Chapter 16: Fiona and Ferwen

[3rd / 4th of Second Seed 4E 202]

Together with Ralof, his aide, and my housecarl Antonius I had traveled to Granite Hill to inspect fortifications and troops there, and the Stormcloak forces had been able to capture a large number of legion forces who had pursued a smaller group of people – Fiona, the Dragonborn, with company. I had separated from Ralof to escort Fiona and her friends back to Whiterun, and a Khajiit caravan under the command of Ri'saad had joined as well. Close to the side road to Brittleshin Pass we had noticed an ambush, and we had worked together to defeat a group of bandits who apparently had made it a habit to loot the caravan on an almost regular basis. With the bandits we had not only found some special pieces of armor and weapons with a golden shimmer, but also a very peculiar animal, a 'manic elytra nymph', and Ferwen had claimed it as pet; both she and Fiona like the creature a lot and seemed understand the elytra's chittering and clicking noises at least partially; maybe that was a Bosmer special thing.

We had come back to Whiterun in late morning, and while we had eaten lunch at the Bannered Mare, Ferwen's new pet had attracted many patrons. As today – 3rd of Second Seed 4E 202 – was actually a Sondas, a Sunday, I decided to go and spend some time with prayer and meditation, as I usually tried to do on Sundays if I could.

I found a quiet spot in the Cloud District and sat down to think. I opened the book 'The Ten Commands of the Nine Divines' again and continued to read, after the introduction I had already looked at earlier:

1. Stendarr says: Be kind and generous to the people of Tamriel.
Protect the weak, heal the sick, and give to the needy.

That was exactly what I had been told in my initial vision, word by word, and amazingly I could still recall every detail. So, had I done that? I sure had sometimes protected weak people and healed the sick, or rather the injured, but had I given enough to the needy? Had I been kind and generous enough? Sure, I had been been nice and generous with my friends and companions, but what about people I did not know well? What about beggars and orphans, for instance? Well, I had done a lot for Lucia, the orphan girl, at least.

The book had a few additional words on Stendarr:

Stendarr, also known as Stendarr the Steadfast, is the God of Mercy, Charity, Well-Earned Luck, and Justice. He is one of the Divine and is worshipped throughout Tamriel; he is considered part of the Imperial, Breton, Altmer, Bosmer and Khajiit pantheons. In the Fourth Era, shrines to Stendarr can be found throughout the province of Skyrim, in the wilderness and in urban centers, such as at the Temple of the Divines in Solitude. The Vigil of Stendarr, a holy order founded after the Oblivion Crisis in 3E 433, have a chapter-house in Skyrim in the Fourth Era which was located south of the city of Dawnstar. The Vigilants of Stendarr follow the teachings of Stendarr, provide healing services to the population of Skyrim, and engage in combat with Abominations.

The fight against 'abominations' was something I had read about before, but I had not met Vigilants in person so far, or at least I did not recall such an encounter. Something else came to my mind. The text mentioned the 'Vigilants of Stendarr', and wasn't the Dawnguard questline related to them, with a Vigilant called Tolan reporting to Isran that the Vigilant hall was destroyed? I had never bothered much about those Vigilants in the game, but I had always pursued the Dawnguard DLC, partially motivated by my desire to gain a modded Serana as follower. However, I vaguely recalled reading a fan fiction story centered around them, with the Dragonborn actually being a Vigilant, named Cura, if memory served me right.

Anyway, I had a lot to think about again, and I closed my session with a prayer before I got back down to Jorrvaskr; many Companions would be in and waiting for me to tell them what had happened in the last few days, I assumed. Naturally, the Companions had also heard about the Dragonborn being back, and Kodlak asked me to provide some information on what I knew, when we sat together for dinner in the mead hall. There was not a lot I could tell, but I reported what I knew, how Fiona had come riding with her followers, with Imperials behind them and pursuing them, how the Stormcloaks and hold guards had caught most of them, about Ri'saad and the caravan and finally about the Saints bandits. The latter part did not get much attention, but Torvar and Njada decided that they needed to see the elytra with their own eyes, and thus they left right after eating.

I also asked about the special bandits we had defeated, those with the golden weapons, but none of the Companions had heard much about those before; Kodlak assumed that they might have moved in recently. When I mentioned my suspicion about Sheogorath and the Shivering Isles, though, Kodlak whistled, but did not comment. Skjor nodded and mentioned:

"Well, I have heard rumors about very strange bandits for some time, and I was not sure if they were just rumors or more; guess that we know now. Got to admit, though, that I've never seen an animal which looks like you described it. Maybe I should walk down to the inn and see if it's still around with the Bosmer who adopted it; anybody coming, too?"

Ria decided to join him, and the two stepped out. I started to yawn, and I decided that the day had been long enough; I excused myself and went upstairs to find my bed for the night.

Contrary to Fiona, I did of course not sleep in on the next day, and I started the day as usual with my run around the city. Antonius and Iona came with me as well, while Lydia decided to linger around the Bannered Mare to see if or when her Thane needed her. Of course, with my two companions, I needed to slow down a little bit, but Iona also used the opportunity to spend more time with Hanni and Nanni. We had our usual stop at the Whitewatch Tower, chatting with the guards and introducing Iona to them, and in mid morning we were back in the city, which gave me some time for training with the two housecarls, specifically with Iona. I was always eager to learn about different fighting styles, and the red-haired Nord could certainly teach me something. A housecarl with years of training was, naturally, much more combat skilled than I was, and despite my superior body mass both Iona and Antonius could almost always defeat me in practice, at least when magic was not involved. With magic added to the game, the outcome was usually different, as this enabled me to distract my opponent with shock or fire and use the gained seconds to cut them down or, in practice, pin them to a wall or to the ground. With my full body weight on them, almost nobody had a chance to do something, except for heavily built professionals like Farkas.

Eventually, almost at noon time, I strolled down to the Bannered Mare, and Fiona appeared outside right in time, just done with breakfast as she admitted:

"Ah, that was the first time for more than a week when I could really sleep in and did not have to be on my guard almost constantly; this is great, and I feel much better today! Now, I think that we should talk for some time, B'lushona. You have a right to learn what I have done in the last weeks and months, and I would like to learn about what you have achieved. Can we be open with each other and talk freely?"

"Fiona, this is good for me; yes, please. Shall we go to a quiet place?"

"Yes, that might be best."

She told her housecarls and Ferwen, who had shown up together with her, to stay back, and I led her out of the city to one of the rocks I liked to go to when I prayed on Sundays, north of the stables and close to the city walls. There had been some rain during the night, but it was mostly dry know; the air temperature was on the fresh side, but I did not mind, and the Bosmer had warm clothes on her; she was wrapped in a warm fur coat. So, we found our way to the top of the rock, and while Hanni and Nanni happily frolicked around and the Dragonborn՚s wolf stayed close to her, Fiona found a comfortable position, not too close to me, though, and suggested:

"Maybe I better start – all right?"

I nodded, and she commenced her report. We talked in German, of course, but I'm too lazy to write down both the German speech and the translation.

"Now, when we separated in Jänner – well, it's 'Morning Star' here, isn't it – Janina and I managed to get to Ivarstead without any problems, using a small path up the hills; the path reminded me of home a little bit; you probably know that we also have nice hills and such in Kärnten. Even the forest here are similar, although the conifers mostly dominate, like in higher regions of the Alps, too. We got up to High Hrothgar in the next two days, and guess what, there was another frost troll waiting for us. We handled the beast in a similar way like we did when you were with us – Janina and Rayya attacked from the side when I had hit with some arrows, and Lydia stayed with me. The two Redguards made the difference, and the frost troll did not even get close to me. None of us got serious injuries, but I struggled with the cold and ice again; my warrior ladies helped to pull and push sometimes, but I was very much exhausted once more when we arrived at the door, though slightly less than after the first successful ascent; at least nobody had to carry me. I handed back the horn, learned the final word of 'FUS', and we spent maybe a week up there before we left again. We had planned ahead and taken some additional supplies with us, too, and Master Arngeir was quite thankful for that."

"Are the Greybeards all well?"

"Oh yes, they are, and they even asked about you."

"That is good to hear. I certainly want to get there again at some time."

"And you should, I think; you know that you are always welcome there, as one of Kynareth's champions. Anyway, I had a good time up there, and they confirmed that my education was on track."

"And they formally greeted you by all four of them shouting together, right?"

"How do you know? But of course, that loud shouting must have been heard in half the province."

"It was, indeed; I heard it when I was in Windhelm. I wondered how Janina and your housecarls survived it without getting deaf?"

"Master Arngeir had them hide in the guestroom with their heads covered in thick blankets, but it still almost blew out their eardrums."

"Yeah, I can imagine that. So, did you learn anything new there?"

"Not much more, no, but due to proper training my throat now hurts less after shouting, and I can shout a little more frequently. I very much enjoyed my second time there – at least nobody bothered me and nobody wanted to kill me. The Greybeards warned me about taking my time; if I attempted to learn too many shouts too quickly, my attitude might change and I might get distracted from the right path. Not sure if this is true, but it is comforting to know that I am not supposed to rush things."

I nodded, as this made a lot of sense to me, and she continued:

"Eventually it was time to get back down from the mountain. When we were down in Ivarstead again, my ladies guided me into the tomb at the border of the town – what was the name again? Shrouded something, I think – so that I could learn the shout from the word wall there, and guess what – it was the first word of the 'KAAN' shout, Kyne՚s Peace, the same one you can use. I have had a chance to apply it a few times, and I like it. You know, I feel like you about that, and it hurts me to attack animals just because I need to pass close to them, specifically bears and such. And I have to say, I really love to calm down a bear and then stand next to it for a few minutes, petting its fur. This is so nice, specifically when they have a cub or two with them!"

"Yes, I can imagine that, and I sometimes do that, too. It is like petting a huge teddy bear, right?"

"Yes, exactly! Their smell isn't always that great, but tolerable for a few minutes. The shout also works on saber cats, but I really don't want to pet any of those; you know that I'm not a cat person at all. I have barely been able to get along with your two cats. Mammoths, though, are not affected, but that's all right. Unfortunately, the shout also fails to affect dragons; one of those found us when we got out of the tomb, and there was no effect at all."

"A dragon's mind is probably too strong for that spell."

"Yes, I guess so. We rested in the town for another night, and then we proceeded east. I had originally planned to go directly to Riften, but I felt a need to make a detour via Kynesgrove first. When I had been there first, I had seen the area southwest of it, with the hot ponds, but Delphine had always pushed, and there had been no time to explore. Now, fortunately, the Breton was not with me, and I decided that I could take some extra time. You know, sometimes it feels strange for me to be in charge of others; not Janina, but Lydia and Rayya, and now Iona, basically do what I tell them to do, within reason, although I am the youngest and should really be going to school instead of adventuring."

She chuckled when she explained that part, and she continued:

"On our way to the hot springs, we passed a town called Darkwater Crossing, and some of the town people mentioned that they had seen you there, in last fall, together with a pretty blond haired Nord lady who was called Vilja. Is there something you'd want to tell me?"

She grinned while she said that, and I laughed. Of course, with my size I was likely to be remembered almost everywhere, I understood that. I had probably not mentioned Vilja before, and for now, I told Fiona:

"Vilja and I worked together for a week or two last year when I went to Eldergleam Sanctuary. She stayed there and we separated, and there was nothing going on between us."

"Okay, it's not really my business, but I like to tease you from time to time, if I may."

"Certainly. So, you went to the Hot Springs?"

"Yes, we spent a lazy day in and around one of those nice little pools with hot water and just enjoyed and relaxed; I had not had a hot bath for some time, and it was overdue and very much enjoyable; much better than one of those small tubs they have at some inns. Just when we were ready to leave again, we had a visitor."

"Maybe the hot springs are popular, and others relax there, too?"

"Well, kind of, yes, although we were in a more secluded section. But anyway, a young Bosmer lady found us, one I had seen before in Kynesgrove. During my first visit there, when Delphine had claimed that a dragon would emerge there next, she had seen us fight the dragon and had actually helped. She is taller than I am and skilled in archery, but also close combat. Her name is Ferwen, and she had lost her parents early and was raised by and aunt and uncle. They wanted her to take over the small farm in town, but that's not what she wants to do. She had promised to stay and help until she was 18 years old, and as her birthday had just been a few days earlier, she had left Kynesgrove, searching for a worthy occupation. We talked for hours, and on the next day she decided that she'd join me, at least for the time being. You know, she's a Bosmer, she's almost exactly my age, and although I am not from here, we can talk about so many things. I am so glad that she is with me now. She has grown on me, and I feel for her almost like a sister."

I had observed Ferwen and Fiona together, and I could relate to that. Fiona smiled and said: "Maybe I have a special connection to people whose first name also starts with an 'F'? First there was Freya, now I have got Ferwen, …"

"And next there will be Farengar or maybe Faendal?"

"No, I guess not!" she laughed. "I guess I'd better stick with Ferwen."

"I have seen Ferwen in combat; how did she learn that by working on a farm?"

"She told me about that, too. Apparently, there is a retired couple living in Kynesgrove, and they were both Stormcloaks. When Ferwen, already at a young age, observed them practicing to keep fit, she wanted to join in, and they let her, just for fun initially. They found out that Ferwen had talent, and her aunt and uncle allowed her to train with the couple if the farm duties were not neglected. So, during summers she did farm work and combat training with the couple, and during winters, when she attended school in Windhelm, she could train with some city guards, some the couple had recommended."

"Okay, yes, that makes sense; I guess that she could be lucky to find this couple."

"Yes, quite so. Ferwen already had her few belongings with her, and what she could not carry could be sent from the aunt's and uncle's place to another home later. So, I happily agreed for her to join us, and Ferwen, Janina, Lydia, Rayya and I headed towards Riften, talking the road through Shor՚s Stone."

"Shor's Stone, that's a small village north of Riften, right?

The Dragonborn nodded, and I suggested:

"All right, Fiona, that has been a lot of information, and I assume that there is much more to come. May I suggest that we continue tomorrow, and for today, we grab something to eat? According to my estimation, we missed lunch, and it appears to be about supper time!"

"Of course, you are right! Any ideas on where to find something to eat?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. What about visiting the bakery?"

"There is a bakery in Whiterun? A real one?"

"Have you never been there, Fiona?"

"Unfortunately, my past visits to the city have always been so busy. I clearly need to spend at least a few weeks here and rest. So, show the way, please!"

This I did, and Fiona was happy for now. The young Bosmer was delighted to see the bakery, and she liked the selection there as much as I did. In late afternoon, we split up, but decided to meet again after breakfast on the next day, for the second part of Fiona's report.

On my way through the city I met Minolewen, the local school teacher, and when I mentioned that the Dragonborn was back in town, she begged:

"Oh, Balu, do you think that she would be agreeable to come to school with you tomorrow morning? The kids would so love to meet her. Can you talk her into doing that, please?"

"Well, I like the idea, and I will do my best to convince her, Minolewen. However, Fiona is not a morning person; maybe we can make it for the second part of the lessons, after the main break."

This was a great plan indeed, and I was looking forward to the next day.

[Author's Notes: The fan fiction story with a Dragonborn being a Vigilant is 'Stendarr's Dragon' by 'Midnight Coffee 64'; kudos to the author.]