If anyone is still rereading this story I'm changing it slightly to add more detail and connection between the two. Also just rereading my old shit… It's pretty bad lol, so most chapters are going to be revised.
It had begun to snow. The sky overcast and wind just strong enough to prick at Irina's skin with a cold caress, the bosmer gripped her sword handle tightly and kept her gaze locked forward. The temperature was sure to drop soon. If it got to the life-threatening cold that Skyrim was famously known for then the pair would no choice but to stop somewhere.
With a sharp sigh Irina came to a stop.
Serana caught the sudden stop and halted herself, "what's wrong?" she asked with a curious tone. Irina waved her arm in the air, a glimmer of violet magic trailed from her slender fingertips. Her green eyes caught Serana's golden ones, "I need to check on my supplies. Food and potions, and whatnot. I don't think I have enough to make a trip back from your home to mine."
Her rucksack appeared in her arms shortly after she spoke, a dark brown leather bag with beautiful designs embroidered on the seams. Compared to Irina it was rather small, which said something because Irina was a small woman. However, Serana soon realized the ruck was enchanted, given how the dragonborn stuck her entire arm down a side pocket.
Irina clicked her tongue in annoyance at the abundance of jewels her hand touched and the lack of potions it didn't. "what a bother..." she mumbled under her breath. She had plenty of things to sell, but hardly anything to prepare for another battle. Not that the dragonborn couldn't handle herself but she knew better than to underestimate another opponent, mortal or not.
Irina promptly snapped her fingers and her ruck disappeared. The unpleasant look on her face was obvious, "I can wait to go home, if you need to restock on whatever it is you need." Serana spoke with a shrug. She rested a hand on her hip and watched the shorter woman raise her eyebrow in confusion.
"Your cryptic words made it seem like going home was paramount. Are you sure?" Irina asked. It was a genuine concern, maybe. That or a learned behavior to be cautious to other people. Serana hadn't a clue, but she felt an appreciative smile tug at her countenance anyway. Irina had been generous enough to lead her home, Serana could wait a little longer to make sure her mortal escort was comfortable to travel.
"I'm sure It's been more than a century since I was sealed away, a few days will be nothing. Besides, I'm immortal. You're more prone to perish, and I don't need that" she replied.
"If you insist...it shouldn't be too long until we make it to Morthal. Hopefully a carriage will be there." Irina said with a small shiver, she nodded her head toward the snow covered ground and Serana followed suit. They resumed their journey but continued with an atmosphere that was more at ease.
The appreciative silence was short lived however, the winds had picked up speed after a couple miles and it blew back Serana's hood with the force of a thu'um. Irina paid closer attention to the snow and with disgruntled shake of her head realized that the snow fell a bit faster than before.
Irina could feel her body cover completely in goosebumps and her core temperature dropped, enough for the elf to notice immediately. She cursed at how unreliable her leather armor was against this cold, most of her body was exposed and no good would come of it.
She had been acclimated to the Skyrim weather for some time now, she would not freeze easily. However, there came a point where acclimation didn't matter and Irina knew this would be one of those times.
Irina summoned a lit torch in her right hand, something small to keep her warm from the dangerous weather. Serana wouldn't freeze because of her resistance to cold but it was obvious that a torch wouldn't do much against the weather with how much worse it got.
"Do you want to head back to Dimhollow? To wait out this storm?" Serana asked the bosmer. She had to raise her voice over the wind to be heard. A small part of her was hoping for the elf to agree, to walk through the coming storm would be suicide for her guide.
Irina shook her head and looked back to her with determined eyes, "Morthal is close, I'd say two hours at best. If we don't continue the snow will bury the path" Serana could almost roll her eyes. She wouldn't die from this weather but the bosmer certainly could.
Serana did not say anything in opposition. She only mentally prepared to carry the bosmer into shelter once her body began to shut down from the lack of warmth.
Serana kept her pace the same as Irina's. Her golden eyes were fixed forward but made sure to keep an ear out for the eventual collapse of her mortal companion. Perhaps a distraction would help keep Irina's focus.
"So you were mentioning something about a war between the empire and...?"
Irina couldn't speak the name without audible disgust, "the Aldmeri Dominion. They had won, no surprises with that. The imperials signed a treaty that heavily favored the high elves, it was essentially a one-sided war and the empire had to bend the knee to make peace"
"With how you speak about your elven counter-parts, I would guess the treaty meant something was taken from you" Serana said.
"Not exactly... You're close but no. I hold ill-will to the high elves because they sacked my home. I am not from Skyrim. But anyway... it bothers me that liberties were taken from others. The treaty baned the worship of Talos-" Irina cut herself off when her eye caught a well-known road and motioned for the nord to follow her.
Serana followed eagerly, interested to know more about the mortal. When Irina didn't continue her sentence, Serana added "a home laid to waste is the same as a home taken from you, at least I think so. What about Talos, do you pray to him?"
"No I don't, none of the gods have a place in my heart. I know they exist, I don't quite like them very much. That being said, It's in a woman's nature to sympathize with others right?" Irina asked with a half-serious tone to her voice. Serana couldn't quite tell if she'd been sincere or not, the bosmer had been difficult to read.
Serana responded with honesty though.
"That can be up for debate, but- It's a good trait to have, depending on who you ask" she replied with a bit of contemplation.
"And if I ask you, Serana?"
They locked eyes and the nord felt a shiver run down her spine. The shorter woman's prescence had surrounded the nord's body and the snowstorm they walked in did nothing to tame the strange feeling Serana felt brewing inside her core. In her eyes the nord could see that the bosmer was much older than her young appearance let on, and she almost couldn't answer the question.
"I think... you have more good traits than just sympathy" she said with her breath caught in her throat.
Irina broke their eye contact and grinned, "I know I do" the shorter woman continued ahead and Serana swallowed a small lump in her throat before following suite.
After hours upon hours of traversing through a mild snowstorm they reached swampy land and eventually the city of Morthal. The temperature lowered with every hour that passed but there came a point where Irina would have to traverse through knee-high piles of snow and the effort it took to do that was what kept her body warm.
Irina's feet were sore and she was certain her leather boots were down to their last bit of life. Thankfully, by the time they made it to the tiny city the storm had passed and now only moderate winds caressed her face, still uncomfortably cold, but much better than what they'd just walked through.
Serana looked exhausted, but she didn't say a word about rest. It was early morning when the dragonborn had gone to Dimhollow and by the time the pair had reached Morthal it was just a few hours befor midnight. Almost an entire day for the bosmer. How her eyes still stayed open was a mystery.
She wanted to sleep in the inn to recuperate some strength but the uncertainty of Serana's character had Irina press forward into the town. Their feet wandered through the sleeping town, they passed the dim lights coming from the inn's windows and the elf willed herself to keep from the scent of grilled leeks.
After years of being locked away the nord must have felt a famine that the elf was unable to grasp. Irina would sooner die than to be the one responsible for the deaths of innocents, the war had done enough of that. So, with a stern expression she walked past her only resting point for another fifty miles with a determined mind.
Solitude was quite a leagues away but on carriage nonstop they should arrive by midnight if the horses were taking off at full speed, but Irina could settle for early morning if it meant not having to walk to the rest of the way.
Her tired eyes looked around for any wagons with horses and was filled with such gratitude once she spotted what she looked for.
"Are you going to hop in? Or am I going to need to politely ask you to spend some money to get somewhere?" a cheeky tone asked her. It was the carriage driver, oddly enough the man was a dunmer, he caught sight of Irina's gaze with a raised brow. She sheepishly smiled in response and nodded, with a sluggish grace the woman stepped up inside the carriage.
She kicked snow off her leather boots as she entered and was thankful that her body was still somewhat warm.
Irina turned to Serana who looked ready to climb in herself, the woman knelt down and offered her hand to the taller nord.
Serana hesitated for only a split second, clearly taken aback by her generousness, but slipped her hand into Irina's. Despite the elf's hands being significantly smaller than her own Serana could feel her firm but gentle grip. Irina's skin was calloused and rough, the complete opposite of her own.
"Thanks..." she said.
"Of course." Irina yawned and slouched against her seat. The dark elf turned around expectantly and Irina blinked at him with confusion. A split-second was all it took for the woman to realize what he wanted, her fingers had already found the coin-purse he desired. Her coin-purse was small and he glanced at her with a frown.
"Take a look inside, if you like" Irina said with an extended palm.
He raised a brow and opened the small purse with a skeptical brow. A small glow came back to shine in his eyes and his expression lit up just the same, "I appreciate the kindness, dragonborn. Not everyday a man gets paid in flawless gems"
She gave a small hum in response. Her exhaustion had draped a relaxed aura around her, just as the woman was about to relax in her seat she caught the gaze of Serana. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and had stared right through the bosmer in front of her. A tan skinned hand reached to the front of her face and waved itself to capture her attention.
"Huh?" Serana mumbled with a wonderous tone. She blinked in surprise at the elf's hand, Irina retracted her hand and gave their carriage driver a thumbs up to start their journey. Green eyes looked her over and Irina shook her head "You were burning a hole through me with your staring, had to make sure you were fine" Irina explained.
"Oh... Sorry, I was just thinking about this whole situation. We can discuss it better when we're alone"
To be cautious was smart. Irina supposed there was more than enough reason to want to have the conversation of her vampiric clan alone, ears were everywhere and they had an unknown pair just a few feet away from them.
Irina nodded to her and leaned back against her seat, she summoned her rucksack and found a few furs to wrap her body in while they travelled through cold winds. Serana would be fine, and their carriage driver was already layered up himself. The nord looked back at Irina and found herself quashing a smirk, she looked... charming. A short bosmeri wrapped up in furs... She looked so very charming.
Even more so when her eyes slipped closed to sleep.
The nap wasn't special or energizing in the slightest but it was still sleep.
The dragonborn rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times in order for her eyes to get accustomed to the moonlight.
Serana and their carriage driver came into focus, the pair gave each other a knowing look and Serana chuckled to herself but Irina was too tired to want to know what was so funny. Irina dragged herself out of the carriage with a sluggish grace and unto the ground.
"We've arrived to Solitude, Let's head inside yeah?" Serana prompted with a hand to her mouth to smother another chuckle. Irina nodded and waved their dunmeri escort farewell. He waved back and flashed a handsome smile to the dovahkiin.
The women walked up that thrice-damned hill that led to the gates. Irina was still half-asleep and walked clumsily, the nord took notice of her fatigue and wondered if she had the strength to make it to her home. There was a body of water to row across and that alone would take energy the poor elf did not have.
Irina had a home in Solitude that she desperately wanted to sleep at, but she was too cautious to let Serana know where she lived. There was a real possibility that the nord would come back to find her, and that was the last thing Irina needed with Erikur also residing in the manor.
Should Serana become hungry and feed on the noble it would serve as both as a powerful blow to the Thieves Guild, since Irina married Erikur for the sole purpose of providing extra coin and resources to the guild, and to Irina- if Serana had somehow managed to escape from the dovahkiin then the woman would never hear the end of it from Isran.
The task was a simple one. Grab the supplies needed and then leave the city before anyone of importance notices. Most of the shops were probably just about ready to close but Irina was a skilled thief, no shop would be too difficult to break into. Irina supposed that Serana would probably have some qualms about it, or maybe she wouldn't, Irina didn't know.
At the gates of Solitude Irina thought of nothing more than a bed. The bosmer scratched the back of her head and was debating on actually staying at an inn but frantic footsteps and a deep heaving caused Irina to turn around swiftly with her hand on her sword hilt.
Serana followed suit with Irina and readied her magic in her hands.
Irina's exhaustion returned and her face filled with annoyance when she realized that her would-be attacker turned out to be a courier. A nordic courier, a very familiar one.
He had sweat dripping down his face and legs. The man looked absolutely disgusting with cheeks red as tomatoes and stench as prominent as it would be on a farm. His lack of grace also served to make the frown on the woman's face deeper. Lack of hygiene, lack of tact and lack of everything else.
"I have a message for you from the Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak. He politely asks that you reconsider his offer, offering a high place in his army's ranks as well as four thousand gold. He desires your allegiance and good graces"
Irina's hand found itself on the pommel of her sword once again. The courier froze at her behavior and the air he tried to inhale got caught in his throat.
The courier was no stranger to her, he was a Stormcloak soldier with whom she had trouble with when she first arrived in Windhelm. His name was Govarr. She'd had some trouble with him but in Windhelm, he'd made a lasting impression and it was anything but gracious.
Irina's mind stepped back into the conversation and waved her hand dismissively "I'm not interested. How is it that your jarl desperately wants my help despite his blatant racism toward my kind? The incompetence of your jarl and soldiers worries me the most"
Govarr stood rigid and kept his mouth in a tight line. He knew better than to say anything cheeky to the dragonborn, so instead he reluctantly bowed and turned on his heel to walk away from them, her words obviously struck a chord within him and it gave her satisfaction.
"So are you going to tell me the story behind that?" Serana asked her curiously.
Irina made a face and shook her head trying to conjure up the details concerning Govarr, "another time, I don't have the mental strength to recite why I despise that man"
She looked visibly disappointed but she let the subject go, after all, her residing in Skyrim was quite the story that she could ask more deeply about in the future.
When they entered Solitude, the vendor stalls and shops had closed. Not too long ago, Irina had observed, the lights from candles still illuminated the windows but Irina knew once a door was locked it would stay locked until the next morning. Irina inhaled deeply in annoyance at the thought of Govar and how his distraction cost her her chance to trade with the merchants.
"Well, it seems I'm out of luck... Home is close though, right? Let's get you back, I don't want to extend our time together. No offense" Irina said as she rubbed her eye in a hurried motion. Serana could almost roll her eyes at the last remark but she could only assume Irina needed to report back to her people on her findings.
That being said, she looked ready to drop dead at any time, gods forbid the roads that lead to her home.
"Want to just sleep here tonight? My home is still a decent ways from here and I'm also a bit tired too" Irina seemed hesitant, and rightly so.
"Are you certain...? I still have a few hours left in me I think that should be plenty of time-"
"Oh please. Enough of that, come on, you need to sleep" Serana spoke with a twinge of annoyance in her voice, as she spoke she passed the woman to the inn. Irina opened her mouth to speak, something to retaliate but her mind drew a blank. The woman was too tired to even conjure any wit, which was a good indicator to concede and follow the nord into the inns warmth.
As they entered the inn, the innkeeper greeted Irina and Serana, he inquired about wanting a drink or two and the way Irina practically jumped at the offer had the nord shocked. The woman ordered two drinks that were of unknown origin to Serana. Black Briar Reserve, was the name. The bottles made a distinct clinking noise when he slid them over to the dragonborn, Irina likewise tossed a small coin purse his way and bid him a goodnight.
"I'm surprised you would want to drink anything with me being around, I should be flattered that you trust me that much" Serana teased as they ascended a flight of stairs. There was but a singular room left to rent, but Irina hadn't minded that fact.
"I trust myself enough to keep my wits about me within your presence. Besides, these just make the process of falling asleep so much faster." Irina explained. As they found the only open room left, the women entered with a bit of relief. Two tired adventurers traversing through snow and cold winds, the warmth and atmosphere of the inn was a blessing.
"That collar, on your neck...you worship Molag Bal?" Irina asked incredulously, she hadn't noticed it with Serana's hood in the way but now that she removed her cowl it was easier to see. Irina had sat at the edge of their shared bed and was in the process of removing her boots yet she paused halfway once she caught sight of it.
Her green eyes widened and she glanced back up to see the nord smirking down at her, Irina suddenly took in the height difference between them.
Irina stood up at just her shoulder while Serana was a whole foot ahead of her. "at one point in my life, why? Does it surprise you?" Irina shook her head but crossed her arms over her chest "I'm just astounded. You're quite bold, there're vigilants that would kill you on the spot for wearing that"
Serana sat herself on the bed crossing her legs and leaning back on her hands for support, "I can take care of myself too...but you're not surprised that I used to worship Molag Bal? I thought the idea of consulting with daedric princes was something any mortal would be afraid of or at least disgusted by"
The bosmer only inspected her reserve before setting the bottle on the dresser beside the bed, unfazed by the statement "of course not. Mortals- men and mer have the potential to be just as twisted as the princes. It's better to serve them for a small time to soothe the occasional bloodthirst"
"Sounds like you know from experience, I'm beginning to think you have experienced more of this world than most mortals."
Serana narrowed her eyes suspiciously when she realized her wording. "You said It's better to serve, did you once do something for a daedric lord?"
"More than once, and not on purpose. I have Molag Bal's mace in my home, I killed two good people for it. A vigilant and a priest."
"I can't believe you."
The dovahkiin gave her a knowing smirk, she remained silent and proceeded to remove her boots. Once they were gone and tossed across the room, the woman uncorked her reserve and took a heavy drink from the blue bottle. Serana expectanlty waited for any type of response, Irina finished her drink before she spoke again, she set aside the empty glass bottle before looking Serana in the eyes.
"Because I'm supposed to be a noble kind-hearted woman? Or because you don't think I have the stomach for aiding one of the princes?"
"You're too kind. You're not the type to serve a prince, much less Molag Bal"
"Well, I wasn't given a choice in the matter... I killed the vigilant easily. To be fair, he was rather quick to turn on me so I didn't give it much thought. We were supposed to be investigating a house in Markarth, sweep it clean of any cultists or bandits" Irina briefly explained.
"I murdered the vigilant in self-defense." Irina deadpanned.
"Go on, I'm listening."
"I was to bring the priest to an altar inside the home I investigated with the vigilant. I repeatedly killed the man, over and over. Did I feel any remorse? A little, but I don't have any talents in magic and Molag Bal is a being much more powerful than I could ever hope to be. When the truth is too real to question... well, what else would I have done?"
Serana could see the bosmer had no emotion on her face concerning the matter and quietly let the subject drop. She supposed that even the kindest people had some sort of dark past, Serana would have liked to keep that illusion alive about her rescuer though.
The dovahkiin relaxed on the bed and released a deep breath of air. The alcohol was starting to take effect, her cheeks became warm and sleep was going to come easier. Although, before it did; she needed to relieve herself of her armor, sleeping in it would serve to cut circulation off to her limbs. With a determined breath to get out of her comfort spot, Irina stood from the bed and proceeded to unstrap her leather gauntlets.
Serana's eyes caught the elven woman's back, she gazed over toned muscles from years of archery and sword fighting. Her body looked feminine but also like that of a warrior, she was strangely beautiful.
Her smallclothes left little to the imagination, although aside from the gentle slopes and curves of her body that were appealing to look at- the thing that caught Serana's attention were the amount of scars and burns that littered her midsection.
The cut she bore from the day prior would've probably turned into a scar among the many on the dovahkiin's legs had it not been for Serana who healed her. Some looked worse than others and some looked recent. The dark haired woman tilted her head to the side and walked to Irina silently. Her corset which had been untied prior to her approach slipped off her body leaving the nord in a dark red undershirt with long sleeves.
The bosmer donned a loose shirt that showed much of her collarbone and chest, it was big on her and was intended to be worn by a male but she only intended to use it for the night. The bosmer mused to herself on the difference in sizes between men and women and was trapped in her own head for a little while.
Serana's pale hand reached out and touched the elf's bare shoulder snatching the elf from her thoughts. Serana's hand was cold and effectively made goosebumps appear down the elf's arms. Irina glanced behind her with a confused countenance "what is it?"
"Your body... It's amazing" she spoke with lack of tact. Irina could see that the nord was genuine though, and the authenticity of her words only served to make the bosmer avert their eye contact. A light blush creeped onto Irina's cheeks at registering the intensity that Serana had been looking at her.
Golden eyes caught sight of a lengthy and wide scar that reached from shoulder to belly. Serana could only furrow her brows in confusion at it, a normal mer with a scar that deep? "May I...?"
When Irina finally understood what had gotten Serana's attention she moved from one side of the bed to another so that she faced the nord while they sat on the bed.
"Fine. Try to drink my blood and I promise I will blast you back to Sovngarde or wherever vampires go to..." she answered in a slightly cautious tone, Irina didn't forget that she was a vampire and that she herself was a part of the Dawnguard. She bunched the large shirt in her hand and lifted the fabric to show the nord the particular scar that was the most gruesome on her body.
From the woman's shoulder to her stomach, was a deep scar that failed to heal properly. Some pieces of skin were thicker than other areas, and the scarred flesh sunk into her body if only slightly. Enough for Serana to notice when her knuckle traced over the scar, she ghosted over the elf's breast which elicited a small shocked sound from Irina.
Serana bit her lower lip and forced the lustful thoughts out of her head. She retracted her hand from the bosmer's midsection and gave it once last look before she urged the dovahkiin to let her shirt down.
"Why the sudden interest? Does this meal look less appetizing now?" Irina asked in a half-joking measure.
"No, actually. Quite the opposite" Serana said with a small smirk.