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Dragonheart: Of Black Wings Unfurled	By : Lady_Kae Category: +A through F > Elder Scrolls - Skyrim Views: 15055 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters used from the game TES: Skyrim. All characters and game related material, save for original content, is property of their respective owners and no money is being made from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
A/N: it has taken a long time, but I finally got this chapter where I wanted it! Woohoo! Thank goodness for plot bunnies that spur muses forward. My mental state has not been the best this year, but I'm trying to work past it and get back to the things that I truly enjoy. Thank you all for bearing with me for so long! Nonetheless, here's the latest chapter and I hope you all enjoy it!
Kae
Dragonheart: Of Blackwings Unfurled
Chapter 14: Separate Directions
An Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Fanfiction

Hadvar was finishing up his report for General Tullius, as he had just completed a quick review of the Solitude Legion Camp, as he waited alongside the road near Katla’s Farm. He had only just received a missive from a courier barely an hour ago requesting that he be waiting there, and the soldier sat against a large rock as he stayed there patiently. The sound of hooves clopping against cobblestone coming from the west drew his attention and a slow smile spread across his face as the sheen of familiar crimson tresses began gleaming in the sunlight.
Tarrowlyn wanted her arrival to be as silent as possible by the look of things.
A second rider came into view just behind her, and it was then that Hadvar was left scratching his head. Farkas didn’t let just anyone ride Thunder after all. Was it a new whelp amongst the Companions? Possible noble escort? They were headed for Solitude. He kept wracking his brain, but the legionnaire could not come up with a logical excuse by the time Tarrowlyn and the unknown rider came up to him. “ Hail Harbinger!” Hadvar called out, winking all the while to let her know he was teasing her.
“ Pah! None of that Hadvar, you’ve known me longer than I’ve been Harbinger. Did you get summoned right back to Solitude three weeks ago?” Tarrowlyn chortled as she dismounted. “ Whelp, get the steeds over to Katla’s for stabling. Ask them the check their shoeing if you would. Meet us right back here.”
So a potential companion then? Their face was covered with a thick, red scarf, only allowing him to barely see a sliver of their bright blue eyes. Whoever they were, they were nearly as tall as Tarrowlyn was, so it could be male or female. If they were male, they were quite young. They were lanky as well, but the longer Hadvar took them in, he deduced that this unknown was definitely male. He didn’t say anything as he caught a coin pouch, but he did nod in understanding. With two clicks of his tongue and a short, shrill whistle, both steeds followed him further down the road.
“ Anyone I know?” Hadvar asked softly.
“ You’ll see soon enough. I have a favor I need to ask of you and General Tullius if possible. Is he here or is he out in the field?” Tarrowlyn asked, her tone worried and tired.
“ He’s here, only just returned this morning actually from Cyrodil. His quarterly check in with the emperor if memory serves me right. What is it you need?” Hadvar asked.
Tarrowlyn shook her head slightly as she ran gloved fingers over the back of her neck. Alesan was doing well, and he was holding to his end of the bargain, but this whole trip was going against every maternal instinct that she had gained over the last few years. She didn’t like seeing him in danger and keeping up the facade that it was amusing was making her emotionally weary. “ It’s best I explain behind closed doors, old friend. As soon as the whelp returns we can go to Castle Dour.” Tarrowlyn said as she looked over her fletching. They had yet to encounter a dragon thankfully.
Hadvar nodded as he clapped Tarrowlyn on the pauldron. “ You sound as if you need a hard drink, Tarrowlyn. We recently got some orcish grog in that knocked Rikke on her ass.” He offered.
Tarrowlyn looked at Hadvar with a touch of shock in her gaze. He had told her many a time that Rikke could outdrink any soldier under her, possibly even a good chunk of the Companions. He had admitted that it would be close between the legate and herself however. “ Damn, I’ll definitely take a mug of that then.” she whispered with a small chuckle.
Hadvar chuckled with her as he looked towards the path that led to Katla’s Farm. The whelp was already returning. “ Your hopeful is already coming back. He must be pretty good with both Thunder and Tanaris. Those steeds can be as stubborn as mules when the mood strikes them.” he chortled as Tarrowlyn looked over the same way.
She smirked even as she socked his shoulder playfully. “ I will not be saying another word about them until we’re in Castle Dour. You can wait a little bit. But, yes, they are.” Tarrowlyn said with a small smile.
The young man nodded once to Tarrowlyn as he joined them again and Tarrowlyn returned the gesture silently as well. Hadvar was really starting to wonder who this young man was and why he wasn’t saying anything. “ Let’s go see if Tullius can spare a moment for you Tarrowlyn. I’m reasonably sure that he will.” Hadvar said as he began leading the way into the city.
Alesan had never been inside Solitude, despite the fact that Tarrowlyn and Farkas has paused here briefly for her to get something after they had rescued him from the Forsworn. The sight of the capital was magnificent for him to behold and it left him wishing that he had an extra set or two of eyes.
“ If you think the capital is impressive, whelp, just wait until you go into your first dwemer ruin.” Tarrowlyn told him. It was so hard for her to hold back the maternal instinct with him, but she had to lest the eyes and ears of the Thalmor use him to punish her for her transgressions against them thus far. A small, dangerous smirk crossed her face. If they hated her now, then what she was about to do was really going to piss them off.
“ The harbinger is not wrong in this case. There’s one that I had the pleasure of combing while rooting out some stormcloaks that took my breath away with as lovely as it was. Alftand or something of the like it was called. The cathedral there alone made me wish I was gifted in putting imagery to canvas.” Hadvar said wistfully as he looked over his shoulder to the two following him. “ Welcome to Castle Dour, friends. Just wait here a moment and I will see if the general will spare you a moment or two.”
Alesan leaned in closely. “ Do I have to keep the scarf on after we go inside?” he asked, inwardly pleading that he could take it off.
“ Rikke and Tullius are going to want to see your face, so no. If all goes well, you’ll be incognito in legion armor for a bit while I tend to my other errand.” Tarrowlyn replied as kept her gaze on the door. She was listening intently for anything that would clue her in to someone paying them more mind than they should. There were a few whispers of curiosity from the soldiers who were in the yard training, as they knew she was Harbinger, but she wasn’t hearing anything that would spell danger for either of them.
Hadvar opened the door again a moment later and he smiled. “ General Tullius will see the two of you, Harbinger.” he said, moving to the side to let them in.
Tullius was already drawing curtains shut when the three of them entered his office. “ Hadvar, close the door behind you please.” he asked tiredly. “ It’s been a long time since I saw you last Harbinger.”
Tarrowlyn was in the midst of taking off her gauntlets and she had already lain down all her weapons on the table by the door. “ That it has General. Thank you for taking the time to see me today. Leave your weapons and the like with mine for now, Alesan, and take a seat.” she told her son. Once her hands were clear, she stretched one out to shake Tullius’ hand.
“ Think nothing of it, though you have come a long way from the woman who was nearly executed on my orders back in Helgan. I guess we should consider it luck that that dragon attacked, other wise I would have put an innocent woman to death on the block.” Tullius said as he too took his seat. “ What brings you and your son here today Tarrowlyn?” Hadvar was speaking to the boy in hushed tones to allow the two of them to talk uninterrupted, and Tullius couldn’t help but grin. He had heard of the boy’s showing on the streets of Whiterun already from Idolaf. Tarrowlyn had done a bang up job in training her son how to fight.
“ I need a favor of you, two actually.” Tarrowlyn began nervously. “ How secure is this room?”
“ If you’re worried about the Thalmor listening in, then don’t. I comb the room every day for holes and bugs. I don’t want them knowing what I’m up to either when it comes to this war that Ulfric is waging.” Tullius chortled.
Tarrowlyn nodded. “ I am going to be infiltrating the party that is being held at the embassy in a few days. I need to leave Alesan here with someone who I know I can trust to keep him out of trouble and to supply him an alibi. The other favor is that I need to see to the release of a prisoner being held at Northwatch Tower. Thorald Grey Mane.”
Tullius had to admit, the woman before him was damn good at gathering her information. “ I’m not going to ask how you found out, but there’s not much I can do. Elenwen has held him captive all this time in an effort to get him to talk about the stormcloaks despite the fact that Idolaf has submitted many letters on his behalf in an effort to prove his innocence.” Tullius smirked for a moment. “ However, because the base they’re at is a legion base and not one of the Thalmor’s, I can order a surprise inspection to be done. However, if you’re sneaking into Elenwen’s sallon, I would like you to look into something as well. I’ve heard rumor that she has several dossiers of people of interest, myself and the other jarls included. If by some measure those can meet their end?” A small smile split his face at the thought of him finally getting one over on those damn high elves. If the blades hadn’t been decimated as badly as they had been twenty years ago, he’d be reaching out to them in hopes of taking back the empire from the Thalmor’s ruthless iron grip.
Tarrowlyn chuckled darkly. “ I will be more than happy to oblige you on that, Tullius.” she replied. “ Are we in agreement then? You’ll keep an eye on my boy for me while I take care of this?”
Tullius looked to Hadvar and then to Alesan before looking back to his soldier. With a silent nod, Hadvar exited the room briefly and he returned with legion garb for the boy. “ He’ll be with Hadvar at all times. How are you with a blade, boy?” Tullius asked him. “ I’ve heard nothing but glowing remarks from Idolaf about your sword work during the attack that the Companions suffered a few weeks back.”
Both Tarrowlyn and Alesan snorted derisively. “ You would never know it for as much as grief has he gives us.” Alesan mumbled under his breath. “ I have much to learn until I reach the point my mother is at.” he finally replied. “ What I need to work on is not my technique per say, but working my way past the nerves in an actual fight.”
Tarrowlyn’s brow rose in both surprise and delight. She had been expecting to tell that to the general herself.
Tullius nodded, though Tarrowlyn’s reaction to her son’s statement was not lost on him. She hadn’t been expecting her son to be so forthcoming about his weaknesses. “ Hadvar?”
“ By the time my boys and I are done with you, you’ll be able to face down a dragon without batting an eye.” Hadvar said with confidence. “ Say goodbye to your mother for now. Give me at least five days, Tarrowlyn, before you collect him and knock less than politely on the Thalmor’s door. Two weeks would be best if you want me to get him sufficient.”
Tarrowlyn nodded even as she hugged her boy close to her. For some reason, this goodbye felt harder than all the others they had had over the years. It was almost as intense as the one they had in Dawnstar when he had been smaller. “ You mind them, Alesan. Understood?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. It was taking everything in her not to burst into tears in front of all of them. No, she had to show strength.
“ Yes ma.” Alesan replied, kissing his mother’s cheek quickly. “ Be careful. Out there. Please.”
Tarrowlyn nodded and she stopped by the door long enough to gather all of her things before making her exit. Alesan knew why she hadn’t answered him back, as there had been tears in her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to worry him, nor had she wanted to show that side of herself to the other men in the room.
“ Go behind the screen over there and get changed, lad. I daresay we need to get you out of that armor for now lest the Thalmor recognize it when the two of you go to Northwatch. Hadvar, while he’s doing that, get him legion issue weapons.” Tullius ordered.
“ Aye General.” Hadvar replied with a grin.
Alesan changed quickly, gauging the feel of the armor and his brow furrowed. He had on a deep red shirt under his leather breastplate and he fingered the collar in an attempt to get it comfortable. “ If I may, General, this armor has a few spots where it could have been tempered a little more.” he commented.
Tullius looked at Alesan as he made slight adjustments to the straps around his waist to make it fit better. “ And how would you know that at your age?” he asked calmly.
“ I help around the forge enough at home, and I help Lod whenever I find myself in Falkreath proper. My ma worked and learned from Eorlund Gray Mane, so I would hope that I picked up enough knowledge as well as experience to know when a piece needs work. Your boots for instance. The dent that you suffered in the right one recently wasn’t worked out properly. I daresay that your toes and the top of your foot are screaming.” Alesan explained briefly as he situated his dagger into his boot. He wasn’t leaving the room without it.
Tullius threw his head back as he laughed. He had been sitting down almost the entire time that Alesan and Tarrowlyn had been in here, and yet the boy had spotted it just that quickly. His powers of observation were astounding for him not even being fifteen yet. “ You’re not wrong there lad. Very well then, we’ll both go see the smith once Hadvar returns.”

Tarrowlyn walked into the Winking Skeever, and her eyes began scanning the patrons for a bosmer in white and green clothing. That would be Delphine’s contact Malborn and she needed to start setting things up with him, as well as making contact with Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone. She would be attending this soiree as the Jarl’s plus one, considering that she was the newly named thane of the hold. Thank the gods that she was on the jarl’s good side.

Lucia exhaled slowly as she loosed her shot and she didn’t move until she saw the arrow hit the target. A large smile split her face as she looked up at Farkas and Vilkas. That shot had been dead center. “ Is there a chance we can set up an archery run when we go back to Lakeview?” she asked him. Lucia found that she honestly did enjoy shooting with the bow, and she was getting better and better every time.
“ I don’t see why not, Luce. Knowing your brother, I’ll probably have to set up a dummy run for him to practice on too.” Farkas replied as he smoothed the hair on the top of her head. “ You’re doing very well, Lucia, but if you want to get better, I would talk to Aela. She the best shot in the hold, even your mother will admit to that.” He looked from his daughter to his brother in hopes of getting input.
“ Aela is definitely the most accomplished marksman out of us all. Farkas is right to recommend you to her if you wish to keep improving with the bow.” Vilkas replied. He cleared his throat, as he and Farkas had stepped out to appraise Lucia that they needed to leave.
Farkas had the grace to look sheepish. He didn’t want to leave his daughter alone if possible. “ Luce...I need to leave the hold for a few days. Your uncle received a missive that someone needs help and he can’t do this job on his own. I don’t know how long your mother and brother will be either.”
“ So you want to know if I’ll be okay on my own for a few days?” Lucia asked, her brown eyes betraying how sad she felt at that. Her gaze fell to the ground and Farkas tilted her chin back up.
“ I don’t want to leave you here alone, if I had the option to bring you along I would. It’s going to get dangerous. We’re dealing with the forsworn, Lucia.” he told her honestly. The little girl’s sharp intake of breath told them that she understood the severity of this mission. “ Serana can’t go about in daylight, you know this. She’ll be there to keep an eye on you every night and to make supper, but there won’t be anyone to keep an eye on you in the day time.”
Lucia nodded in understanding. She had been under the impression that Serana had left to go tend to something at Fort Dawnguard. It was good to know that she wouldn’t be completely alone. “ If it makes you feel better, I can stay around Jorrvaskr for a few hours a day. I still have to keep up on my reading, writing, and numbers too.” she told her father.
Just as soon as she had said that, a brilliant idea struck the young girl and her eyes lit up as she began gathering her arrows from the target. If she was going to be left to her own devices for the majority of the day, that meant that Lucia had something that she could try to do. Her mother wasn’t here, and Farkas was leaving for a few days. She had already asked Serana, but the vampire had promised her mother that she wouldn’t. Lucia had every intention on asking Farengar if he would.
Farkas smiled and he picked Lucia up before giving her a tight hug. “ Just knowing that you’re going to be out of trouble is more than enough. Thank you for understanding Lucia. If I can manage it, I’ll bring some of your favorite books back from Lakeview, okay?” Farkas’ eyes closed as his daughter returned the hug just as tightly and he felt her lips press a kiss into his bearded cheek. “ I’ll be back as fast as I can Luce.”
“ I know you will, Papa. I believe in you.” the little girl replied softly. “ Be safe.”
Farkas nodded as he set his daughter back on her feet. “ You’re mother will kill me if you get into any mischief.” he breathed out.
Lucia giggled before she shouldered her bow. “ I promise I’ll be good, Papa. I’m pretty sure you’ll be back before her. Besides, like you said, Serana is still here. It’s not like I’m being left completely on my own.”
“ Farkas, I don’t want to cut this short, but we need to leave if we’re going to make it into the Reach at a good clip.” Vilkas told him. “ If we can’t bring back your books, I’ll take you fishing when we return Lucia. Be good.”
“ I will Uncle Vilkas. Both of you be safe.” she told them as the twins began walking off towards the city gates. She would shadow them back to Breezehome, find out what time Serana was going to make supper, and from there?
Dragonsreach.

Farengar was pouring over a few tomes when he saw Lucia enter his alcove and he set his book down with a sigh. “ How can I help you?” he asked tightly. He didn’t like being interrupted like this.
Lucia took a deep breath as she approached the wizard. “ I’d like to learn magicka.” she declared softly. Lucia hadn’t felt this nervous in a long time, but there was nothing for it. Tarrowlyn wasn’t going to teach her any time soon, and there were no wizards near Lakeview that she could ask to instruct her.
Farengar looked down at the girl before him. She looked familiar, as if he had seen her around the city years ago. “ You’re the Dragonheart girl, yes? The Harbinger’s daughter?” he asked, his gaze narrowing. The girl nodded and the wizard closed his book completely. “ I know for a fact that Tarrowlyn is an accomplished spells mistress, despite the fact that she is the leader of the Companions. Why have you not asked her for help in learning the arcane arts?” That wasn’t all. Tarrowlyn had appraised him of her daughter’s wishes and had tried to do what she could to secure a promise that Farengar wouldn’t teach her while they were here in Whiterun. While he had made no such promises, Farengar was curious as to why Tarrowlyn wasn’t teaching the girl to do it herself, especially if she was eager to learn.
Lucia swallowed the lump that had taken residence in her throat. “ I have asked her to teach me. She doesn’t want me relying completely on magicka for every little thing, and I do understand why. The crux of the matter is that now she’s not home a lot because of the current goings on in Skyrim. I want to learn so that if I find myself disarmed…” Lucia began, but Farengar held his hand up to silence her.
“ Your mother warned me that you might come to me wanting to learn and she even tried to make me promise not to. She wants you to be older before you make such a decision.” he began and her shoulders sank in disappointment. Farengar had to admire how resourceful the girl was to come to him on her own. Tarrowlyn was currently out of the city after all. Farengar felt honored that the girl wanted to apprentice under him, even if she had to keep it secret for a time. “ However, I find that the younger one learns to harness magicka, the easier a time they have in keeping their arcane energies up as they grow older.”
Lucia’s gaze rose as she weighed the words the wizard spoke and a broad smile split her face. “ Thank you, master. I will do my best.”
Farengar nodded and he motioned for Lucia to come around. “ We’re going to start now. Tell me, what is your name?”
“ Lucia Dragonheart.”
Farengar led her to a shelf packed to the brim with books of arcane theory and he plucked one from a high shelf. “ I assume you can read?” he asked her before pulling it completely. He would teach her that first and foremost if she couldn’t. A lot of learning the arts was in books after all.
Lucia nodded emphatically as she grinned and she fought the urge to clap her hands together in her glee. “ I love reading! I’ve been reading a lot of the dwemer related books that my mother has brought home on her travels. I’m currently on Antecedents of the Dwemer, volume number two. Their technology is fascinating!” she exclaimed.
Farengar’s brow rose high. That was some high level reading for a little girl her age. “ Does your mother know you’ve been reading it?” When Lucia nodded, the mage whistled lowly and he pulled another two tomes from the shelf. “ You’re first order as my apprentice is to read the first five chapters of this book here…” He pointed to a book simply titled ‘Magicka for Milk Drinkers: A Beginner’s Guide to the Arcane’, and Lucia giggled at the title. “ Don’t let the humor of the title fool you, it is very informative for one such as yourself. When you are done, let me know. These two, however, are to be read on your own time when you are not here. How does your father feel about you going behind your mother’s back?”
Lucia had the grace to look sheepish. “ He doesn’t know I’m here either. He left with my uncle today on Companion business.” she admitted.
Farengar nodded slightly. “ It is difficult to be the only one interested in the magick arts in a family full of fighters. I do understand where it is you come from, my girl. When your mother learns of this, just come with her straight to Dragonsreach. I will allay her worries. If all goes well, we’ll have you performing a basic spell or two by the time she returns with your brother.” he told her earnestly. There had to be a reason behind Tarrowlyn’s trepidation in teaching her daughter the arcane, but she also had to understand that where there was a will, there was a way. Lucia’s will and reasoning for learning magicka was ernest and she had found a way to start learning, even without her parents permission to do so. Her resourcefulness alone in that regard spoke volumes of the girl’s drive to learn. Farengar had high hopes for her in all honesty, hence why he had agreed to take her on as his apprentice. By the time Lucia would be ready to enter the college, he was positive that she would be a force to be reckoned with.
Lucia nodded in understanding and she took the first of the books in hand to start reading it. Her eyes were wide and alight at the prospect of new knowledge and Farengar smiled at her obvious enthusiasm. He wasn’t making a mistake in taking the girl on, he knew it. He was determined to show Tarrowlyn that as well when the time came. The wizard went back to his tome for the time being, as he was still researching things related to the dragons. He would make the time for Lucia’s tutelage however. Lucia read over the passages at a decent pace, absorbing the knowledge inscribed into the pages. She reread one of the pages, if only to be sure she had a grasp on what it was saying and she nodded.
“ I’m done reading.” Lucia announced brightly.
Farengar looked up and over to Lucia in surprise. It had barely been an hour since she had sat down! “ Are you certain you have a good grasp on it?” he asked her. Lucia’s nod answered him and the mage closed his book once more. “ Alright then. Let us go over here to the enchanter. We’re starting small with your first lesson. Levitation. Do not be disheartened if you cannot make it rise at all. Now, these shards here. I want you to think of the magic in your body as a small river that is flowing in a circle through you. When you hold one hand out, imagine that that river is branching off to leave your hand and come out here into the world. From there, you will command it to…” Farengar had to stop as Lucia put her left hand out and with a single soft exhalation to clear her nerves, she rose her hand. The three of the shards rose off of the enchanter with the movement, leaving the master in awe of his new pupil. He hadn’t gotten it on the first go around, and yet this young girl had. She was either a prodigy or she had amazing powers of concentration and retention. “ Nicely done, Lucia!” he exclaimed proudly. “ I want you to lift all ten shards off the top in one go. Once you have done that, we’ll move on to the next spell. You have to tell me if you feel yourself tiring out however.”
Lucia nodded with a bright smile. She had done her first bit of magicka! “ I’ll let you know, master, I promise.” she replied.

Serana was in the midst of making a stew for Lucia when the girl burst into Breezehome with her arms laden with books. “ What are all those Luce?” the vampire asked, genuinely curious.
“ Copies of the book series that I’m currently working on. Farengar was kind enough to let me borrow them for now.” came the reply as Lucia shot past her and into her room. Serana was currently sleeping there in the daytime hours for now as well, but it didn’t bother Lucia. Farengar had enchanted the books to look like the ones she was reading to everyone else. All Lucia had to so was whisper the invocation to make the actual pages appear when she wanted to read them.
“ Get washed up, your supper is almost ready. I need to head out onto the plains for about an hour or two soon.” Serana called out. She hadn’t fed in the last two days and she was needing sustenance. Thankfully she had already staked out a bandit camp last night and she would go pick them off a little at a time over the next few weeks.
“ I’m going to grab water from the well then, I’ll be back in a few minutes!” Lucia said brightly. She paused long enough by fire to give Serana a quick hug. “ Will you help me bring in enough water to take a bath with once I’m done with supper?”
Serana laughed a little and she nodded in the affirmative. “ I’ll even wash your hair for you. Go get enough to wash your face and hands with for now, Luce. I’ll have you served up by the time you return.” the vampire replied happily. The smile fell into a smirk as Serana made her way to the room they were sharing for now. She found the books that Lucia had brought home and she began looking through the pages. The vampire had gone on point at the mention of the court wizard and she wanted to be sure that Lucia hadn’t resorted to underhanded tactics in her quest to learn how to use magicka. Her brow rose high as she leafed through the pages. “ Well I’ll be damned. They really just are copies of what she’s reading.” she murmured before putting it back down where she had found it. Serana served up a good amount of the stew and some bread and butter was placed on a plate beside the bowl just as Lucia was walking back into the house.
“ Thank you for dinner, Serana.” Lucia chirped as she poured some of the water into the wash basin. She dutifully washed her hands and face before sitting at the table.
Serana smoothed some of Lucia’s locks down. “ You’re welcome Lucia. Now eat up. The faster you eat and get bathed, the faster I can go feed. I’ll go grab the water for your bath, kiddo.”
Lucia couldn’t help but do a happy little wiggle as she took her first bite. This was turning out to be a stellar night.

Only six days passed by with no word from Tarrowlyn on when she would be returning. Hadvar had scheduled the inspection of North Watch Keep to be the day after tomorrow, making it Alesan's eighth day among them. The first three and a half days that the young man was with Hadvar and the rest of the legionnaires was spent getting him to act the part. He had come to learn that he was wearing an initiate's uniform and armor, which would tell the Thalmor that he was little more than a glorified assistant. Alesan wasn’t pleased with that idea, but Hadvar made sure to explain the reasoning. His hand had been forced when it came to easing Alesan into sparring matches with his men however. One of his younger troops, a pompous little dandy by the name of Ranvir, had tried to haze the ever loving oblivion out of Alesan the night before and the two had gotten into a fist fight from it. Considering that the older nord was still sporting two black eyes and a broken nose, Alesan had done well in defending himself.
“ You’re too young to be an active part of the legion and those elves will know it in an instant. The initiative to take in the children orphaned by the war was a master stroke of brilliance from the general. This way the children can work to earn gold, but they aren’t sent onto the battlefield until they’re much older. We’re hoping to end the war before that happens of course.” Hadvar explained as Alesan ran a whetstone over his borrowed blade. The boy had been critical of everything that had been handed to him. Then again, considering who his mother is...the legionnaire thought with a chuckle. It was to be expected that Alesan would be able to spot subpar craftsmanship. “ You keep that up however and you’ll put our blacksmith out of work.”
“ He has a quantity over quality mindset.” Alesan replied with a scowl. “ I’m nowhere near as skilled as my ma or Master Eorlund and even I could make a better, sharper blade than this crap.” His blue eyes were narrowed in consternation as he ran his thumb across the edge to test it and he caught a flew flecks of impurities at the surface of the metal. Damn it all! He was going to have to use the forge for this one! “ Speaking of...I’ll be back. I’m not using this pork sticker if I can help it. I will forge my own blade and use that if I have to.”
Hadvar’s brow rose. This was going to get interesting. “ I’ll follow you lad, if only to make sure that you don’t get into a fist fight. Beirand and Heimvar are right protective of the forge. You calling them out is going to cause some issues.” he said worriedly.
Alesan was already throwing on a pair of leather trousers as opposed to the armor that he had been wearing. “ Let it. They’re not providing your soldiers with reliable arms and I will prove that to them.” He stalked from the room, carrying the sheathed sword in his hand as he made his way to where the forge was. Alesan’s blue eyes were narrowed in anger as he withdrew the blade and he threw it on the ground before Beirand. “ Which one of you made that?” he demanded.
Beirand looked at Alesan appraisingly. This young pup was pissed at the quality of the blade and he looked down at it. He scowled when he did however as the steel had bent out of shape with just the toss and Beirand kneeled down. There were still impurities in the metal, the fulcrum wasn’t shaped right, and the more he looked, the more Beirand realized the boy was right to be as upset as he was. Whoever this boy is, he knows a thing or two about smithing. I wonder if Tullius’ll let me have him for the forge. He picked up the blade and he looked at the seal before casting Heimvar, his apprentice, a glare. “ I’ve been away negotiating for better metal for the last month. Heimvar was the one working the forge. I was surprised to see that all the orders had been completed, but now I see that some steps were skipped. Is there anything else?” Beirand asked graciously.
Alesan shook his head, and he heard Hadvar sigh in relief. The soldier had been worried that this would have caused a brawl between the three. “ No, you already fixed my armor yesterday.” he admitted. “ If it’s alright with the two of you however, I would like to forge the blade I’ll use on my own. This way I’ll only have myself to be upset with if it’s shit.” Alesan added.
Beirand chortled and he nodded. This lad had a set of stones bigger than the crag the city sat upon and the smithy couldn’t help but respect that. “ Alright then boy. Let’s see what you’ve got.” he agreed. “ Heimvar, grab’im an apron. We’ll see if this pup is all bark and no bite or not.”
Alesan scowled at the term, but he held his tongue as the apprentice tossed him a well used apron. “ I’d rather forge steel than iron if that is permissible.” he finally said as he rolled his sleeves up to his elbow.
“ Do as you will.” Beirand replied as he leaned against one of the supports to the awning over his workspace.
Alesan looked over his shoulder over to Hadvar, who nodded supportively albeit silently. He tied the apron on comfortably before grabbing everything he was going to need. His eyes were alight at the fact that he was getting an opportunity to test his skills, and the young man smiled as he began getting the bellows hotter yet.
Alesan, one at a time, deposited the bars to where they would get nice and hot without melting. Adafing had just shown him how to do this the other day when Alesan had been at the Skyforge getting his measurements taken. Once the first steel bar had an orange sheen to it, he plucked it from the flames with a pair of tongs and he took the hammer in his other hand.
Swing the hammer in time with your heart. That’s the best cadence for shaping and hammering out the impurities in the metal. Ma told me that not even a month ago. Alesan thought as he delivered the first strike.
Hadvar was silent as he looked over to Beirand and the smithy was smiling as they watched the legionnaire’s charge at work. They both had been silent for the last few hours while Alesan toiled. “ He’s not staying in Solitude long, so don’t bother asking Tullius to take him on as an apprentice. He’s actually a friend’s son to whom we owe a favor, so he’s getting a taste of legion life for about a week or two.” Hadvar said evenly to the smith.
Beirand nodded. “ I could tell that he still has a family. He’s well fed and he damn sure knows his way ‘round a forge. It’s a shame. He’d be a joy to have on and great help to have.”
“ He’s a good lad, and he’s been a riot to be around these last few days. My boys and I are working to toughen him up a bit, as he’s going to be out in the field with his ma soon.” Hadvar chortled as he watched Alesan closer. The focus the boy had in smithing was the same thing he needed to bring to the battlefield. It was something to work on later today when he stepped into the ring with the rest of Hadvar’s platoon.
“ She’s must be beside herself in bringing him along.” Beirand’s brow quirked as Alesan folded a bar of corundum perfectly into the steel to help give it the length it needed. Damn the boy was good for his age! Where had he learned that trick with the ingots for that matter? It had taken him almost ten years to figure that out. He’s quick on the forge. Already has the basic shape and the fulcrum perfectly set for the most part. It hasn’t even been a full three hours yet! The smithy thought to himself.
“ That’s why she came to Tullius and I for help. You wouldn’t know it looking at him, but the boy is better with a blade than a good chunk of my men. He just needs the experience in battle to temper that skill with.” Hadvar smirked as he saw just how quickly and precisely Alesan was shaping his blade, using the right amount of force to hammer out the impurities and give his blade the desired width.
Alesan rolled his shoulder to work out the kink that had settled there and he dunked the blade into the trough to cool the metal again so that he could inspect it. “ Beirand, would you double check this please?” he asked.
Beirand was shocked to be addressed in all honesty, especially when the lad had brazenly called out his apprentice’s work just a few hours before. To his credit, he was right that it was a shit blade. Beirand thought as he took the blunt sword in hand. He looked it over carefully, his gaze intense all the while. “ Heimvar, you could learn a thing or two from this pup.” the smithy called out with a smirk. “ I only found one spot that needs some work. Go rest and get some food in your belly, boy. I’ll finish the blade personally. You won’t have to worry about it being like the pork sticker that was given to you before.”
Alesan nodded, and he smiled. While he still had a ways to go, he had crafted his own blade! He couldn’t wait to show it off to his father and uncle once they returned back to Whiterun. “ Thank you Beirand. About how long should I give you before coming to retrieve it?”
“ No more than two hours. Go rest that arm. You’re not used to hammering away for hours on end. I don’t need that mother of yours breathing fire at me when she comes to collect you.” the smithy chortled as he plunged the blade back into the forge to heat it through. “ Before you ask, I remember seeing the Harbinger come by the forge with Hadvar and someone around your height a few days back. Considering her skill around the forge, it only made sense that you’re her son.”
Alesan nodded and Hadvar ruffled his hair as they began making their way to Castle Dour.
“ Your ma might kill me for it later, but I daresay that deserves a nice, tall mead. You did well in impressing him Alesan.” the soldier told him seriously as they walked into the mess hall. He waited until the lad had a bowl of stew before him with some bread and a haunch of meat before sliding over a bottle of Blackbriar. “ Just listen while you eat. I’ve got some insights that may help you when you square off with the boys later this evening. Be careful though, I heard the legate mention that she might step in to gauge where you’re at.”
Alesan paled a little. It was Legate Rikke who had broken up the fight between Ranvir and himself. He had also punched her when she had spun Alesan around to tell him off for fighting, though in his defense it would have hit its intended target if she hadn’t. He had heard his mother say that the seasoned soldier was probably one of the only people she’d actually have to worry about beating her in a sparring match besides Aela, Vilkas, and his father. “ I’m going to get my ass kicked for accidentally punching her, aren’t I?” Alesan groused as he slumped against the table.
Hadvar chuckled as he shrugged. “ I think she wants to see just how well the Harbinger is training her children. Enough of that though, I want to tell you something I noticed while you were working. Get to eating lad. Depending on how you absorb this information will mean the difference between total victory in the ring when you go up against the boys and the legate tonight.” the legionnaire said with a smirk.
If all went well, Rikke might be in for a huge surprise.
Alesan listened carefully as he ate, reflecting on the legionnaire’s observations. Hadvar had stopped speaking a while ago, and he watched as Alesan chewed thoughtfully. It was remarkable, as the soldier was sure that he had seen Tarrowlyn make that exact same expression. It was amazing how much the two looked alike even though the boy had been adopted. “ I see…” he finally murmured as he finished off the bottle of mead Hadvar had given him. “ So I just need to put my mindset into it and rely on solely on instinct the same way I do when I’m smithing? We’ll give it a go and see what it gets me.”
Hadvar nodded and he helped Alesan gather the dishes from his repast. “ I think it might. You might not beat the legate, but I know that it will definitely impress her. Now, get back to the barracks and polish your armor. We’re going to be making our rounds of Northwatch tomorrow, if only to make sure that this Thorald is still there so that you and your ma don’t make the wasted trip.” the soldier said authoritatively. “ I’ll come and collect you when it’s time to start sparring.”
Alesan popped a legion salute, as they were not the only ones in the mess hall, and he began walking towards the barracks that Hadvar’s unit occupied. Instinct, huh? he thought as he entered the room he was using for now. There were no other initiates in Hadvar’s unit so Alesan had the room to himself. Reaching into a drawer on the cupboard, he pulled his polish out and then he fished his cuirass off and into his lap. I wonder if that’s how Ma and Pa are such amazing warriors.
The young man worked efficiently, and within a few hours he had his armor on it’s stand, glistening in the last rays of sunlight. Alesan changed into a loose pair of pants and he slipped on some shoes that he had purchased from Radient Rament last week. They would come off easily when he stepped into the ring in a bit. He could already hear Hadvar barking orders to get the yard cleaned up outside. He didn’t bother grabbing a shirt, as he’d be taking a quick dive in the pond behind the barracks to clean up a bit once he was done.
Alesan wasn’t about to track sand into his bed after all. Once he felt as if he was ready, Alesan walked out into the training yard, still stretching out his arms and some of the other soldier's of Hadvar's unit greeted him with teases and catcalls.
" Cut that shit out, you snow brained idiots, and get the damn yard clear of everything! Tullius himself wants to see how we're doing with the boy!" Hadvar snarled. He walked over to Alesan and he patted the boy's shoulder consolingly. " Rikke made mention to him that she was going to test you herself tonight, hence why the general is joining her. Don't forget what we talked about earlier lad, and you should be able to put on a good showing."
Alesan nodded silently. Both he and Hadvar knew that his odds of actually besting the legate were nil, but he stood a good chance to at least impress her. He set about to helping to clean up what little was left in the yard and Alesan grabbed the posts that would mark off where the boundaries of the ring was.
“ FAAAAAALLLL IIIINNNN!” Hadvar bellowed and the soldiers scrambled to get into formation at the command. Alesan took up post to the left on his own as he had been taught to do so, and he nodded in approval. “ General on deck! Present arms!”
Tullius couldn’t help but grin at how smooth and efficient Hadvar’s unit was as he came to a stop beside his soldier. “ At ease. Just go about business as if I’m not even present. All of you are dismissed. Initiate. Front and center! You too Hadvar.”
Alesan kept as calm as possible as he came to stand in front of Tullius. “ Sir?”
Tullius grinned a little as he looked over to where Rikke was getting ready. “ You’ve been causing quite a stir lately. Even Rikke is wondering just how good you actually are.” he said as he turned his gaze back down to the young man. “ There’s a huge gap between skill and experience however. It’s clear you have skill, or else your mother wouldn’t have brought you here while she was taking care of her errand. We don’t have long to bridge that gap either. The sallon that is taking place is tonight. You’ve had the boy six days, Hadvar. His mother may very well be back for him the day after tomorrow. Tonight, boy, you’re fighting for your life. Prove not just to me, but to yourself, that you won’t be a burden on the battlefield. No armor, just blades.” Tullius pointed towards the weapon rack where various types of blades sat.
Alesan had the grace to go pale, though he could hear the general’s unspoken command in the gesture. Hadvar didn’t look pleased in the slightest at the general’s directive, but he knew there was no chance that Tullius was going to let the boy die on his watch. Even now he could see the Corpsmen, the healing unit of the battlemages, waiting on the sidelines just out of the light and sight. The air was quiet as Alesan padded over to the rack and he began testing the weight of each one. There were different makes, metals, each size and balance varied.
“ Don’t worry about your opponents tonight either, initiate. They’re all restricted to daggers and they all have their own blades.” Hadvar’s voice didn’t even phase Alesan as the boy continued to look amongst the blades on the rack.
“ Understood, sir. To keep an even playing field, I’ll take a dagger as well.” Alesan replied. Ancient nordic knotwork caught his eyes in the fading light and Alesan picked the dagger by its tightly bound leather wrapped hilt. It was melded from quicksilver and ebony if he were right and Alesan turned the blade over a little to get a better look. A single tuft of fur at the end decorated it and Alesan’s brow rose in both delight and curiosity. He had never seen this make before, and he wasn’t sure if his mother had either. Tarrowlyn had crafted everything from iron to ebony and had been attempting to make something from the dragonbones that were piling up in the cellar at Lakeview.
Alesan spun it by a small hook on the end and he gave it a few swipes through the air in an effort to gauge the blade’s weight with his swing. Lastly, Alesan put the flat of the blade, right where it met the hilt, against his finger to test the balance.
Rikke had a smile on her face as she came up to watch Alesan with the blades. “ You know your stuff, lad. What do you think of this one?”she asked softly.
“ The blade itself was crafted by an excellent smith, but no one that’s in any of the nine holds here. My ma would have seen something like this for herself and she would have brought it home.” Alesan began softly. “ Perfectly balanced, it’s a good weight for a beginner or an intermediate fighter with knives. Whomever the craftsman is is no Eorlund Gray Mane, but damn…”
Rikke clapped Alesan on the shoulder a few times. “ I’ll be sure to pass the praise onto my brother the next time I return home to Solstheim on leave.” she said with a grin. “ If that dagger serves you well tonight, I want you to take it with you.”
Alesan looked down at the dagger once more. It came from a place called Solstheim? He wanted to go to this place, to visit the smithy that crafted this and to learn from him. “ Yes ma’am.” he whispered softly. As he set to stretching, Alesan couldn’t help but wonder just how the rest of his family had been faring so far. As he set to stretching, Alesan couldn’t help but wonder just how the rest of his family had been faring so far. He spun the dagger in his hand a little before following the legate over to the ring.
As he put it into his belt, Alesan couldn’t help but wonder how the rest of his family was faring.

To say that Vilkas was sore as he walked into his quarters at the mead hall was an understatement. The biggest understatement of the age in his estimation in fact. He could barely see straight right now and the man groaned in pain as he slid his breastplate halfway off. The bruising on his right side was immense. Farkas was back with Lucia, who had been practicing with her bow with Aela when they had returned, which left him to his devices of getting out of his armor and trying to get himself healed. What should have been a three day job due to traveling time had nearly turned into week and Vilkas was fairly positive that he had at least three broken ribs that they hadn’t been able to treat while on the road.
His door opened softly just as he was lowering his greaves and Serana rounded the changing screen frantically.
“ Sweet divines, Vilkas. I could hear how hard your heart was pounding in Tarrowlyn’s chambers. What happened?” she gasped. The vampiress helped him over to his bed and Vilkas groaned in pain as she laid him down on his back. Serana wasn’t even phased that he was only in his small clothes by this point. She had seen him in his altogether once before after all.
“ I’ve got three healing potions on the shelf there, but I should only need two of them. I need to make sure they’re not broken first.” Vilkas said softly as she turned him onto his left side to better gauge the bruising. Her touch was cool, soft, and soothing.
Serana prodded the flesh tenderly to be sure, though she hated hearing his his of discomfort. “ It doesn’t feel that way. What in oblivion hit you?” she asked as she crossed over to the shelf to grab the potions he had mentioned.
Footsteps pounded towards his door and Farkas threw the door open. “ You had better be getting over to the tem...Oh...Uh, hi Serana.” he said sheepishly. She had two healing potions in her hands and Vilkas glared at his twin for the interruption. “ I didn’t realize that you were here at Jorrvaskr with Lucia. He got bashed pretty hard by a giant on the way back, and I was gonna drag his ass over to the temple, but I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got some bandages in my room that you can use to tape his ribs up with should you need them.”
Serana smirked a little. Farkas had made it sound that she was to be his brother’s nursemaid. It just so happened that she wasn’t averse to the idea. “ Thank you Farkas. I’ll come get those bandages momentarily.” she replied.
Farkas waved her off. “ I’ll grab them really quick. I know exactly where they’re at. You just stay here with Vilkas.” he said quickly.
Serana shook her head as she came to sit beside Vilkas once more on the bed and she eased her fingers through the mussed ebony strands near his temple. “ Here’s the potions you asked for.” she said sweetly.
Vilkas gave her a small smile as he turned further onto his front to better drink them. “ Thank you sweetness.” he said after gulping the first one down. He would have healed himself if he could have held his concentration, but that wasn’t the case today. Vilkas turned onto his back as he tried to gauge how one potion worked on his wounds and his brow grew less pinched after a few moments. That took off the brunt of the ache as it was. He downed the second and the pain vanished completely, leaving him healed. Exhaustion still made him feel as if he ached to his very bones and Vilkas’ eyes opened slightly as he rose his hand up to cup Serana’s cheek tenderly. “ I would be lying if I said I wasn’t pleased to having you wait on me.” he chortled.
Serana’s garnet colored gaze warmed as she leaned in closer. “ Is that so? In what ways would I be waiting on you?” she inquired.
Vilkas grinned even as he sat up a little more. His ribs and abdomen didn’t protest any movement, which was good. He’d be right as rain after a full night’s rest. “ Your company is more than enough in my estimation, though should you choose to do any more will be left entirely to your discretion.” he replied as he rubbed his nose to hers.
The door opened for a mere moment as Farkas audibly tossed the promised bandages onto the table in the corner. Vilkas could barely hear him getting the rest of the whelps that were still downstairs up top for one reason or another. Vilkas wasn’t sure to feel a little put off by his brother’s insight, or proud that he was finally using his head more. Even then, he had no intentions on taking things that far today. Again, Serana’s company was more than enough for him right now.
Serana laughed as she looked over her shoulder. She couldn’t sense any other heart beats but their own at this point. “ If I didn’t know any better, Farkas thinks I plan to take advantage of you in your current state of injury. Well, if there’s anything still lingering after those two potions that is.” she purred as Vilkas sat up a little further. “ He even cleared the bottom level to give us the utmost privacy.”
It was a tempting situation. He was in naught but his small clothes after all. Vilkas’ body was currently on display for her enjoyment even if that wasn’t the intention.
Vilkas’ mouth quirked up on one corner as he gave Serana a sexy little smirk. “ Privacy, hm? I wonder why he thinks we need that.” No sooner than the words had left his mouth, Serana closed the distance to kiss him. The fingers of his free hand buried themselves in her chestnut tresses and Vilkas groaned appreciatively as Serana pushed him back against the mattress once more.
He was suddenly very much aware that she was not in her normal traveling garb and armor, but in a simple red dress and boots. In fact, there wasn’t much separating them at all at this point.
Serana’s garnet colored gaze was alight as she caged Vilkas loosely against the bed and she nestled as much of her body as she dared against his. The bell of her dress was bunched up on her thighs, revealing the soft, creamy colored skin to his eye. Vilkas swallowed hard as she kissed him once more, and he groaned in tortuous delight.
By the gods, he should not have left that statement as open ended as he had.
The iridescence that had been in her eyes the night they rescued the moth priest was back and Vilkas felt his heart start racing faster as the smell of her excitement reached his nose. “ You did say anything else was at my discretion.” Serana purred invitingly against his lips.
Do I smell citrus again?
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Dragonheart: Of Black Wings Unfurled