The province of Skyrim is a land of history, beauty, and mystery. Being the Fatherland, it is the original home of Men, and is the current home of the oldest race of men; Nords. Despite this, it is not a land full of prosperity; rather it is full of harsh weather, unforgiving landscapes, and hellish beings wandering through the verdant forests.
To live in Skyrim, one must be resilient to anything and everything; even death. Skyrim is not for the faint of heart, and those who foolishly think so, will be the cause of their own deaths.
Beneath her beauty lies blood-soaked history, filled with sin and death. The first Men had brought death; the Mer before Men had wrought destruction. Skyrim is full of battle and blood; her story is of hardships and survival, resilience and fortitude.
There will never be anywhere else which could be called home.
This is where Ichigo was born, and where he lived; deep in the broiling volcanic plains of Eastmarch and later in the Reach, deep within the Druadach Mountains where he lives now. And yet, Ichigo knows nothing of Skyrim's people. He doesn't wish to know anything at all about them. He only wishes to know of Skyrim herself and her blood-soaked history.
It is a good thing, then, that Skyrim herself seems to agree.
One of the Druadachs' steepest peaks keeps the Kurosaki home completely hidden from behind, and partially above. To the left is a steep ravine, appearing bottomless from the deep fog, and to the right are smaller peaks where the only way to gain entry is to use the well-used, but hidden, path through them all.
Of course, the path is for those who have never traveled to Ichigo's home before; he and his sisters can enter and leave their home from basically anywhere.
It is completely isolated from everyone and almost anything. And the things that can enter and leave just as freely as them are a consistent source of food for Ichigo and his sisters.
There had been a time, of course, when Ichigo lived within reach of society. He had been young, very young. It had been before the twins were born; he remembers Mama's stomach only just starting to show when they made the long trek towards their new home. There isn't much Ichigo remembers of that time. But, he doesn't really mind.
Their parents kept them away from society for reasons he doesn't know and doesn't care for. They kept them safe and fed, and made sure they knew how to live and survive by themselves. Ichigo's almost positive that their mother's death had been looming over them since before they moved outside of society.
Their father's death, on the other hand, wasn't something that had been predicted... or at least thought of.
Unfortunately, Ichigo has more important things to worry about than his parents untimely and mysterious deaths, and their unspoken reasons as to why they stayed outside of society for almost a decade. Important things that, unfortunately, seem to place the fate of Nirn on his shoulders... and even more unfortunately, it all starts with a handsome assassin he saved who won't leave him alone.
Thick fog gently cascaded down the sharp cliffs and steppes of the Druadach Mountains. It formed a blanket of white over ashen gray, blinding anyone and everything without the skill to see past. A soft breath hisses out from pale lips as caramel eyes, coldly shining like gold in the obscured sunlight, watch the fog in rapt attention.
Slitted pupils snap towards a sudden scratch against stone and dilate before long fingers slowly pull back a bowstring of hair and a hunting bow is raised. A wintry breeze slides down the mountain and blows through long orange hair, momentarily shrouding the area with more fog.
There is another scratch against stone and the nocked arrow is released. A high-pitched scream is all that can be heard past the mountain winds.
Another breath is released from pale lips, this time in satisfaction, before silent feet quickly climb across the steep cliff towards the fallen prey.
Ichigo rests his bow on his back before he slides down the steep cliff, landing on the tiny ledge where he had first tracked his prey. He hums quietly, inspecting the goat he had killed; a single arrow through the head. Good.
Ichigo brushes back his hair which escaped its ponytail before reaching down to grab the goat. He stands up while placing the animal on one shoulder, giving the area around him a cursory glance.
The scent of a wolf is around. Maybe he can bring home a bigger bounty. Yuzu is almost out of mudcrab chitin and slaughterfish eggs.
Ichigo raises his head and whistles loudly in two quick tones. It echoes thrice at the same time throughout the steep falls of the Druadach Mountains. He keeps his ears open for the response while he deftly climbs across the mountain.
A putrid scent suddenly prickles his nose, making Ichigo pause. Death and charred flesh. Ichigo lifts his head and breathes deeply as a three-tone whistle echoes across the mountains. A scowl grows on Ichigo's face when he pinpoints where the scent is coming from. The Karth River. Damn!
Well, visiting their source of drinking water was long overdue. It's a shame he can't hunt the wolf wandering around the mountains, but he'd rather not have his water contaminated by something dead, again.
Ichigo whistles again; the same two tones, only the first pitch is lower than the second. He doesn't bother to wait for the answer before he climbs further up the mountain, towards the beginning of the river. He might as well try and forage for his own slaughterfish eggs before he trades for some.
Ichigo pauses on top of the side of the mountain and begins to inspect the mist-covered headwater stream. He narrows his eyes when he spots something dark past the heavy mist.
It's a body... Why is there a body in his river? It didn't smell of earth and metal, nor brimstone and medicine like the Orcs over in Dushnikh Yal. Who is it?
Ichigo scowls and slides down the side of the mountain. His feet land almost silently on the damp earth, somewhat sinking in to the muddy gravel. He brushes his long fingers against the hilt of his dagger attached to his thigh as he walks closer to the headwater stream.
The mist fades the closer he gets, and the body becomes clearer. Ichigo scowls when he sees the body, shrouded in red and black, floating on its face. The clothing was armor, definitely—with the form-fitting sewing work and the slight thickness, it had to be. Though, it seemed to be covered in dried blood. Hopefully, it wasn't its own, but it's more than likely that it is.
There was no blood in the water, so the corpse had to have been here for a night, maybe two. It couldn't have been longer, because the wind had not carried around the scent of death and charred flesh before today. So, no contamination, yet.
It looks as if the corpse had been placed here—or had fallen. But, why would someone be around here to even fall? There was no real path to any of the surrounding cliffs and Dushnikh Yal is directly west of Karth River. Why would someone be traveling through the mountains? Maybe they were chased? Or did they not want to be seen at all?
Ichigo sighs quietly as he stops at the riverbank. He stares at the floating corpse for only a few moments before he sets down his prey and his bow. He steps into the water and carefully walks over to the corpse. He needed to clean his boots anyway.
Ichigo leans over the body, idly noting the height being taller than his own, and inspects the wound stark against the blood-stained back. The skin was charred completely black and yet there was a stab wound, as fresh as can be and bloodless. The tearing of the armor makes it clear the stab wound is the initial injury.
A pang of grief shoots through Ichigo's heart. He sighs softly before he reaches down to wrap his arms underneath the corpse's armpits. Such an ill-fated death for a person. While he doesn't wish to go anywhere near society, how can he not feel sympathy for a fellow mortal?
Ichigo easily lifts the body up and walks backwards, out of the headwater stream. He crouches down once the corpse was clear of the water and gently places it down. He maneuvers himself to the corpse's side to inspect the body when he stops.
Pallor skin, appearing like porcelain, shone in the misty sunlight. It spanned across a heart-shaped face where stringed locks of pale blonde, not hidden by the black hood, stuck to his forehead. Bloody fingerprints were smeared across his jaw and thin lips brought out an enthralling beauty from the man.
Ichigo blinks with a small breath and raises a hand. He gently brushes the wet hair out from the man's closed eyes and nearly flinches back when he touches the porcelain skin. Cold; freezing to the touch. He breathes in deeply and his eyes almost flutter close.
...BA...DUM...BA...DUM...
A heartbeat. This man, who smells of death, is alive.
Ichigo snaps his eyes open and almost growls audibly when a hand snatches his wrist. He freezes when wide silver eyes, beautiful and bright twin moons just like Secunda and Masser, stare directly into his.
"...beautiful..." The man murmurs, completely delirious, before his eyes flutter shut and he passes out.
...what?
The contract was going perfectly. That was his first hint that something disastrous would happen; Kisuke did not listen to the hint, like his foolish younger self used to do.
When he gets out of this—and he will, because literal backstabbing is such an ancient trick against him—Kisuke knows Yoruichi will never let him live it down for the rest of her days.
He is an assassin for Sithis' sake and he was backstabbed. He, Kisuke Urahara, a high-ranking assassin of the Dark Brotherhood, got backstabbed and ambushed by the client's contract who turned out to be in on it. No one is going to let him live this down.
Of course, it is moderately worrying that a simple mortal managed to injure him so severely with only a dagger. Though, that will be a problem for another day; Kisuke has a more worrisome problem to deal with currently.
Not knowing where the fuck he ended up.
Running out of Markarth, with what felt like the burning sky of Coldharbour burning beneath his very skin, and chased into the Druadach Mountains where he, hopefully, managed to appear like he died by falling off one of the steep cliffs. With the mountain fog, he did not realize how far up he was until his body landed against stone and wood.
He barely remembers sliding off whatever ledge he had landed on before he got knocked unconscious by slamming into some kind of body of water.
Kisuke doesn't know how long he's been unconscious, but he knows it's been longer than a night. And yet, the injury in his back has yet to heal and his exposed skin—thankfully, just his hands and where the dagger had torn open his armor—felt and smelt like char.
He can barely lift his head and the sun is making him almost ill. Whatever the dagger was is quickly becoming his number one priority to figuring out.
THUD
His senses scream at the almost silent sound. Someone is here, and yet he still cannot move. Is it a dream?
He can feel himself floating in some kind of body of water. It is cold, freezing really, and he is completely numb, yet still burning like a furnace.
There is noise all around him, yet it is all muffled. It's like he is sneaking through a Dwemer ruin once more, hearing the sounds of machinery behind the cold stone walls.
Something warm, almost burning like the very sun itself, suddenly surrounds his back and chest. The frigid mountain air shocks Kisuke's nervous system and his numbed fingers twitch. The ground he is placed on almost seems colder, but he ignores it for now.
The person who dragged him out of the water is quiet. They must be strong, having carried him out of the water so easily, and it must not be someone making sure he's dead. Well, it would surprise him if it was someone checking if he is dead. Kisuke is much too used to being stabbed twice to make sure he doesn't come back.
When warm, scorching, fingers brush against his forehead, Kisuke's body reacts on its own. It takes a bit for the frozen muscles to listen to the alarm bells ringing in Kisuke's head, but his eyes finally snap open and he grabs the assaulting hand.
Long strands of fiery orange hair, the color of the sunset which Kisuke can never safely see again, framed sharp cheekbones and a sharp jaw while caramel eyes shone like gold in the misty daylight. Freckles dance across sun-kissed skin like stars and plush lips are pulled back to reveal somewhat sharp teeth, bared in instinctual alarm. So beautiful. He's so...
"...beautiful..." Kisuke can barely whisper past the dryness of his throat before his eyes roll into the back of his head and he passes out.
The trek to Dushnikh Yal is not long, nor arduous. Not for Ichigo. Having made the trip so many times, it is as simple as a walk through his home. Even with the bounty he has on his shoulders, it is only mildly strenuous.
A small smile grows on Ichigo's face when the wooden gate is opened. Arob, the Hunts-Wife, walks out with a smile of her own.
"It has been many weeks, outlander. I was almost worried," Arob states gruffly, making Ichigo roll his eyes.
"You were more worried about my trades disappearing," He retorts amicably before he shrugs his shoulders, slightly adjusting the two wolves and the goat he was carrying.
Arob nods once with a satisfied hum. "A good hunt for an outlander. Come."
Ichigo wordlessly follows the Hunts-Wife of Dushnikh Yal. None of the settlement give him more than a single glance as he is led to the longhouse.
His family has been Blood-Kin since before his parents even moved to the mountains. Ghorbash the Iron Hand had been in the same Cohort as Ichigo's father and had been saved many times by Isshin and vice versa, if he recalls the stories correctly.
Gaining the respect of an Orc as an outlander is a high honor, and Isshin had earned it with his glory and victories in the Great War. And Masaki, being such close friends with the librarian, Urag, at some college in the far northeast of Skyrim, she had already held immense esteem with the strongholds of Skyrim. She even helped Largashbur with some kind of curse.
Ichigo had proven himself years ago with his skill in smithing and hunting, Yuzu had impressed the wise woman, Murbul, with her talent in alchemy, and Karin had shown her tenacity and experience with hunting. They had proven they were strong and they gained the respect their parents had once held.
It is an honor Ichigo will never take for granted.
"Mother, Ichigo," Nagrub, Arob's son and apprentice, greets the two respectfully. He glances at the bounty Ichigo was carrying and nods silently in approval.
"Nagrub." Ichigo inclines his head.
"The air smells of the blood you slain. You had a good hunt. I envy you," Nagrub compliments with a smirk. Ichigo smirks back before huffing out a laugh when Arob clicks her tongue.
"You have no reason to envy an outlander's success when injured. Envy the ability to hunt, not the hunt itself," Arob scolds sternly.
"Yes, mother. Sorry, mother."
Arob huffs quietly before turning towards a highly amused Ichigo. He swallows back his silent laughter and wipes away his smile at the Hunts-Wife's glare.
"Yes, Hunts-Wife?"
"Let us see how much your bounty is truly worth. What is it that you wish in return, outlander?" Arob asks, walking past her son and towards one of the huts.
Ichigo follows behind, ignoring Nagrub's smug smirk. "Medicinal ingredients and a poison cure."
"Is one of the younger kin hurt?"
"No... a person had fallen into the headwater stream of Karth. He's poisoned and injured," Ichigo summarizes the entire situation which happened yesterday.
The man had not awoken since and has a dangerously high fever. Ichigo fears he won't make it another night and Yuzu ran out of the ingredients necessary to heal the injuries.
"Hm. You must be careful, young one." Something flashes in Arob's eyes that Ichigo doesn't recognize. "There has been an uproar in Markarth. Stay vigilant with your guest."
Arob is cautioning him? Why? What happened?
"...yes, Hunts-Wife," He is slow to answer, but accepts the advice.
Whatever happened, it's not his problem. He only wishes to trade for what he needs. Ichigo has no time for rumors.
Silence falls across the Druadach Mountains. There isn't a rustle across the sparse brush, nor a gale singing through the cliffs, nor the cries of birds. It was silent; completely.
Warm amber eyes peered out from the only opened window of the three-story house. The sun is at high noon and the mist is thick. There will be a storm later.
Yuzu turns away from the window and stares at the person unconscious in the bed. A sigh leaves her mouth before she glides over with silent footsteps. She sits on the edge of the bed, glancing at the small bowls sitting innocently on the end table.
She knew whatever was happening to this person, it wasn't a disease, but she still tried with what she had left of her charred sleeve hide, hawk feathers, and mudcrab chitin. She only makes the potions for practice since neither her nor her other siblings get sick. She ground up some bear claws and boiled some blue mountain flowers with a glowing mushroom to fortify the person's health, but she mixed together Luna moth wings, juniper berries, and Namira's Rot to regenerate it...
Yuzu leans forward to grab the rag she placed on the person's forehead. She frowns before she places the slightly damp rag in the bowl of water she left on the end table. She rings it out before carefully placing it on top of the man's forehead once more. He was freezing to the touch when Ichigo first carried him into their isolated home... and now he skin feels like it's burning to ash from the inside out.
Yuzu sighs softly and turns to stare at the small sliver of misty sky she could see. "Hurry brother. You wish to save him, so hurry."
Her voice is quiet and somewhat hoarse. She does not speak much; none of them do. Growing up alone together for so long made it easier to communicate without words.
"Talking to yourself again?" A low voice speaks up from the opened door. Yuzu sighs softly with a slight smile before she glances back over her shoulder. Her blonde hair, tinted with a faint red, falls over her shoulder in straight curtains down to the bed.
Karin stood in the doorway, charcoal eyes gleaming in the shadows and her black hair framing her pale face and sharp jaw. She had to have just gotten back from her hunt since she still had her armor on.
"Brother?" Yuzu asks simply, making Karin scowl. The teenager glares at the unconscious person their brother had taken in before she huffs.
"Not yet." Karin turns around and starts to walk away. "I'll be outside."
Yuzu hums quietly, going back to watching the unconscious person. He was quite pretty, with his pallor skin and his pale locks. No wonder Ichigo brought him back to their homestead.
"He looks like a doll..." Yuzu smiles softly with a curious wonder. She hopes he lives through the night. Another living being outside of her siblings; she'd like to know about where he's gone in the world she's only ever read or heard stories about.
Ichigo doesn't get home until the sun starts to sink below the mountain peaks. Yuzu pounces on him with a hug before grabbing the ingredients he traded for and bolts back into the house to begin brewing. Karin gives him a small glare and doesn't leave until Ichigo gives her a head pat and heads to the area she skinned and chopped the two goats and the three rabbits she hunted to clean up.
Ichigo herds the chickens and the cows back into the pen and he makes sure there are no wolf or fox tracks. He takes off his armor and his boots and starts the routine of cleaning them all. He doesn't think about the man laying unconscious in his bedroom... or rather, he forces himself not to think about it.
He has dinner to cook since Yuzu is working on finding something to help the man he brought in, and he has the bath to prepare for them all. Not only that; there's a storm coming. He can tell by the stillness of the trees and the silence of the wind. He'll need to prepare for it.
Ichigo finishes cleaning his armor and sets it inside to dry before he starts to make the multiple trips to fill the bath.
The house stood tall with a long, inward curved roof. The walls, built with stone and stacked with clay, were washed white with age and the wood is stripped and white from the sun. Only the windows on the first floor are made from glass and those on the second and third floors are simply doors that can be propped open.
The house stretched inwards into the partial mountain cover where a bathhouse is attached to the right side. Stretching in the empty area between the bathhouse and the animal pen is the garden. On the left is a pavilion cut from stone where a forge had been built on top and a few straw dummies were placed. Standing closer to the mountain is a smokehouse.
This isn't all there is to the only home Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin will ever call home... But, the time to make the trek has yet to pass.
Ichigo stokes the fire he lit beneath the bath after pouring enough water to fill it halfway. He brushes away some grimy sweat with a small sigh before he stands. The water should be warm enough now, and afterwards, he'll begin to cook dinner.
"After the girls bathe, I should leave the water..." Ichigo thinks of the man he brought back. He shakes his head with burning ears.
The man will likely die within the night if Yuzu's potion doesn't improve his condition. Ichigo will drain the water after Yuzu and Karin have eaten and bathed, then.
His heart aching at the thought of an innocent—and quite pretty—life lost is completely ignored. There is a storm coming, and it is nearing the end of the summer weather. He needs to worry about preparing for the winter rather than grieve over a life he couldn't save in time.
By the wrath of Sithis. Has Kisuke been set out to lay in the sun? His body―his lungs; a fire was burning within them, turning them to ash. His throat felt like an apple, withered and dry after being left out in the sun for too long. And his back! By Sithis! It seared like hot metal being pressed against his back—
Kisuke jolts and writhes in agony. He turns to reach behind him, scratching and clawing at the searing agony on his back. No. No, not again. He can't be—
There's a raw cry, harsh and filled with pain. Kisuke barely realizes it comes from his own throat until he's suddenly falling and a gasp claws out of his lungs.
Was he still on the cliff? Was the water only a dream? A hallucination? What—where is he? Kisuke slams against a hard surface, his head bouncing forward.
CRACK!
The hit rattles his skull and stars flash and glitter behind his eyelids. He claws at whatever is beneath him, trying to fight past the fire infesting his back.
He tries to breathe in, trying to force his racing brain to calm, but he's burning from the inside out. His body is turning to ash. But. Where is he? He's not outside. Maybe?
BANG!
The ground vibrates with multiple hits before a breeze blows across Kisuke's hands and face. Something touches his shoulder and he swings his hand back. He releases a hiss, his eyes most likely glowing red with his fangs protruding.
Caramel eyes, glowing warmly from a faint candlelight, slowly come into focus. The man who found him—who saved him holds up his hand with a worried frown, his lips move silently. "—down. You're—"
Kisuke hisses again, this time in agony, when his body burns brighter. Has Coldharbour been placed inside his body? By Sithis, it hurts. Almost worse than his time inside an Oblivion Gate.
Something touches his shoulder again, but Kisuke fights his instinct to swipe it away. He pushes against the touch when it cools the burning inferno beneath his skin.
"—lift you up," The man voices cuts through the thrumming in Kisuke's ears. It doesn't register until there's an arm wrapping around his waist and lifting him up.
He groans in pain, writhing and pushing at the man holding him. The man doesn't budge and only tightens his arm around Kisuke's waist. Kisuke hisses again when he's carefully laid against something soft, but much too warm for his body.
The arm slides away, taking away the cooler touch. Kisuke almost whines; he doesn't even realize that he does whine out loud. There's a gentle shushing sound before glass clinks against glass.
He blinks slowly and watches through blurry vision as the man messes with some kind of glass bottle on an end table. His eyes slowly lose focus and watch long sunset hair fall gracefully off of Ichigo's shoulder and down to his thighs.
He truly was beautiful; with the candlelight highlighting his sharp jaw, his high cheekbones, and his soft lips, he appeared to Kisuke, in his feverish haze, as a blessing borne from the goddess Dibella. He wore a linen shirt and linen pants, making him appear deceptively soft and delicate.
Kisuke slowly blinks and the man is already sitting next to him, holding a bowl. Kisuke scrunches his nose when he smells some kind of fungi. The man carefully pushes him onto his side with one hand before holding the bowl closer.
"It's a healing potion and water. You've been unconscious for a couple days," He speaks quietly. Kisuke continues to stare at him before looking at the bowl.
Poison. It has to be. Thankfully, it's impossible to poison him.
"...p-poison," Kisuke slurs out of his dry mouth. Just because he can't be poisoned, doesn't mean he wants to drink it. He can't fight and escape like this.
The orange-haired man raises an eyebrow before huffing with an eye roll. "If I wanted to kill a stranger I originally saved, I would have left you on Karth's bank."
The man is careful as he tilts the bowl towards Kisuke's mouth. Kisuke blinks slowly before he opens his mouth.
Fungi, water, and flowers. No poison. Huh. How strange.
The man pulls back the bowl once it's half empty. He gently places it on the end table before leaning over Kisuke to press the back of his hand against his forehead.
"You're quite a bit cooler than before... but your fever is still high." The man's breath washes over Kisuke's face and his lips are only inches away.
"You're even more beautiful than before," Kisuke speaks without filter, voice croaking and hoarse. The man leans back with wide eyes and a darker tint to his pale ears and cheeks in the dim candlelight; embarrassment.
"I-I guess... W-well the fever is still affecting you quite badly," The man speaks quietly, averting his gaze and pulling his hand back. He keeps his head turned while he reaches over for the rag inside another bowl on the end table, ringing it out and placing it on Kisuke's forehead without looking.
"Rest, stranger. I'll wake you in the morning to give you some more medicine and some food," The man says before he stands up from the bed. He walks towards the open door, he likely burst open when he heard Kisuke fall.
"Your name?" Kisuke asks, hoping in his feverish state for the man to stay. His touch cooled the fire burning beneath his skin.
The man pauses at the doorway, long fingers wrapped around the door handle. He glances over his shoulder with glittering eyes.
"Why bother to tell you if you die by sickness or you forget because of it?" The man smiles at Kisuke before he walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Kisuke blinks slowly, the statement taking a bit to register in his mind. As he tries to make sense of what the man was talking about, he listens to the faint talking outside of the room.
"—have him eat something now? It's been two days and a night," A soft and somewhat hoarse voice speaks in a bell-like worry.
"We shouldn't. I'd rather not clean up vomit," Another voice, this one low and sharp, retorts immediately. There's a huff and a rustle of fabric.
"Let the stranger rest. I will bring him food tomorrow. If he—if he lasts through the night," The man's voice is a gentle timbre.
"You've fallen hard for the stranger."
"Karin!" The man sounds embarrassed and shocked. "I am not—I don't—he is near-death right behind me! It was only a chance meeting."
"Well... you aren't denying it, brother..."
"Yuzu?! You too?"
"W-well, you definitely think he's—"
Kisuke falls asleep to the quiet bickering on the other side of the door. He sighs quietly as the potion takes effect on his burning body.
It definitely was a chance meeting. And a chance coincidence, but that's a thought for when Kisuke's coherent enough to think.
Hey!! I hope you all like the first chapter! Now, I don't really enjoy the beginning scene of this chapter, nor the ending and scene, but it isn't bad so I'm keeping them.
Anyways, I've been working on this chapter for literal months and I'm quite excited to write it (when I can. I've gotten SO much busier). Also it's UraIchi, so of course that's another plus for writing it.
And the amount of hours I put into research and rewriting key points in Skyrim/Elder Scrolls for this story is way too much for me to just leave this story in the drafts. And I mean literal hours.
I hope you all will enjoy the story! Bye.
WhovianWhoudini