AN: This chapter will contain more smuttiness, and I apologize if this offends anyone. It is, as usual, flagged in the chapter. If you don't want to read it, I flagged its ending too. You should just be able to use the find feature and look for (( or )) as those are what I used for notation. If you don't read it, what happens is shortly explained in a later passage. As an aside, did anyone else notice that Skyrim, in general, just has very few doors that don't involve you loding a new area? In a house as large as Hjerim you would want doors to keep the heat in the room you're in. Unless you plan to try to heat the entire house, which would take an exorbitant amount of warmth I think, then you would like small, enclosed spaces.
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The clatter and chatter of the three men in Hjerim sharing a breakfast filled the large dining room. Small jokes and stories flew between the three men as fresh buttered bread and fruit-heavy oatmeal were bolted down. The conversation ground to an immediate halt as a loud rapping could be heard on the door. Rising quickly, Ardanthis opened the door and saw a city guard. His brows contracted and a frown formed on his features as he looked at the guard in front of him and he asked, "What's wrong?"
Extending his hand, the guard offered the wizard a neatly folded letter, "Express orders from the jarl, my thane." He gave a short bow and left before the wizard could say anything else.
Ardanthis closed the door behind him as he returned to the two expectant looking housecarls. Cracking the seal on the letter he quickly scanned it and his frown did not lighten. "What's wrong, love?" asked Argis.
Not looking up from the letter, Ard replied, "Brunwulf wants us, expressly you and I, Argis, to go out and eliminate a small band of five Stormcloak loyalists. They're apparently in a small valley known as 'Windcalm Vale' but strike out at Imperial targets. Additionally, their leader is Tor Coldblade and he can be identified by a ring made of gold with a sapphire on a chain around his neck. We need that as proof of his demise." He quickly looked up at Calder and quickly inquired, "Do you know where that vale is?"
The red haired Nord nodded and said, "It's not an official place on any maps, but it's a commonly known place – especially to the farmers around Windhelm. You'll find it to the west of the city, but north east of the Nightgate Inn. It will take you about a full day's travel to get there and another day to get back, but that assumes good travelling conditions."
Nodding and focused on the letter, Ardanthis immediately headed for the stairs up to his room, the last of his breakfast lay forgotten behind him. Argis sighed softly, but wore an amused expression as he watched his thane quickly depart. He quickly followed the elf up to their room and left Calder behind with an apologetic look.
He immediately began to throw his armour on and watched the elven wizard strapping into his leathers. Argis' steel plate was quickly put on as the Nord clad himself in his armour and grabbed his pack. Thumping down the stairs he quickly made his way to the kitchen where he set up three days worth of supplies. Taking two days worth into his own pack, he made sure the two healing potions he had in his pack were easy to access before rising to stand by the door. The Altmer was down the stairs moments later, and immediately got the last chunk of their supplies.
As he was about to leave the wizard turned to Calder and softly said, "I'm sorry we're leaving you here. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get a portion of the bounty. I think the jarl wants us to prove our value to the city, or else he would have allowed me to bring whoever I want. We'll be back in two, perhaps three, days so feel free to take advantage of the books around Hjerim if you want to." Calder nodded as the two men slipped away.
They immediately left the city by its front gates and took the direction that Calder had suggested. The hours and distance slipped away beneath their swift-moving feet and they settled into a comfortable routine of watchful silence as they looked for threats, both natural and unnatural.
They approached an outlying farm, one of the last ones before the real, untamed wilderness of Skyrim began, and were intent on making sure they were on the right track to the vale when a scream pealed out into the still air. With one look at each other, the two men ran towards the farm. The small stone building's wooden door was splintered and swung lazily around in the cold wind.
A single man in the regalia of a Stormcloak soldier stood outside the building and he quickly spotted the approaching men. He darted inside, and moments later four more men poured out of the home. Sobbing from within the house could be faintly heard over the blowing wind as the five men stood before the doorway. In the center of the formation stood a tall Nord in the bear fur armour of a Stormcloak officer and he sneered disdainfully at the thane and his housecarl.
His cold gaze appraised the warrior and wizard, and his powerful voice boomed, "So, that usurper has sent you two to stop the five of us? I know about you two, you know. Brunwulf sends a High Elf and a Nord from another city to clean up his problems for him? Pathetic. It's no matter. The people of Windhelm have been crushed down by the Imperial forces, but maybe they will find their spines again when the head of their precious thane is found in front of the gates."
"And you are Tor Coldblade then? Why are you harming these farmers?" asked Ardanthis calmly.
Disgust poured off the Nord's words as he replied, "I am Tor Coldblade, and I am punishing these wretches because they refused to help us. They were afraid of the Imperials finding out, and so they tried to deny us what is ours. We are showing them that the Stormcloaks, even in defeat, are more terrifying than the Imperials could ever be."
Ardanthis' voice filled with authority and certainty as he declaimed, "These are rightful citizens of the Empire and I will not permit you to persist in harming them. Surrender yourself to my custody and face judgement in Windhelm or die now."
Tor guffawed loudly as he heard the wizard's demand. Disdainfully he asked, "Did you really think we would go down that easily? That the Stormcloak spirit would be broken by one elf's haughty words? Come, lads, let's show them the ferocity of the Stormcloaks!"
The four Stormcloak soldiers, their faces completely covered by their helmets, drew their swords. Ardanthis brought his now-blazing hands together and quickly launched a massive bolt of fire at the soldier to Tor's immediate right. Not expecting the magical attack from someone dressed in leathers, the soldier didn't dodge in time. With a loud whoosh the flames slammed into his chest, propelling him backwards and into the stone wall of the hut. The man slammed against the wall before bouncing off to lie face down in the snow. Magical fires still licked up from beneath his chest, but he was clearly dead.
Drawing his two swords, the elf and the warrior split up to draw their opponents apart. Tor drew a massive claymore that shimmered with a soft blue iridescence and with another one of his soldiers he cautiously approached the wizard's dual steel blades. Edging back slightly, the Altmer saw the other two soldiers split off to engage Argis.
His attention was drawn off of Argis as the faceless soldier rushed him and swung a clumsy, over-handed chop. Ardanthis blocked the sword strike with his right weapon and suffering a jarring pain shooting up his arm. He began to bring his other weapon around to disembowel the man he was engaged with when he saw a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. Throwing himself out of the way he barely avoided Tor's claymore, which slammed its point into the ground. Quickly pulling it back, Tor eyed the elf carefully as the two warriors circled the High Elf. Ard noticed that a small web of frost had spread along the ground where the sword had struck and he winced when he thought of what that sword would do to him if it connected.
Appraising his two opponents, Ard felt certain that the helmeted one was definitely the weaker of the two. He waited for the two Nords to flank him before suddenly whipping around and rushing at the less experienced warrior. He loosed a flurry of blows and succeeded in knocking the other man's guard aside before raking his blade along his gut. The metal of his Stormcloak armour split beneath the blade's edge and the soldier shrieked as he clutched at his innards, which were threatening to spill out.
Not even hesitating to look for Tor, Ard dashed to the left and around the sagging and sobbing warrior. Looking towards the real threat, Ard saw the big warrior stop his advance as his own dying soldier came between him and his target.
A resounding scream from Argis' combatants tugged a quick glance from the wizard, who saw one of the warrior's foes clutching a blood covered arm while the housecarl buried his sword in the chest of the other man. With a sickening squelch, he tugged the sword out and faced the other man. The man that Ard had disemboweled slipped to the ground with a soft mewling noise before dying.
Ardanthis' attention returned to Tor as the Nord bellowed a war cry and charged the elf. Too slow to completely dodge the attack, Ard was forced to step back to avoid the worst of the swing and deflect the remaining force. Using both of his swords as a makeshift barrier, the claymore clanged off of them. Ard's triumphant smile quickly vanished as he cried out in pain. The icy magicka that was bound into the blade travelled down the wizard's weapons and slid into him. While it felt like his hands were frozen solid, he knew that blade did not possess that kind of power. He still staggered back in pain as the chill sensations ravaged his hands which were locked around his blades.
Ard didn't want to try to continue the fight in his present condition as his wrists felt too stiff to deftly wield the blades and they also felt likely to shatter at the next hard impact. Tapping into the magical forces that he knew so well, the Altmer called just a trace of fire to his hands. He did not want to risk heating up the blades too much, which could result in them becoming weaker from the rapid contraction and expansion, but he needed to become combat ready again. Tor was sizing him up and estimating how badly the cold had hurt his opponent, and with a predatory grin he pressed the attack against the wizard.
A wet gurgle from Argis' last foe told Tor that the last of his men had died and that he was alone against the thane and his housecarl. Swearing to himself, he turned and rushed towards Argis, who was struggling to get his weapon out of the ribcage of the man he had just killed.
"Don't try to block, Argis! The sword's magic will strike through the shield," called out Ardanthis as he saw Argis beginning to raise his shield. Nodding while brutally ripping the blade out of the chest cavity of the dead man, Argis sidestepped the blade's swing. Using the force of ripping the blade out of the warrior's chest, Argis attempted to knock the claymore from Tor's hands. The swords clanged loudly together, but Tor held his grip on the weapon. Blue light slid out of the claymore and into Argis as the weapons connected, but the warrior merely grunted and shook his hand as if trying to get feeling back into it.
The fire magicka had thawed the wizard's hand well enough that he was ready to reengage with Tor, who was desperately pressing Argis' defences hard. Over the shouts and clanging metal, Tor didn't notice Ard's approach until it was almost too late. The wizard's blades clanked as they connected with but failed to penetrate the Stormcloak's armour.
Whirling around, Tor swept low with his claymore in an attempt to cut the elf's legs off. Ardanthis had anticipated some form of retaliation and was already leaping back.
The Stormcloak carried the momentum of his swing into another swing against Argis. Not expecting the strike, the blonde Nord was unable to dodge it and raised his shield. The resounding clang of the claymore connecting with the steel shield rang out as Argis staggered backwards. The flare of blue light and the force of the blow slowed the housecarl's reactions, and Tor's second swing was heading for the other Nord's chest. Ardanthis mentally panicked, knowing he was too far away to stop Tor and wouldn't be able to call the magical forces to him fast enough.
A rock suddenly flew out of the air and slammed into Tor's armoured head. A steel chain mesh underneath the bear fur hat absorbed most of the blow, but it spoiled the man's aim and forced him to step back. He snarled in dismay as Argis recovered his defensive footing and regarded Tor with renewed energy.
Ard looked over to the source of the rock and saw that the woman who lived in the small cottage had an armful of rocks and was taking aim at the Stormcloak officer. "Stupid Imperial loving bitch," spat the warrior as he tried to keep an eye on all three threats. The farm woman was surprisingly tactical with her shots, and saved them for when Ard or Argis moved in to attack.
It was only a short while later that the Stormcloak officer, now quite battered and bloody, gave one final roar and rushed the farm woman. She shrieked and dropped her remaining rocks as she began her own mad dash away from the murderous warrior thundering towards her. Argis broke into immediate pursuit, but both he and the Altmer knew that the Stormcloak would chase down the woman and catch her before either of them could get him with their swords.
Dropping his swords, Ardanthis shook his still-cold hands and lightning crackled and snapped around them. He took a deep, steadying breath as he felt the magic travel down from his chest to gather in his palms. Looking towards Tor, the wizard exhaled as the bolt of lightning streaked from his hands and struck the Nord. Jerking spasmodically as the electricity made his muscles jump, Tor collapsed to the ground, his sword flying free of his grasp. The Stormcloak officer struggled to push himself to his feet, but Argis used his momentum to drive a knee into the man's back as his sword slammed through his heart. The combination of Argis' speed and his weight drove the sword completely through Tor's chest, and the Stormcloak officer let out one final blood-tinged gasp as he expired.
The farm woman was staring wide-eyed at the dead body in front of her and she rapidly breathed in and out. Ardanthis slowly approached her and softly asked her, "Are you alright?"
Blinking a few times in numb shock as she regarded the Altmer she answered slowly, as if coming back to herself, "Yes...yes I'm fine." She seemed to snap back to full wakefulness as she raced back to the cottage and called out, "My husband! He needs help!"
Quickly following her, Ardanthis entered into the wrecked cottage and saw a prostrate man who had a large gash over his left eye. The woman was kneeling next to the body and begged the wizard, "Please, you can do magic. Do something for him!"
Nodding serenely, the wizard knelt across from the woman and placed golden-glowing hands on the man's chest. With a groan, the farmer looked around with disorientation and his wife cupped his face as she gently explained what had happened after he was knocked out.
Ardanthis rose quietly and stepped outside back to Argis. The Nord had already flipped Tor's body over and was in the process of opening up his armour. With cold efficiency, the warrior fished a small silver chain out from under the warrior's hauberk and held it up for Ardanthis to see. Though covered in blood, it could easily be recognized as the finely wrought gold and sapphire ring. Argis looked up at Ardanthis and said, "Looks like our quarry came to us this time. He shaved days off of our travel time." Cleaning the ring on the bear fur helm, Argis slipped it into a pouch on his waist while Ardanthis moved to examine the bodies of the other four men.
With a gentle tug, he pulled the helmet off of the soldier that he had first killed with the blast of fire. The Altmer winced as he saw how young the man – more of a boy than anything – actually was. Quickly moving to the other Stormcloak soldiers, he removed their helmets and saw that they were all young, which explained why when he had been fighting them they had felt less experienced than the other soldiers he had fought before. He frowned sharply at how the Stormcloak officer had used the young boys as disposable fodder.
The farmer and his wife staggered out of the cottage and surveyed the bloodied bodies that lay scattered in their front yard. To their credit, neither of them seemed overwhelmed with the situation but pragmatically decided to focus on what needed doing. The man said loudly, "These bodies will need to be buried or the scavengers will come sniffing around soon. The last thing I want to deal with is wolves after all of this." He looked to Argis and Ardanthis hopefully.
"We will help you with giving these men an honourable burial," immediately volunteered the wizard. Argis understood the problems facing the farmers all too well and had no issue with helping his thane and the farmers bury the dead. Despite the cold weather, it was warm enough this time of the year that the ground was not frozen and the grave digging moved forward quickly. The five bodies were quickly interred beneath the earth and makeshift repairs were made to the door. Tor was buried with the sword that had given his family line its name and the only thing that was kept was the ring, which the two needed to prove that he was slain.
Argis and Ardanthis were eager to return home quickly, and upon being assured that the farmers would be fine they made their way back to the main road. With quick strides, they wound their way back to Windhelm and arrived long after the sun had set.
Argis glanced frequently at the tavern as they entered the city, and the wizard noted those looks. Standing in front of the Candlehearth Hall, Ardanthis stopped his husband. Taking out his coin pouch, he handed the Nord a large number of septims and said, "Go. Enjoy yourself. You know I won't be able to really enjoy the tavern. We both remember what happened last time I tried." He winced slightly before smiling as he recalled what had happened last time.
Taking the septims, the Nord looked at the Altmer with slight suspicion, "And what are you going to do?"
Ardanthis held out his hand and replied, "First of all, I'm going to collect the bounty, and then I'm going to see what Calder is actually doing when we're not around."
Rolling his eyes, Argis handed the wizard the ring and asked, "You really don't trust him do you?"
With a small smile, the wizard answered, "It's not so much that I don't trust him, but that I know I can trust him."
"Very well, love. Do what you have to do in order to feel secure, but you're probably going to find him sitting there and reading," said Argis with a soft sigh as he headed towards the tavern.
Ard departed for the Palace immediately after seeing Argis walk away. Collecting the bounty was a simple matter as there was a tired looking steward attending the throne room specifically to listen to people and deal with any issues that arose. Handing over the gold ring and explaining the situation, Ardanthis waited patiently as the steward flicked through a large tome and wrote something down. The old man explained that the gold would be kept safely for the thane in the city's vaults, which was perfectly acceptable to Ardanthis. No one wanted to carry around massive sacks of gold when they could help it. Nodding in thanks to the steward, Ardanthis left the Palace and arrowed for Hjerim.
Despite what Calder and Argis had told him, he didn't trust the new housecarl. He knew that the man's story was false, it had been too neatly constructed and recited for the elf, and Argis hadn't been very forthcoming with further information. It was uncharacteristic of Argis to be so silent, which made the Altmer suspect that there was more to be learned about Calder. He hated feeling like he had to protect his investigation from his own husband, but he also suspected that the blonde was interested in protecting Calder out of past feelings. He had to know what secrets Calder was hiding. His conscience gave him a small twinge of guilt as he realized he had no right to the man's secrets and that subterfuge was not necessarily the best way to go about this. He suspected that if he tried to confront the red haired Nord about this, then he could get the same falsified accounting of the man's life. No. This was the only way he could know for sure, since the housecarl would not expect him to be back for another few days.
He stood in the shadows and looked at Hjerim. It looked placid and quiet, but Ard wasn't taking chances. He raised his left hand and a soft fog seemed to pour out of it and wrap around his feet before fading. He experimentally stomped his foot and was satisfied with the lack of noise if produced. With his sounds successfully muffled, he raised his right hand and shadows billowed out of it and ran down his arm. In a few heartbeats he was nothing more than a barely noticeable, and completely silent, blur that slowly opened front door. The magic of the muffle spell cancelled out the noise of the door opening, and the wizard poked his head in. The main floor was empty and the fireplace was cold. Ard tried to maintain a hopeful attitude. The darkened main floor didn't have to indicate anything as Calder could be reading in his room.
Still stepping softly despite the warding magic that almost ensured he was undetectable, Ard made his way up the stairs, which were also darkened, and hesitated as he saw light spilling out of the housecarl's room. He was thankful his own room door was still closed and dark, but he was intensely curious as to who was in that room with Calder.
((Smut begins here.))
He stepped up to the edge of the doorway and looked inside. Calder stood before an Orc, and each of them was reduced to nothing but their loincloths. The Orc, built as big as Argis but slightly taller, kissed the wiry Nord and ran his hands along Calder's body.
Ard mentally sighed, he had no right to interfere in Calder's personal life, and if Calder chose to love an Orc, who was the Altmer to judge? He still wished, however, that the Nord had been discreet enough to take this...interaction to an inn He began to slip away and give the Nord privacy when he heard the Orc say in a husky voice, "On your knees, Nord bitch. You've got to earn it."
His eyebrows furrowing, the thane slipped back to the doorway. Lovers didn't usually talk to each other like that, and what was Calder earning? The Orc had freed his massive erection and Calder was gently kissing it and licking it slightly when the Orc ordered, "Suck it." The Nord man began to pleasure the orc with gusto.
Perhaps Calder loved the Orc for guttural physical reasons, mused the elf. After all, the Orsimer cut an impressive figure with his battle hardened physique, scar covered body, and his obviously generous cock. He watched as the Orc ran green fingers through the Nord's red hair and forced the housecarl to take as much as he could with each grunting thrust. Suddenly slipping his cock out of the Nord's mouth, the Orc grunted out in his gravelly voice, "On the bed, Nord. You are going to have to earn your gold tonight." He chuckled darkly.
Calder removed his own loincloth before complying with the Orc's order. The pair slipped out of the elf's line of sight, so he silently darted across the doorway to the other shadows. He was relieved that neither of them noticed his nearly-invisible shape moving across the doorway. On one level, Ard was enjoying the show but on a more important level he was seething with anger. From all appearances, the Nord was whoring himself out and using Hjerim as a brothel. He was compromising the safety, security, and honour of the stately house for a petty profit. Oh yes, Calder would have to be spoken to about this.
As Ardanthis seethed and mused to himself, he watched the Orc slide three fingers in and out of Calder's ass. Giving the Nord's firm butt a hard slap, the Orc positioned himself behind the housecarl and slowly pressed his large cock into Calder's interior.
The Altmer had to admit, the look on Calder's face as the cock slid into him was an exquisite demonstration of feeling every inch moving into him. Fully seated within the Nord, the orc barked a triumphant laugh and then began to thrust in and out of Calder.
The sound of green flesh slapping against the Nord's pale buttocks filled the air as the Orc took his pleasure from the other man's body. The Nord gasped, moaned, and groaned appropriately as the large Orsimer played with the man beneath him. The High Elf wondered if the Orc would take a long time to finish as he watched the Orc slam into the other man's ass. The reputed stamina and hardiness of the Orcs played out before Ard as he watched Calder cum with a loud groan. The Orc sounded somewhat like a pair of bellows as he excitedly sucked in air and grunted as he continued to plough Calder.
With no regard for technique or method, the Orc's thrusting grew to a frenetic pace as he slammed into Calder and grunted. He sounds like a wounded boar, thought the wizard sourly. With a heaving bellow, the Orc climaxed into Calder. In an almost tender gesture, he patted the Nord's back and softly said, "Good Nord. That was good, like always." Calder only moaned low in his throat and shuddered slightly as he felt the Orc's seed being pumped deeply into him.
((Smut ends here.))
He pulled out of the housecarl and immediately began to dress as Calder lay down on the bed in exhaustion. The Orc looked at Calder as he covered his rock-solid body with armour and said, "Tell me next time they'll be out of the house and I'll come by again. I also wouldn't mind if you managed to get one of them in here with you." He gave another deep laugh and Ard resisted the temptation to reduce him to ash. Grabbing a bag that clinked, the Orc tossed it on the bed next to Calder and added, "Here's your usual pay."
The Orc turned to finish dressing as the Nord counted out the coins. The big Orc thumped down the stairs and left the sweaty Nord behind. Padding softly after him, Ardanthis followed the Orsimer to the door and let him leave. He waited a few minutes to give the Orc time to leave so as to allow Ard to leave without arousing suspicion. Opening the door silently thanks to his magic, the Altmer stepped silently out into the night and walked around the corner before letting his invisibility and muffling spells fade.
He headed straight for the Candlehearth Hall, his steps were quick and determined as angry thoughts churned in his mind. Arriving quickly at the front door, he took a deep breath to calm himself before quietly opening it and entering.
The tavern was busy that night, and one more patron entering was unnoticed by the crowd. Stepping off to the side, Ardanthis scanned the room for Argis and saw the Nord sitting at a table in the corner with a bottle of mead in front of him. Good, the wizard thought, he won't be drunk yet. Making his way through the crowd, which was enjoying the singing of a bard, Ardanthis quickly sat down at his husband's small table.
Argis gave the elf a surprised look for a moment before breaking into a smile, "Love! I didn't expect to see you back so soon. Did you find everything alright at home?"
Ardanthis' expression shifted from the neutral one he had maintained thus far and fell into the angry one he actually felt. "We need to have a talk. Now, Argis," said the Altmer in a quiet and tight voice and Argis nodded quickly. Ardanthis doubted that that was his first drink, but the Nord hadn't drunk nearly enough to be unable to talk seriously.
Rising from the table, they exited into the cold night. Ard wordlessly led Argis towards their home and the Nord asked, "What's wrong, Ard?" The High Elf merely shook his head in response and kept walking until he was sure they were alone.
They were in a small dip between Hjerim's neighbourhood and the market which sat close to a graveyard when Ardanthis asked, "Argis, I need you to tell me everything Calder told you."
Argis sputtered slightly and said, "I told you he's trustworthy. Please, don't ask me to betray his trust and just trust me."
"Argis," the elf began before continuing sharply, "When I went to Hjerim I fully expected to find the man sitting and reading quietly at the best, or getting wasted off our wine and mead at the worst. Do you know what I found instead? I found him whoring himself out to an Orc. He brings shame on both of us and on Hjerim by his actions." His voice softened as he saw the Nord's expression drop and he said, "Look, Argis, I know you want to protect him but I need to know what else he might do."
Scrubbing his face with his hands, the warrior sadly looked at his husband and said softly, "I'm so sorry, love. He told me that he used to sell himself, but he said..." Argis trailed off in thought before continuing with a hint of anger, "Oh damn. He never did promise to stop a damned thing. I made an assumption based off what wasn't said."
"You knew, Argis? Why didn't you tell me?" asked Ardanthis, noticeably trying to keep his composure.
Argis looked back at the wizard angrily, "Because I didn't think it would matter. I was hoping that you could forget his past and just take him from his present onward...like you did with me." Reaching out, the Nord caught the Altmer's hands and said, "Please, love, don't be mad. Let me try to talk to him first. With you, he'll just tell you what you want to hear but he might tell the truth to me."
Squeezing the Nord's hands reassuringly, the wizard sighed and replied, "I know it's not your fault, Argis, and I know I shouldn't blame you. I'll let you talk to him first and see if you can get some truth out of him. I'm still going to talk with him, though. I cannot sit by passively while my husband does everything."
With a wordless nod, they headed for Hjerim. This time, when the door opened it made its customary loud click of unlocking. Ardanthis looked pointedly at Argis and then up the dark stairs and loudly said, "I'm going to make us something to eat."
The Nord took the hint and with a heavy heart he walked up to Calder's room. He didn't know what to say, but he knew that whatever he said would be better than the accusations and disdain that his thane would heap upon the man. He approached the other housecarl's room and gently knocked on the door, which swung open under his touch.
Calder was immediately seated next to the fire with a book in his hands. Looking up at Argis he exclaimed, "I'm surprised that you're both back so soon! Was it a successful hunt then?"
Argis tried to muster a similar amount of cheer, but he knew he failed on that front as he replied, "Yes. Our target had actually ventured out of the vale and was harassing some poor farmer. We saved them and killed the Stormcloak."
Nodding, the red haired warrior asked hesitantly, "Is something wrong, Argis? You seem... off." He closed his book and looked intently at the blonde.
"Yes, we need to talk about something, Calder," said the other warrior with hesitation. He hurriedly continued, "Both Ardanthis and I want to know about – about the Orc you brought in here. Please don't tell me you're still selling yourself, not when you don't have to anymore." The pleading tone in his voice was edged with desperation. Argis truly wanted the other man to deny it, even though he would never believe Calder's words over Ard's.
Running his hands over the leather cover of the book as he looked down at it, Calder blew out a sigh before looking up at Argis. His eyes were as cold as chips of ice as he regarded the other Nord and said, "It's true." Those two words were enough to make Argis' face fall into a an expression of deep dismay, but before the other man could say a thing Calder continued, "I've been making money this way for years Argis, and I'm not dropping it over night for a man I don't know."
"But you can trust-" began Argis before being interrupted.
Calder snapped out, "Can I? I don't know that, Argis. You tell me how wonderful and kind he is, but you sound like a lovesick fool. Have you considered he may only be nice to you because you're his husband? You've only seen him act as a city's thane and as your husband and both of you gratify him. The city showers him with gold and praise, and I'd wager he spears you whenever he gets the inclination. You look down on me for selling myself for gold, but are you that much better? Just because he doesn't hand you a sack of gold at the end of it doesn't mean that all of this," he gestured around the room, "isn't earned from selling yourself."
Half of Argis wanted to colour in embarrassment at Calder's accusations, which rang with an element of truth, but the other half wanted to pale in anger at his presumption.
"Ask yourself why you're up here, Argis," coldly continued the blue eyed Nord, "Ask yourself why my thane isn't up here confronting me about things. We both know that he's no coward, so why are you the one talking to me?"
Exasperated with the other man's needling questions Argis spat, "Because you won't tell Ard the truth and we both know it."
Scowling, Calder shot in reply, "We both know you're here to protect me from him. You're here because he'd sneeringly tell me to leave and shame me in front of the whole city without a shred of remorse. Don't you dare to pretend he's better than he is. You mostly see the kind part of him, but do you really think that's what he mostly is? You choose to believe that's all there is to him and that the ugly half, the one that kills men without a care, is the small fraction."
"You don't know him-" began Argis, but he was cut off by Calder's barked laugh.
With great bitterness the new housecarl asked, "Are you really going to tell me that 'you don't know him!' because you sound like a badly written bard's story character. Maybe you are the one that's blind to his true nature, and not the only one who sees it. I will not give up my independence to a strange man without knowing who I'm giving it to."
Ardanthis' voice suddenly floated in from the doorway where the Altmer stood with a tired expression on his face, "Calder, you have every right to your worries and fear. To be honest, I sent Argis here because I knew that I probably would come in here with anger and conviction. I also knew that you didn't trust me quite the same as you trusted him." He took out a bag of gold and threw it on the table next to Calder, "But perhaps you should consider trusting me first. You didn't give me two days before assuming I was a cold-hearted liar. Are you really that scarred?"
Calder met the wizard's gaze for a moment before softly saying, "I've been in Windhelm long enough to know that honour is something most of the men here tell themselves so they can rest easily at night. I don't count on it for when I need to eat."
Ardanthis shrugged slightly and said, "If that's what the other men of this city are like, then I'm sorry you've been burned so often by them. Maybe you haven't noticed but I'm not from Windhelm, so perhaps I deserve a chance. I hope you understand, however, the complications created when you decide to whore yourself out in Hjerim. Your new position as housecarl does not afford you the luxury of being able to do what you want because your actions reflect on me now. I suggest you try trusting me first and if I fail you then I will honourably discharge you from my service so you resume your old life. Fair enough?"
Regarding the wizard with great suspicion, the red haired Nord nodded.
His expression suddenly turning tight, the Altmer added, "And I don't care what you want to assume about how I feel about Argis, but for what it's worth, I do love him. I didn't just marry him because he's handsome." His face broke into a sly smile as he said, "If it was really about sex, there are always whores around, aren't there?"
The Nord's bitter silence was all the answer that Ard needed.
"I'm glad we've reached some sort of compromise, Calder," said the wizard with a much more genuine smile. He yawned widely before continuing, "I'm going to try to get some sleep before the impending dawn, though."
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AN: Remember, reviews and criticisms are greatly appreciated!