, yes, but not right now. I just can't – it's too much," stammered the warrior.
Ardanthis stepped away from the not-yet-burned pheasant and embraced the warrior. His mouth next to Argis' ear, he said softly, "Take this time to collect yourself. We'll eat and then I'll give you two some time to catch up. Just as I asked you to trust me, I'm going to trust you too, alright?"
The warrior managed a jerky nod and was released by his thane. He reached for the nearest stack of plates he could find, the new kitchen still unfamiliar to him, and returned the grand table in the dining room. He mentally twitched at seeing Calder sitting there, but he continued on with setting the table. His mouth felt dry as he asked, "Did you want some mead?" He knew he sounded much calmer than he actually felt.
Calder looked up at him, as if surprised by the question, and quickly nodded.
Argis took the opportunity to escape back into the kitchen and fetched two bottles of mead. He turned to the High Elf and asked, "Love, what will you take?"
"Not wine, I can tell you that much. Maybe some milk-" began the wizard.
"No! Not milk! You don't want to look like a milk-drinker to him on your first meal with him," said Argis quickly.
Sighing, the wizard replied, "Right, right. I had forgotten about you Nords and your obsession with mead or nothing at all. I'll just have water then."
The table was set in short order and the three men sat down to eat. A delicate silence settled over the table as they ate, and no one wanted to break it without good cause. Ardanthis, quickly growing tired of the tension that hung in the room, asked Calder, "I was told that you played a role in retaking Markarth from the Forsworn. I know from Argis that he fought in the center of the attack formation but where were you in it?"
Calder, smiling politely, said, "I was in one of the far edges of the formation. We were responsible for encircling and attacking the Forsworn from every side, which would keep them from breaking out of the trap."
"Well, the battle was obviously a success, but how did you end up serving in Windhelm of all places?" inquired the wizard with great interest.
Calder took a sip of his mead before leaning back and saying in a too-casual voice, "Markarth was flooded with young, freshly trained swordsmen at that time and with so many Forsworn killed, the jarl of the city didn't see the need for such a large standing army. Some found posts as guards within the city, but there were so many of us. I didn't want to return to small town farming so I took on with various trading caravans. Saying I fought in the final battle gave me an easy place within the ranks of the guards, and I made my way through the different holds. Why did I settle in Windhelm? Well, I suppose it's partly because it's far from my old home and partly because there's something about this old city that just grabbed at my heart. The history that sleeps in the walls is just...comforting, I suppose. I fought with the Imperial forces when they attacked, and I must've made a good impression because here I sit." To Argis' ear, the story sounded rehearsed and artificial.
The red haired man suddenly turned to Argis and asked, "And what of you, Argis? How did you end up in Windhelm as the husband of the thane?"
Argis thought he detected a note of bitterness when the other man said "husband" but he could have just imagined it. Meeting Calder's gaze he quickly tried to compress the last two decades as something to be discussed easily, "You may have heard that I impressed Ulfric Stormcloak himself with my bravery, but that's a lie. He knew that I was the only one who would speak of how he tried to quit the field to protect his own life, and so he bought me with the honour he bestowed upon me. At the time, I didn't think of it as being bought, but honestly, that's what it was.
After that? I was the city's golden warrior, and I was further honoured with the position of housecarl after a few years." Argis hesitated before speaking the next words, "My... thane was killed in combat, and his brother left me to die. That's when my face got the way it is. Things fell apart in the city for me after his passing. I took on caravan guarding jobs as well, but I always returned to Markarth for whatever reason. Eventually, when Ardanthis became thane, I was assigned to him. Initially, we didn't get along very well, but I think the rawness of combat showed us more of the other person than a peaceful setting ever would. We did some work for the Imperials and later got married in Riften's temple." He stopped his story to reach out and give Ardanthis' hand a quick squeeze before continuing, "And eventually we ended up here after also fighting against the Stormcloaks."
The rest of the dinner passed with only small talk about the city being exchanged, and asking Calder about the landmarks in and around the city. At the end of it, Ardanthis rose gracefully and announced, "I'll be leaving for now. I want to see some of the potions and ingredients down at the White Phial before it closes. I won't go far, so don't worry about me." Argis nearly laughed at the transparent means of giving the two housecarls time alone to speak freely, but appreciated the thane's efforts nonetheless.
The wizard stepped out into the cold evening and the light of the sun, which was just beginning to set, and with the click of the door closing behind him, it felt as though an important junction had been reached for the two men.
Argis was the first to break the silence and he asked, "Is what you said true? About how you got here. It sounded...rehearsed." The last word sounded weak even to Argis' ears, but it was the word that best described the other man's story.
Calder let out a long, slow sigh and admitted, "It's not exactly true." Argis looked pointedly at him, wordlessly demanding the truth, and the blue eyed man obliged with, "You know what it's like to have to choose between life and honour. Well, I made that choice too. You were lucky enough to catch Ulfric in a less-than-honourable moment, but I was among the throngs of warriors looking for some kind of job that would keep them from returning to the petty village life we were trying to escape. True, some immediately went back to their old homes and old lives, but the majority of us stayed and looked for a way we could make it through the world with our swords."
He laughed slightly at the next memory, "A few of the men spoke of resorting to banditry, but with all the other men available to be hired to kill them that plan quickly dropped. I ended up leaving Markarth as a caravan guard. I was one of the people lucky enough to secure a spot on a load of silver ingots headed to Whiterun. When I reached there, I was glad to be out of the crowd of other young blades." Calder's voice took on a bitter edge as he said, "But I was a fool. I thought that maybe then I would be able to find work with my blade, but it was nearly impossible. Whiterun had the damn Companions to handle their problems for them, and they didn't need a young fool with a blade to try to solve their problems for them."
"I got on a different caravan," he said as he ran his hands through his hair, "and ended up in Riften. This was a city that needed muscle, wasn't it? No Companions and no horde of warriors looking to kill things. I was a fool once more as the city didn't want upfront confrontation. It was about discreet bullying and thievery. If I wanted, I could have joined up with the thieves guild there – they made the offer – but I was too young and full of the notions of honour. I decided to keep my honour and damn the easy life." His voice seemed like it was full of self-blame, but he continued on with his story.
It seemed to Argis that the story spilled out faster under its own need, as if it had been bottled up. He leaned forward slightly as Calder continued, "I joined the last caravan I would see for years and headed the relatively short distance north to Windhelm. I was tired, you know? Tired of always being on the move and I wanted to stay in this city. On the surface, Windhelm seemed like an interesting city with diverse people and it was led by the same man that had won us the battle against the Forsworn. I felt like I was home because I wanted to feel like I was home. So I left the caravans, nearly broke mind you, and went to a tavern. It was seedy and cheap, and it's where I first learned the value that my honour could be sold for. I paid for my tab that way."
Argis carefully asked, "What do you mean you sold your honour?"
"Don't play stupid, Argis. You know what I mean," said Calder sharply. Argis just maintained his neutral expression as he looked at the red haired housecarl, which forced the other man to angrily sigh and spit out, "I'm a whore, damn you." Argis only nodded wordlessly, but his eyes must have asked how Calder reached a point that low for the other man continued, "I made almost as much in under half an hour as I did guarding that caravan for days." He slumped forward and ran his hands through his hair before continuing, "I told myself it was just for a little while. Just until I found a really well-paying job that I could do with my sword." He took a large gulp of his mead, "But Windhelm is a good place for this...business. You've seen how beaten down the Dunmer are, or how abused the Argonians are. Do you know what they'll pay for just one hour of having control over one of the people they think abuses them? They know not to get too rough, and they're almost always happy with the limits they've got."
"But," interjected Argis cautiously, "wouldn't the other Nords of Windhelm protest this kind of action?"
Flashing Argis a wide grin, Argis couldn't tell whether he was grinning self-depreciatingly at his own position or if he was grinning at Argis' naivete, Calder replied, "Not when they're taking advantage of it too. Don't you think there are Nords who want to be with other men without having to worry about honour or being exposed? That's what they were really looking for – the experience without the threat to them or the expectation of commitment. After having their fill of the dirty part of Windhelm, they go back to their honourable lives, with none of the people around them knowing better. Can you believe I recognized one of my...clients in that bear fur armour of the officers?" He let out a raucous laugh.
Argis was quietly choking on disappointment, but he struggled to contain it. Honestly, he didn't know what he had expected from Calder, but he had wanted the other man to be better than this. He knew that he had been lucky in Markarth, but more than anything he wanted to ask how the other man's path had diverged and gone so terribly wrong. He understood things could be hard, but to resort to selling yourself? He mentally sighed at himself, who was he to judge? Calder had had no advantages and one of the only ways he had of making money, his skill with the sword, was useless to him. His own conscience jabbed him and reminded him of his own time spent guarding caravans and his own dalliances there. Realizing the silence that was stretching between them was going to become tense soon, Argis quickly spoke, "Well, at least now you won't have to...sell your honour anymore. As a thane's housecarl, you'll have room and board provided for you, and if you help Ardanthis he will pay you well from whatever reward he gets. Have you kept your sword skills up?"
Calder nodded, "I always practiced my forms. Not only was it a good way to make sure my body didn't get soft, but I was waiting for the time when my skill with the blade would be needed again."
"How did you become a housecarl, by the way? Was what you told Ardanthis true?" inquired the blonde Nord.
Downing the last of his mead, Calder nodded and replied, "I saved an Imperial officer's life. He led a successful charge on a few Stormcloak redoubts with me by his side, and he recommended me to General Tullius, who then pressed me on Jarl Brunwulf." He chuckled slightly, "I think the jarl only agreed because he was too overwhelmed with establishing order in the rest of the city to say no. I think the jarl was expecting the general to make good decisions and the general was expecting the jarl to catch any mistakes he may have made. Me? I slipped in between those oversights." He caught a flicker of worry in Argis' eye and quickly added, "But don't worry. I won't fail you or my new thane."
Nodding with relief, Argis asked, "Are you tired? I can show you to your room." He didn't want to hear any more of what Calder had to say. Too many disappointments were already packed into that conversation.
Calder rose from the table quickly and said, "I am tired, so I think I'll take your suggestion."
Rising as well, Argis beckoned Calder up the stairs and led him to the small housecarl's room. The other man looked around the room with and approving nod and hung his sword and sword belt on a peg in the large cabinet. Argis realized that the other man had no pack with him and asked with concern, "Do you have anything with you? You never brought anything in."
With a shake of his head the new hosuecarl replied, "I travel light. When you sleep in different beds so often, you pack light."
The door opening could be heard from the lower floor and Argis quickly said, "Ardanthis and I will be in the bedroom across the hallway, so I'll leave you here for now."
More than anything, Argis needed to escape into the night. He needed the space, the cold wind, and the silence to process everything he had heard from Calder. Coming down the stairs, he saw his thane standing at the table, but he noticed his husband and smiled at him. When Argis' face remained set in its troubled look the elf quickly approached him and caught his arm as the warrior tried to move past him. He softly said, "Can we trust him? What's wrong, Argis?"
The Nord nodded his head quickly and replied, "We can, and I've just – I've just heard a lot. I need a bit of time to myself, so I'm going to go out."
"But it's dark out and you don't even have your sword!" exclaimed the Altmer.
Argis called back over his shoulder as he left, "I'll be alright. With so many soldiers in Windhelm, I'll be fine."
He closed the door behind him and sucked in a deep, cleansing breath of the cold air of the city. With rapid strides, he quickly began to walk through the dark city and let the conversation he had with Calder repeat in his head. He shook his head sadly, thinking to himself of all the damage done to the poor man. No matter what he did, Calder's honour would always be stained by what he did. He would never be able to erase those nights when he sold himself.
Argis' path led him from the empty market and past the cheerful glow of the Candlehearth Hall without him noticing either. He steps led him through the city as he continued trying to reconcile the Calder he remembered from twenty years ago with the Calder he had met that night. Without realizing it, he had ended up in the Grey Quarter, and he wondered for a moment what a Dunmer housecarl would have been like.
The just underneath the moan of the wind, Argis thought he heard a soft whimper. He ignored it, thinking it was only his imagination until he heard a male voice softly but urgently hiss, "Hush, girl. I told you it would be easier for you if you just kept quiet."
Argis stopped and looked around for the source of the voices. He was in the shadows of a building and he used his concealment to search the other shadows. A splash of moonlight spread its scant illumination along the entrance of an alleyway before the clouds blocked the light again and draped the street in darkness. In that flash of light though, Argis caught sight of two violet eyes leaking tears and pleading for a help as a hand covered the mouth beneath them.
Rushing across the street to the alley, he clearly saw what was happening and it sickened him. A Dunmer woman was pressed up against the wall with her legs spread while a Nord man with his pants pulled partway down slid in an out of her rapidly. One hand was used to stifle the woman while the other pawed at her breasts. The Dark Elf looked at Argis with a mixture of hope and fear and the warrior could see that one of her eyes was beginning to swell shut. "Get off of her," he snarled at the brown haired Nord as he approached them.
Still moving in and out of the woman the man grunted out, "Hey, hey, I'm almost done if you want to use her aft-"
His words were cut off by Argis' steel boot slamming into his mouth and knocking him off of the woman and shattering many of his teeth. The man shouted in pain and clutched at his mouth as blood poured out of it. Argis bent over the woman, offering his hand and softly asking her, "Are you alright?"
She only screamed and raced, naked, a short ways down the street before suddenly veering into a large building, the New Gnisis Cornerclub. Argis's attention was dragged back to the brown haired Nord who had struggled to his feet and pulled up his pants. Blood ran down the man's chin as he snarled, "Idiot. It was just a Dunmer bitch, and now you're going to die for her." The man drew a dagger and rushed Argis.
The warrior truly missed his sword and shield, which were laying in Hjerim, as he tried to dodge the thrusts and slashes of the dagger wielding man. His foe was canny enough to aim for the gaps between Argis' plates of armour. Continuing to back up to avoid the knife, Argis attempted to grab the man's wrist as he dodged slashes, but all he got for his efforts was a wicked gash on the underside of his forearm. He was carefully watching this desperate man, and knew that the man was looking for a chance to safely bolt. His desperation made him particularly dangerous but also reckless.
The door of the Cornerclub suddenly banged open and it seemed like every patron in the building poured out of it. A few of them peeled off in different directions, but the vast majority of them oriented on the two Nords. One of the Dunmer screamed, "There they are!" The crowd surged towards Argis and his opponent, which distracted the knife-wielder. Taking advantage of the man's inattention, Argis lashed out and grabbed his wrist and squeezed, making him drop the knife.
By this time the mob had them surrounded in the middle of the street and they were in a decidedly ugly mood. One of the Dunmer darted out and scooped up the knife before either Argis or the other Nord could get it. "Damn the Nords. You think you can just take whatever you want?" shouted one.
"I did nothing wrong! I stopped him," roared Argis. It felt like the ring of Dunmer was closing in slowly. "Take him to the jarl's court for justice," shouted the warrior as real fear began to set in. They looked like they were going to tear him apart.
A woman's voice screeched, "The jarl won't care about a Dunmer! He'll just set you free in moments. No! We'll show you that you can't take anyone you want."
Argis ducked into a crouch as a clay mug flew at the space his head had occupied moments ago, and he heard the other man scream as it shattered against his flesh.
"No! Stop!" called out a woman's voice from somewhere in the crowd surrounding them. There was a slight jostling as a cloaked figure pushed through the crowd to the front. The hood on the cloak fell back from her face and revealed the bruised visage of the victim. By now her eye had completely swollen shut, and she had not even had the time to clean the dirt and tear tracks from her face. From the way her cloak swirled, Argis could see that she wore a thin shirt and cotton pants under the cloak.
"Elusa, go back to the Cornerclub. You'll be safe there and we'll make sure these men never hurt another Dunmer again," snarled a man who clutched a rusted iron dagger.
Her voice shook and seemed thin, but it carried to the ears of the mob, and she said, "No! This one," she touched Argis's shoulder, "saved me. If you punish him then you are hurting the man who risked his life to save me." Venom filled her voice as she regarded her assailant, "Him though? I don't care what happens to him."
"Please! Give him over to the new jarl. Let Brunwulf prove himself," pleaded Argis. He did not want to see the other man murdered right in front of him.
The mob slowed and one man hesitantly said, "Maybe we should. This new jarl may prove a friend to us yet."
Most of the hateful glares slipped off of Argis as Elusa stood next to him. They shifted to the other Nord and Argis hoped he had stopped the imminent violence. The crowd seemed to be easing back from their murderous intent and murmurs of agreement and dissent made their way through the crowd. Speaking loudly, Argis said, "Send a few of your own with me and we'll go to the jarl's palace to hand this man over to the guards."
Elusa suddenly sagged and Argis caught her as she began to sink down. Two Dunmer men ran up to her and snarled at Argis, "Get your hands off of her, Nord." Quickly moving in to support her, they walked her back to the Corner Club. She cast a glance over her shoulder at Argis and he thought she mouthed "thank you" at him.
Someone from the crowd produced a small length of rope and used it to tie up the man's hands. Most of the crowd dispersed, but a five stayed with the assailant. Argis gripped one of his arms, and a Dunmer gripped the other as they marched directly to the Palace of the Kings. Approaching the ancient structure, the door guards stopped the small group and asked what they were doing so late at the Palace. A Dunmer woman angrily told the guards what had happened, and Argis firmly nodded when they looked to him for confirmation. They followed the guards, who had taken possession of the brown haired Nord, and followed them down to the prison and watched the guards lock their charge away before returning to the door.
At the small courtyard of the Palace, Argis turned to the five Dark Elves who had accompanied him and said softly, "I'm sorry this happened, but please know that I personally will ensure that he is punished for what he did to that woman."
A red eyed man looked over Argis with a neutral expression and asked, "What's your name, Nord?"
"Argis," replied the warrior simply.
Nodding, the man said, "We Dunmer are a tight knit community in Windhelm, and as much as it gall some of us to admit it, Elusa probably owes her life to you. Your name will be heard by many ears very quickly, and I can assure you that for once we will speak praising words for a Nord."
Argis knew the way the two communities in Windhelm conflicted and he was quietly dumbstruck by the other man's words, but he managed to stammer out, "I am honoured by your words, friend. Thank you."
The red eyed Dunmer nodded, and gestured to his friends and they departed back to the Grey Quarter without another word. Argis took his own leave and headed for Hjerim. He sighed as he looked at his bloody arm, which had mostly clotted already but still oozed blood, and how much of the night had been taken up by the whole encounter. Ardanthis would be worried sick about him. Suddenly, a voice spoke from the shadows a nearby narrow street, "Did you want me to patch that arm up, Argis?"
He immediately fell into a defensive stance with his fists raised until he saw Ardanthis step out of the shadows and out of his invisibility. Argis dropped his stance in shock as he incredulously asked, "Ardanthis! What are you doing here?"
With a small smile the Altmer replied, "One of the Dunmer from the tavern ran to get me and said something about two Nords that were going to get killed in the Grey Quarter. I immediately hurried out there, but by the time I arrived you had diffused most of the situation. I discreetly watched and then followed, ready to reduce them to blocks of ice if they made a move on you. You handled that admirably, Argis, but your arm is still bleeding slightly." Approaching the warrior, Ard gently took the man's arm and illuminated the street in golden light as he restored it.
The warrior gave an appreciative nod and they turned towards Hjerim. The wizard's hand on his arm held him back though, and Ard inquired, "I won't demand you tell me what Calder told you of his life, but I need to know if he is truly trustworthy? I know you said yes earlier, but you seemed to avoid the question earlier."
"He is, love. He's sold enough of himself that I think he's looking for somewhere to start building up again," softly replied the Nord. Ardanthis merely nodded at the warrior and walked with the warrior back to Hjerim.
Calder jumped up out of his seat as they entered and fearfully asked, "Are you alright, Argis?"
"I am, Calder. Besides a minor gash and some tension I've been fine, really. But I'm exhausted, so I'm going to go," replied the warrior.
Ardanthis was not far behind the warrior, but tipped his head to the other man and said, "Good night, Calder."
Argis slipped upstairs to his own room and immediately washed the blood and grime off of himself and sat down on the bed. He placed his head in his hands and sighed deeply. He heard the door to their room open and close quickly. He glanced up and sat Ard stripping his own armour off and washing down. Joining the warrior on the bed, he sat down and softly said, "I think Windhelm is more complicated than either of us gave it credit for, but we'll do right by it." Argis nodded and embraced his husband. They sat that way for a long moment until they slipped under the blankets and Argis quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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AN: If you don't remember who Calder is, go (re)read chapter 1 as he's in there. Otherwise, I hope you guys leave me feedback, positive or negative. If you don't want to publicly give the feedback as a review feel free to send me a message.