I finally made it to chapter 14, the revised version of this story is starting to come together very nice. Just to clarify in case you didn't go back and reread, I got you. Serana had realized her feelings for Irina were love, Irina only suspects that the nord has a passing fancy to her but... she's wrong as hell.
So? Yeah, indeed. Irina DOESN'T know yet. They've rescued Lydia and Vilkas. Pls enjoy the rest.
2023 updates baby. Feburary time. The month of loveee.
The couple had nearly collapsed three times on the way to Aerin's home, their lack of stamina painfully showed as they stumbled over their own two feet. Irina pawned Lydia off to Serana to carry inside while she went to take care of the guard who'd been on duty for the morning. Brynjolf had decided to go around through another entrance since he was a suspected member of the Thieves Guild and he didn't think it wise to attract any more attention to her coming and goings.
At first glance, it only appeared as though they were weary travelers. However, if one took a close look at Lydia or Vilkas then suspicion would arise without a doubt, the morning was still early but within the hour most of the citizens would rise to start the day. Irina had supplied the nords with hooded cloaks to shield their faces and to provide them some warmth against the chilly fall season.
She had hoped to all the divines that no one else saw them inside the city.
"It's good to see you again, Serana" Lydia muttered with a soft smile.
The vampire glanced down to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "yes, it is. Mind your strength, we'll get you potions and at least a bed to sleep on for the night." the three of them waited for Irina to return to Aerin's house, where they currently resided. Mjoll had decided it was best to stick with the dragonborn to further intimidate the guards for their silence and so it was just the three of them inside for now.
Aerin himself had left the house unlocked for Mjoll's return. To find three new strangers inside was a bit of a shock but one that he recovered from quickly. He had ushered them close to his burning fire and paced around his house chewing his thumbnail trying to think of what they would need first.
Serana watched him silently panic and would have offered some help but the frail woman, Lydia, needed support to keep herself upright. Vilkas managed just barely on his own and leaned against the wall with his hands gripping the wooden beams.
Lydia brought the nord's attention back to her as she leaned against Serana, "You two came just at the right time, thank you so much..." she breathed out her words as if it were a struggle to just mutter that simple sentence.
Serana had lived for centuries and she was never given a genuine thanks before in her life, at a loss for words the nord only squeezed the woman's shoulder gently. Serana had been unsure of how to respond to that.
Her golden eyes bashfully looked away from the woman against her and fixed themselves on her husband, Vilkas. He was hunched over with his dark hair falling in front of his eyes, there was a strange aura radiating from him.
Eyebrows scrunched slightly in distaste but before Serana could make anything of his strange presence, the woman in her arms began to shiver and Serana didn't hesitate to voice her concern to Aerin.
Aerin pulled out two chairs from his dinner table and had Serana gently sit Lydia in one while her husband took the other. They both pulled down their hoods as the man wanted to take a good look at them, to see where their health was at.
Aerin audibly swallowed a lump in his throat.
His fireplace had burned brighter when he snapped his fingers, something to make the house warmer. Serana was silently impressed with the man's control of the destruction school and watched him focus on his weary guests.
Aerin looked them over with a worried expression, eyes sunken in and cheeks hollowed. Their bodies caked in dirt and scratches, Lydia looked malnourished. Vilkas the same but he also bore burn marks on his arms and possibly more parts of his body. His wounds were much more intense than Lydia's and much more recent.
The prolonged amount of time to get to their state must have done a number on their psyche.
"Give me a moment, I'll return soon." Aerin turned on his heel and rushed up the stairs. He bound up the steps two at a time with a determined look in his eye, Serana could only wonder what he could be after. She gave a thoughtful look to the two lovers and frowned. They looked so small, obviously being fed the absolute bare minimum to stay alive.
Vilkas kept his eyes downcast, but Serana saw the tight line of his lips. His eyes were a pale deathly blue, the dark circles under his eyes contrasted their color and it only made them pop out more. His eyelashes were long and his eyebrows were thin and dark. His skin was pale but had more color than Serana did, his beard was a overgrown but it did not hide his upset countenance.
He was a handsome fellow, but he was also intimidating.
The creak of the wooden door snapped the woman back to attention and she spun on her heel, her magic at the ready.
Why the woman was so on edge was questionable. The only two people who had passed through the door were Irina and Mjoll.
They both came to an abrupt halt at Serana's threatening display, both women surprised. Irina was the first to relax and she exhaled slowly, "Mind yourself, Serana. Relax, I paid off the guards with some jewels I happen to have. They'll keep quiet if they know what's good for them." Irina said while she placed a hand on Serana's wrist, the nord blinked at the contact and lowered her hand.
The woman only sighed and nodded. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm on edge."
Irina shrugged in response, "It's okay."
A few moments of uneasy silence passed. Everyone had their eyes on the bosmer, something she'd grown accustomed to these last couple of hours. Gently, the bosmer released Serana's wrist and slowly walked past her. Her eyes focused on the couple sitting in the center of the room. The emotion must have worn off already because Lydia looked at Irina wearily.
Something that the bosmer feared would happen.
"Lydia. Vilkas."
They stared at her absently. Too drained to even make a sound of acknowledgement, with a heavy breath Irina slowly sank to her knees. Startling everyone in the room except for Vilkas who looked unfazed. In fact, he found the behavior fitting. Serana stood behind the bosmer with wide eyes and a slack jaw, she'd never seen such a display from Irina.
Aerin came swiftly down the stairs with hurried steps and everyone had turned their heads to him curiously, except for Vilkas who had crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes focused solely on the elf, he could have burned a hole through her heart if looks were only that powerful.
After a few moments of silence between Aerin, who had a book of restoration in his hands, and the entire room, Irina resumed to hang her head low and spoke remorsefully.
"The both of you, please forgive me... I shouldn't have had to free you from such a prison, the guilt that plagued me for weeks was unbearable. I understand that this entire situation was because of my recklessness. I couldn't have known what they'd do to you both but regardless of the fact, I am so sorry...-" as Irina spoke, Vilkas has risen from his chair and hobbled over to her.
Everyone watched him and listened to her words at the same time. Unsure of what to make of the whole thing. Not a single person in the room had been expecting him to cut her off by throwing his fist into the base of her skull. He swung his hole body into the blow. Her head smashed into the wooden floor in a quick and loud thud.
Lydia gave a gasp and stared at her husband with a dumfounded expression. His eyes were filled with a calm anger and his lips were curled downwards into a snarl.
Serana's shocked expression lasted only a second before her face twisted into rage and she bared her fangs at Vilkas who kept his attention on the bosmer. The vampire glared her golden eyes at the man who didn't even bother to spare her a glance, he merely narrowed his eyes at the dragonborn who had let out a pained cough.
The nord was weak due to famine and lack of sleep, so it wasn't the strongest hit she'd ever received from the man but even still his werewolf blood had given him the power he needed for something memorable.
It was unexpected and Irina definitely felt herself become dizzy from the force of the impact. The man inhaled deeply and raised his nose at her, "I won't apologize for that. You deserved it, you endangered the lives of my wife and my child." Aerin's jaw went slack and Mjoll merely blinked in awe.
The sound Irina's skull made... had everyone feeling uncomfortable. Lydia glanced down to the elf who exhaled hot air from her nose. She couldn't find the thought to form any type of words, her shock and exhaustion got the better of her speech.
Serana could feel her anger rising at an alarming rate.
The mere fact that a werewolf of all creatures... and that it was Irina who had been struck. He hadn't seen her hopeless behavior just nights before she executed the plan to save their lives, Vilkas had no right to harm the woman. Irina felt genuine remorse for what had transpired! That didn't mean a thing to him, obviously.
Her golden eyes narrowed into slits and her hands curled into fists, her nails digging painfully into the skin of her palms.
Keep it together, damn it. She's alive. She's fine.
Serana clenched her jaw and tried to keep herself calm, she truly did. But... the scent of Irina's blood filled her nose and the fragile string of her composure was cut.
"I cannot believe your audacity-" Serana began in a low and threatening voice.
The sound of her boots and the creaking of the floor were in unison and closing in on the werewolf but Irina's hand reached out and grabbed the nord's ankle in an iron grip halting her movements. The bosmer rose her head from the floor, her forehead scratched and blood moving down over her nose and falling off of her chin. She looked at Serana with a forced smile, "It's okay. Do not hurt him."
She locked eyes with Vilkas who stood his ground and kept his eyes fixed to her death stare. He was no coward, his demeanor was indifferent toward her as if silently challenging her as well.
The air in the room was tense, nobody made a sound. Not even Aerin who had been ecstatic to do restoration work. Serana was quite aware of Irina's grip on her boot, and how much more she tightened it.
The nord looked appalled at the fact that Irina would just let it go, but the elf narrowed her eyes at her and repeated herself, "stand back, Serana."
A silence filled the room while Irina reluctantly released Serana's ankle. The dovahkiin rose to her feet and wiped the blood from her nose with her thumb, "I do hope that made you feel somewhat better? It did hurt a bit."
Vilkas shook his head and gave her a 'humph' "give me two months to recover, I can give you the beating you deserve-"
Lydia finally interjected, "You will silence yourself now. That was completely out of line. You have our forgiveness... You've had our forgiveness. You didn't need to be beaten to prove yourself."
Serana clicked her tongue in annoyance at Vilkas and merely eyed him down. He returned the look over the shoulder of his wife. Irina couldn't discern what could have possibly been the reason for their behavior and wondered if the discourse was due to her and Serana's vampiric nature. Vilkas was more than likely not fond of their smell, or presence.
"Well, if you are all quite done being barbarians. I can start with the healing process. I can't heal the results of your famine but...- you can stay here to replenish the rest of your strength. It would probably take awhile, but that's okay. I'm here to help in any way I can" Aerin offered kindly.
Vilkas looked at him with confusion, "you don't have to do that. Actually- don't do that. Not only would you be at risk but this is entirely too close to the Dawnguard fort, staying here wouldn't be the best option for anybody."
"He's right, Aerin. Are you even thinking any of this through?" Mjoll said with worry to her voice. Aerin looked back to her sternly, "It is the least I can do for friends of the dragonborn. Not just that... I do this because I want to." Mjoll was at a loss for words, as was most of the room, all except for Serana who was more puzzled than impressed. The blonde grit her teeth and scoffed before she shook her head wordlessly.
Irina looked to Aerin with the same expression as Mjoll, "you really don't have to do this, I have countless homes in Skyrim that I can shelter them in. There's no reason for you to risk your life against the Dawnguard." the man merely opened his restoration book and strut over to the married couple. He knelt in from of them and laid the book open on the floor, he gave Irina one last stern look before muttering healing spells and letting the magic seep into their wounds.
No words needed to be exchanged. The man had made up his mind and no one was going to tell him otherwise.
Irina left the home as soon as Aerin had healed their injuries. When the healing process was over Lydia and Vilkas both looked somewhat better, their eyes had been sunken in but their was also a light to them that hadn't been there when they entered. Aerin had gave them his bed and settled on sleeping in a mat in his basement, before Irina had decided to leave she gave Aerin a key.
"This is the key to my home in Windhelm, please. If you feel the need to shelter them someplace else, or if something happens and they need sanctuary. Take them here, they're both nords and the jarl of Windhelm wouldn't mind their presence." Irina said. Aerin looked at the dovahkiin with a tired nod and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You're a good person. Go get some rest, you're far too stressed. Have faith in me that I'll help them as much as I'm able. If the Dawnguard come snooping I will sneak them out of the city on horseback." he said tenderly.
Irina blushed a pink hue at the tender tone of voice he used and nodded slowly. She bid him farewell and hurried up the stairs to escort herself and Serana back to the inn. When they stepped foot outside the night had already come.
"You know... You shouldn't have let him hit you" Serana muttered with frustration. They were inside the inn once again. The two of them were in bed, they had shared a long companionable silence until Serana had spoken.
Irina gave her a disinterested sound in response. Her fingers brought themselves to her new wound that had graced itself on her forehead and used a single digit to poke at the tender flesh. She sighed, "that werewolf bastard... he could certainly hit harder than his frail body let on..."
"I got incredibly angry. The fact that he struck you irritates me" the nord spoke as she ran a hand through her black hair. The white hot anger that had coursed through her body was a new feeling. For her to feel anything with such intensity... it was a new experience to be sure.
"I know, what brought that on?" Irina asked while she moved to lay on her side. Orange eyes peered into golden eyes with a genuine curiosity.
"Isn't it normal to want to stand up for your friends?" Serana asked with a perplexed voice, as if the question Irina asked was a silly one.
"Hah. Yes, it is. Hmmm... That's actually the first time you've acknowledged our friendship. I'm not complaining, It's rather touching to hear it from you" Irina said with a smile.
Her smile was more beautiful now that Serana had come to terms with her feelings. The warmth that spread through Serana's enitre body at the single gesture was surreal.
How was one woman so beautiful? Serana wanted nothing more than to plant another kiss to the elf's lips but she restrained herself and managed a small chuckle in response. "I mean I guess I understand it was weird at first. Seeing as how my father was technically above you and my being his daughter"
"Oh can you? The power structure was definitely something to keep in mind." the woman agreed. Serana kept quiet after that and merely stared at the ceiling, Serana was truly in love.
Although despite the lovely realization of her own feelings, Serana's mind was still plagued with thoughts of the remaining elder scrolls. She did not forget about them, nor of her father who needed two more in order to complete the prophecy.
Serana wanted to remind the bosmer of that. However, to diminish the woman's mood right now would have been cruel. She'd just gotten reassurance that her housecarl was safe, she'd want to relish in that. Wouldn't she?
It also wasn't like her father was the type of man to do anything himself. They had some time.
Irina began to hum a small tune in their shared silence which brought the nord back to reality. Her golden eyes went to Irina who crossed her arms behind her head and stared at the ceiling too, the song was a pretty one. Serana had heard it a few times in their travels, she couldn't quite place the words but she thought it had something to do with the World-Eater.
Irina noticed her staring and turned her attention back to her. "Do you sing?" Irina asked her curiously.
"No. I'm not gifted at things like that. Trust me, being sheltered all the time I certainly tried my voice, just isn't my forte" Serana replied fiddling with a piece of her hair. Irina nodded and shrugged, "I'm no bard either, but I can sing a little. At least according to Bryn, he's the only one I've ever sung for."
Ah. Why did she have to go and say that?
The jealousy was building inside her, she could feel it. Serana let out a small silent breath and she casually asked, "you two seem really close. I can see he enjoys your presence as much as you enjoy his."
"That's an understatement...- Are you curious if we've ever been romantically involved?" Irina asked with a half-smirk. Serana could hear it in her voice and she didn't bother to give the woman any attention. The last thing she needed was to see Irina's smug expression and focused on keeping her gaze to the ceiling and her expression aloof.
"I just thought it was obvious." Serana simply said, forcing a tiny smile to make her seem any less jealous.
"I do believe he's in love with me. But I would also be lying if I said I never thought about him and I together." Irina began with a thoughtful voice. Why did Serana even ask? Those words hit her right in the chest, when did emotions become so physical?
"Oh? So he's someone you've got your eye on then?" Serana asked moving to lay on her side to stare at the bosmer. She wasn't sure if her expression was hurt and she wasn't sure if she at all cared, she would like an answer so maybe she could stop the feelings of love from growing.
"No he is not. I know he'd be good to me, better than my husband anyway. But with the way I live my life... I don't have much room for compromise. I am not the type of woman to settle down anywhere, I crave new stimulus. Something that Erikur is beginning to lose due to his age." she said jokingly.
Serana wanted to ask so many questions, they were right there at the tip of her tongue but she found herself disappointed when the least important and least daring one came out of her mouth.
"Would you mind singing something? I'm curious now." Serana asked.
Irina gave her a curious look and took in the blush on the nord's face. Irina was almost cruel enough to poke fun but she was tired, and so was Serana. The dragonborn nodded instead. Serana looked pleased and nestled into her pillow while Irina took in a deep breath to start The Tale of Tongues.
Her voice was nothing short of beautiful, just as Serana thought it would be.
The next morning went by rather peacefully. Irina had half-expected the dawnguard to storm in the city and ask every citizen in sight if they'd seen anything related to Durak's body. But, none of that happened. In fact, it was peaceful all through the day and into the night.
Brynjolf invited Serana and Irina over to the cistern for drinks in celebration of Irina's success the following night, just so Irina could sleep off the stress.
Serana seemed uneasy around the amount of people walking about in a half-drunken stupor and the amount of men that eyed her like a juicy venison. Irina nudged the nord and gave her a reassuring grin, "Don't mind them, they're harmless. Just carry yourself right and they'll be no trouble."
Her words were true for the most part, but Serana still felt an unease at the new environment. Her first time in the cistern was certainly filled with far too much excitement. Everyone in the room had been lied to, Brynjolf had organized a quick celebration under the guise of a completed job. Normally, life would have just continued on but since Irina had been away for years, it was more of a welcome back party.
Irina had mentioned to Serana that Brynjolf wanted the atmosphere to be merry and full of love, so he went out of his way to buy cases upon cases of ale.
The nord opened her mouth to respond about how sweet the gesture was, but she stopped herself when another bosmer approached her with confidence.
Irina quirked a brow at the wood elf, she knew him, his name was Niruin. A talented archer, nothing much compared to the dovahkiin but he was gifted in his own right. He had stood in-between the two women and gave the dovahkiin a knowing look before fixing his attention to the nord.
"I don't think I've ever seen you around here, are you new?" He asked Serana with a tender smile. He was more elegant than the other drunken eyes that followed her around, but the nord wasn't interested and she made to look at Irina for help but the dragonborn, by some cruel fate was dragged away by a shorter man with curly hair.
It was obvious to the nord that Irina had been trying to make it back to her but the shorter man was relentless. Serana let herself smile a tad, at least she tried. Irina gave her a sorry look but the taller of the two merely shook her head, it would be fine.
Serana turned her attention back to Niruin who had been patiently waiting on her response.
"I'm not a part of the guild, I came with Irina. Erm... together" she added the last part in an attempt for the man to take the bait and leave her be. It went past his head entirely, because he only smiled again and offered her his arm. "Well then, you and I can have a conversation together too, no?"
Serana couldn't be bothered to be impressed, she merely took a small step back "sorry. I'm not interested, uh... I'm going to go ahead and leave now" she excused herself from him and hurried off in the general direction of Irina. Serana passed a couple of people and bumped into a few others due to the drunken dancing and lack of awareness, oh how she felt so oddly out of place.
Where could she have been dragged off to?
A few more hard looks and golden eyes caught the sight of Irina being lifted into the air by a pair of strong arms covered almost entirely in black leather. Her cheeks had been flushed a bright pink but she allowed the touch, of course it had to be Brynjolf to be the one to embrace her. Serana let out a small sigh and wondered briefly if she wanted to walk in that direction anymore.
The answer was yes, there were plenty of drunken fools ready to try and initiate conversation with her given the opportunity. Serana preferred the company of even Brynjolf over the lustful men.
As she took slow steps forward Serana caught the eye of the same redguard who stole away the dragonborn. He brightened at the sight of her and motioned for her to come over, he was near Irina and Brynjolf so she had little option in the matter. In his hands were two goblets and a pitcher of wine, he looked to her with a warm smile and while he was much more pleasant to look at than Niruin.
Irina noticed her companion had joined the group and her shoulders relaxed, with the knowledge that Serana was near had the bosmer give her attention back to Brynjolf. The man had been retelling a story about his greatest heist to date, Irina had heard the story almost four times but her love for the man had her patiently wait for him to finish.
"Hello, friend of Irina's. I'm Waydret, It's a pleasure to meet you" he said with a grin, the man was polite and his mannerisms were gentle. He raised his hand to offer one of the goblets and while Serana hesitantly took it he merely gave her a reassuring smile, "worry not, I'm not here to coax you into bed with me, I prefer more connection between myself and the other person before I even think about anything like that."
"That's reassuring, my name is Serana. Nice to meet you, who exactly are you to Irina?" Serana asked with curiosity as he gently placed his hand on her wrist to beckon her to raise her goblet, as he poured her wine he chuckled sheepishly.
"We've actually only recently just met, but the stories I heard about her are something to behold. I aspire to be as successful as her, I guess I'm just considered an apprentice in the guild? Something like that." he shrugged as he finally poured his own wine.
"You're new, then. I guess that makes sense, you look especially young." Serana said whilst she took a small sip of wine.
"I am actually not as young as I look, but I'll still say thank you. How did you come to be in Irina's company?" he asked her.
Serana lifted her eyes from the ground and leveled with him. His presence was a warm one, and as she looked him over once and twice and even a third time... she noticed his feminine beauty firsthand. His lashes were long and dark, they made his eyes pop. His skin had a tad bit of wrinkles on it, but they were more lines from smiling too much other than the age he claims to be closer to.
His hair was curly, and for lack of a better word... it was large. Very voluminous, and very healthy.
The man was well put together. Almost difficult to believe that he lives in the sewers of Riften, if one caught a glimpse of him they would surely never be able to stop looking. Just as Serana was about to break out of her trance to respond to his question, another voice ripped through the sounds of merriment and drunken conversations. It was directed to him.
"Waydret! What're you doin'? I can't believe you! You think you're slick and that I wouldn't find out?" Serana and Waydret both turned to look at a balding man with black leather armor, the same kind as Brynjolf's, raise a frustrated fist in the air. Waydret looked to Serana and winked at her, "hmm, maybe next time we'll have another chance at conversation." he rose with the elegance of a nobleman and finished his drink in three healthy gulps. He jokingly bowed to Serana while he turned on his heel to approach the bald man.
"I wonder what Delvin's yelling at him for?" Irina mused. Brynjolf glanced behind him and squinted his eyes, "that boy... I bet you killed someone on accident. He's pretty talented with daggers and knives, I keep reminding him that we don't kill on the job but some lessons are better learned the hard way, I'm sure he's about to have his pay snatched from him."
"You don't say... Well, that is quite unfortunate." Irina said while she drank more of her ale. Her cheeks had begun to take some color.
Serana was not an avid drinker and so she felt the effects of the wine rather quickly. Two cups later and Serana had begun to hiccup every so often. She watched Brynjolf and Irina continue to talk about things that the woman cared little for, they spoke of fond memories and their completed jobs. Tales that Serana would have been very interested in on a normal occassion, but for reasons she dare not say aloud, she felt the need to be away from their shared moments.
Irina's eyes read only friendship, even in her tipsy state. Serana could see the fondness for the man but she could also tell there wasn't any romantic feelings involved, Brynjolf on the other hand... his eyes read adoration. Serana could not blame him for that, and she also couldn't blame Irina for it either. How many others look at the dragonborn that way? Probably half the province.
They were very immersed in their conversation and Serana couldn't be bothered to pretend to want to chip in, so she finished her third cup of wine and gently set it on the table. Irina glanced to her and grabbed her wrist with a soft grip and asked "Are you alright?"
If it was not public knowledge that the elf was married, Serana would have kissed her right then and there with everyone watching. She looked very concerned and it made Serana's chest yearn for her touch.
"I'm okay, It's just noisy. I was going to find a quieter place in here and if that fails I'll just go back to the inn" the woman replied with an appreciative smile.
Irina nodded and released her from her gentle hold. She grinned at the nord and Serana silently determined that all the gods were testing her patience with the dragonborn, she'd never wanted to touch another person so badly before in her life.
As she wandered about the cistern Niruin had noticed her alone yet again, and had the charisma to approach her a second time, this time a bit more carefully. Serana caught his eye rather quickly and she raised a brow, the man obviously doesn't handle rejection very well. She sighed to herself and awaited for the bosmer to try another opening line.
To her surpise, he calmly walked up to her and sheepishly grinned, "I'm sorry if I came off too strong, Serana. I don't have ulterior motives, if that's what you thought when I first talked to you" the nord merely looked at the man curiously. Niruin lowered the hood he wore and offered her an apologetic smile, Serana swallowed down a gulp and averted her gaze. "You're fine, but please, I'd rather be left alone."
The man poorly sighed and nodded, he sauntered back over to a group of men who'd been watching with full attention. The wood elf shook his head at them and they proceeded to laugh and pat him on the back, Serana was relieved to be alone again, if she had been considering Niruin when he had apologized then it all went out the door the moment the bosmer took his hood down.
Serana found a quiet little spot filled with chests and straw dummies. It looked like a training room, there were some daggers lying about near the dummies and multiple chests with different locks on them. Of course, near those were a couple of good lockpicks but plenty more broken ones. Serana noted as she inspected the intricacy of the locks on the chests. No one was inside and the only sounds Serana could hear were the distant voices of the people in the cistern.
The nord sighed and leaned against the walls with her arms crossed, one final night of celebration ought to do it. Irina was the type to keep on track of things, they would have to leave at some point in the morning.
Harkon was a patient man and that makes him all the more dangerous, he could wait to have what he wanted, and something in Serana's bones told her that the faster they set off to obtain the elder scrolls the less time they'd both have to defeat him. Almost as if Harkon doesn't advance without them advancing, and that thought bothered her.
She sauntered over to the lit fire from across the room and crouched in front of it, nothing good will come of stressing about the things that are out of one's control. She sighed and let her head hang low, as she listened to the cracks of the logs and the gentle sounds of the flames the woman became more serene with her solitude.
Unfortunately, the woman's peace was short lived because she heard the sound of hurried footsteps and laughing women. Serana paid them no mind and continued to stare into the flames but her attention was caught at the familiar voice of the dragonborn.
"Irina, come on... I need to tell you something important. Damn, you're making this really difficult"
"What could it possibly be? Would you please stop tugging at my-!"
Their voices were getting closer and louder until Serana caught sight of an imperial woman with her arm around the bosmer. She was blushing a bright pink and the bosmer was half-drunk trying to pry the woman off of her, they both looked to be rough-housing and it brought a smile to the nord's lips. Irina had many friends and one could almost be envious of that, but, this woman had been after more than just a fight.
The imperial had pulled the bosmer's smaller frame flush against hers and cupped her cheek with a free hand to bring their lips together.
To say they were both stunned, was an understatement.
"Ah, that's actually right. Waydret's a promising thief. He's just a little lazy is all, that's pretty keen of you to spot" Brynjolf responded while poking at some ham and leeks in front of him. He stabbed the food with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth while he watched the young man get scolded by Delvin, Irina chuckled and her eyes softened at the sight. It reminded her of when she was new to the guild as well, it felt like so long ago.
"Where's Vex? I hadn't seen her around" Irina inquired while politely declining an offer of human food from the burly man.
"She's here. Got back from a job yesterday, might be resting somewhere..." he trailed off looking at just past Irina's shoulder. The dovahkiin raised an eyebrow at him and waved a hand in his face, "oi... Are you passing out on me? Bryn?"
"No. I'm fine, but your friend Serana seems to have caught the eye of Niruin." he remarked returning back to his food. As he shoved more leeks and meat into his mouth, he chewed quickly before hurrying himself by washing it all down with some ale. Meanwhile, Irina had watched with wide-eyes at the other bosmer's attempt to woe Serana, something in her stomach felt off watching the scene play out before her.
He had lowered his hood and Serana almost looked bashful when she spoke to him. Was the woman blind? Niruin was the least attractive man in the guild.
"Well, looks like someone's found themselves some company. I was starting to think she was getting bored here." Byrnjolf said with satisfaction as he'd finished his food. Irina blinked rapidly in annoyance before returning her eyes to the nord in front of her, "yes, I suppose. That's rather... out of character for her"
"The only thing out of character is the fact that you're not wearing your wedding ring... Have you finally tired of that man?" A feminine voice said behind her. Just as she brought her glass bottle to her lips Irina could feel the corners of her mouth tug upwards, she recognized that sultry voice, it could be three years or thirteen... No one else had the same pitch to their voice.
Feminine to be sure, but also with a bite that had never induced a harder roll of the eyes other than tonight.
Any hint of annoyance toward Serana had left the dovahkiin almost immediately.
Interest replaced jealousy in a moments notice at the imperial woman before her. Irina had always thought Vex to be a beauty. Her jawline was prominent, cheekbones sharp in the daylight and soft in the dim cistern, her lips were small but they were always a rosy pink.
It was also obvious to note, Vex knows herself to be beautiful. Everything she did was effortless and graceful yet with intention, it should be considered an art form to walk through life as she did.
"I was tired of his personality even before I married him, and the band feels uncomfortable when I swing a sword so I left it at home" Irina said before she tilted the bottle upwards and drank the rest of the contents. Erikur was not the most ideal husband, and yet she hardly saw him, so where was the problem? The dovahkiin couldn't see one.
"Hah. That's actually a good point, though he strikes me as the type of man to be upset over something like that"
"He is, without a doubt. Though, he's never vocalized it to me before. I suppose talking about himself and how he feels is foreign to him, better for me." Irina said as she handed Vex a glass bottle of ale. The woman took a close seat to the bosmer, their shoulders brushed against each other and the subtle feel of Vex's thigh against the elf's did not go unnoticed by the woman.
Brynjolf greeted her with a charming phrase, but they paid him no mind. The look the women gave each other was subtle to everyone else around them, even Brynjolf. He ranted on about jobs and the future of the Thieves Guild, a conversation Irina would have thoroughly listened to- at another time. Vex had elicited a faint noise from Irina when her hand rested itself on the innermost part of her thigh.
The imperial had a mischievous look to her eye and Irina gripped her bottle of ale with frustration.
Irina sighed into the kiss and wrapped an arm around the woman's waist. Vex wasn't as tall as Serana but still a decent amount taller than Irina, so Vex had to crane her neck downwards to match the dovahkiin's lips. Irina buried her hand in the blonde's hair and playfully bit her lower lip, "look at you, so straightforward. Didn't need much words to get the point across huh?" she asked with a smirk gracing her features.
Vex parted their kiss and brought her mouth to the dovahkiin's neck, "you've always been such a smartass..." she trailed off slowly.
Irina buried a groan in her neck when the imperial woman lightly sucked on her jaw. Her mouth was warm against the elf's cold body, and it felt almost surreal that it had been Vex of all people to approach her in such a way. The amount of times the elf had thought of the woman in a shared bed was only about a handful of times, but even still, to have the woman who'd made her question her interest in men touch her so eagerly and kiss her so desperately made her head swim.
How long had she thought to do the same? It made Irina's body react in ways she hadn't experienced before.
Vex let out a small moan at how Irina's breaths became more and more shallow. She made to kiss another spot on her neck but her eyes caught the golden glow of Serana's from across the room. She made a questioning sound and tilted her head to the side as if she didn't expect to be seen.
"I can't seem to get a small little space to myself. Don't mind me, I was just on my way out." Serana spoke with a strained voice. She feigned a smirk to Irina, and then hurried out the room. The moment she exited the training room she made for the exit of the guild. She no longer wanted to be in this place, she would much rather prefer to read alone in her bed and change into more comfortable clothes.
The dovahkiin untangled herself from Vex and scratched the back of her head, "now this is embarrassing... that killed my mood."
"Yeah, no kidding..." Vex said crossing her arms over her chest. Irina shrugged and slid a hand over to the imperial's backside.
"There's always another time, It's also getting rather late and I have something to do tomorrow before I set out" Irina gave her a light squeeze which made the woman tense up slightly. The bosmer grinned at her and proceeded to make for the exit as well, Vex glared daggers at her before eventually sighing. They bid each other goodnight and that was that.
Serana hadn't expected Irina to return to the inn so soon after she'd arrived herself. It was almost five minutes after she returned herself, not even. Yet, here she was, a little drunk and sheepishly smiling at her. The black-haired nord raised an eyebrow at her demeanor, as if she didn't know the reason for it.
"I hadn't expected you to be there, I'm sorry about that." she said. Serana merely rolled her eyes and relaxed herself on the bed, "It's fine, how would you have known? Anyway, why aren't you still there? I figured you two would need time, you were certainly in the mood for it."
Irina chuckled and scratched the back of her head, "Ah... We pulled away from each other shortly after you left..."
"Oh, so I killed the mood? Damn, now I should be apologizing to you." Serana said whimsically. Irina shook her head and threw her hands up, as if to say 'what're you to do about it?' before joining the nord on the bed.
"Don't think that, we ride out of here tomorrow. The elder scrolls are the priority, it was good to see them all but I can't be taking vacation as I please" Irina said while nestling into the bed. Serana nodded in response and watched the bosmer's demeanor. Tipsy for sure, possibly drunk but Serana couldn't tell. Her cheeks were rosy and it gave her a glow that made her look younger than what she already was.
What a beautiful woman... She was almost too amazing to be real. Serana could have read as many books as she'd like on tales of the dragonborn, nothing would have done her beauty justice. No author could have properly described how kind she was to others, or how selfless. No amount of legends could have warned anyone of how determined her spirit was.
Serana had been jealous of Brynjolf, he was close to her. She could recognize that, and of that imperial woman as well for having the chance to kiss the bosmer on her own terms. It was only normal, Irina was someone out of legend and all these people had come before Serana.
"This was hardly a vacation, more of a rescue mission. At least you have some peace of mind knowing that they're safe, Lydia at least. I could care less about her husband" Serana added with a frown, his actions were completely out of line and even a couple days later it still bothered her.
"You need to let that go, my goodness." Irina spoke with a bit of laughter. Serana didn't know if it her drunken state that caused her to laugh in a higher tone of voice but she enjoyed hearing it. The bosmer shifted a bit closer to the nord, and a small spark of anxiety made Serana's finger twitch.
"If I hadn't grabbed you what would you have done?" Irina asked. Her orange eyes peering at the nord with a curious light. She was very close now, her hands were just an inch away from Serana's body and if the nord were bold enough to turn her head...-
"I would have frozen his hands together or something, I don't know. I smelled your blood and immediately lost my senses, I was so angry... Definitely not something I'm used to feeling. Also, it was the fact that you were the target of his rage- you didn't deserve it." she explained with furrowed brows and a pouting lower lip. As if saying that much was difficult for Serana.
My goodness, she's so pretty.
Irina swallowed deeply and shifted more on her side to get a better view of the woman's face. Strong jawline and high cheekbones, Irina thought she looked like she was handcrafted by an artist- her lips were so full it made the elf dizzy to think of what they would feel like against her own skin. A tiny breath left the bosmer, normally it would have been undetected but since she lay so close to the woman it caught her attention.
A sound of surprise left Serana's lips, something between a whimper and a moan. The younger woman had moved slowly and deliberately, to keep her drunken mind at ease but also to give Serana more than enough time to push her away if she wanted. Pale pink lips pressed against Serana's ear while a calloused hand draped over the nord's stomach to latch herself onto the woman.
Serana could smell the alcohol from her lips and wondered if she herself smelled of wine. Her thoughts were racing as Irina released a tiny breath of air against the shell of her ear, a playful tongue licked and an eager mouth sucked on her lobe for a second before she spoke "and you call me charming? My lady, I have never had someone try and defend my honor before, my chivalrous companion. How sweet of you."
A more vocal moan escaped Serana at the praise. Her free hand curled into a fist at her side and gripped onto the sheets tightly, it would have been so easy to switch their roles. For the nord to climb on top of the bosmer, for Serana to whisper sweet things in her ear. Her face was beginning to flush red at the potential ideas.
Irina's smaller frame was flush against Serana's side, the nord could feel the soft mounds of the woman press against her arm and bit her own lower lip roughly. More words left Irina's lips, more praise filled Serana's head and with each little sound or gesture the elf made, the more tightly her grip on the sheets became.
A few phrases on her beauty with a gentle caress of her cheek from Irina to emphasize that. Remarks on her intelligence and emotional understanding of things- the bosmer made sure to kiss her neck and jaw slowly and gently to add more fuel to the fire. Serana, of course was getting drunk off of all the words Irina spoke to her.
Moans slipped freely from her lips and whines left her when Irina would retreat to catch her breath.
With the courage that was brought forth from the wine, Serana released the bedsheets from her tight grasp and brought her hand to Irina's throat. She squeezed the sides firmly but gently and marveled in the expression and the color that came to Irina's face.
"Fuck." Serana couldn't help it. She tried to never use foul language but... Irina never looked so submissive before.
A deep moan slipped free from Irina's mouth as Serana leaned forward to capture her lips. Their drunken mouths sucked and bit gently, with Irina's hands fondling the nord's chest and Serana grabbing onto her backside. Their bodies were warm to the touch, Serana never felt so... filled with passion before in her life. She needed to take things slow, otherwise her inexperience would show. Besides, it was much sweeter to deny the bosmer of what she wanted and prolong their intimacy.
The warm lighting of their room made Irina's skin look flawless. Serana could only admire silently when Irina broke their kiss and sat on her knees, slender fingers came and began to undo the strings of her own shirt. A smirk grew on her countenance, one that Serana longed for. As she watched Irina fumbled with her clothes she relaxed into the bed and tried to catch her breath.
She knew that a map of scars were awaiting her once the clothes came off and relished the idea of kissing every single one of them and making the bosmer squirm. How she wanted to confess her love into Irina's ear as she explored every inch of her body. Serana never felt the urge to be with anyone as intensely as she did with Irina.
I need to tell her.
Just as Irina was about to pull her shirt over her head, Serana rushed forward and stopped her. A sound of confusion escaped the dovahkiin's lips paired with a tilt of her head. Selfishly, the nord cupped her cheek and ensnared her lips gently- the kiss was reciprocated by the elf and Serana loved the way Irina's arms draped over her shoulders.
"Are you okay, Serana?" Irina asked as they parted.
"With you this close? Oh yeah." Serana began with a smirk. Her smile quickly left her when orange eyes stared back at her curiously. She was probably wondering what had instigated the woman to stop, and the nord felt her lips go dry. If anything were to go amiss with what she was about to say, well- she would blame it on the wine.
"I... I love you."