"Wake up!"
The snappy voice stabbed directly through Ysolda's head, and she struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. "Urggh…" she groaned.
"That's right, it's time to wake up, you drunken blasphemer!" Ysolda suddenly snapped to attention, her expression creased in a blend of pain and confusion, and turned in the direction of the voice that was shouting at her.
Before her stood a woman, slightly taller than Ysolda was herself, wearing the robes of a monk. Ysolda blinked several times, trying to reconcile the modest religious garment with the stunning beauty of the figure inside them. Despite her anger, her face was attractive, and even in the humble woven robes, she somehow looked like a vision of divinity. They do say that there are people in this world who could even make a potato sack look beautiful.
"Where am I?" Ysolda asked hazily, her eyes searching the room. She was laying on the edge of a water basin within a stone room. There were bronze pipes running through the ceiling, and a faint mechanical sound coming from deeper within. Ysolda had never in her life seen anything like it, but rather than feeling wonder, the volume of stimuli only added to her headache. As she reached up to hold her throbbing head, the woman in monk robes scoffed loudly.
"Of course! You don't remember getting here. I'm guessing you also don't remember coming in here and blathering incoherently about marriage or a goat," she said, her tone rising with each word. She gestured widely to the floor of the room, adding: "Which means you don't remember losing your temper and throwing trash all over the temple!"
Ysolda followed her gesture and saw broken bottles and empty plates with bread crumbs stuck to them littered all over the floor, and strangely, red fabric scraps and blue mountain flowers. As she took in these details she noticed the thick smell of wine. It made her nauseous.
As she looked around, her eye was caught by tall statues of nude women holding flowers, which at first made her think she had wound up in a brothel. But interestingly, there were piles of gems, fruits, and other trinkets placed at the feet of these statues. Suddenly it clicked, she was in the Temple of Dibella, and judging by the pipes and bronzework throughout the room, that must mean she had come all the way to Markarth. She furrowed her brow and shook her head worriedly.
"I'm sorry, I don't even remember how I got here…" she said pitifully, rubbing her temples. The priestess watched her and felt a tinge of pity, and at last released a deep sigh.
"Well, you were deep in your cups when you got here. You were ranting but most of it was slurred. You said something about Rorikstead," she said, handing Ysolda a red potion. Ysolda nodded as a show of gratitude and downed the brew, feeling herself rejuvenate as it coursed through her body. She felt better, but still groggy.
"Rorikstead? Why was I talking about Rorikstead?" She rubbed her eyes and got to her feet. The stone floor felt unusually smooth, she thought. At this moment she realized her feet were bare, and as she stood, she felt a lot of cool air on her skin. She looked down to discover she was wearing some skimpy gown which scarcely covered her, admittedly rather modest, bosom. "What on earth am I wearing?" she shrieked. "I'm dressed like some kind of… prostitute?"
The priestess chuckled. "Oh, is that different from your usual look?" Ysolda snapped an icy glare at the priestess, who cleared her throat and looked away to hide her unfurling smirk. "Your gentlemen friends didn't seem to mind," she chided.
Ysolda suddenly went white. "Gentlemen friends?"
"Yes, the Imperial with the silly staff and the white Khajiit. You all seemed rather close."
Ysolda sighed with relief. 'So I came here with Mo'aksa… that's good. But I don't remember any Imperial with a staff… I suppose I'd better retrace my steps to figure out what happened last night,' she thought, making her way towards the heavy bronze doors of the temple. Just as she reached the exit though, she rushed back to the priestess who was watching her with bewilderment.
"Say, you wouldn't happen to have an extra robe I could borrow?"
l===============================l
Ysolda hopped on a carriage and made the short journey to Rorikstead. It was a quaint little farming village on the outskirts of Whiterun Hold. Ysolda had only been there maybe once or twice when she was young, and as such, had few memories of the place. What reason she could have had for going there was a complete mystery.
"You! You've got a lot of nerve showing yourself in this town again. What do you have to say for yourself?" Ysolda was suddenly called out of her foggy memory by yet another angry voice coming her way. She nervously turned around to see a Redguard farmer charging at her, fuming with anger.
"I'm sorry?" she said sheepishly. The farmer was not amused.
"Sorry's not good enough! Not while my Gleda is still out there, alone and afraid. You kidnapped her and sold her to that Giant." Ysolda's eyes went wide.
"That sounds pretty bad," she said calmly, the tension barely concealed beneath her facade.
"You're damned right it does. I'll never breed another prize-winning goat like Gleda!" Ysolda loudly released the breath she was holding and smiled.
"Oh, so Gleda is just a goat!" she said with an exasperated chuckle.
"Just a goat? Just a goat? My Gleda is-" Ysolda sensed his anger rising again and rushed over to put her hand over his mouth.
"Look, I'm really sorry about your goat, so I'm going to try and help you get her back. But to do that, I need to know what happened last night. What can you tell me?" she said in the most pacifying voice she could muster.
The farmer seemed to calm just slightly. "Okay, okay. Most of what you said didn't make sense but your friend left a note. Half of it was gibberish and the rest had mead spilled on it. The only bit that I could read said "after repaying Ysolda in Whiterun." That's all I know."
Ysolda went wide-eyed once again. "But why would I have to repay..." she began.
"Sounds like you're in some deep trouble. But that's not my problem, I just want my Gleda back!" He drew in close to Ysolda with rage in his eyes. She put her hands up innocently and gave him the best customer-service smile she could muster.
"Of course, I'll get riiiight on that!" she said happily…
...And sprinted far away from Rorikstead.
l===============================l
After a considerable jog, at points with wolves trailing behind her or coming far too close for comfort to a giant's den, Ysolda finally made it to the gates of Whiterun. Out of breath and feeling exhausted, she struggled up the cobblestone path towards the city, before once again she was called out to by a voice. This time though, it was a voice she recognized.
"Ysolda! Are you back from the party? Where is your friend?" came the purring voice of Ri'saad just a short ways up the path. Ysolda smiled. At last, she was seeing something familiar!
"It's good to see you Ri'saad, really. You have no idea the journey I've been on today," she said, catching her breath. "Do you know where Mo'aksa is? I've been trying to find him but I feel like I just keep getting sent in circles."
Ri'saad seemed to sour a bit at this question. "Ah, so you have not seen him yet? Perhaps I should not say anything, then," he said quietly. Ysolda looked confused and leaned in closer to hear him.
"Wait, do you know where he is?" she asked. Ri'saad shook his head.
"Ah, no, if he has not told you then I am sure he means for it to be a surprise," he said, trailing. Ysolda grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Ri'saad, I ran halfway across the realm today, please don't send me on any more wild goose chases," she said through a gritted smile, shaking him slightly. Ri'saad seemed conflicted. "I keep hearing about a third 'friend' who was with us, who the hell was he?"
"Oh, your friend Sam? Did you not have a drinking contest with him?" Ysolda held her grip on his shoulders for a moment, but then let go as the memories came flooding back.
"Wait a minute, that's right… Sam Guevenne was his name, now I remember!" she said, falling back a few steps as the realization hit her. "He challenged Mo'aksa to a drinking contest with him, but Mo'aksa refused. Then he started poking fun at him, so I decided to challenge him on Mo'aksa's behalf and…" she frowned. "...well I obviously overdid it…"
"Yes, Mo'aksa mentioned this. But you all seemed so close, I thought you were good friends," Ri'saad replied, but Ysolda shook her head.
"I only just met him that night."
"Ah… interesting. Well, I wouldn't worry about Mo'aksa. He seemed sober when I saw him, so I am certain he is of sound mind," Ri'saad reassured her. He clicked his tongue and added under his breath "Well, as sound a mind a fugitive can have…"
"I seem to recall that they took something from my stock that they said they'd pay me back for. You don't happen to know what that is, do you?" she asked, pleadingly.
"Oh yes, the ring. You three came back here to get it, at your suggestion. They were looking through my jewelry, but when they saw the prices, you said you had a fine sapphire piece that would do just as well." Ysolda grimaced.
"Why would I suggest that tacky monstrosity for anything?" Ri'saad suddenly smiled and did his best to hold in his laughter. "Seriously, THAT ring? It's something Eorland made for practice, but it's so over-the-top that Fraalia couldn't find a buyer for it. I felt bad for her so I took it off her hands just so they didn't take a loss from the cost of materials, but I've been stuck with it now for over a year."
"Hm. I am thinking you need some review if you make purchases such as this," Ri'saad said, crossing his arms. Ysolda huffed.
"I don't want to hear it. Look, Ri'saad, do you know where Mo'aksa went? I just want to find him and make sure he's ok," she said. "So far I've been run out of the Temple of Dibella, threatened by a farmer in Rorikstead, chased by wild animals, and apparently somehow managed to rob myself. I can't imagine the trouble Mo'aksa might be in if he's alone with that man." Ri'saad thought for a moment, and then smiled.
"Well, my caravan is packing to leave soon. Perhaps we could give you a ride to his location?" Ysolda smiled and nodded.
"You know where he is? I'd really appreciate that," she 'saad smiled and grabbed her gently by the shoulder, leading her into camp where the other caravaners were busily gathering their belongings. After about an hour or so of packing, the caravan loaded into a covered carriage and began their journey across Skyrim.
Ysolda watched as they passed through the fields of Whiterun and began approaching a tall mountain. She hadn't spent so much time outside the city in years, and while the scenery was nice to look at she felt as though this one day had enough adventuring to satisfy her wanderlust for at least another year.
After resting in the carriage for a couple hours, she began to feel her hangover recede, and the cold air refreshed her spirits. As the scenery grew more and more snowy, her mind seemed to clear. This frozen landscape was the heartland of the Nords after all, and something about the cold just seemed to naturally heal her.
Ri'saad tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her away from her thoughts. "We will be dropping you off at the foot of the mountain, but it is a long climb to reach Eldersblood Peak where Mo'aksa is waiting. Perhaps you should wear this to protect from the cold," he said, handing her a parcel wrapped in brown paper.
"Is this from your stock? Ri'saad don't worry, I'm a Nord. A little cold won't bother me," she said, pushing the bundle away. But Ri'saad insisted she take it, and with an eye roll, she reluctantly accepted his offer.
The carriage stopped as he said it would, at the foot of a mountain in a snowy wasteland. Ysolda quickly changed into the clothing Ri'saad had offered her, but after she had it on, she felt quite confused. It was made from heavy cotton and lined with fur on the inside, sure, but the shell of the jacket was made of red silk with fine gold embroidery around the cuffs, and the dress was likewise made of white silk with extra gores in the back to give it a flowing appearance, and in a unique design choice, the sleeves had a strap on the end which elegantly looped around her middle finger. It was a very fine piece which Ysolda didn't find to be very practical for hiking up a mountain, but after the scene Ri'saad had caused, she decided to just roll with it. She'd have to repay him when she next saw him in Whiterun.
"Thank you for the ride, Ri'saad. I sure hope he's actually up there and you didn't send me all this way for nothing!" she said with a playful jab. Though she was smiling, she felt a real sense of dread looking at the long stairway leading to the mountain top. Ri'saad nodded contentedly.
"Oh, I am sure he is. And remember Ysolda, if you ever change your mind about this, I have some very dangerous acquaintances I can connect you with. They are quite good at tying up loose ends!" he said, laughing. Ysolda looked very confused.
"What are you talking about?" Ri'saad cleared his throat.
"Never mind that, you should be on your way now. I'm sure the whole party is waiting for you," he said. Ysolda frowned, but said nothing more as she waved to the caravaners and began her hike up the stone stairway.
l===============================l
It was quite a long hike to get to the top of the mountain. The wind howled, but thanks to her thick jacket she hardly felt a thing. The higher she got, the fewer trees there were along the path, such that she could look out over the side of the mountain unobstructed. By this time, the day had mostly passed and stars were just beginning to poke their way into the skyline. The dazzling colors of twilight had given way to the deep purples and blues of the night sky, and overhead the northern lights were dancing above. Their excellence reflected on the white snows of the mountain, and the whole realm seemed to light up with iridescent hues of green, cyan, and violet. There wasn't a cloud in the sky- a rarity this far north- and though there was strong wind, the weather was altogether pleasant. Ysolda was always busy with numbers and coins back in the city, but for once she felt a deep appreciation for the nature around her. Ysolda always loved the aurora borealis, but from so high up in the mountains, it became an especially elegant spectacle which she wanted to savor. Why Mo'aksa had come here, she didn't know, but seeing all this, she felt as though she could understand what would draw someone to this place. If he and Sam were hosting some kind of party, this would certainly be the perfect place to do it.
'Things really got out of hand last night. Looks like we're both cursed to have terrible luck with drinking contests,' she thought as she climbed. After a bit more hiking up the dilapidated ancient stairs, she at last could almost see the peak of the mountain. She was about to cross the threshold of the final case of stairs when she heard something. It wasn't the wind, it was too melodic. 'Could that be… music?' Hesitantly, she continued forward, reaching the final step on the path, and at last seeing the ancient stone eyrie of Eldersblood Peak.
There were banners of red fabric draped across the stonework and blue flower petals drifting through the wind, which had slowed to a gentle breeze. Delicate candlelight illuminated the faces of countless strangers, all dancing and laughing together. Above their heads, the northern lights flickered ever brighter. She inhaled deeply, and smelled warm spiced wine all through the air. The tables were lined with all manner of confections and drinks, and a distinct nutty smell which came from the mammoth cheese that was spread onto slices of bread. The contents of the fine silver goblets that graced the guests' hands gave off a faint purple glow.
Next to the black wall at the back was a quartet of terrifying beings in scary spiked armor with red and black skin and horns, but rather than wielding weapons, they were playing instruments. One on the lute, one on drums, one blowing a flute, and another singing softly. Ysolda blinked several times, completely bewildered by the scene in front of her. Her wonder was only broken by an odd sensation, which when she turned her head down to investigate, seemed to be a painted goat brushing past her. There was a basket of flowers strapped to the goat, and with each gust of wind, more petals were blown into the air. On the side of the goat was sloppy text which read 'Stupid Giant!'.
Ysolda wracked her brain to try and put together the pieces and understand what she was seeing, but her thoughts were interrupted.
"You're here! I was beginning to think you might not make it," came a jolly, and oddly familiar, voice. Ysolda turned to its direction and saw an Imperial man in a black robe with a staff in his hands. Well, it was more like a giant red flower than a staff.
"You're Sam Guevenne, right?" Ysolda asked, quietly. The man scratched the side of his face hesitantly.
"Well, yes, but actually no. You see…" suddenly there was a black distortion like some kind of swirling magic, and Ysolda had to take a step back. In a flash, the figure before her transformed into an armor-clad daedra, just like the ones in the back, yet somehow more imposing. "I am Sanguine, Daedric Prince of Debauchery! I know, I know, how could I lie to you? Well, how could I trust you until we've shared a few drinks?"
Ysolda's face was completely blank. His words seemed to smack into her and bounce right back onto the ground.
"I think I need to sit down," Ysolda said, plopping her behind on the steps. "So… I had a drinking contest… with a Daedric prince?" She had a difficult time taking in the information she was just presented with, and seemed at a complete loss. Sanguine smiled all the wider.
"Oh, you didn't just have a drinking contest with me, you beat me at my own game. I never expected a mortal could party with the gods, but you sure showed me!" he said, playfully grabbing Yolda's shoulders and giving them a gentle shake. His grip somehow felt incredibly hot and bitterly cold at the same time, and Ysolda instantly recoiled. She thought that she didn't believe in daedra, yet in one day she had seen 4 of them, and one even touched her. She shook her head in disbelief.
"Was all of this some kind of prank?" Ysolda crossed her arms and looked angrily at Sanguine, her exasperation after a day of strife getting the better of her.
"The Daedric Lord of Debauchery does not deal in mere pranks! I presented you with an opportunity to spread amusement in the world, and boy did you deliver. Your boyfriend though was kind of a downer, but after spreading so much merriment to boring old Skyrim, I had to do you two a favor," he said, chuckling. Ysolda perked up at this.
"Mo'aksa! Where is he? What have you done with him?"
"Woah there, no need to get impatient. The ceremony will start soon, so why don't we all take our places?" Suddenly the crowd parted ways and all eyes were on Ysolda. When she turned to look at Sanguine to ask what was happening, he had disappeared.
Suddenly the music started back up again, and the crowd all smiled and cheered at Ysolda. She didn't recognize a single face among them, until her eyes had crossed one half of the crowd and spotted a familiar silhouette standing in front of the black wall. Two triangle ears standing tall, and a long tail swaying gently just above the ground.
"Mo'aksa!" she cried. She gathered the front of her dress and sprinted down the aisle, colliding with him in a strong embrace before the smiling crowd. "Where have you been?"
"Mo'aksa has been right here, where you told him to be," he said, slightly confused. Ysolda looked up at him and tilted her head.
"Where I told you to be? Why would I tell you to wait here?" Mo'aksa suddenly tensed.
"What do you mean? Don't you remember-" he was cut off by Ysolda loudly interjecting.
"If you're about to ask if I remember last night, the answer is no! Not a moment of it!" she said, burying her face in his chest.
"Oh. Well that will make this… rather awkward."
"Mo'aksa, will you please be the one to tell me what happened last night?" she pleaded. He inhaled sharply through clenched teeth.
"Well, after the drinking was through, you called the attention of the whole tavern, and…" Ysolda could feel his heart beating quickly. "Proposed to Mo'aksa."
Ysolda blinked, but was silent. Her cheeks turned just slightly pink at this.
"Sam said he would be our wedding planner, and then ran both of us all over Skyrim to make preparations. Getting the ring from your shop in Whiterun, getting the goat to trade Giants for catering, then stealing the goat back because you thought it was funny, then you sent me here to wait for you to get ready at the Temple of Dibella."
"Why did I go all the way to Markarth to get ready for a wedding that was here?"
"You said that Dibella would make you beautiful and insisted it had to be there," Mo'aksa said with a chuckle. "I think that she's done an excellent job," he continued, running his fingers through her hair. Ysolda thought back to the dehydrated and exhausted state she had been in when she awoke in the temple and couldn't possibly conceive that the divines had helped her in any way.
"Alright, enough chit-chatting. Let's get down to business!" Sanguine said, suddenly appearing behind the two of them. He was wearing an odd outfit, the likes of which neither Ysolda nor Mo'aksa had ever seen before. It had a black jacket and pants that were both tailored to fit his body closely. He wore a white buttoned shirt underneath with a large bow tie around his neck. Ysolda and Mo'aksa parted slightly, but their hands remained interlocked. Sanguine raised his hands and quieted the crowd.
"Good evening, honored guests. You all know me, Sanguine, Daedric prince of debauchery yadda yadda yadda. Tonight I have the pleasure of presiding over the union of two mortals!" he gestured to Mo'aksa and Ysolda.
"Ah, wait, maybe this is not the best idea after all…" Mo'aksa began, nervously.
"What, cold feet?" Sanguine sneered. Mo'aksa tilted his head.
"Actually, Mo'aksa's shoes keep his feet quite warm," he replied. Sanguine laughed and the rest of the crowd followed suit, though Mo'aksa only looked bewildered. He turned to Ysolda. "Maybe we should just leave?" he said nervously. Ysolda shook her head.
"Let's do it!" she said, excitedly. Mo'aksa's ears perked up and Ysolda flushed a deep pink. "I-I mean, if you're okay with it. The truth is, I've wanted to marry you for a while, but I wasn't sure you would want to stay with me. I guess a little alcohol was all it took to encourage me to finally ask."
Mo'aksa gave a sigh of relief and then gently placed his hand over hers. "Well, Mo'aksa is here, is he not? Of course he want to stay with you," he replied warmly.
"It's funny, I don't remember planning any of this, yet I can tell I did because it's exactly how I always dreamed… the colors, the flowers, the aurora, even the strapping groom at the end of the aisle," Ysolda said happily. "Although I suppose I imagined my friends and family to be the guests." Sanguine stopped laughing and smiled at her.
"Oh, didn't you read my notes? I told you that my staff would take care of the guests. And do you know what my staff does?" he said mysteriously. Ysolda and Mo'aksa both shook their heads.
With a wave of the staff, the crowd transformed from a mix of humans and elves to a gathering of monsters. Different types of daedra, all laughing and cheering for the mortal couple. Mo'aksa and Ysolda's eyes widened and their hands clenched tightly together.
"Now, with all of the daedra of the Misty Grove here as witnesses, let's get this shindig underway, shall we?" Sanguine said, pulling out a small book and a wiry pair of glasses. He cleared his throat loudly and began reading from the tattered pages of the book. "We gather here today to bear witness to the union of two souls in eternal companionship. And may I just say, I have never, in all my eternity as a daedric prince, seen a more unlikely couple of mortals than these two right here!"
The crowd started laughing, and Ysolda and Mo'aksa both smiled awkwardly.
"I mean, it just goes to show that mortals really are the most interesting creatures. Here we have two completely incompatible mortals who come together anyway with enough love to last, eh, hopefully at least one full lifetime," he joked, and though there was laughter from the crowd, Ysolda and Mo'aksa didn't seem very thrilled at this remark. "I still remember when these two caught my attention months ago. I mean, I could smell the liquor all the way in Oblivion!" Sanguine said, jabbing Mo'aksa in the arm. He stumbled from the impact. "I knew right then that I had to get in on this, and I'm so very glad I did," he continued. "Skyrim won't soon forget the revelry we had last night, though I'm sure this one probably already has!" he laughed, pointing at Ysolda. "I mean, what mortal can say they've puked in the holy water basin of one of the divines? That'll show those Aedra who's boss!" Ysolda suddenly blushed deeply.
"I did what?" she said loudly. The crowd erupted in laughter once more.
"Yeah, yeah, it's a good thing you're getting hitched now, because if Dibella had her way you'd probably be celibate for the rest of your life!" Ysolda's jaw dropped but she said nothing more. "Hey don't worry about it, you don't need the gods when you've got a daedric prince on your side, am I right or am I right?" he added to the joy of the crowd of daedra.
"Mo'aksa's legs are getting tired from standing in one place for so long," Mo'aksa whispered. "Sangiin, can we hurry up?" Sanguine nodded and returned to his book.
"Do you, Mo'aksa, agree to be bound to this woman, in love, now and forever?"
Mo'aksa's ears perked, and with a smile he responded "I do, now and forever."
Sanguine next turned to Ysolda. "Do you, Ysolda, agree to be bound to this man, in love, now and forever?"
Ysolda nodded happily. "I do, now and forever!"
"Then by my authority as the Daedric Prince of revelry, I declare this couple to be wed! I sure hope the local government accepts that authority, heheh" he said with a hiccup. "Don't sweat the small stuff. Now, I present you two with these matching rings, so that as long as you wear them, you'll always be together, and always find yourselves in the most… entertaining of circumstances!"
"By the nine!" Ysolda said, her voice completely drained of enthusiasm. Sanguine had pulled out a small cushion, upon which sat two extremely gaudy rings. "TWO of them? But that ring was one of a kind! Where did-"
"Hey hey, it's like I said, don't sweat the small stuff!" Sanguine said, holding the rings out between the couple. Ysolda reluctantly picked one up and had a look at it. It was a silver ring with two large sapphires surrounding a beautiful sparkling emerald in the center. The metal of the ring had nordic knots carved into it, and the whole piece had a mother of pearl coating that gave it an iridescent sheen. Its partner was an identical copy, right down to the small imperfections in each of the gemstones. On its own, any one trait of this ring might be tasteful, but together the many lavish details didn't mesh well, and instead made for quite possibly the most hideous- and most expensive- ring in Tamriel.
With great pain, Ysolda allowed Mo'aksa to slip the ring onto her finger, and then she slid the remaining ring onto his. When the rings were both on, they began to glow with a very faint light, so faint it could almost be mistaken for a reflection from the mother of pearl.
"Well folks, it's been fun, but I really ought to get back to Oblivion now. Who knows what kind of trouble my underlings have gotten themselves into… I don't want to miss a moment of it!" Sanguine waved his fingers and suddenly he was again wearing the spiked armor he had been in at the start. The crowd cheered as he walked down the steps and heel turned to face Ysolda and Mo'aksa. "Just keep in mind, we'll all be watching you from our little homes in the Misty Grove. Remember, you've always got old Uncle Sanguine on your side!"
"Thank you… I think?" Mo'aksa said with an uneasy smile.
"Right right, I'll always be watching… as long as you're doing something interesting, that is! Ta-ta!" he waved, and in a flash, the crowd disappeared, and Sanguine's smiling visage faded from view. All that remained was the cracked stonework of Eldersblood Peak, and a single goat running back and forth across the way.
Ysolda and Mo'aksa looked at each other, neither one knowing exactly what to say next. But after a moment's hesitation, they both started laughing, and threw their arms around one another.
"I suppose that's it then! We're married now!" Ysolda said, her voice giddy with excitement.
"Mo'aksa is not quite sure he understands, but he is happy!" he said, squeezing Ysolda tightly. They both twirled around, dancing happily on the peak of the mountain and laughing all the while, until they heard a strange roaring off in the distance. They froze and looked over the side of the mountain to see a menacing silhouette flying in the distance, some creature with huge wings and spikes to spare.
The two looked at each other, nodded, and then began sprinting away, hand in hand.
Ysolda stopped just before they began their trek down the stairs. "Wait," she called. Mo'aksa turned to look at her. "Um, how do you feel about having a kid?"
"Ysolda, I really don't think this is the time," Mo'aksa started, but was cut off by loud bleating. Ysolda giggled and gestured to the goat that had followed close behind them. It was shaking and clinging very closely to Ysolda's leg. Mo'aksa stood, dumbfounded for a moment, and then groaned as though in pain. "Did you really just say that?"
Suddenly, another loud roaring sound came from off in the distance, this time slightly closer. Ysolda's satisfied grin melted away, and she grabbed the goat by its lead. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
The three ran down the long winding stairway together, through the dense woods, and finally out into the road. At the foot of the mountain, Mo'aksa happily scooped Ysolda up into his arms.
"Last time I carried you to Whiterun, it was in rather sad circumstances. Let's rewrite that memory today," he said happily, and carried her in his arms along the road. Ysolda rested her head against his and tightened her grip on the goat's lead.
"We don't have to rewrite old memories. I'd rather make all new ones," she said quietly. She gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, and he nuzzled her back. His white fur felt so soft against her skin.
"Mo'aksa has a feeling it will be so," he purred. Ysolda nodded.
They walked across the vast open plains under the colorful night sky, beaming all the way. Together they made their way back home, each so looking forward to the new life they'd share together. At last, spring had come to Skyrim, and with it, a whole new crop of fresh opportunities. What the future would hold, neither could say, but so long as they were together, they felt completely at ease.
Before long, the cool night air would give way to a full and bright sunrise. In the morning, life would begin anew. It wouldn't be long, maybe only a few hours. Until then, they'd have this time to share, just the two of them, heads still spinning from the previous day's activities in a chaotic swirling bliss.
Life is never predictable. Things happen which we cannot control, tragedies and joys alike. But that doesn't mean it has to be frightening. So long as you have someone to face it with, your heart will always be at ease.
~Chapter 12 END~
A/N: So I realized that in Ysolda's in-game dialogue, she says Madran is the one who offers to help her become a merchant… but Ri'saad's caravan is the one that visits Whiterun, so it makes more sense for him to be her mentor. Madran doesn't even go to Whiterun, so how would she know him?
Thanks so much for reading Walking on Warm Sands! I'll see you next time for the start of our next story arc!