Chapter Summary: From Markarth to Whiterun to Darkwater Crossing, Erik gets his share of travel and sight-seeing while Miranja makes her rounds.
^O^O^O^O^O^
Miranja had taken Erik straight to Ghorza's forge after leaving Understone Keep, sold the dwarven armor, and given Erik the money. They had gone to Vlindrel Hall and met Argis, a rather handsome, muscular Nord with an attractive face tattoo and a blind eye, who'd obviously seen some battle and who made no bones about his interest in Miranja's Amulet of Mara. She had tactfully sidestepped his hints and put away her home decorating guide and the Blade of the Reach. She'd given him enough coin to furnish the living area and promised it wouldn't be long before they could furnish more. Of course, her private thought had been that she wanted to bring Faendal back here after she'd furnished the bedroom so he could be the first man she loved in that bed. Argis had seemed disappointed that she didn't want his services as a bodyguard right away, and she'd hugged him warmly, kissed his cheek, and told him that she was taking her new mercenary friend on his first adventures or she'd be happy to take him along. That seemed to placate him.
When she and Erik had left Markarth, they'd started back in the direction of Whiterun. Erik wanted to stay the night at his father's inn, since it seemed they would be able to reach Rorikstead by nightfall.
"When I left home, I was practically a child," he declared as they walked. "Father will hardly know me when I go back, and I've only been away a week. Thanks to you, Miss Miranja, I've become a man in more ways than one."
Miranja smiled and blushed with embarrassment, but also felt rather flattered.
"Maybe this is a childish idea," Erik continued, "but it would make me feel really good if we could make love under my father's roof. It would be like the icing on the cake. Even if he didn't know about it, I would know, and I'd feel like I'm finally on the same level with him."
"What if he did know?" Miranja asked. "Do you think he'd be upset? Would he call me a harlot and throw me out?"
Erik looked surprised and bemused when she glanced over at him. "I-I don't know," he admitted. "I wouldn't think so, though. We may be small town people, he and I, but we're pretty open-minded. He might worry that you'll break my heart, but he wouldn't disrespect you."
"Hell, Erik, I worry that I'll break your heart. I don't know if it's different for men than it is for women, but I fell pretty hard for the first boy I went all the way with. I'm not the marrying kind, though, and I hope you're not thinking along those lines yet."
"No, ma'am," Erik replied. Miranja worried that she'd been too harsh and looked over at him. He looked back at her with a serious expression, but didn't seem to be hurt. She nodded once, then turned her eyes back to the road ahead of her.
"You don't think it would be disrespecting your father?"
"Well, think of it this way, Miss Miranja. Lots of travelers come through there. Some are couples. Some must surely have relations in the beds at our inn. How much difference would it make if I was half of one of those traveling couples?"
"It could make a big difference to your father," Miranja speculated.
"He has to expect me to be a man in every sense of the word sooner or later."
"But what if he expects you to wait until you have your own house and a wife?"
"What if he does? This is the Fourth Era. Times are changing. I've even heard of men having relationships with men, and women having relationships with women. Not that that bothers me…" he interjected, an apologetic tone in his voice, "I just mean that people should be able to do what makes them happy, if it's not hurting anyone."
"Now you're speaking my language," Miranja smiled. "I agree wholeheartedly. It's what my parents have always told me. Okay, my dear, we will make love at the Frostfruit Inn tonight."
Erik's father was pleased and surprised to see them back, and Erik told him they were only spending the night because he had to accompany Miranja back to Whiterun to put away the stuff she was collecting.
"I've always wanted to see Whiterun," Erik told his father. "All my life we've lived just at the opposite end of the hold, yet I've never been there."
Mralki couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, son. And you seem to be no worse for the wear. In fact, you seem a little different already."
"I've killed two Forsworn Briar-Hearts and a hagraven," Erik told his father proudly.
Mralki's eyes widened for a moment, then he shook his head and smiled. "Then I guess I didn't have so much to worry about after all."
"Granted, I couldn't have done it without Miss Miranja, but we made a good team, and I'm learning a lot and getting stronger already."
Mralki turned to Miranja. "Thank you, Miranja, for taking good care of my son. I trust you will teach him well."
"Anything I can't teach him, I have friends who can. Don't worry, Mralki. He's in good hands. And who taught him to use a bow? He's pretty good."
Mralki smiled and blushed a little. "I did. I was in the Legion once. Archery is useful for hunting as well as battle. I still hunt occasionally, and I taught Erik when he was young. He does more hunting than I do these days."
When Mralki asked if Erik would be staying in his old room for the night, Erik fumbled before agreeing that he would. His red face would have given him away if his hesitation hadn't. Miranja held her breath as they awaited Mralki's response. Mralki looked from his son's embarrassed face to Miranja's steady but cautious gaze, reading the signs.
"Have you already, or…?"
"Yes, sir, we have already," Miranja stated quietly and matter-of-factly. Now Mralki hesitated, but Miranja spoke again. "Call it a friendly agreement. It's a form of stress-relief after life-or-death situations. We've talked and have an understanding."
"It was my idea, da," Erik put in. "She told me she doesn't want anything serious. If my heart gets broken, it'll be my own fault."
Mralki sighed and wiped at the bar with his towel, looking at his own hand as he spoke. "I've already committed to trusting you to know what you're doing, and it sounds like you're well aware of what you're getting into, so I won't lecture you. The only thing I want to remind you of, whether with this lovely lass or another, is not to let the little head do the thinking. Keep your wits about you, lad."
"Yes, da."
"And you can rent one of the rooms with a double bed tonight."
Erik's face lit up like the sun. "Thank you, da. I love you."
Mralki waved his towel at Erik. "You know I love you, too, son. Go get cleaned up and I'll get you two some supper."
^O^O^O^O^O^
They'd spent a playful night of loving and learning at the Frostfruit, and Mralki had fed them a hearty breakfast before seeing them off. The road to Whiterun had been… typical. A roving giant with his cow, a roadside thief, yet another Dark Brotherhood assassin. All in a day's work, Miranja supposed. This was her life now.
As always, she'd stopped at Warmaiden's as soon as she stepped inside the city gates, done some improvements on the weapons and armor she and Erik were keeping, sold the rest. She'd headed to the Drunken Huntsman to flirt with Elrindir and buy some arrows, then gone to the market to see Anoriath and Carlotta. Mila was at the stand with her mother this time, and Miranja let her choose a piece of jewelry from among the many items she'd picked up in her travels. The rest she planned to take to Dragonsreach to practice her enchanting on. She stopped by Jorrvaskr and was pleased to see that Athis was outdoors training. Erik was excited; he'd heard of the Companions, of course, and said he might join them if he couldn't make it as an independent sellsword.
"I'm kind of considering it myself," Miranja told him, "if only to get closer to that handsome Dunmer over there."
Erik looked just as Athis delivered a powerful, downward, two-handed thrust into the practice dummy's chest: a killing blow to a living opponent. Athis glanced around to see if anyone had been watching, looking rather proud of himself, and saw Erik and Miranja. Miranja gave Athis an admiring, flirtatious smile and a wink, and he turned away quickly, but not before she caught the self-satisfied smirk on his face.
They spent about an hour at Dragonsreach, first seeing Jarl Balgruuf, then seeing Farengar and borrowing his enchanting table until Miranja ran out of filled soul gems. She sold a few of her enchanted rings and necklaces to Farengar; they weren't the best enchantments, but they could still be sold for their aesthetic value if not for their minor perks. She sold a few more to Fralia Gray-Mane and Belethor.
Rounds completed, Miranja took Erik to Breezehome, where they grabbed several buckets and went back to the well in the marketplace and filled them with water. They carried them back to Breezehome and filled the cast iron cauldron, then hung it over the hearth fire to warm while they bathed, changed, and went to dinner. Water set to warming for later, Miranja went up to the bedroom and took her turn first. She then sat downstairs, freshened and comfortable, and wrote a letter to her parents while Erik bathed and changed.
Lydia, too, had bathed and changed, but in the privacy of her own room, and Miranja was stunned at how much Lydia's beauty was enhanced by feminine clothes and a little lip stain. Lydia informed her that she was meeting a new boyfriend that evening and wasn't sure if she'd be home late or not at all. She hadn't known Miranja would be back in town when she'd made plans.
"It's perfectly fine, Lydia," Miranja told her sincerely. "Enjoy yourself. But let me know how it goes." She winked, and Lydia smiled and nodded. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight," she told her housecarl friend. "I'm a little jealous of your beau."
"You'll be fine here with Erik, I'm sure," Lydia teased.
"Maybe," Miranja grinned back, "but he's not as pretty as you."
Lydia bent down and kissed her softly, then winked before she started toward the door. "Wish me luck," she smiled naughtily.
"All the luck," Miranja replied. She waited until the door had closed behind Lydia before returning to her letter.
Sundas, 12 Frostfall, 4E 201
Dear Ma & Da,
I'm finally back at my cute little house in Whiterun, at least for a day. You won't believe what I've been up to in the last few days. I've been helping Jarl Igmund of Markarth deal with the Forsworn problem. Don't worry; I have a fine young strong Nord warrior accompanying me, and we've even killed two Briar-Hearts and a hagraven together.
Speaking of hagravens, I actually sort of made friends with one. I helped her escape a cage and kill another hagraven who'd put her there and stolen her tower. She gave me a very unique staff as thanks.
And speaking of thanks, Jarl Igmund was so thankful to me for retrieving his father's shield from the hagravens, he allowed me to purchase property in Markarth and made me a thane! That's three holds now – I never thought I'd be so honored when I came here. It's funny how differently things are turning out, but I know I'll get to Winterhold sooner or later.
I miss you both so much. I wish we could be together to celebrate. I'm sending another hundred septims and a carriage-load of love with this letter, will send more soon. Looking forward to your reply!
Lots and lots of hugs and kisses,
Your Miranja
^O^O^O^O^O^
Erik had a fine time at the Mare. The Frostfruit didn't have a bard, and was hardly ever as busy as the Mare was. Miranja introduced him to Jon Battle-Born and Amren, and casually mentioned that Ysolda was an enterprising single woman who might be taking over the inn when Hulda retired. Erik watched Ysolda as she chatted with Carlotta and Alfhild, but didn't venture to speak to her.
The evening ended rather early, since there was still work to do, but together they conquered the laundry and hung it out to dry overnight. When Erik expressed an interest in making love, Miranja realized that she had yet to make love with anyone in that bed, and she still wanted Faendal to be the first. After hanging out the wet laundry in the cool night air, she had the excuse of being rather cold, so she suggested that they spread out a fur near the hearth and make love there. Lydia still hadn't come home by the time they were done. They moved upstairs to the bedroom to sleep.
Tirdas morning dawned clear and cool, and before anything else, Miranja went out to check on the laundry. It was still a little damp, so they put on the cold under-armor clothes and wore them around as they went about making breakfast and refilling and organizing their packs, letting their body heat dry the garments.
Miranja poked her head into Lydia's room and found that she was not there. Guess she did have all the luck, Miranja thought with a smile.
She and Erik donned their armor last thing before leaving the house, and Miranja took her letter to the courier's office on their way out of town. She paid the extra coin so that the courier could take Bjorlam's carriage to Falkreath and therefore have a better chance of keeping her gift of money safe most of the way to the Pale Pass.
As they traveled, Miranja explained to Erik that they were taking a shortcut to Ivarstead because the road was very long and also went past Valtheim Towers, which was usually inhabited by bandits. Erik was somewhat put out that he wouldn't be able to vanquish some bandit scum, but Miranja further explained that she wanted to try to make it to Darkwater Crossing in the same day, and it wouldn't happen if they took the long way. Erik glumly accepted his lot.
It was cold going over the mountain, but even with frequent short breaks, the exertion kept their body temperatures up long enough to get back to the more temperate area north of Ivarstead, near where the river ran past the troll cave. They retrieved the pelts Miranja had been stockpiling in Pinepeak Cavern and wrapped nine of them up inside the tenth, which Erik slung over his shoulder and hauled up to the mill for her. Temba was thrilled and rewarded Miranja with an enchanted war axe, telling her to kill a few more bears for her if she got the chance. As Miranja turned to go, Temba stopped her and inquired about her amulet. Miranja gave her usual explanation and thanked her for her interest, saying she would keep Temba in mind.
"Are you going to the inn, Miss Miranja?" Gwilin asked as she passed.
"Aye," Miranja replied. "It's been a long morning of mountain climbing and we're ready for some lunch and a drink."
"I'm about to take my lunch break myself," Gwilin replied. "I'll see you there in a few minutes."
"Is there any place in Skyrim you haven't been, Miss Miranja?" Erik asked as they headed up the hill.
"As towns go, no. But I'm sure there are a lot of places in the wilderness I haven't found yet, and I'm in no hurry to explore the entirety of Skyrim."
Wilhelm greeted them with pleasure and promptly brought them food and drink, since they were the only patrons at the moment. "You beat the lunch rush," he smiled, eyeing Miranja's amulet.
"Is that an Amulet of Mara?" he exclaimed. "You're not married? Surprising…"
"Not for a good while yet, Wilhelm," Miranja replied. "You wouldn't want to marry a mage, anyway." She put a forkful of meat into her mouth, ending the conversation. She liked Wilhelm well enough, but she didn't appreciate his stance on magic.
Gwilin joined them and they had a pleasant conversation during their meal. They stayed rather longer than Miranja had intended, but there was still plenty of daylight left. Gwilin walked with them as far as the mill afterwards, and Miranja gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek, stroking a loose strand of hair back from his face.
"See you next time, sweetheart," she told him with a little one-finger salute off her brow.
"Looking forward to it," he smiled back, hefting his axe.
It was much easier going to Darkwater Crossing, since it was all downhill. There were wolves at the bottom of the switchback, but Miranja used Kyne's Peace on them, and she and Erik hightailed it in the direction of the bridge that led to the mining camp before it wore off.
Miranja was practically skipping, and Erik asked her why she was so energetic.
"There's a mer here that I really like, and I'm hoping to spend more time talking to him this time than I did last time."
"I see," Erik said evenly.
"I really have a thing for elves," she explained, "particularly Bosmer and Dunmer. My first serious lover was a Bosmer."
"I see," Erik said again.
"I hope you're not feeling jealous," Miranja commented, glancing at him.
"Maybe just a little," Erik admitted. "But it's okay. We've already talked about our relationship, I know."
"For what it's worth, there's a female guard there, and a single mother."
Erik laughed. "You don't have to play matchmaker for me. If I'm really interested in a girl, I can gather enough courage to talk to her. I'm not that shy."
"Good," Miranja smiled. "The worst that can happen is they can say they're not interested. But at least you won't have the regret of never finding out."
Miranja introduced Erik to everyone she could find, and returned Hrefna's enthusiastic hug. She found a ring in her pack that she thought Hrefna would like, and promised a better gift next time. Anneke told them that if they were heading up toward Windhelm, there was a beautiful tree in a cave they might like to check out along the way. Miranja thanked her for the information and said they probably would.
She found Sondas working away in the mine. It was midafternoon, and he'd worked up such a sweat by now that he'd removed his shirt, and his grey skin shone and his muscles rippled in the lantern light. She couldn't help but lust at the sight of him.
"Hello, Sondas," she greeted him to announce her presence.
Sondas stopped and turned to her, a smile lighting his face.
"So you've returned to grace me with your presence," he said, dropping his pickaxe and approaching her.
"Thought I'd drop in and see if you got the medicine you asked for."
"I did, indeed. It's going fast, though; we could probably use some more to keep a stock on hand."
"I can certainly pass the word to Quintus; I'm heading to Windhelm from here. How much would you need?"
"A dozen bottles would suffice. But I'll have to get my coinpurse from my tent to send payment with you."
"Don't worry about it, Sondas, it'll be on me."
Sondas started to protest and she held up her hand. "No argument. I've been making good coin doing bounty work and other favors around Skyrim, and I'd love to help you and your workers."
Sonda knew when to stop. He changed the subject, reaching out to lift the large amulet at her breast.
"An Amulet of Mara, eh? So you're looking for marriage, then?"
His deep, gentle voice and quietly confident smile made her heart flutter. "Maybe? I'm really just checking out my prospects right now, seeing who's interested in me and who I might be interested in back. And I'm definitely interested in you, Sondas. I may not know you well yet, but I already know you're hard-working, kind, reliable… and very handsome, as well." Miranja stopped and swallowed, mixed feelings of desire and anxiety causing her throat to close up on her. "At the very least, I'd really like to… get… physical with you, if you know what I mean…" She held his gaze with expectant hopefulness, and she wasn't disappointed.
After a quick look around to see if anyone was within sight or earshot and finding that they were alone in this part of the mine, Sondas gave her a sultry smile and said, "I am more than willing to fulfill that request, my lovely girl." Seeing her desire written plainly on her face, he pulled her into his arms, leaned in, and planted the sweetest kiss on her soft, full lips. She melted in his arms and embraced him back eagerly. She didn't move when he broke the kiss, still angling her chin out toward him with her eyes closed and lips parted, panting a bit, so he went in for a longer, more passionate kiss and felt her arms tighten around him, pulling herself closer against him, her hips gently grinding.
"It's been awfully lonely here," Sondas told her when he broke their second kiss, leaving her panting. "The one single Nord woman I work with is fine with having a Dunmer as a friend and a co-worker, even with having me look after her daughter when she's gone into town or out to forage, but she believes that Nords and Dunmer shouldn't romantically intermingle. So I just focus on working as much as possible so as not to think about it too much. I hardly dared hope that you would be this open. Even if you don't want to marry – yet – I would still like to spend time together and get to know each other better."
"As would I, Sondas. I have no such reservations about races intermingling. We're all people with feelings, needs, and desires."
"Agreed," Sondas smiled, cupping her face in his callused hands. "Are you staying long today? I think I'm the only one still working in here, but they'll be expecting me for dinner. If you'll be around after dinner, I'd love to take you on a little walk."
"Oh, sweet love," Miranja mourned, "I have a companion with me, and I don't want to intrude and stretch your food thin since we showed up unannounced. We need to get to a safe indoor place for the night if we can't make it all the way to Windhelm. But I will hold you to that walk the next time I'm in the area. I will come see you even if it's out of my way, dearheart."
"You disappoint me for today," Sondas teased. He stroked her cheeks with his rough thumbs before giving her another tender kiss. "But I'll be waiting on pins and needles for your next visit. Write ahead, if you can."
"I will," Miranja promised, surprised to find herself actually blushing. Something about Sondas – perhaps the combination of his intangible aura of steadiness, his wholesomeness, and his just-under-the-surface simmering sexuality – made her feel like a shy violet. It was a lovely change from Erik's youthful urgency and inexperience. She had the strong impression that Sondas had had at least one very satisfied lover before, and he knew how to please a woman.
She pulled him close again and kissed him until Hrefna's voice carried down the tunnel: "Sondas! Ma sent me to see if you need more water!"
Sondas broke their kiss and called back, "Aye, sweetpea, my flask is running a bit low. But I'm coming up, anyway. Wait right there." He grinned apologetically at Miranja and pressed his forehead against hers, burying his fingers in the loose hair at the base of her braid, thumbs in front of her ears. "I'll see you back to the camp."