Author's Note:
Dear all,
I'm very excited to share this plotline at last :) It's been a long time coming. We'll see if Falkreath hold up to its tragic reputation again, or if it can be salvaged with a happy and fluffy plot for once :D
I hope you'll enjoy and thank you all so much for still reading ;)
Chapter LXXVI – Kyne's Grace
The city was as welcoming as ever.
It was like nothing had changed since they'd been here last. They weren't sure what they expected to change, but nothing did. The people still seemed on edge and the Legion was still there in force. It was possible they might make their stay there quite unpleasant again.
Well, whatever. They were not going to let anyone ruin this for them.
They were here for their wedding.
Nothing was going to mess with that.
But it wouldn't hurt to find out if they should brace themselves for more Legion harassment. So before they even headed over to the inn, they went straight to the apothecary. The alchemist in the city talked to them quite openly about the Legion's presence before. Hopefully she would again.
And it was for the best to disappear inside. People were giving Aeyrin looks again. This time she wasn't sure if it was because of Alduin or because of what happened the last time she was here, but either way, it wasn't a good feeling.
They slipped inside the shop promptly. Fortunately it was empty, save for the Redguard alchemist.
"Oh. Welcome back. Dragonborn. Good to have you around with… everything happening," she smiled a little weakly. Well, it was a more pleasant reaction than she usually got for the prophecy.
"Hello again," Aeyrin only smiled back. She didn't need to address the prophecy business, did she? She was much more interested in other stuff. "So… how have things been around here? We saw the Legion is still here. Do you still have to supply them?"
"No. Fortunately not," the Redguard sighed, though she didn't seem too excited about that. "They are still here, but a lot of us have gathered in a protest a month or so ago. We've had enough. The Jarl conceded and the Legion can't requisition free supplies or rooms at the inn anymore. They have to camp out in the forests. And they don't recruit travelers that often anymore. Just… still sometimes. But they're still here. And now…" She shook her head in desperation.
"Now what?" Bishop raised his brow.
"You were… you were in Markarth, right? I heard about the dragons there. And… all that other stuff," she explained. "Well… now we know. Fort Sungard, no matter their intention in the first place, it's not occupied to give them access to Markarth. Not anymore at least. Not with the automaton army. Now we know who's the target and it's us. Everyone just wants the fort conquered back and it's not happening. It's been so long. And General Tullius wrote to Jarl Igmund several times, but it's no use."
"Jarl Igmund? What does he have to do with this?" Aeyrin prodded. That was an odd leap. She just said the Stormcloaks were not taking Markarth.
"To take the fort back. Jarl Igmund's army could help. The fort would belong to the Empire again and we would be safe. But people say the Jarl won't have it. Apparently, he won't leave his city defenseless ever again."
"That's understandable though. If you know what happened there…" Aeyrin scowled a bit. She understood. Even a short excursion of the automaton forces to the fort could be the end of Markarth.
"Yeah. I know. But it's shitty for us, right?" The Redguard growled in frustration. "No Dwemer army for Falkreath. And of course Jarl Igmund can get away with it. Markarth is the richest city in Skyrim. He just leverages that and warns about leaving it defenseless and Tullius has no choice but to back down. Falkreath is not rich. We got nothing to leverage but the dead. We're all gonna be joining them soon."
Aeyrin and Bishop nodded thoughtfully. It was unfortunate for the people of Falkreath, but Igmund had a point. How could he risk his own city after everything it's been through? He was so lucky to have Calcelmo – his one remaining weapon against… well… everything. How could he send that one weapon away and leave Markarth open? It was a prime target for the Forsworn clans, for Stormcloaks and for the dragons too. It was too dangerous.
At least the Legion was still in Falkreath. It seemed like the lesser of the evils just now.
"I'm sorry, it must be hard to live with this threat," Aeyrin gave her a sympathetic look.
"Yeah well… you'd know. I don't know how long you'd known for but… living with that on your shoulders," the Redguard reciprocated the look. "Well… shitty doom and gloom for everyone, right? Little help it does, I am freshly stocked though. Whatever you two need," she smiled.
Oh right. Shopping. They should resupply, just in case something happened, even though they didn't plan on fighting anything and anyone this time around.
Because not even a Stormcloak invasion would ruin their day if they had anything to say about it. And they still needed something for that.
"Actually, we were wondering if you knew the best place to gather a lot of flowers. Decorative ones, not necessarily for alchemy," Aeyrin smiled.
"Oh. Uhm… unexpected, but alright," the woman chuckled. "There's plenty on the small islands on Lake Ilinalta. I sometimes send people to gather there for me."
That was true, but they wanted a lot of flowers and they didn't want to pluck out everything from their wedding spot.
"Anywhere else? We've seen the islands. Seems a shame to pick them clean," Aeyrin smirked.
"Oh shit, that would be a lot of flowers," the Redguard smirked. "Well… I guess there's this grove that has a lot of them. It's… in the forests though. I mean… people say the bandits are gone, but… I still wouldn't dare to go in there. You two might though."
Ooof. It was definitely not a pleasant prospect, but they kind of expected this. Thorn was dead. Bandits were gone. Vampires too, hopefully. Sure, the forests were still said to be cursed and they were awful altogether, but… for this, they could risk it.
"Close by the road?" Aeyrin asked hopefully.
"Yeah. Kinda. Not that deep in, fortunately," the Redguard nodded. "Still wouldn't go there though."
"Just tell us where," Bishop nodded. He was not eager to step foot in those forests again, but… he had to remind himself that it was fine now. There was nothing there but wild animals anymore.
There was nothing to fear.
…
The rest of their day in Falkreath was surprisingly calm.
Bishop and Aeyrin sold their loot from the ruins, got a room at the inn, had a good dinner and decided on their next plans.
Lydia and Saadia should be coming the next day to help with the preparations. Before they got here though, the two of them could take care of those flowers. Blessing from Kyne – the fourth edge of Skyrim for their wedding.
Everything was set so far. Now they could just enjoy their evening.
"So, are we just gonna stuff the flowers into our packs? Or do we buy pretty baskets and skip through the cursed forests with them?" Aeyrin giggled as they relaxed in the common room with their dinner already eaten and two tankards of mead on their table.
Bishop laughed out at the notion. The image was a little disturbing, but it was kind of a valid point, actually. Those flowers would get smooshed in their packs.
"Yeah, maybe we actually should," he smirked. "Get something to carry them in. Might be for the best."
"Alright. We'll look for some pretty baskets tomorrow," Aeyrin chuckled again. The image of Bishop carrying a basket of flowers in the dark menacing forest was hilarious. And she couldn't wait for this outing, even though she was still nervous about the forest part of it all.
It was probably not gonna be what she imagined now though.
They relaxed in the room for a while, side by side on a bench and cuddling together while they discussed their plans some more. Every time the door opened though, they flinched a little and looked at who came in. They still remembered the unpleasant Legion raid and it was possible it might happen again. Sure, they were still protected from the recruitment, thanks to Elisif, but it was still nerve-wracking.
No Legionnaires came in though. But after a while, another familiar face did.
And unfortunately, she marched right towards their table.
The Altmer steward of Jarl Siddgeir. She wore a pleasant smile that just seemed overly fake as she approached them.
"Good evening," she nodded at them courteously. Bishop didn't recognize the woman, but Aeyrin instantly tensed.
"What is it?" Aeyrin asked through gritted teeth. She couldn't help it, no matter how pleasant the woman was. What did she want with them?
"Dragonborn, Jarl Siddgeir would like to invite you to a dinner to discuss the dragon crisis, if you would," the woman curtsied a little as she delivered the message.
Ugh. That snake. Just like in his letter, now he wanted to be amicable and try to make sure Aeyrin wasn't going to 'forsake' his Hold. That was so idiotic. As if she would just let dragons decimate the city if they attacked, just for the spite of it. These people were not at fault.
But she did not want to tell him that. There was nothing to talk about. He would just think that he somehow won her over. Asshole. Never that. This wasn't about him. And she would not let him think that.
"No," Aeyrin huffed curtly.
Oh-oh. That may have been a little louder than she meant for it to be. Some people at a nearby table gasped at her answer and began whispering. Great. Thank you, Siddgeir. Again. He didn't even have to interact with her to make things unpleasant for her.
"I… uh… excuse me?" The steward stammered in confusion. She probably never got that answer before.
"No thank you, I am not interested in seeing him," Aeyrin gritted her teeth again. No matter what the citizens thought, she didn't care anymore. She would not let her stay here be marred by that man now. Not a chance in Oblivion.
"Uuh… I… the Jarl just wants to talk and…" the woman tried to reason with her again.
"And she doesn't," Bishop snarled at the woman. "Are you deaf?"
The whispers got worse, but Aeyrin did her best to ignore them. Who cared what they thought? Siddgeir could deal with the public opinion on his own. She was not going to talk to him.
"I… I will relay the message then," the steward answered uncertainly and turned on her heel at last. When she finally disappeared, Bishop and Aeyrin both let out a relieved sigh, despite the people still clearly discussing what just happened.
At least nobody approached them. Until they heard a familiar voice behind their backs.
"Well, somebody's making waves already. You just can't help it, can't you?"
As much as someone pointing that out would normally annoy her, Aeyrin jumped up from her seat with excitement and turned around to face him.
"Azshan! You're here already," she beamed and threw herself into his ready embrace. Well… half ready. With one arm. She really shouldn't be focusing on that.
He looked just like she remembered him. There was no sign of his return to humbler roots, but then again, why would there be? He had a fancy-looking embroidered doublet and vest on, playing with elegant wine and red colors and a few rings adorning his fingers. He still looked like a noble. But the tied up end of his doublet where his arm should have been was a reminder enough of the fact that there was no going back for him.
"Hey, honey," Azshan wrapped his arm around her affectionately before they parted. He then promptly walked around their table to sit down opposite them and Aeyrin sat back down next to Bishop.
"Bishop," Azshan nodded at him with a smile. "I've been here for a few weeks already. I just came out of my room," he pointed to a door behind them at the end of the common room, "to get some dinner. And what commotion don't I see here."
"No commotion," Aeyrin huffed. "I just don't want to talk to another Jarl about the dragons," she sighed. Azshan didn't need to know the sordid details. This was believable enough, wasn't it?
She realized she hadn't seen Azshan after the whole dragon mess got revealed and she braced herself for a sympathetic look, but fortunately, that didn't come. Azshan showed impressive restraint from prying and he merely nodded at her.
"I get it," he smiled. "I hope Jarl Siddgeir will accept that."
He'll have to. She was not talking to him.
"So, how have you been?" She quickly changed the subject. Even though Azshan wasn't being unpleasantly prodding, she still preferred to steer away.
"Pretty shitty," he smirked as he gestured to his cut-off arm with his whole one. "It's been rough, trying to learn everything again. I can't even write a letter. I had to dictate it to someone to let the chapel in Chorrol know I was coming back," he sighed. "But I did hear from Master Selvia and she said I was welcome to, so… that's good."
"I'm sorry," Aeyrin gave him the sympathetic look she had been dreading getting herself before. But she couldn't help it. "It must be so hard."
"Hey, I'm alive and I'll learn," he smiled at her gently. "It'll just take time."
"Pretty good attitude, considering everything," Bishop nodded thoughtfully. He might just still make the most of his skills if he keeps that up.
"Yeah," Azshan nodded, but as he looked at Bishop, his expression turned a little uncertain. "I… do have a bit of a confession to make."
"Another one?" Aeyrin's eyes widened in horror. Oh no. There was more? What did he do?
"No… nothing like that!" Azshan chuckled a little weakly. "I just… had a looot of time before the wedding and… well… I guess old habits die really hard and all that. I got curious. And reckless. I… went through Whiterun."
Bishop let out an annoyed groan instantly. Great. He for sure heard the bounty rumors. He better not be spreading these around! That was still a little dangerous, in case people began calling out for revenge.
"Sorry. You mentioned it and… I just though Whiterun doesn't outright have Stormcloak forces there and I could probably show my face there," he gave Bishop a wry smile. "I don't judge though! Anymore."
"You better not spread shit around anymore either," Bishop growled angrily.
"No! I swear. Not a single word," Azshan raised his hale hand. "And I won't. Makes sense why you two hate rumors so much though."
"I always hated them," Aeyrin grumbled. Well… she liked when Azshan gossiped with her in the chapel, but she hated them being spread around like this through cities and communities. That just ruined people's lives. "And you should too by now."
"Yeah. Sorry, I couldn't help it," he sighed. "I promise though, not a soul will hear anything from me. I do wonder though. Is this what Casavir's problem was with you?" He looked curiously at Bishop.
"Yeah, basically," Bishop shrugged. Casavir's issues were more because of him being in Thorn's gang, not being Thrice-Banished. But still, it was the same shit – being a vicious bandit.
"Well, he was still being a dick about it, if you're done with that life," Azshan shrugged. "No need to rehash old mistakes."
"Yeah, you'd think so now," Bishop smirked. It did seem he learned his lesson though. Bishop still didn't feel quite comfortable with him, especially not with him knowing about Bishop's past, or at least what the people of Whiterun knew, but he hoped the man really paid enough of a price to learn something from it.
"Uhm-hm. That's right," Azshan chuckled a bit uncomfortably. "Too late, but not too little, I hope. But enough about this. The wedding is so soon. Only a week. Are you two ready?"
"No. We got nothing ready yet," Aeyrin snickered. They were gonna get it done, but there was still time.
"I meant more, ready to be married," Azshan explained. "But if you need help with anything that can be done with one hand, let me know."
"Definitely ready in that way then," Aeyrin smiled. She couldn't wait. And Bishop's answer was evident when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer affectionately on the bench.
"Good. It's gonna be a great day," Azshan smiled too, but after a moment, his smile fell a bit and he appeared slightly nervous. "Do you know when Master Therien is getting here?"
"Probably for the day itself. Maybe a day earlier," Aeyrin answered. She had no idea when Brunwulf was planning to bring his caravan. "Are you still worried about seeing him?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? I did so much awful shit," Azshan sighed.
"He's the forgiving sort," Aeyrin winked at him. "You'll be fine." She would know. He made it clear to her that he didn't love her any less despite all she'd done. Though he never had that kind of bond with Azshan, she knew he was understanding about the mistakes he made.
"That guy's not capable of hating anyone," Bishop smirked. If he was, he would sure as fuck hate Bishop too for what he caused with Thorn. But he didn't. Though granted, it seemed like Therien was kind of hateful when he spoke about the Thalmor, but Bishop and Azshan never tortured him, so there was hope for them both.
"Yeah. I guess you're right," Azshan smiled wryly. "I'm still really excited to see him. Just a little worried."
"Well don't worry, because we're not letting anything go wrong with the wedding. That includes awkward conflicts," Aeyrin grinned.
"Good. And I'll do everything I can not to contribute to any. I'll be good. I promise," he raised his hand solemnly again and he was actually believable when he said it. They got burned by him before, but hopefully this time, it was different.
A lot of things were different. But months ago they would never be able to sit here with him so amicably. At least not sincerely.
A lot of the shit brought something good in the end.
…
They were all set in the morning.
Bishop and Aeyrin bought a large basket one could wear on their back so that they could carry the flowers safely. They put all their necessities into Bishop's pack while Aeyrin carried the empty basket. They were ready to at least do something to prep for their wedding at last.
Walking through the forest was unpleasant to say the least. They tried to focus on the nice events awaiting them, but the past kept nagging them with dreadful memories. Especially since they had to head into the forest in the western parts. They were not that near Thorn's lair, but it was still a little terrifying to be back here again. Bishop even insisted on Karnwyr staying in Falkreath. He was too nervous about letting him run around here, even though he used to do just that many times before.
The forests didn't feel any less menacing and dark now.
But it all changed when they reached their destination.
Evergreen Grove. That's what the Redguard called it.
It was a beautiful little pond by some rocky outcroppings. All around the water there were flowers. Mountain flowers in all colors, dragon's tongue and deathbells everywhere. It was gonna be enough for their needs.
Aeyrin didn't hesitate. She headed over to the floral display in front of them and crouched down by a nearby tree to take off the basket from her back and start collecting.
Bishop walked over to her to join her. It was gonna be boring, but boring was good right now.
He passed her and brushed against the tree. There wasn't that much room to move there without bumping into her. But just as he did, he felt something very hard grab his wrist.
Bishop was stopped short as soft green lights began to float around the tree and a form revealed itself, previously hidden by the trunk.
Shit. A spriggan? The alchemist could have mentioned spriggans!
Maybe she didn't know though.
Bishop quickly jerked his hand away from the creature's grip. It scratched into the leather of his armor, but it did not go through and he managed to get free.
"YOL TOR!"
Ever since those ruins, Aeyrin felt something she hadn't in a while. Excitement over her powers. It was strange – she thought of them in the same way as she did about that werewolf curse in the beginning. She hated them at first. She was scared of them. She couldn't control them. Until she got better and better at controlling them. Then they were gone and now they were back. And she didn't need to relearn everything again. It felt so natural and instinctive. And she was so eager to use them to her benefit again.
That was a little scary though.
Would she have thought the same about the werewolf eventually?
She was starting to recall things before she got cured. Maybe control would come later. And maybe she would be eager to use that beast in the end. That was how the Companions saw their wolven forms, wasn't it?
That was a terrifying thought. She wasn't sure what it meant. Whether it meant that she was stupid to forget how dangerous her Shouts were. But there was a very different issue with the werewolf. The eternity it presented. At least she could keep telling herself that being a Dragonborn was different in that. She was not doomed to some vile Prince's realm because of it.
Bishop flinched at the sound and he gave her an alarmed look instantly.
She controlled the Shout instinctively now, avoiding getting anything else but the spriggan caught in the the creature burned easily, its glow extinguished as its charred corpse fell onto the ground in front of Aeyrin, she was much more focused on Bishop. Why was he looking at her like that?
"Fuck. Don't do that!" He gasped, as if he really didn't see that coming.
What? Did he think…?
"I can aim well with this one," Aeyrin lowered her head and mumbled a response. She thought he trusted her with the Shouts. He never flinched when she used them in battle, but now he looked entirely freaked out.
"No. I know. I mean… don't Shout here," Bishop looked around nervously. He couldn't help it. The forests would never leave him at ease, no matter what. He felt like Thorn's men were still lurking behind every tree. And the very loud sound just made him more on edge.
Oh. That was what he was worried about. That was kind of a relief. But now she looked around nervously too. There was some sound of bramble rustling and branches snapping somewhere near, but then nothing. It was just the normal sounds of the forest and wind.
"Sorry," she sighed. He had a point. The last time she Shouted in this place… it ended very badly for her.
"It's fine, I'm just… always fucking paranoid here. They're gone," Bishop let out a deep breath and Aeyrin was pretty sure he was just reassuring himself. She knew whom he was talking about. Of course he was still nervous about the presence of Thorn's men here, no matter what.
"Let's just… check the rest of the trees for more spriggans," Aeyrin suggested.
"You keep picking. I'll go check," Bishop nodded while he brandished his sword. He would just make quick work of any more spriggans around here.
He approached another nearby tree and stabbed its trunk with his sword. It barely went through the surface bark. No spriggan.
He went ahead to check the other trees, but he still felt so weirdly uneasy. Even watched. There was nothing around though. He did find two more spriggans, but his sword took care of them before they could wake.
It was just his paranoia though. He knew he hated the forests. Being here for something so peaceful was just weird. He should start getting used to this though. Falkreath Hold was largely unexplored by them. And maybe one day the uneasiness would pass.
He returned to Aeyrin when he checked all the trees near the flower patches. She already had at least a third of the basket filled. It would go even faster with the two of them on the job. He sheathed his sword again and knelt on the ground next to her.
There. Picking flowers. Something so ridiculously non-hostile and mundane was a good way to start realizing that nothing was lurking in these forests. It might be relaxing.
But just as he tried to convince himself of that, another sound alerted the both of them.
This time it was loud. And they barely realized what happened. Suddenly, something practically rolled off the stone outcroppings above the grove and dropped into the pond. They couldn't see up there before – it was too high.
But now they couldn't believe what caught them off guard.
…
"There might be a storm today," Saadia looked up at the sky critically. It was somewhat grey. Good thing they weren't that far from Falkreath anymore.
Lydia looked up as well. She didn't like storms on a regular day, but these forests around the roads really gave her the creeps. It was probably because of Bishop. She was glad he confided in her about both his past and what happened with him and Aeyrin here that time, but right now she kind of hoped he wouldn't have. She knew the bandits were gone, but the dark forest seemed so… threatening. She kept her hand on the handle of her axe at all times. It didn't help that Saadia did not seem to have the same concerns though.
She almost looked like she was on a stroll. She insisted that it was summer and 'too hot to wear those thick traveling clothes'. She brought those with in her pack, but she still decided to go to Falkreath in one of her dresses. That was no protection! At least those clothes were from leather. The dress was just thin cloth.
And how was Saadia so warm in Skyrim? She was used to the desert environment. Lydia still couldn't wrap her head around that fact. She couldn't understand how Saadia could be kicking off the blankets almost every night because of 'heat' either. Lydia herself felt like she somehow didn't inherit the Nordic hardiness against cold, even though that was probably impossible.
Once, Lydia asked how Saadia survived the desert heat, but she only said she adapted quickly to the environment. Maybe that was it. Maybe she adapted there from when she was born and she adapted here just as fast. It was impressive. But right now, it was very inconvenient. Lydia really wished Saadia had at least something a little protective on her.
They were only traveling by the roads. There should be no danger there. She had to remind herself of it. But the dark trees just wouldn't let her mind ease.
"What do we do if there's a storm on the wedding day?" Saadia scowled after a while, readjusting her pack on her back. "Or just rain in general. It would be ruined."
"I feel like Bishop and Aeyrin won't care about rain," Lydia smiled a bit. She doubted weather could ruin their day. Especially since those two were used to so many unpleasant conditions in their travels. What was a little rain for them? It would be a shame, sure, but not the end of the world.
"But it's all going to be out in the open. That's just gonna be unpleasant," Saadia huffed. She had a point, but what could they do about it? They couldn't control the weather.
"Maybe we'll be able to move to Falkreath if it comes to that," Lydia nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah. Maybe. I don't know if they will like that though," Saadia sighed. It was a conundrum they had no answer for. "I'm having second thoughts about offering to help them already," she chuckled.
Lydia knew she didn't mean it, but it was true that Bishop and Aeyrin had a fairly cavalier attitude to the planning part. Most people she knew made such a big deal out of it. But those were usually people who got married in order to make it a social spectacle. This was almost refreshing. She had seen a few after-wedding-feasts at Dragonsreach. She was excited for a different one. She didn't mind helping with preparations and planning.
They walked ahead in silence for a while. Still a half-hour or so from Falkreath, it seemed like. Lydia was having trouble telling, but the winding in the path suggested that. She was pretty sure she knew where they were now. And if not, no big deal. There was only one paved road here anyway.
The forests were so silent.
Eerily so.
But the silence was suddenly interrupted. That was probably even more disturbing.
That was… a voice. Not just a voice. It echoed through the forest like thunder.
"Was that Aeyrin?" Saadia instantly scowled in concern.
They had never heard her Shout. Never seen it for themselves. But it had to be what this was. Her voice was a little recognizable behind that and the way it thundered around the area…
What was Aeyrin doing in the forest? It did come from the forest, right? It was a little hard to tell like this.
"Shit. Something must be wrong," Saadia hissed. It didn't even take a second. She broke into a run immediately, right into the lush trees and bramble off the road.
"Saadia! Wait!" Lydia called out to her, but of course she didn't stop. Dammit. What was she doing? If that was Aeyrin Shouting, there was danger there. Lydia was going to check it out, but Saadia was unarmed and unprotected! What was she thinking? Sometimes she could be so reckless.
Lydia had no choice but to rush right after her. She called out a few more times, but to no avail. She only got a brief 'we gotta help' yelled at her from over Saadia's shoulder. How did she think she was going to help? Whatever was happening, was probably not something she could help with. She had nothing to fight with, not that she could fight.
Lydia's progress through the forest was slower than Saadia's. No wonder, with her heavy armor. But she had to catch up to her. She tried her best, but Saadia kept running forth, despite the numerous calls for her to wait. So damn stubborn!
But then, Saadia slowed. She seemed to be a little unsure now. Shor's bones, about time she considered how ill-prepared she was! Lydia finally caught up with her, but Saadia only turned to her briefly with a crease between her brows.
"I think it came from there, but…" she pointed into one direction. Lydia had no idea. They had no further indication.
That is, until another sound alerted them.
This time, it was much more chilling.
A deep roar.
"Was that a…?" Saadia gasped.
A dragon? Here? In the forest? How? Were those beasts in the forests?
Lydia had never seen a live one from up close and neither had Saadia. They saw the one the guards brought into the city to the Jarl's trap. And they did see them sometimes when they circled areas in the distance, but that didn't count. Never like this.
Never facing one.
"Listen to me," Lydia gave Saadia a stern look. She needed to get back to safety. "You have to…"
Lydia didn't get to finish. Saadia broke into a run once again, disregarding her entirely, save for a few words.
"We have to see if they're alright!"
…
Lydia panted heavily by the time she caught up with Saadia. Running in her Orcish armor was not ideal, not to mention that running through this forest was already rough with all that bramble and fallen branches in the way. Saadia had it much easier in her light dress and knee-high boots.
Regardless, Saadia was out of breath eventually too and she needed to slow down. Lydia was able to catch up. Unfortunately, when she did and the impenetrable trees parted before her near a clearing, she realized Saadia didn't stop because she was exhausted.
There it was. A dragon.
A dragon in a forest. Lydia always thought they were only around mountains, but then again, there were dragons flying over the Whiterun tundra too. Maybe they didn't need mountains. She didn't know much about them, despite who her thane was. And she was definitely grateful for Aeyrin not involving her in her dragon hunting. Or dragon surviving might have been a more fitting term.
Aeyrin seemed… alright? Maybe. The dragon was thrashing in a small pond, trying to shake her off as she straddled its back. Another loud Shout escaped her lips, shaking the forests to the ground, and she began smashing the dragon's scales with her mace with dizzying speed. With every hit, Lydia could see a little spark of electricity, a brief flame enveloping the scale before it dissipated, and a layer of frost forming on the hit spot.
Did she seriously climb up on a dragon? She was insane.
Lydia's eyes went over to the edge of the pond where she spotted the familiar figure in very black armor. Bishop was taking a knee in tall grass with his bow drawn taut. Within another second, the arrow was let loose and it hit the dragon straight into its eye.
That was some impressive aim. Lydia knew what Bishop was capable of with that bow, but still, the dragon kept thrashing around. How did he manage to hit the eye despite that?
The beast let out a loud roar and its next movement became much more erratic. Within moments, it stood up on its hind legs. Aeyrin clearly couldn't hold on like that. She let out a shocked yelp and Lydia noticed that her mace stayed lodged in the dragon's scales. She held tight to it as she slid along its back, dragging it through its flesh and causing the dragon to roar in pain once more, but she let go of the handle only a second later. She fell into the pond with a loud splat, onto her back. She may have hit her head. The pond was very shallow. And she was unarmed now.
Lydia wanted to run towards her to help her up on her feet, but before she could even move, she saw the dragon suddenly swing its tail at a dizzying speed. And of course, the large tail swept across the edge of the pond. Bishop was there, ready with his bow, but he didn't manage to react fast enough in his kneeling position.
Shor. This did not look good. Bishop let his arrow loose just as the tail swept him, sending him tumbling some distance away with a groan of pain escaping his lips. The arrow only hit the dragon's belly now. It didn't seem hurt by it.
They needed help.
Suddenly though, Saadia broke into a run again. Right towards the beast.
"NO!" Lydia yelped. She tried to grab her wrist, but she wasn't fast enough. What was she doing?! What was she going to do against a dragon?! Lydia herself didn't know what to do and she was at least equipped for battle.
"Hey! Lizard! Here!" Saadia was already at the far end of the pond, at the opposite one from Bishop and Aeyrin. She was jumping up and down and waving her arms to get the dragon's attention. What in the Void?! Lydia instantly rushed towards her, her heart clenching in fear. That dragon could just… eat her. Right away. It was so fast. What was she doing?!
The dragon focused on Saadia promptly. Was it just Lydia's imagination or did it… snort? It sounded contemptful or just dismissive. But maybe she was imagining things. It wasn't important. This was… terrifying. She needed to stop it from doing anything!
She jumped into the water and the dragon watched her for a little while, but then it turned back to Saadia. Lydia tried to slash her axe against its scales when she got near, but those scales were so thick and strong. She tried and tried, but she was probably not doing this right. How did Aeyrin get past those scales?
The dragon heaved and opened its maw. Lydia only broke her focus on the scales on its belly for a moment, but she spotted a greyish light form in its throat. Was it about to…?
There was another loud sound suddenly and Lydia froze in horror. But it didn't come from the dragon. She could never tell what those words were saying, but the dragon was suddenly glowing with a red aura. It… actually looked even scarier like this. But the grey light from its maw was gone.
The next thing she knew, the dragon let out a very intense roar of pain. Lydia looked over her shoulder instantly to see what happened. Bishop seemed to be up on his feet again, as was Aeyrin, and it looked like he had just buried his sword into the tail that previously hit him.
"The fuck are you doing?! Get out of the way!" Bishop called out to her and Saadia. Yes, that was a good idea. Lydia started to back away from the dragon, but she saw that Saadia was still standing there in place. Dammit.
Aeyrin let out another Shout. Again, Lydia had no idea what it was, but the dragon seemed like it almost… crumbled. It fell into the pond, right where Lydia had been just a moment ago. It would have fallen right on top of her.
She looked back at Saadia and started to rush again. Saadia did not seem as concerned as she was. She just watched the scene in fascination. But Lydia was intent on getting her out of there in case something else happened. The dragon was down in the pond, but maybe it still wasn't dead.
Lydia climbed up on the edge of the pond again to reach Saadia. She only briefly noticed another arrow hitting the dragon in the maw. Bishop clearly managed to sheathe his sword and grab his bow again in the meantime. Lydia still had no idea if that thing was dead yet.
Lydia finally managed to reach Saadia and she pulled her hand instantly, dragging her away and back from the pond. But a second later, Saadia pulled away again.
"I'm fine. Something's happening. I wanna see it up close," Saadia rushed to another part of the edge, closer to where Bishop was now clasping his bow back onto his back. She was right. There was a strange light forming on the dragon's body now.
"Are you insane?!" Bishop barked at Saadia the second she got close.
"You were in trouble. I just distracted it," Saadia shrugged. "I'm not incompetent, you know? Why is everyone so intent on leaving me behind when something dangerous happens? I escaped the Thalmor for fuck's sake! I know how to take care of myself," she huffed.
She had a point, but how was this surprising? She was unarmed and unarmored and unprepared for battle entirely. Wasn't it normal to worry in that case? Lydia would be worried intensely even if Saadia was encased in metal, but this was just nerve-wracking.
"Running from Thalmor and standing in front of a fucking dragon in this, basically daring it to bite your head off, feel like a different fucking thing altogether," Bishop growled at her, gesturing to her dress. "Why the fuck are you here anyway? You two hear a dragon and you just… run to check it out?!"
Well… Bishop was expressing pretty much Lydia's thoughts effectively. Except for the last bit. Obviously Lydia wouldn't just walk on her merry way onwards to Falkreath with what they heard on the road. But she did wish Saadia stayed behind.
While Bishop and Saadia were arguing, Lydia couldn't help but be constantly distracted by the light in her peripheral vision. It was almost blinding. The dragon's body was… strange. She didn't think it would look like this. And then her eyes went to where the light reflected – the water of the pond, and sparkling crystals nearby. Aeyrin was half-submerged in the water there, sitting there in her impressively shiny armor and watching the dragon warily.
This was the part she described, right? That absorption? Maybe she shouldn't be alone.
Instead of focusing on Saadia and Bishop, who continued to bark at each other as Saadia explained her reasoning for following the noises and Bishop kept reiterating how stupidly risky that was, Lydia jumped back into the pond and rushed towards Aeyrin.
"Hey. How can I help?" Lydia knelt down by her when he reached her. Much to her surprise, Aeyrin didn't actually tell her. She just grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a fierce hug, letting their armors clank against each other. "Oh. Alright," Lydia let out a little chuckle as she wrapped her arms around her in turn.
After a while, Lydia's eyes widened as she saw strings of light fly towards Aeyrin. She heard people talk about what this looked like, especially after it happened to Aeyrin right in the middle of Whiterun with that trapped dragon, but seeing it on her own was quite different. She tightened her grip on Aeyrin when it reached, and then a loud shriek pierced her ears.
Lydia flinched, but she did her best to keep her hold on Aeyrin. She didn't know she would scream like that. That was a little terrifying. It did drown out the sounds of Saadia and Bishop arguing though. And then there was just silence. They stopped and stared at them for a while. Bishop was the first to move and hop into the pond too. Saadia followed soon after.
Aeyrin just kept clinging to Lydia's arms. She looked oddly pale. It was a disturbing sight. Bishop knelt down in the water next to them and began stroking Aeyrin's wet hair in comforting motions. Lydia was half convinced he was gonna rip her out of her arms into his, but he didn't seem intent on doing that. That was kinda nice, that he thought she was comfort enough for her too. At least that was how Lydia imagined it. Maybe she was overthinking it.
It took a while before Aeyrin moved in her embrace and opened her eyes. She blinked around a bit in confusion, before she gave Lydia a wry smile.
"Thanks. Sorry about that," she mumbled a little.
"It's alright. Are you alright?" Lydia let her go in her arms a bit and looked her over critically.
"Yeah," Aeyrin backed away from her entirely as if to signal that she was fine and didn't need the embrace anymore.
"What was it?" Bishop scowled a bit.
"That… wind thing," Aeyrin shuddered. Lydia had no idea what that meant.
Bishop let out a sigh before he got up on his feet and outstretched his hand for Aeyrin to take. They all began to collect themselves off the ground while Saadia still peeked over at the dragon skeleton nearby in fascination.
"I can't believe we fought a dragon," she almost whispered.
"You didn't fight anything! You almost got killed with your insane stunt," Bishop retorted instantly.
"Bish, she did distract it and it worked out," Aeyrin smiled weakly, trying to defuse the situation.
"Don't encourage this. She'll think it's fine to take stupid risks like this. I know I already lost that fight with you, but you don't have to drag everyone else down too," Bishop scoffed.
"I'm not a child. I knew what I was doing and I helped," Saadia scoffed, but that just earned her a very annoyed look from Bishop.
"You're acting like one," he growled but he seemed to notice that Aeyrin gave Saadia a reassuring smile. That just made him more morose.
"I tried to stop her, but she couldn't be stopped," Lydia sighed. She was with Bishop on this one. It was incredibly risky and she would really not want a repeat of that ever again.
"Welcome to my world," Bishop smirked and gave a meaningful look to Aeyrin.
"Hey!" Aeyrin huffed, but the look he gave her kind of deterred any further protests. But when she didn't say anything more, his expression turned kind of affectionate nonetheless. Lydia understood. The reckless fearlessness almost made her heart explode, but she had also loved how brave Saadia could be from the very first moment she got to know her.
"Let's just go. We need to get those flowers. And dry out," Bishop nodded at them. They were all soaked from that pond, though Saadia the least of them. She looked around the pond once more before her eyes stopped at the basket there. It was on its side now with all the flowers spilled out, but fortunately the dragon only managed to trample a few of the spots where they grew on. They had enough of them left to pick.
"Did you just get attacked by a dragon when you were flower picking?" Saadia chuckled. "That can only happen to you two."
She had a point about that. How did they attract so much trouble?
It made Lydia wonder if it would be actually possible to organize a perfect wedding for them.
With their luck, it would get swarmed by dragons right away.
…
Eventually, the storm came.
They had the basket filled with flowers and Saadia even grabbed a few more into her half-empty pack. But the rain came down heavily and it was for the best to not wander too much in until it passed. It was just a storm. It should pass in a few hours at worst.
Aeyrin found a small ruin marked on her map where they could hide. It was very close to where they were. On their way there, they spotted an empty dragon burial mound, which explained the presence of the dragon there. It must have been resting nearby, or maybe it just kept its burial mound as its resting place.
They reached the ruin soon enough and while Bishop went around the trees to stab any potential spriggans there, Aeyrin and Lydia began to remove their armors while Saadia wringed the water out of her dress.
Bishop did find two more spriggans, but they were no challenge when he caught them off guard. Soon enough, he was able to join them and start taking off his leather armor too. In the meantime, Aeyrin began to prepare some stones and coals and firewood for a campfire. If they wanted to dry out here at least a little before they could return to Falkreath, they needed flames.
"You carry supplies like this with you all the time?" Lydia wondered. Aeyrin had a small sack full of coals in her pack, as well as a sack of rocks and there was firewood in Bishop's pack. It was all rather small, just for a modest campfire, but there it was.
"Mostly, yeah. You don't always get a chance to get good firewood or as many stones as you need. Like now. Maybe we could find rocks good enough, but all the wood is wet now. It wouldn't burn. We gotta be prepared for that," Aeyrin explained.
Bishop was soon out of his armor, and while Aeyrin continued to stack twigs and small logs on a pile, he pulled out a flint from his pack and began making sparks with it.
"What do we do if it rains during the wedding?" Saadia asked after a while of watching them.
"We get wet?" Bishop snorted. "Why? What happens to you when it rains? Do you melt?" He chuckled and Aeyrin couldn't help but giggle at his response.
"See, I told you they wouldn't care," Lydia smiled.
"I just feel like that would make things unpleasant for everyone. We could try to check if they would let us do it at the inn if it happens," Saadia suggested.
"No!" Aeyrin shook her head instantly. Not there. Not Falkreath. The lake was the only redeemable place. She didn't want to get married in a place tied to so many painful memories, whether from when she found out about Bishop's lies and rushed to take out Thorn herself, or whether from when the guards barged into their room to arrest Bishop for the bounty. "Not there. And we don't want to make it a spectacle for all the town to see. The fewer people know, the better."
"They might figure out something is going on when you start meeting all your friends there anyway," Saadia smirked.
"Yeah, I know. But we still don't have to make it that public," Aeyrin sighed. There was no hiding some things and Taarie asked for the publicity after anyway, but at the very least, they didn't have to deal with all this now, right?
"If it rains, we'll just get wet. It's not a big deal. Let's not obsess over stupid shit like that," Bishop shrugged. "More importantly though, what is there to do now? We did those four edges of Skyrim you talked about," he nodded at Lydia and reached out towards the basket filled with flowers. He grabbed one of the mountain flowers and immediately tucked it behind Aeyrin's ear. "See? Blessing of Kyne. Got that one down. We got a pearl in a silver hair ornament blessed by Talos too."
"Really? You did all that?" Lydia smiled at him. It must have been fun to be hunting around all of Skyrim to fulfill this tradition. She wondered if they would do that together with Saadia too when…
Shor, don't get ahead of yourself.
They hadn't even discussed this yet. There was a lot to discuss. Eventually. Lydia still worried that Saadia might not want to get married at all. Ever. Mostly because of what marriage represented for her back in Hammerfell – all those arranged affairs that eventually led to her being captured by the Thalmor. Maybe she didn't want to even entertain the thought. It would be fine… Lydia knew they didn't need to get married. But seeing Bishop plan his engagement before and everything, and seeing them both so excited now just made her think of it. But those were thoughts for another time. Right now they were focused on their friends and their wedding.
"Sure. It's a lovely tradition," Aeyrin beamed at Lydia as she nestled herself closer to Bishop and into his embrace. She brushed her hair back behind her ear and readjusted the flower there so it wouldn't fall before she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"You got a lot of flowers for the blessing," Saadia noted. "Is it supposed to be this many? I thought it was like an adornment for your hair or dress or something."
"We just figured we might need some flowers. You said you wanted to decorate the islands. I don't know how else to decorate," Aeyrin chuckled a bit as her face flushed in embarrassment.
"Perfect. They will be great for what we had in mind. If… that's alright with you, I mean," Lydia stammered a bit. It was true that she and Saadia had been imagining a certain scene on the lake and Bishop and Aeyrin didn't give them much input about what they imagined.
"We don't know how to do shit like that. So you do whatever. We trust you," Bishop smirked. "You said something about lights."
"Yeah. We cut up some colored wax papers and brought enough frames to make lanterns. We brought ropes too. All we need is to assemble them and get some candles. Those should be easy to buy here," Lydia explained. They'd worked on them already during some evenings. It was surprisingly relaxing work. And she was excited to see the result on the lake.
"That's amazing," Aeyrin gaped at her. "You already prepared all that?"
"There's still shit that needs to be done," Saadia curbed her enthusiasm. "The lanterns are the last thing. We'll hang them the night before. And we did bring you those clothes you asked for from Breezehome," she nodded at Bishop. "But well before the last night, we need to figure out the boats to move between the islands, food and drinks."
"Drinks should be taken care of," Bishop noted. He hoped so at least. "And we have some supplies. Me and Lydia can take care of the food. We can buy more if we need to. We got some money."
"Maybe the innkeeper will let us borrow the kitchen one night when they don't need it," Lydia suggested.
"Yeah. Maybe for some drakes," Bishop smirked. He doubted she would do it for free, but it was an option to explore.
"And there's always some fishing boats around the lake. We could borrow those. Maybe if there's some carpenter here they could make more for us. How long does it take to make a tiny rowboat?" Aeyrin pondered.
"No idea. But how many people are coming anyway?" Saadia asked. "How many do we even need?"
"I don't know, twenty people? Maybe twenty five. It depends on how many elves come," Aeyrin shrugged.
"The Dunmer from Windhelm," Bishop clarified when he saw the confused expressions of the two women. "We kind of made an open invitation, but we'll see how many will come."
"That's not that many people," Lydia noted. It sure as fuck sounded like a lot of people to Bishop, but this only meant she found it doable at least. "Food shouldn't be a problem. And we'll need… five boats for that many people? Ten at the most."
"How about we go around the lake tomorrow and see how many we can find, then we can look for a carpenter if we need more?" Aeyrin suggested and the rest of them nodded thoughtfully.
"And that's it? That's all that needs to be done?" Bishop asked. He wasn't sure how much shit went into planning a wedding. When the bandits got 'married', it usually meant just everyone getting more shitfaced. There was nothing special to organize. But he knew that out in the normal world, it worked differently.
"Pretty much. I can't think of anything else," Saadia shrugged.
"The planning I'd seen before, everyone was worried about the perfect invitations, perfect decorations, perfect music. People search all over Skyrim for what fits their ideas," Lydia sighed. It sounded so exhausting.
"We already invited people," Aeyrin shrugged. "And our bard friend's gonna play. What else is there to do?"
"Nothing," Saadia chuckled. "Aaah, if only my parents could see me help organize such a modest event. They'd disown me all over again. But I wouldn't have it any other way."
"We have enough stress in our lives as it is," Bishop scoffed. "This is supposed to be a fun event. Why would we wanna stress over that too?"
"That's a good point. You can't even go flower picking without something swooping down on you," Saadia chuckled.
"Don't remind me," Bishop growled.
"Well… sorry about the reminders but…" Lydia wanted to ask before but forgot. This would be useful to know, just in case. "How do you actually… hurt the dragon? Those scales are impossible to penetrate."
"You gotta go below them," Bishop pointed out. "With an arrow or a sword… or an axe, you gotta push in from below or between scales. Some aren't that hard with a little momentum though. Some can be cracked easily. Aeyrin always cracks the scales instead," he smirked. "It's like armor. You just gotta find a weak spot."
"You two were pretty impressive against the beast," Saadia nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, unlike you," Lydia sighed at her. "Please, don't ever do something like that again. Do you have any idea how terrified I was for you?"
"This again?" Saadia huffed. "I wasn't being reckless. I'm quick. I could have dodged its attacks."
"Bishop is quick too and he didn't dodge its attack. You didn't even know what it could do," Lydia scowled at her, but she only got a defiant stare in turn.
"Just forget it," Bishop let out a surprisingly resigned sigh. "We can just get drunk tonight at Dead Man's and complain about our reckless women," he smirked, eliciting a chuckle from Aeyrin. That was really all they could do. It was doubtful that the nagging would change anything.
When instincts took over, there was nothing to be done.
…
The rest of their night went just like that.
They returned to Falkreath when the storm passed without incident and spent some more time together at the inn, along with Azshan too. He had been eventually roped into helping with the preparations as much as he could as well.
He proved invaluable when they found a local carpenter. His charm got them a promise of three new rowboats by the wedding day at a pretty reasonable price. And all the preparations went according to the plan.
Eventually Lynly arrived and began to help too. And then Erik made his appearance too with an unexpected guest – Brelyna. When nobody mentioned the events at the College, she seemed happy to be there with them.
The guests kept arriving. Raven, Brynjolf and Sapphire made use of Karliah's old haunt in the alchemist's shop. The inn was already full when Aeyrin pre-paid for a room for Master Therien and Brunwulf. She had no idea where the elves would be staying, but hopefully they would figure something out. Nor did she know where Taarie would stay. But she hoped that those concerns would get solved as they went.
People were already starting to whisper and wonder what was happening that so many people arrived and clearly to see Aeyrin and Bishop. They overheard various theories, some involving everyone being a secret Imperial agent in their efforts to take Fort Sungard. But there were, of course, rumors of a wedding too. It wasn't exactly subtle.
And finally, two days before the wedding, a large carriage arrived. Brunwulf and three of his mercenaries, Master Therien and six elves.
Brunwulf was nice enough to send a message about when they would be leaving Windhelm and when they should be arriving in Falkreath, if all went according to the plan.
So Bishop and Aeyrin, Saadia and Lydia and Azshan decided to wait for their arrival.
Azshan was increasingly nervous about that, but Aeyrin kept reassuring him. She couldn't imagine Master Therien actually being mean to him. Sure, he had always had some reservations about some of Azshan's… traits, but she was convinced it was only because he cared about him as one of his flock. He just wanted him on the right path.
They spotted the carriage as they waited outside the eastern gate.
The cart pulled to a stop by the gates and the mercenaries moved to rack up the horse to a nearby post. The elves jumped off the carriage first and they rushed towards the group in excitement while Master Therien and Brunwulf began to gather various packs and sacks from the cart. They couldn't grab everything just the two of them though.
As the elves approached – Idesa, Revyn, Ambarys, Malthyr, Aval and Faryl – Bishop and Aeyrin noticed that some of them looked a little worse for wear with various bruises visible on them. Mostly on Idesa and Revyn.
"Hla aka! F'lah! We're here!" Idesa beamed at them widely and threw her arms around Aeyrin's neck in a hug.
Aeyrin couldn't help but notice the dark spots on her neck. It was concerning, given what happened the last time they were forced to leave Windhelm.
"Idesa," Aeyrin tried to smile as she wrapped her arms around her. "What happened?"
"What?" Idesa pulled away after a spell and gave Aeyrin a confused look before she noticed the direction of her gaze. "Oh that? Don't worry about that. We're here to celebrate!"
Well… that was an unsatisfying answer. That wasn't an answer at all.
Revyn approached Bishop and clasped him on his shoulder amicably, but his black eye only earned him a scowl.
"What the fuck have you been getting into now?" Bishop sighed. "You aren't still provoking that idiot, are you?" He hoped that Nord lummox had been arrested, but that was probably naïve.
"Shut up, f'lah," Revyn smirked. "When do we start drinking?"
Fuck, they were clearly evasive. Maybe just in front of strangers? He was gonna get it out of Revyn or Amba once they were drunker. At least Amba looked alright. And Malthyr too. The others though…
Before Bishop and Aeyrin could decide whether to poke more, Brunwulf and Therien already approached as well.
Master Therien approached the two of them with his usual kind smile on his face. He barely managed to outstretch his arms before Aeyrin jumped into his embrace. She had seen him only a short while ago, but it still somehow felt too long.
When she finally released him, he turned to Bishop and patted him on the shoulder in greeting. Then he turned to the others waiting for them.
Azshan seemed to almost be hiding behind Bishop, but Saadia and Lydia approached with smiles on their faces.
"Aaah, let me guess," Master Therien chuckled. "Lydia and Saadia."
The two of them beamed at being recognized instantly.
"Master. We've heard a lot about you," Lydia made a respectful half-bow while Saadia outstretched her hand to shake his.
"And I you. Only good things, I promise," he smiled at them warmly.
The old man only left it at that brief introduction for now before he turned to Bishop again. It took him a second to realize he was actually trying to spot the Redguard trying to ineffectively hide behind his back.
Bishop stepped aside with a mocking snort escaping his lips. He couldn't help it. He knew it was tough for Azshan, but he was pretty sure he was just being unnecessarily insecure.
Azshan froze instantly at his cover being gone and he gave Therien a very uncertain look. But a second later, the old man outstretched his arms welcomingly again.
Azshan hesitated, as if he thought he was being fooled and was just gonna get stabbed in the back or something. But after what felt like quite a long time while Therien persistently kept his arms outstretched, he finally approached and enveloped him in a hug harder than anyone would expect with only one arm.
They stayed like that for a spell before an unexpected sniffle escaped Azshan. He pulled back abruptly right after.
"Sorry," he mumbled with a hoarse voice as he quickly wiped his eyes. Nobody was exactly sure what he was apologizing for. Only Aeyrin and Bishop and Therien knew what really happened. Lydia and Saadia were only introduced to Azshan as her 'old friend whom she found her way back to recently'.
"It's alright, son," Master Therien smiled at him kindly and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It is very good to see you here. Where you belong." It was clear he wasn't exactly talking about Falkreath.
"Yeah. It… feels good to be here. Really," Azshan nodded. He still sounded a little choked up.
"If there are introductions to be made," Brunwulf cleared his throat, interrupting the scene. "I am Lord Brunwulf Free-Winter, for those of you who don't know me. "Thank you again for inviting me," he smiled at Bishop and Aeyrin.
"Thank you for getting these troublemakers here," Bishop smirked, gesturing to the elves who instantly scoffed at his proclamation.
"We're glad you're here Lord Free-Winter," Aeyrin nodded. "We got you and Master Therien a room at the inn, but there weren't any more to get for the others," she sighed, looking at the elves as well.
"It's fine, hla aka. Even sleeping outside here can't be worse than the squalor we live in," Malthyr chuckled. How could they all so constantly make light of their horrible situation? Maybe they needed to though. And now it felt even worse not to have a room for them. Maybe they could share theirs with Saadia and Lydia and sleep on a bedroll on the floor.
"There's no need to worry. I already contacted a friend of mine here, a local merchant," Brunwulf quickly interjected. "Me and Therien will stay in his house. The elves can have the room."
That was a relief. Now everyone had a place to stay. Well… except for Taarie, but they would find a place for one person somewhere. Lynly was already sharing a room with Erik and Brelyna. Those three even seemed to hit it off quite well when they met. And come to think of it, Azshan had a room all to himself. He surely wouldn't mind sharing with Taarie. He knew her well. And he still had the arm as an excuse for why he left the Order and Solitude, even though it was a crappy thing to talk about for him. He would have to see her either way.
"I have also taken it upon myself to get an official documented acknowledgement of your upcoming union from the Jarl, just in case you want it," Brunwulf beamed proudly. "I was told by everyone that you are unlikely to concern yourself with things like this, but it is important for certain… legal purposes."
Wait… what?
Aeyrin and Bishop didn't bother with the official stuff. They figured they would get a friendly Jarl to acknowledge their marriage at some point. Maybe Elisif or Idgrod. Igmund would also not mind, not with the Silver-Bloods gone. Or Maven Black-Briar might have been able to pull some strings. But they certainly weren't about to ask Siddgeir! This ceremony was just for them, official or not. They could deal with the administrative stuff later, just in case they ever needed it for some weird Imperial bureaucratic reasons.
"Uhm… you told the Jarl we want to get married here?" Aeyrin gave him a horrified look. She couldn't help it. Her head began to spin. She couldn't even imagine what Siddgeir would think of that information. He would surely try to make her life difficult somehow, out of spite. Maybe.
"I just said it's for my friends. He didn't ask any details when I made sure he knew how grateful I would be for one," Brunwulf winked at her. "He sent me a blank signed form."
Oh. So he… bribed Siddgeir for it.
Of course he did. Somehow he always took it upon himself to use his influence for everyone else's benefit. Aeyrin was silently thanking all the Gods he had the foresight not to reveal their identities to the Jarl though.
"I know you didn't exactly set out to have the entire Province whisper about your celebrations," he chuckled. "I thought this way would be for the best. Consider it a wedding gift."
"Thank you. That's really nice of you," Aeyrin beamed at him. How he figured he should even think about something like that was beyond her, but maybe he was used to pulling the strings for whatever silly reason popped in mind.
"Wait… we're supposed to bring gifts?" Idesa scowled. "That's not how Dunmer do it. Sorry."
"Nobody's expected to have gifts," Aeyrin chuckled at her. "We're just glad you're all here. Almost everyone already is."
"Great! Let's go introduce ourselves properly. With drinks!" Revyn grinned. "We'll hide the good stuff in our new room, but I assume there's some swill the snowberries can serve us here too, right?"
"There's always some swill to drink everywhere," Bishop smirked. "Come on then, let's get to the inn."
Introducing everyone would be a good way to get to the fun parts of the evening. They should probably stop by the alchemist's too to get the thieves to come drink with them.
It wasn't really often that they drank with so many friends around, so many people they knew. It was kind of nice these past few days, though parts of them still had to be spent on the preparations. And Bishop and Lydia would still need to make more food tomorrow. But at least for tonight, before the final preparations had to be made, they could spend their evening like this.
It was a little strange to see everyone from all these different worlds meeting, but it was interesting too.
They better not make too much trouble for them though.
The last thing they needed was getting kicked out of Falkreath too.