AN: This chapter will contain NSFW parts and this time the double brackets will not flag them as they have before. Reading other fanfictions, I've noticed that there's a general dislike for author's notes in the middle of the text, and honestly I can see how they throw off the flow of the story. Of course, if you disagree with me feel free to PM me or put it in a review. If other things are irksome or poorly done, please let me know in the reviews.
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Ardanthis walked out of Calder's room, greatly pleased with himself for having put the housecarl in his place. He knew that his words had stung the overly cautious Calder, and he retreated to his room with a sense of contentment filling his thoughts. His keen elven hearing was strained as it listened for any snippets of words that the other two men might yet exchange, and the Altmer quietly changed out of the leather armour and sat in a chair as he oiled it while inspecting it for any signs of damage.
Satisfied that there were no overt signs of damage on his armour, he headed for a wash basin and grabbed the cloth that sat next to it. He began to cleanse the dirt off his body when the door slowly creaked open. Argis gave the elf a tired look before stripping his own filthy armour off. Experienced at this kind of labour, Argis had his armour cleaned and neatly piled against one corner of the wall as Ardanthis finished cleaning himself off.
Slipping beneath the covers, the elf watched the warrior as he washed his scarred body. The simple motions moved the warrior's well developed muscles, and the elf rose quietly to his feet from the mattress. He knew the Nord's wash routine so well that he waited for Argis to finish before gently walking around him and embracing the big man in a hug. Argis froze for a moment in surprise before returning the embrace with equal, silent vigour.
Though they pressed their nearly naked forms together, there was nothing erotic about the contact they shared. "It just struck me how stupidly often I've nearly lost you, Argis," whispered the elf into the other man's ear. He choked slightly as he continued, "You said that I took you as you were and didn't ask for me, but you – you also did that for me. You took a man who was running in a strange country and gave him a reason to stand still and build a home. Please Argis, don't ever leave me."
Argis' deep voice was a soft rumble as he replied, "I'll always be here, love. Always. We're both just damaged enough to fill the other in." He smiled slightly as he asked, "But what prompted this? Was it Calder?"
"Yes," breathed the wizard softly, "Maybe... maybe he's just as damaged as us, but he never had someone to fill in his empty places."
Breaking the hug just long enough to lead the wizard to the bed, Argis gently pulled the wizard down next to him and placed his arm over the elf's shoulder. Pulling him in, Argis wordlessly held his thane. He smiled at the seemingly absurd image that they created together. How Windhelm would gossip at the scandal of their thane, the dragonborn no less, simply needing to hold and be held.
Moments like this were the times that utterly refuted the other housecarl's accusations, realized the Nord. Both Argis and Ardanthis had sworn that in the privacy of their bedroom they would just be two people in love without the walls that their respective stations and cultures created. Calder couldn't see their lovemaking as anything but physical gratification for the elf, but Ardanthis tried to please his husband too. Then there were times like this, which revealed that there was so much more to it that the rutting that Calder knew.
Slipping under the covers as the fire burned low in its hearth, they huddled together to share warmth and simply enjoy each other's presence.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Sitting in his own room, Calder quietly seethed at the elf's words. They were insulting and degrading to him, and he would be damned if he let that overblown elf dictate his actions to him. Truthfully, he would have to be more discreet about his business than he had been before. He was angered that Ardanthis had spied on him but he was quietly relieved that the elf only caught him with the one Orc and not the various men who had been in the house earlier in the day.
Calder looked longingly in the direction of the closed door of the thane's room. Argis, the damned fool, just didn't see that the elf was a callous killer. His blood rose slightly as he imagined the elf, even now, having his way with the other man.
It wasn't right! Argis was a proud Nord – anyone could see that – but he let himself be used by this Altmer trash, Calder thought to himself. Couldn't he see that there were so many Nords who would love him faithfully? Couldn't he see he didn't have to settle for the elf? It mattered nothing that the elf was a thane. He had gotten lucky and had moved up through sheer fluke. He hadn't earned a damn thing, not like Argis, who knew suffering.
Why couldn't the other Nord see how like Calder he was? Gods above, they had both fought together! It would only take a little persuasion to convince him to move into to a more suitable relationship.
The red haired Nord's thoughts swirled darkly as he fed the fires slowly. Suddenly, he smiled as he realized he knew exactly how to get Argis to come to him.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The following days passed quietly as the city settled into the control established by the Imperials. The same grumblings that had haunted the city after the last thane's fall gradually grew in a sullen silence as the people adjusted and the new thane promised to shown Windhelm a better future.
Not wishing to outrage the already fractured city, Argis kept his public appearance to that of a dutiful housecarl. The city's taverns buzzed with gossip over the couple, and speculations and opinions ran wild about what went on in Hjerim.
Within that house, Ardanthis and Argis tossed worried theories back and forth regarding Calder who frequented the taverns alone.
The winds that gave the city its name howled fiercely outside Hjerim as the Altmer and Nord lay on their shared bed. Ardanthis lay on his side, his head propped up on his arm and he gently ran a fingertip along Argis' torso as he muttered, "You know we don't know what he's doing out there."
Laying on his back and staring at the ceiling, Argis replied, "Of course we don't know, but you spoke with him and I think we can trust him."
Letting out a gusty sigh, the elf replied, "Are you sure? He didn't seem...convinced of my intentions. And you know I can't have him becoming too publicly associated with us if I can't trust him."
"Why not?" asked Argis with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.
"Because if I did, and he were still doing what he's doing, then we would have a complete scandal and most of whatever fragile reputation we have established in this city will be lost," calmly answered the High Elf.
Argis turned on his side and mirrored his husband's posture before saying, "We don't know what he's doing, love. A man's allowed to go out and drink, isn't he? You can't ask a Nord to not be a Nord!"
His finger quickly moved up to Argis' tattoo and began to slowly trace that as Ard answered, "I asked you to not be a Nord."
Using his free hand Argis gently caught Ard's and said, "I was never like the others though." He continued in a stern voice, "But this isn't about me, this is about Calder."
"Argis," began the elf, "You're always defending him no matter what he does or what I say."
Argis retorted with unexpected heat, "Because you're always attacking him! Everything he does is suspect. Everywhere he goes is a possible disgrace and you're itching to get rid of him."
Ardanthis' emerald eyes locked onto Argis' brown one as he simply asked, "Tell me the truth - do you still love him after all these years?"
The Nord's jaw dropped in shock and he hesitated before answering. A little voice in his head told him that the elf had it right, and that Argis had never given up on his first love. Steeling his resolve, Argis quickly answered, "No, love. Ardanthis, you are the only one my heart desires now. I may have had feelings for him, but that was decades ago and I'm over it." No you're not, said that nagging voice with complete certainty.
His gaze softening, a relieved expression crossed the High Elf's features as he whispered, "Thank you for that, Argis." He leaned forward and kissed his husband deeply.
The wandering finger returned and slid down the Nord's body as the elf asked in the breaks between their kisses, "Up for a little more than kissing?"
Argis answered by pulling his husband on top of him and using both his hands to tug at their loincloths.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Calder grunted as the Argonian hissed in pleasure and slid into him. He tried to breathe deeply and relax as the bright green lizard cock slid in and out of his unprepared self. "Open up, Nord," another Argonian hissed from in front of him. Obliging the green and brown scaled Argonian before him, Calder opened his mouth and took a deep breath a heartbeat before it was filled with the other lizard's member.
Both lizardmen pumped the red haired Nord in a Candlehearth Hall room and the raucous noise that filled the common room covered the pleased hisses that escaped the Argonians. As they were simple dock workers, the Argonians were rough, muscular, and enthusiastic about their time with Calder.
Grunting as the long cock rammed into his prostate and sent a wave of pleasure through him, Calder tried to maintain his focus on the other dick being jammed down his throat. He rarely did business with pairs, but these Argonians had saved up quite a bit of coin and the Nord suspected it was precisely so they could find someone to do anything they wanted to.
What felt like a long time passed, and other than a few barked orders, the Argonians only hissed and moaned in the pleasure they got from Calder's wet heat. The Nord was almost relieved when the dick being shoved down his throat turned into what felt like a tube of steel and the Argonian laughed and said, "The human wants to taste the Hist sap." Moments later the Argonian's thick, hot cum shot down Calder's throat and made the man swallow as fast as he could. The thick organ's pace barely slowed after the ejaculation and the red haired Nord winced in annoyance. Argonians had a lot of stamina, but he couldn't turn them away, not with the coin they were offering.
The other Argonian's first hot load filled the warm confines of Calder's ass, and he resolutely continued to let the lizardmen have their fill of him. Suddenly, a scaly hand belonging to the red and brown Argonian behind him wrapped itself around his dick and began to pump him. While clearly inexperienced, it was pleasurable and the Argonian behind him grunted out, "Cum for us, Nord. Cum for us so you can tell all your damned Nord friends how you took the seed of two Argonians and enjoyed it."
With a particularly loud moan of his own, Calder covered the scaled hand with his own sticky, white expulsion. Clearly the faster of the two, the Argonian slamming his dick down Calder's throat came again with another heady groan.
Swallowing down that load, the Nord became hopeful that he'd be done with the lizard's dick in his mouth so he could breathe easily as the other Argonian rode him. It was going to be a long night with the two very eager lizard men, but Calder would bear it for the coin. He needed it too badly for what he planned.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ardanthis' sword clanged loudly off of Argis' and he immediately stepped backwards as the Nord rushed towards him. Deftly sidestepping, the Altmer swung his practice blade at Argis' unprotected flank but missed as the warrior continued to rush by.
Digging his boots in, the Nord whirled around and carefully looked at his sparring partner before testing the High Elf's defences with a series of quick jabs. Frantic parries from the High Elf warded off the Nord's blows, but it put the dragonborn on the defensive and Argis pressed the attack.
Both combatants halted as the crunching of footsteps on snow sounded in Hjerim's small courtyard. Turning to look at whoever approached, Ardanthis immediately sheathed his swords and calmly said, "Hello, Calder. We were wondering where you had gone."
Giving the elf a warm smile Calder replied, "I went drinking at the Hall and got a little carried away. Forgive me, my thane."
"Of course," said the wizard with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We were just about to have lunch," he continued.
Picking up on the implied offer, Calder immediately said, "I would be honoured to join you two. Argis here is a master chef and serves excellent fare. The Hall simply cannot compete."
Argis lightly laughed at the compliment, but Ard wasn't sure if the Nord coloured slightly from it or the cold winds.
Entering Hjerim, Ardanthis slipped upstairs to change into some more civilian clothes with the two housecarls trailing him. Slipping into their room and closing the door, Ard and Argis undid the straps and buckles holding their armour down.
Leaving their shared room, Argis headed for the kitchen and called out, "Love, could you make us some restoratives while I get the meal ready? Might as well not be exhausted for the rest of the day."
Calling out and affirmative, the Altmer headed into the room that had once been a scene of gore and horror. Currently, no trace of that lingering murder remained and the air was scented with a mixed aroma from all of the herbs that he kept on the shelves. The magic light he had enchanted glowed to life as he entered the room.
Humming to himself as he entered the room, the wizard swept the necessary reagents off of the shelf and fired up the alembics on the alchemy table with a flick of his hand. Efficiently grinding the reagents to a powder, he quickly mixed them with water before allowing them to simmer over a small fire. The steam from the resulting mixture vented out of the glass container, and resulting distillation was collected in two separate vials. The Altmer tried to give the mixture a swirl, and winced at the thick, syrupy texture. Quickly adding more water, he corked the vials with his thumb and shook them vigorously until they were of a much more palatable consistency.
He extinguished the fires with another wave of his hand and quickly left the room, still humming to himself. He returned to the dining hall to find it set for three, but Calder was not waiting at his usual place. Leaving the restoratives on the table the wizard quietly stepped over to the kitchen doorway.
A grimace of dismay clouded his features for a moment as he beheld Calder standing so close to Argis. Easily overhearing their conversation, he discovered they discussed nothing more sinister than which spices to include in the potato and leek soup, but their sheer proximity gave him an unreasoning anger. Silently letting out his breath, the wizard reminded himself that Calder was just being nice and entered the kitchen. He stepped back and retrieved the vials of green liquid before handing one of them to Argis, he popped the cork on his own before they both swallowed it in one gulp.
Sighing as the reinvigorating concoction swept through his system, Argis smiled at his husband and said, "Soup's almost ready. Did you know Calder's not half bad at cooking, Ard?"
The wizard returned Argis' smile with forced energy and said, "No. I'm surprised he never mentioned it, though."
"Well I don't like to brag," began the red hair Nord before a knock at the door cut him off. Calder immediately said, "I'll see who it is," before rushing off.
Stirring the potion and peering at its contents, Argis murmured, "I know you're not enthused about this, love. You're putting on a good show, but I can still tell you don't trust him."
Ardanthis opened his mouth, uncertain of whether he was going to deny or admit to his husband's accusation when Calder re-entered. He handed a neatly folded letter to Ardanthis and said with a little laugh, "You're in high demand these days, my thane."
"Read it out for us," requested the blonde Nord as he stirred the soup.
Clearing his throat, Ardanthis read off, "To the newly appointed thane of Windhelm. First and foremost I would like to extend my congratulations on your role in returning Skyrim to the Empire. I can only hope your noble deeds have brought you great rewards, but I've heard that you're yet willing to do more great acts for those with coin and loyalty to the Empire. Having recently arrived in Windhelm from the Imperial City, I was accosted as my carriage made its way to this magnificent city by a devilish brute of an Orc. He wailed something unintelligible at my escort, and killed two of my guards with the largest steel hammer I have ever seen before being driven off. One of my men trailed discreetly behind him as he fled and tracked the man to Darkhollow Cave. Surely we cannot permit a bandit of such ferocity to remain near Windhelm, can we? I will dispense a large sum of gold upon proof of this creature's demise. Should you choose to accept this charge as your own, I would warn you that the Orc appears to be deaf, but not dumb. The man who tracked him oafishly broke a branch by his own admission but the brute never noticed. My friends within the city tell me that you frequently travel with heavily armoured men on these kinds of outings. I suggest stealth, as the Orc may outmatch even their strength. Imploringly yours, Marrinus Viraro."
A moment of silence descended over the group as Ardanthis finished the letter. "Well, he's definitely as long winded as an Imperial," chuckled Argis.
"Have you heard of this 'Marrinus Viraro' before, Calder?" asked the wizard.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, the housecarl answered, "No, but many Imperials are flocking to Skyrim to either rebuild it or to govern it now that the war is over. He could easily be new to the city."
Ardanthis sighed and threw the letter on the table, "If we really do have a lone madman this close to the city, I need to deal with him. The guards are too busy quelling the last of the Stormcloak diehards, and he might escape them all if they come crashing towards him."
"I don't like the idea of you going alone," said Calder with evident concern in his voice. He continued, "If the Orc is deaf, like the letter claims, then taking one of us along should not be a concern."
"We can't risk him hearing anyone, though. He killed two warriors without aid, so no, Calder. I won't risk either of you," replied the elf.
Argis finished stirring the soup and said, "Don't be overconfident, Ard. Play it safe and take one of us with you."
"No," the wizard said with finality, "I'm not risking your lives on something I can do more safely on my own."
With a worried sigh Argis beckoned them over to eat and they sat down to a quiet meal. Only the crackling of the fire accompanied them until Argis finally asked, "When are you leaving, love?"
Ardanthis hesitated and asked, "Calder, where is Darkhollow Cave?"
"Two days' journey to the south east," he answered quickly, "There's been very little Stormcloak activity in that direction, so you should be able to make good time."
Pursing his lips, the Altmer said, "I should leave today then. It's just after noon, so I'll make good time."
"Gods, you never sit still," grumbled Argis. Quickly rising and heading towards the kitchen, he said over his shoulder, "Did you even think out what you were going to eat? Of course not." His tone was jovial as he packed non-perishable foodstuffs into a pack.
Dashing up the stairs to his room, Ardanthis quickly slipped on the armour he had just taken off a short while ago. Strapping his two steel swords to his hips, he came back down to find Argis standing by the door holding a backpack.
Ard handed Calder the map of Windhelm's surrounding area and asked, "Could you mark down the cave for me?"
Nodding silently, Calder studied the map for a moment and drew a small X where the cave was. He handed the map back to Ardanthis, who carefully placed it in his pack after folding it. With a quick kiss for Argis he softly said, "I'll return soon. Maybe I'll be lucky twice and he'll meet me on the road."
Rolling his eyes Argis added, "And he'll fall on your blades too, won't he?" Catching the wizard's hand he whispered softly, "Please be safe, Ardanthis."
"I will," earnestly replied the wizard, "We've been through so much together, this lone Orc won't even slow me down."
With those words he turned and left the house.
Argis closed the door behind the rapidly disappearing form of the Altmer with a heavy sigh. "He'll be fine," remarked Calder after clapping Argis' shoulder.
"I just don't know what to do now. We always go together," muttered the warrior with dismay.
With a wolfish smile Calder suggested, "Spar with me."
"What?" asked Argis with momentary confusion.
"Spar with me," repeated the red hair warrior. "You know that you're going to be distracted with worry until you physically get it out of your system, so spar with me."
A slow-spreading smile crept across Argis' features for a moment before he nodded and said, "I think I will." Rushing up to his room, the blonde Nord quickly rushed to armour himself.
Grinning and following him, Calder hurried into his small room and also armed himself.
"It's strange we've never once touched blades," Argis commented as he watched the other warrior thump down the stairs.
With a slight shrug, Calder said, "I've never been asked."
Stepping out into the bright sunlight, Argis looked with confusion at Calder's lone sword. "No shield? Not even a dagger to parry with?" he asked.
Calder let out a confident laugh and said, "Who needs a dagger or a shield if you're good enough with just the sword?"
They quickly settled into their combat stances and sized the other up. Their first swings were cautious and easily countered, but they quickly ramped up to a clanging combat pace. Argis' confidence in his ability to best Calder grew with each clash of their swords. Though the other Nord was faster on his feet than Ardanthis' husband, Calder lacked the deft control over his single blade that he needed to get around Argis' shield.
Deciding to end the battle now that it had been going on for some time now, Argis rushed towards Calder and ducked under his horizontal cut and bashed the edge of his shield into the back of his opponent's knee. With a surprised grunt, Calder fell over and stopped trying to rise when he felt the keen edge of Argis' blade at his neck.
"Well...done..." Calder sputtered in between gasps.
Breathing heavily himself, Argis replied, "That is why I believe a shield is superior to a free hand."
Sheathing his blade, Argis extended his hand and helped the housecarl to his feet. Calder winced and stumbled, but Argis caught him before he could fall. "Damn," he swore, "I think your shield did some real damage to my knee."
Argis felt a flush of shame as he supported the other man to a chair just inside the door. He swore to himself and wished that Ardanthis had waited just one more night to leave because the wizard's magic could have restored Calder's knee in short order.
As it was, the red haired Nord could only sit in the chair and gingerly unbuckle the greaves from his legs. Quickly coming to an idea, Argis announced, "I'm going to get you a healing potion." In spite of Calder's protests, the other Nord rushed to the small alchemy room and looked with dismay at the nearly bare shelves. He had forgotten that most of the restoratives he had were in the pack he gave Ardanthis. A lone little bottle of crimson liquid sat on the shelf and carried the potion back to the injured housecarl.
"It's all we have left," said Argis apologetically as he handed the potion to Calder.
A grateful nod from the red haired Nord and a wince were Argis' only reply as Calder quickly downed the restorative. Heaving a relieved sigh, Calder smiled as he rubbed his knee and said, "Oh that's better already... but could you help me to a chair closer to the fire?"
Argis knew the potion wasn't enough to restore Calder that fast, but he appreciated the other Nord's effort to alleviate his guilt. He quickly shuffled two of the ornate chairs into position before the fire and rushed back to Calder, who was standing with a pained look on his face and bracing himself on the chair he had previously sat on. Slipping under Calder's arm, Argis helped the other Nord to a chair before the fire, and the pained expressions that Calder was clearly trying to suppress send pangs of shame through him.
Calder slipped his gloves off with a relieved sigh and cast them aside. Following his example Argis began to remove his armour and piled it neatly in front of his seat where he could methodically ensure it remained in good repair.
A nervous chuckle escaped Calder as he hesitantly asked, "Argis, could you help get my breastplate off? I can't reach any of it from where I'm sitting."
Nodding eagerly, the blonde housecarl slipped the last piece of armour off of himself and moved quickly to help Calder. He efficiently undid the last straps and helped the other housecarl remove his protective steel.
Argis quickly stepped back and sat into his chair and focused on his armour in an attempt to focus his thoughts. Calder mirrored his motions and soon the scrape of whetstones complemented the crackle of the fireplace as the pair sharpened their swords.
First to break the silence, Calder said, "You know, I always wondered what Markarth was like after I left."
"You didn't miss much," replied Argis with a snort. He examined his blade's edge in the light for a moment before continuing, "It was a seething pit of vipers that was never really shown until you slipped a little."
Calder cast a curious glance at Argis and asked, "Tell me about it anyway. I missed so many years of that city's life. Strangely enough, I miss it a little."
Smiling wryly at the newly polished blade he was holding Argis nodded and said, "I do too. Despite what the people there did to me, there was something that shaped me there. And it was there I met with Ardanthis."
"Tell me about the city. It'll pass the time if nothing else," implored Calder.
Argis obliged him and began to tell Calder of his life. With Calder asking the odd question, he prodded Argis' tale along and listened carefully. The red haired housecarl eventually coughed and said, "Could you get me a drink, my knee still pains me. And if I'm thirsty you must be dry too!"
He was so absorbed in his own memories that Argis realized that the other Nord was telling the truth. He was thirsty and there was plenty of mead in Hjerim, a gift for the victorious Dragonborn from the grateful Imperials, which Argis didn't hesitate to fetch. Pushing a small side table between the two chairs, Argis placed several bottles between the two Nords. Grinning, he said, "I'm enjoying telling my tales too much. Maybe I should go to Solitude and become a bard." Calder chuckled and reached for a bottle of mead.
Not a moment behind him, Argis grabbed the bottle and popped the cork out. Tilting his head back he drank half the bottle in a few long swallows, easing away the day's stresses. When he opened his good eye again, he saw Calder's surprised face looking back at him as he sipped his own mead.
The red haired Nord's expression shifted into a grin as he said, "You once said you liked the mercenaries more than the Jarl's court and I've always wondered why. What made them better than the honourable men of the Jarl's court?"
"Divines, spending so many years travelling was truly an adventure," murmured Argis. He paused for a moment before beginning to tell his tales to his one man audience, who always had a bottle of mead ready to ease the dryness from Argis' throat.
The blonde Nord quickly lost track of time as he told of his numerous travels and how they took him across most of Skyrim. He was only slightly startled when Calder asked with a playful wink, "And were any of them as good off duty as on?"
Argis chuckled in reply and the mead fogging his mind let him answer, "More than a few were good!"
"Tell me about them," said Calder in the same lightly cheerful tone as when he had asked to know about the battles, "They happened before you even met our thane, so it's not like there's anything wrong with them, and you surely must have met some nice ones in your travels."
Though Argis initially murmured a protest but after only a little more cajoling from Calder he began to tell of his partners. The stories flowed easily, and they both laughed as Argis told of the various discrete courtships and bawdy offers that he had been a part of. It wasn't long before he was describing the things that made lovers memorable to him.
"And the Khajiit had apparently slept his way through half of the officers – male and female – before getting to me. Divines, was he ever good at positioning us both to get us the most out of it," concluded Argis as he took another chug from his bottle of mead. Calder's unwavering attention and perfectly timed questions drew Argis' attention to how the other Nord's deep red hair contrasted perfectly with his crystalline blue eyes, which never wavered or grew disinterested in his tales.
As he continued to tell Calder about the men he had been with, he began to imagine Calder in the all the positions he was describing. Desperately trying clear his head of those images, he paused his tales to take another swallow of mead. When he lowered the bottle his eyes could not help but notice how sharp the other Nord's features were and how his muscles showed through his shirt. A familiar stirring in his loins both excited and terrified him as he resumed speaking.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Far away from the warm confines of Hjerim, Ardanthis cheerfully walked beneath the starry night sky. Warm from the brisk pace he was keeping up, he carefully kept an eye on his surroundings as he crunched on the snow that surrounded Windhelm. He breathed in the brisk air and grinned at himself. It wasn't long ago when the cold had seemed intolerable to him, but the clarity it seemed to provide made his lost life on Summerset Isle seem not an unbearable loss.
Knowing that he would need to rest soon so as to be fresh for the following day, Ardanthis stopped in the next thick copse of trees and set up his tent. Relying on the trees to break the wind and keep him from getting too cold, the High Elf inscribed runes on the ground just outside of his tent, in order to protect him from any predatory animals and bandits.
Despite being heavily shrouded by the thick branches around him, Ard tried to minimize his chance of being discovered by lighting only a small fire. Using a simple cantrip, he lit a rock on fire and fed it enough magicka that it would burn through the night and ward off the cold.
As he unpacked the food that Argis had given him he casually wondered what the pair were up to. The warmth of the fire was caught by the small confines of the tent and the comforting scent of the trees quickly pushed all thoughts from the Altmer's head. He double checked his wards once more before slipping off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Argis didn't know how long he had been telling of his exploits but each story seemed to cheer each of them with each telling, so he didn't stop. "And then the Dunmer finished in the Bosmer and bent over and asked me to go at him. I told him I was nearly done but he didn't care – he just wanted it in him!" Argis and Calder laughed even though Argis was unsure as to what he was actually laughing at. Calder's throaty chuckle ended with his hand on Argis' knee and the other warrior's first instinct was to brush it off, but something stopped him. The other Nord's expression didn't change as he continued to grin at Argis as though nothing were out of the ordinary.
Blood rushed to Argis' loins as Calder asked in a soft voice, "Tell me how you came in him."
Argis licked his lips and quickly said, "He wasn't prepared but didn't want to wait. I just slammed into him over and over. I lasted longer than I thought and he came again on the bed. I didn't last long after that, I just packed him with it and jammed it in deep. He must've walked strange for a week."
Suddenly, Calder leaned forward – when had his chair moved so close to Argis'? – and kissed the other Nord. Argis groaned in appreciation as their tongues slid across each other. He knew it was wrong in some part of his mind, but he was too drunk to think of how it could be wrong.
Calder rose from his seat, showing that his knee had evidently recovered, and straddled Argis' legs with his own. It only took a moment, which was just enough to suck in a breath before the red head reconnected with Argis' lips.
As if of their own accord, the blonde Nord's hands rose up and placed themselves on Calder's hips. One of Calder's hands entangled itself in Argis' hair as his free hand deftly undid the laces of the other housecarl's breeches. The hand flicked up for a moment and pulled Argis' shirt up to expose the man's strong abs. The hand darted back down and a small tug on Argis' loincloth freed his erection. He grunted in surprise as he felt Calder's hand wrap around it.
Starting slowing, Argis felt the hand softly move up and down his manhood before Calder truly began to display his dexterity. The hand pumped up and down, and the hand varied from long strokes to stimulating the head while thumbing the slit.
"We shouldn't-" Argis tried to begin against Calder's lips, but the crushing kiss continued.
Calder pulled his mouth away for a moment and gasped out, "Don't think." His hand continued to pleasure Argis and the blonde Nord could acutely feel Calder's desire to pleasure him. Bucking and thrusting into the red haired Nord's hand Argis began to moan into Calder's mouth.
His manhood grew harder under Calder's touch and in response Calder increased his pace. Argis groaned loudly as he came in a few white spurts over Calder's hand and his own abs. The elated rush quickly vanished as he realized what he had done. Pushing Calder back he looked with horror at Calder's wet hand and the liquid, white evidence which lay splattered upon his own body.
"No. No, this can't happen," he snarled in disbelief. Calder's face collapsed into a confused expression as Argis continued to talk to himself, "What have I done, oh Divines, what have I done?"
The red haired Nord had not expected his love to fall into such a confused state. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, Calder thought to himself as he watched Argis frantically head to the kitchen and scrub his own cum off of himself.
"This can never happen again," spat Argis before hurrying up the stairs.
Confused, Calder sat down by the dying fire and finished the dregs of both their meads as the other Nord disappeared behind the locked door of the master bedroom.
Away from Calder, Argis sat down on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands. He felt disgusted with himself for betraying his husband with another man, and in that quiet moment away from Calder he hated himself for what he had done to Ardanthis. He's been gone for one night, and already you're involving yourself with another man, he thought disbelievingly to himself.
He didn't move from that position for the entire night, nor did Argis sleep a wink. His self-disgust kept him from any comfort that could have offered him.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The following day met a haggard looking and very hungover Argis shambling through his morning. He made himself a simple gruel before returning to the cold comfort of his room. He ate slowly while he stared into the fire that cheerfully burned in the hearth for a long time before a soft knock at his door turned his attention away from the flames.
Calder edged into the room and looked pityingly at the other man. Argis only cast him a hateful glare before returning his gaze to the fire. Not knowing how to handle such hatred, Calder merely backed out of the room and left the man he loved alone. He quietly wondered how it had gone so wrong.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ardanthis found the cave shortly after the dawn of the second day and approached it cautiously. He slipped through the brush as silently as he could and watched the entrance for a short while. Seeing no one enter or exit he slipped towards the beckoning darkness.
Darting inside, he immediately pressed himself against a wall to reduce his profile. He watched the darkness ahead suspiciously as his eyes adjusted to the gloom. After the necessary time had passed, he edged down the tunnel and into the deep darkness before him.
The cave seemed to be a simple one, and the roughly straight tunnel gradually dug into the earth before levelling out. Far off in the distance a small light glimmered, and Ard moved along the tunnel towards the source of the light. The irregular walls provided the elf with a great deal of cover, and he made sure to take advantage of it as he approached what he saw to be a fire.
He grinned to himself as he approached the bonfire, for a figure was sitting in a chair in front of the blazing fire. The smell of roasting skeever hit his nose as he approached the hunched Orc. Soundlessly drawing his blades, the elf tensed himself and sprung at Orc, triumphantly burying his blades in the Orc's chest.
The heavily armoured body caught the Altmer's blades and dragged him towards the fire as it toppled over. Surprise and alarm crossed Ard's features as the fire revealed he had struck down nothing more than a dummy, and the heavy thud of approaching steps warned him of the trap he had sprung.
Ard desperately tugged at his blades and just managed to free them before throwing himself to the side and rolling. The Orc's heavy hammer whooshed through the air where the elf had been mere moments ago. Cloaked in shadows and the flickering light of the fire, the Orc chuckled and said, "Stupid elf. You should've stayed still. Now it's only going to be worse for you."
Rolling to his feet, Ard held both of his blades before him and wordlessly glared at the heavily armed and armoured figure in front of him. The Orc charged him, and furiously swept the steel hammer back and forth in a dazzling display of skill. Ard gasped as he deflected and dodged what blows he could, but the few attacks that did clip him sent him staggering back. His opponent was not tiring but was quickly wearing the elf out.
A careless mistake caught one of Ard's blades in the spikes of the Orc's hammer and ripped it from his grasp. Desperately trying to stave off the crushing strikes of the warhammer, Ardanthis wielded his sole blade to the best of his ability. There was no time to conjure any spells with the pressure he was under, and he was losing the duel quickly without his other weapon. The Orc only laughed at the High Elf as his hammer knocked the other weapon from the wizard's grasp.
Predictably, Ard lunged for the fallen weapon and the Orc backhanded the elf. Dazed and lying on his side, the wizard struggled to get to his feet but the heavy boot of the Orc slammed into his gut and knocked the wind out of him.
Unexpectedly, Ard heard a heavy clunk as the hammer hit the ground, "I told you that you should have died quickly, elf. It would have been better for you."
Ard didn't understand until he felt the Orc's fingers begin to remove his leggings. The Orsimer's heavy breathing told the Altmer of his intent, and as the Orc removed his own pants it became perfectly clear what he intended to do.
Another dark chuckle emerged as the Orc snarled, "Not so high and might now are you, elf?"
In his dazed state Ard desperately looked for a way out.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: Again, all criticisms and suggestions are welcome in the reviews.