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Dragonheart: Trials of the Arch Mage	By : Lady_Kae Category: +A through F > Elder Scrolls - Skyrim Views: 1754 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own TESV Skyrim nor am I making any money from this fiction.

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Dragonheart: Trials of the Archmage
Chapter 2: The Manor of the High Mage
An Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Fanfiction

Spring, for as short as it was, had finally come to Skyrim and it was breathtaking to see the change it made in the forests of Falkreath. Flora of all types were in full bloom, most notably the indigenous mountain flowers that were transforming the surrounding grasslands in hues of purple, blues, reds, yellows, and oranges. The trees had recently come into bloom as well, and their leaves stretched high in an effort to gather up as much light as possible. The sun was shining, the sky was blessedly clear of clouds, and even from where she sat, she could hear the soft lapping of the lake against the shore. It was delightfully tranquil. It was quiet.

Just a little too quiet, but it kept her on guard.

The buzz of the animals had stopped about ten minutes ago while she had been out on the patio reading, alerting her to someone’s presence nearing the grounds. A slow smile curled her lip as she looked towards the northern entrance and she got to her feet. It was rare for either of her children to show up unannounced or without their normal means of transportation. Was it Tarrowlyn? Mikhail? Had Hela kicked him out for a night or two again? A soft chuckle escaped her as the thought came to mind, but a brief, brilliant flash of red alerted her to her daughter’s presence fast nearing the manor and her brow rose in curiosity when she saw a tall man lumbering some ten or so paces behind her petite offspring.

By Dibella, Mara, and Kynareth…Had Tarrowlyn finally brought home a man for her to meet and approve of?! The goddesses be praised if that were indeed the case!

Dahlia Dragonheart hurried down the steps to meet her daughter before she reached the door to the entry hall, but her smile waned and her footfall slowed to a crawl as she looked over her daughter. “ Shor’s bones…Tarrowlyn?! What happened?” she cried out. She hadn’t seen their wounds in the distance, but Tarrowlyn was sporting a broken arm and three healed gashes on her face. Her jeans were torn on one calf, but the wound had been bandaged with some scraps of cotton. Her shirt was bloodied, whether by that of her foes or her own Dahlia wasn’t sure, but the man lumbering down the path was in just as bad a way as her daughter. The reason he had been several steps behind her was because there was still a dagger embedded in his upper thigh.

“ Oh thank the gods! Ma! Help me get him inside so you can heal him. I can’t use magicka at the moment!” Tarrowlyn exclaimed fearfully. She quickly hastened back to her friend’s side to help him walk again and Dahlia hurried over to the other so that they could steady his steps. “ Easy now, Farkas. Don’t go passing out on me yet.” She whispered to him encouragingly.

“ Not happening. Too pissed off, too much pain to give out just yet.” Farkas grumbled as both women flanked him on either side. He dwarfed them both easily and it just rose his ire more that they were struggling so much to help him walk. It was one of the rare times during their excursion that Farkas was cursing Tarrowlyn’s horse for disappearing.

“ You didn’t answer my question Tarrowlyn. What happened to the two of you?” Dahlia asked. She thrust one hand out, palm flat, and the door opened by itself as they drew closer to the entryway. They passed through into the foyer, and Dahlia pointed them over to a settee. With another wave of her hand, the coffee table moved out of the way so that Farkas wouldn’t trip over it as they passed that way.

“ Bandits in the mountain pass. I’ll be writing to the Jarls to let both of them know that they owe the two of us for taking out the group that’s been harassing the border there.” Tarrowlyn seethed vehemently.

Jarl Hjommard Steelhand of Falkreath was little more than a useless dandy in Tarrowlyn’s opinion, but she still had to show deference when she and her mother made appearances in his court in the past. Jarl Ilsa Shieldbreaker of Riften was a little better to deal with, save for Vladamir Blackbriar trying to shunt her out of her rightful station. Most of the time, Ilsa was an even tempered woman with a heart of gold. More than likely, the two jarls had been bickering on who was supposed to pay the bounty for the bandits. Tarrowlyn and Farkas had made the point moot and she would be demanding that they both get paid in full.

“ I thought I was doing alright magicka wise, I was feeling well enough to use it this morning and it gave out half way through the fight. Tanaris had my sword strapped to her, but she’s missing. She wasn’t where I had her grazing near Mzulft.” Her tone changed rapidly as she and Dahlia eased Farkas down against the sofa. “ Someone tried to attack me from behind and Farkas here got in-between in order to protect me.”

Dahlia rapidly grabbed her large first aid kit from the hall closet and she narrowed her gaze at her daughter’s injuries. Her ulna had sustained a horrid break and it was protruding through the skin. If they hadn’t already dispatched their assailants, Dahlia would be wreaking havoc on them herself. No one harmed her children and got away with it. It didn’t matter that they were grown, Tarrowlyn and Mikhail were still her brood and Dahlia lived up to the name of Dragonheart. She’d roast them alive if given the chance. “ Someone hit you with a mace?” she asked, her voice low and angry. A nod answered her as Tarrowlyn hugged her arm to her side. “ We’ll need to get to the city proper to get that healed properly. It needs to be x-rayed first. I would set it myself, but I don’t want it healing wrong.”

“ I understand Ma, but worry about me later. Farkas has been limping on that stab wound for the better part of two hours. He needs help more than I do.” Tarrowlyn snarked. Pain and impatience had taken away her normally calm demeanor.

Dahlia sighed as she turned back to the man and she couldn’t help but smile at him. “ I’m sorry we couldn’t have met on better circumstances. I’m Dahlia, Tarrowlyn’s mother. I’m going to pull the dagger, alright?”

“ Farkas, just….GRAH! DAMN IT TO OBLIVION!” Farkas couldn’t help the swears as they fell from his lips one after the other while Dahlia held some gauze to the wound with one hand. Her other hand light up with the soft golden glow of a healing spell and she willed the light into his leg. His head fell back against the settee as the pain began leaving him, and it was replaced with a soothing warmth. “ Ooooohhhh yeah. Much better ma’am. Thank you.” he whispered in utter relief as the spell did its work.

Dahlia smiled as she got to her feet. Her hands were covered in blood, but that would wash off. She needed to figure out why her progeny was unable to use her skills to heal a simple wound like that. She needed to splint that break first before they did. “ I’ll get Tarrowlyn into town to get healed up. You’re more than welcome to bathe and rest here until we get back.” the mage offered as she began digging into her kit for a splint.

Farkas got to his feet and he shook his head. While he was feeling bone tired after the last couple of hours, it was something that could be put off to the wayside for now. He’d rather be sure that Tarrowlyn was going to be alright first and foremost, even if that meant waiting. “ If it’s all the same to you, ma’am, I’d rather stick with her.” he replied gently. His blue eyes came to rest on Tarrowlyn as Dahlia shuffled her to sit on the couch next and the red haired mage gave him a soft smile. A light blush tinged her cheeks pink and Farkas couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pride that she had liked the suggestion. Judging by the look of approval on Dahlia’s face, he had inadvertently scored some points with her as well.

“ Farkas, we wouldn’t be gone too long. Honestly, go get a shower and Ma will show you to a room before we go. You look almost dead on your feet at the moment.” Tarrowlyn told him kindly. “ Get some well-deserved rest seeing as you wound up having to play bodyguard for my sorry ass.” She harrumphed a little as Dahlia clucked her tongue warningly and she levied her annoyed green gaze on the older woman. “ Seriously, some mage I am. I get blasted by pure magicka and now I can’t even use my preferred means of attack. I don’t even know just what happened to cause it!.”

Dahlia paused in her efforts applying the splint. She needed to get to the bottom of that mystery first and foremost. “ Blasted by pure magicka? What do you mean Tarrowlyn?” she probed, completely at a loss as to what her daughter was talking about.

Tarrowlyn sighed heavily as she looked up to Farkas, her gaze stern but asking a silent question. Dahlia turned around to look to the tall man and he only nodded silently. “ Professor Traven denied my request for my experiment.” the young woman began. “ I’ve been in Mzulft for the last month and a half, working towards getting my mirror thesis to work. What I didn’t account for was a temporal rift opening when I filtered too much starlight through my device. It malfunctioned, rather spectacularly I may add, and left me with these three here.” Tarrowlyn pointed to the still raw scars on her face and Dahlia’s lower lip quivered. It was easy to see that her mother was getting emotional knowing that her only daughter had been in so much danger. “ I threw up a barrier just before I was blasted with all the magicka that had been contained in the device, but it’s thrown my use of it out of whack. Maybe it’s because I’m still pretty much drenched in the ether?”

Dahlia finished setting the splint and she came to join her daughter on the settee, eerily quiet all the while. Tarrowlyn knew part of it was absorbing the information that she had just given her, but that part of it was abject rage. As a High Mage of the College of Winterhold, Dahlia had been trying to abolish the archaic rule that refused assistance in a somewhat dangerous situation. That very rule had nearly cost Tarrowlyn her life.

Farkas gauged the older woman, all the while looking between mother and daughter. Tarrowlyn clearly took after her father though he had no idea what the man looked like, as her hair and eyes were a drastic opposite of her mother’s. When it came to many of the expressions that he had seen in the last two days, she was Dahlia’s spitting image. It was as if he were seeing doubles as Dahlia’s brow pinched in ire, her mouth pursed tightly into a thin line, and her coal colored eyes glowered as she stared at the wall unseeing. Dahlia had long chestnut colored locks and a very svelte build to her. Back in his time, the high mage would have been thought nobility at a first glance. Well, at least part of a jarl’s court for certain.

“ What was that little exchange between you and Farkas before you started telling me what happened?” Dahlia’s voice was low, the inquiry delivered so that it was obvious it wasn’t as much of a question as it was a demand.

Tarrowlyn looked over to Farkas again and he shrugged. There was no getting around this. While they had spoken briefly about keeping his true origins secret, they had also agreed that they would try to be as oblique as possible if any questions arose. Tarrowlyn had told her mother that a temporal rift had opened, she hadn’t said anything about Farkas being pulled through it. Dahlia was sure to worry the point like a dog would a bone. Tarrowlyn sighed heavily and she looked her mother in the eye, a sure sign that she was serious. “ I was alone in the oculary when the explosion happened Ma. Farkas was pulled through the anomaly.”

The realization that dawned on the matriarch’s face was priceless and Dahlia looked at Farkas in an entirely new light. “ You were pulled to this time? From the past?” she asked breathlessly.

With a nod, Farkas answered the older woman’s stunned inquiry. “ My brother and I had been ambushed by and were in the middle of fighting some Stormcloaks when I suddenly found myself on the floor of the dwemer ruin.” Farkas replied gently. He heard the unspoken question there of what time he had come from, and he couldn’t help but smile as Dahlia looked to Tarrowlyn in excitement at first and then dismay. Like mother like daughter. Tarrowlyn had the same reaction, in the same order. Farkas thought with a soft chuckle. “ Tarrowlyn’s already promised to work as quickly as she can to getting me back to where I came from. I trust her word on that.”

Dahlia looked between the two, utterly bewildered for a moment. In essence, Tarrowlyn’s experiment had succeeded, just not in the way she had planned. As her mother, Dahlia had been privy to the ins and outs when Tarrowlyn had been in all the design and research phases of her project. She hadn’t been made aware that Holmar had turned down her daughter’s request however, as Dahlia had been on leave for the last three months. Iliana had pretty much threatened to fire her and then rehire her after a few months if Dhalia hadn’t taken some much needed time off.
She had expected Tarrowlyn to have contacted her. Dahlia would have been there with her if that were the case. “ Why didn’t you tell me, Tarrowlyn?” she whispered.
“ Arch Mage Aren made it clear I was not to contact you at all concerning my experiment.” the younger mage said softly. “ She threatened me with expulsion if I did. Besides, after that whole Ancano incident, you needed the time away. I still can’t believe that he thinks that you have some sort of connection to the Psijics. Even after thousands of years, they’re still as reclusive as ever.”
Dahlia chuckled as she weighed Tarrowlyn’s words. That was most definitely something that Iliana would do. “ I see. Farkas, follow me. You’re not leaving the house. You still need to rest after that much of a blood loss, especially considering that you had the knife embedded in your leg for as long as you did.” She got to her feet and Dahlia leveled the tall man with a look that made him freeze in place.
Farkas swallowed hard in his nervousness. Tilma had given him and Vilkas that look more times than he cared to count while they were growing up. She still did for that matter…
Dahlia pointed a finger to the stairs. “ You’re going to get cleaned up, I’ll resize some of my son’s sleepwear for you, and then you will be laying down and resting. Tarrowlyn and I will only be gone a few hours at worst. She’ll be getting some rest as soon as we’re back too.” A groan made the high mage turn towards her issue and she smirked victoriously. “ I already know what you’re thinking, Tarrowlyn, and it can wait until both of you are feeling better. Besides, I need to figure out how to restore your magicka. Until I do, you will be sleeping.”
Farkas couldn’t help but chuckle at the disgruntled look on Tarrowlyn’s face. She looked so put out by her mother’s directive that he found it absolutely comical. Without warning, Dahlia’s finger was right at the end of his nose and Farkas went cross eyed as he tried to focus on it.
“ The same goes for you. Get upstairs, now.” the matron of the Dragonheart family ordered.
Farkas’ face fell as he looked down nervously at the high mage and his gaze flitted over to Tarrowlyn as if pleading for help. She only smiled and shrugged with one shoulder. It was a clear way of her saying ‘Just listen to her.’ His eyes went back to Dahlia and his throat swallowed reflexively again. “ Yes ma’am…” he acquiesced meekly. Farkas had a bad feeling about what the matriarch would do if he tried to say no.
Dahlia smiled smugly, completely satisfied with her victory. “ Good. Tarrowlyn. Stay right there. I’ll get Farkas settled and then we’re going to head into town.” While her hopes had been dashed that her daughter had brought home a romantic attachment, Dahlia was happy to have both of them here regardless. Tarrowlyn didn’t make friends easily, as she went into hermit mode far too quickly when she got engrossed in her studies. The fact that they were already as close as they were was a good sign that Tarrowlyn might have a chance later on after all. Just admit it, Dahlia. You’re just happy to have someone here to mother. she thought with a small giggle. She followed Farkas up the stairs, just happy to not be alone in the manor again. Lakeview was a lonely place to be by oneself. At least now Dahlia had company for a little while until Tarrowlyn figured out how to send Farkas back.
Farkas waited at the top of the steps for Dahlia to join him and he followed her as she lead the way to a room. He deposited the knapsack on the bed for a moment and his eyes lit up when he saw an armour mannequin in the corner. “ Ma’am, if it’s alright, I’m going to put my armour up on the stand first.” he said softly.
Dahlia nodded as she turned to exit the room. “ That’ll be fine, Farkas. I’ll go grab those pj’s and be back in a jiffy.” she said with a grin. The matriarch of the Dragonheart Clan hummed a little tune as she walked purposefully for one of the other spare bedrooms; Mikhail’s room more specifically, and she reached into the chest of drawers for the articles of clothing that she was looking for. She enlarged both of them for the moment, but she would have them fitting comfortably once he put them on. Walking back to the room that she had put Farkas into, Dahlia’s brow furrowed as she looked over the clothing in her hands. She was starting to wonder if she had made them big enough on the first go. “ Let me show you where the bathroom is and I’ll leave you to it. I need to get Tarrowlyn to the hospital if she hopes to have any chance at her arm being right ever again.”
Farkas was silent for the most part as Dahlia led the way through her home to the next room he would need. “ Tarrowlyn wasn’t able to show me what all those knobs and buttons were for back in Riften. The matron at the tailoring counter gave her a rather hard glare when she tried to follow me in.” he chortled. They both had laughed that one off after they had set out from the lakeside city.
Dahlia snorted in her mirth as she opened a door. “ I can imagine so, given how it may have looked outwardly. Nonetheless, my bathroom is nowhere near as complicated as theirs. Most of those extra dials and buttons were for khajit and argonians.” she began, all the while pointing to the single dial that dominated a space of its own on the stone tiled wall. “ Turn it left for the heat, to the right if you prefer it cooler. This little lever right here?” Dahlia pointed to the spigot, and she saw Farkas zero in on the small, blue tinted pearl that sat there. “ This will change it from a bath to a shower. If you choose to shower, the water will rain down from up here. I think that may be your best bet for that matter, as you might be a bit too tall to fit in the tub properly. Don’t worry about the water going cold either. I placed enchantments on everything to hold the heat. Relax for as long as you like and go get some rest. I’ll make a large supper tonight. I daresay the two of you are going to need it.”
Farkas smiled even as he graced the smaller woman with a curt bow. Vilkas would have been proud of him for remembering his manners. The thought of his twin made his heart hurt a little, as Vilkas was probably beside himself in despair with Farkas’ sudden disappearance. If only there were a way for them to get word to him that Farkas was fine. “ That sounds great, ma’am. Thank you for opening your door and home to me.” he replied somberly.
Dahlia smiled sweetly and she cupped Farkas’ cheek in a motherly fashion, raising his gaze to meet her own. “ Thank you for taking care of my daughter even though she’s the reason you’re stranded here. You have gone out of your way to keep her safe, and for that I am the one indebted to you. Tarrowlyn and I will figure out what is needed to get you home Farkas. Iliana will just have to stomach that I’m coming back to the college sooner than she would have liked because I’m returning to Winterhold with both of you.”
Farkas couldn’t help but chuckle. Tarrowlyn had briefly spoken as to how severe a woman the arch mage could be and he had understood her desire to not cross the dumner mage. “ Tarrowlyn’s become a good friend in a short amount of time. Friends look out of one another. I’m sure if the boot had been on the other foot that she would have done the same.” he replied kindly.
Dahlia’s smile seemed never ending as she puttered about the space, grabbing a few towels from the linen closet and some soaps from under the sink. “ You’re right about that, Farkas. I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy the down time and get some rest. I’ll see you in a few hours or so.” With that being said, she left the bathroom and closed the door behind her to go collect her issue from downstairs.
Tarrowlyn was a bit flushed from pain when Dahlia came back downstairs and she rose to her feet to join her mother at the door. “ He’s all set?” she asked evenly. A small smile turned up one corner of her mouth when her mother nodded in reply and the two women exited the manor. “ Thank the gods you’re not too far from Falkreath and that the hospital is on the outskirts of the city.” A hand rubbing at her shoulders consolingly was the only reply she got and Tarrowlyn turned her green gaze to her mother’s coal colored one. “ I don’t know just how we’re going to get him back…” she admitted, worried. “ The conversion device took me the better part of a year to build and perfect. Not only that, the relic from the fourth era that I used to attune it to that time was destroyed in the blast. What are we going to do?”
Dahlia sighed heavily before she cast her gaze forward. “ I don’t know, my girl, but I will help you as much as I can. I can understand that you and Farkas don’t want many people knowing his true origins, but we will have to bring Iliana and Holmar in on this. They have to know what is going on and we will need their input if we are to have any hope of this succeeding the way we want it to. We can worry more over that later. Let’s make sure you’re hale and hearty first and foremost.”

It took the better part of three hours, but Farkas was dozing soundly when Tarrowlyn poked her head in to check on him on her way to her room. A soft smile crossed her face as she entered silently and her hand rose to pull the blanket covering him up just a little further. Without warning, her wrist was snatched in midair and a breathy gasp escaped her as Tarrowlyn was suddenly yanked down and pinned by the nord warrior. His eyes were intense, with a slight golden cast to them.Odd. Tarrowlyn thought to herself as confusion swarmed her mind like a plague of locusts. I could have sworn his eyes were blue.
The body that she found herself trapped under made heat flare through her own from the proximity. His torso, now that it was completely exposed to her, made Tarrowlyn want to run her hands through the short, tight curls that covered the expanse. His abs alone were drool worthy, packed tightly together under the skin. The borrowed pajama pants hung dangerously low on his hips, showing her the barest of teases as the ebony hair that covered his chest and down his abs formed a single line down below the elastic. Sweet divines! It was as if Mara, Dibella, and Kynareth had sculpted him from stone and had breathed life into the masterpiece above her. While she had no experience with the opposite sex, Tarrowlyn was no idiot when it came to desire. Well, at least fancying someone...This blows that crush I had on that guy back in Winterhold completely out of the water. she thought to herself. What she was feeling right now though? Feeling Farkas’ body so snug to hers with so little separating them?
She would be blessed even if this was how she lost the last vestiges of her innocence. Even if it were her last moments on Nirn, Tarrowlyn was more than positive she’d have a smile on her face.
His thumb sliding against the skin of her wrist, testing the softness of it, drew Tarrowlyn from her sudden lusty musings. Despite how strong she knew him to be, Tarrowlyn could feel that just how gentle his grip was on her wrists.“ Farkas...Easy does it. It’s me, Tarrowlyn.” she whimpered softly. The last thing she wanted to do was to startle him or her mother downstairs.
He blinked once and in an instant, Farkas’ eyes were the shade of blue she remembered them being. He realized the predicament that they were in and he froze. The sight of his new friend, pinned against his borrowed bed, the smells that he was picking up, and the feel of her so close was screwing madly with his brain. “ By the gods…” he whispered as he rose to sit on his heels. “ I’m so sorry Tarrowlyn. I’m a light sleeper and…” he began, rambling a bit. He looked off to the side, obviously ashamed with himself for his actions and his eyes rose to meet hers once more. He looked like a whipped puppy sitting there. A very handsome, muscular puppy, as the shirt that he had been loaned was cast to the floor for better comfort. “ I hope I didn’t scare ya.”
Tarrowlyn shushed him gently with a smile. “ I’m fine, Farkas. A little startled, but alright. No harm, no foul. Okay?” she replied. She cupped his cheek with the hand that he had grabbed and Tarrowlyn brushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “ I was just checking on you. I’m going to go get some sleep myself, so try to get a little more rest. Believe me when I say you don’t want my ma breathing down your neck to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself. She will mother you to no end like she does to my brother and I.”
Farkas’ fingers curled around hers as his worries ebbed away. He hadn’t hurt her, hadn’t frightened her. He nuzzled her palm as he felt his eyes closing again. He was exhausted after the last few days and he definitely needed the sleep. His body felt so heavy from exhaustion that he began laying down once more.“ No need to tell me twice.” he whispered as one arm wrapped itself over her legs and his head settled in her lap. She smelled amazing, like the purple flowers that abounded over the streets of Whiterun and the rest of the hold. The aroma was drawing him back into a pacified lull. This was aetherius, this spot right here. Her scent, her warmth, the feeling of her fingers gliding through his ebony locks, and her softness were settling a calm over him that he hadn’t felt in years.
I’ll stay long enough to make sure he’s fast asleep and I’ll go to my room from there. She mused with a blush. Tarrowlyn studied Farkas’ profile, which was fairly easy to do seeing as how he was using her lap as a pillow. She hadn’t really looked at him with such scrutiny over the last couple days, but then again, he hadn’t been this close to her for such a length of time.
Farkas’ nose looked as if it had been broken at least once and then had it set wrong before it healed up. As tempted as she was to follow the line of it with her finger, Tarrowlyn kept her nails at his scalp. If he wasn’t fully asleep, she wasn’t going to be the one to rouse him. He had long lashes that curled gently against his cheekbones, and a close cropped beard covered the skin of his face. His lips were full and looked perfectly soft and oh so kissable.
Tarrowlyn was so deep in her perusal of him that she didn’t see her mother standing at the door. Dahlia wasn’t going to say anything, but she thought the situation was quite comical. Farkas certainly had Tarrowlyn out of her comfort zone when it came to men; as that was one of the topics that had been broached while they were waiting to get Tarrowlyn’s arm healed, and the Dragonheart matron was both excited and apprehensive to see where this went. If they were unable to send Farkas back to his time after all, Dahlia was all for having him in the family. She could see just how much of an effect that he had on her daughter already, as she had never seen Tarrowlyn so enthralled by a man before.
Sure there had been the apprentice carpenter in Winterhold proper, but that was nothing compared to what Dahlia was witnessing right here.
If something did happen between them and he went home, Dahlia knew, just knew, that Tarrowlyn would be beyond devastated. There might not be any sort of rebound for the heartbreak that seemed inevitable.

As quietly as she could, Dahlia closed the door fully as Tarrowlyn’s eyes began closing. It was so endearing to watch the two of them in all honesty, to know that they were so comfortable around each other that they could do something like this already. While she was worried for her daughter, there were some things a mother couldn’t interfere with. Who was she to tell them not to find comfort with one another when they had already garnered such a rapport between them? The only option Dahlia had, either way, was to be supportive. Whether it lead to heartbreak or happiness, only time would tell.
Farkas’ nose woke him first. Initially, all he could smell was flowers, specifically the purple ones that were all over town. The smells of freshly cooked food began waking him a little more as the aromas wafted in from under the door and his stomach growled a little. Of course it would wake up at the first scent of food. What’s that one flower called again? he thought to himself as he curled up a little. He wasn’t ready to get out of bed just yet. That was until he felt nuzzling against his chest, which brought him to full wakefulness as his eyes snapped open in surprise.
A cascade of red was the only thing he could see, but he could feel Tarrowlyn’s arms wrapped around his abdomen and her warm breath against his skin. Farkas remembered pulling her into the bed and pinning her when she was surprised him earlier, and he hazily recalled that he had inadvertently kept her pinned when he had laid down in her lap. Farkas chuckled softly at the turn of events now that he was the one pinned to the mattress. Even now, it was clear she wasn’t letting him go. Gingerly, he brushed the crimson locks to the side to look at her. The thought that she didn’t realize how lovely she was crossed his mind once more. She was, undoubtedly, the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.
And now the first to share a bed with him while they were still clothed.
The scar on the left side of her face didn’t look near as inflamed as it had earlier in the day, but it was clear that the healer she had seen was unable to heal it fully. He liked it though, as it gave her face character, though her eyes did that enough. Farkas had never seen such green eyes on a nord before. The smell of food became stronger all of a sudden; more than likely Dahlia had opened up the oven, making his mouth water and his stomach whined for sustenance. Farkas smiled even as he shook his head against the pillow. There was nothing for it. He needed to wake her up.
Besides, he needed to use the facilities.
Farkas gently cupped one cheek and his thumb caressed the skin there. “ Tarrowlyn...Tarrowlyn, wake up.” he whispered. His voice was still thick and husky from sleep, and the reverb of it made her tremble against him. Farkas couldn’t lie that he enjoyed knowing that little fact, that she liked the sound of his voice like this even if she were asleep.
Her face scrunched up as if she were trying to stave off Farkas’ rousing, and she sat up suddenly once she had processed just where she was. Tarrowlyn’s wide green gaze looked over to Farkas, startled, and she opened her mouth to apologize. All it took was a simple head shake and Farkas swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand up. She looked down at the single sized mattress and she blushed deeply. She must have been crowding him on the bed! “ Seriously, that cannot have been comfortable.”
Farkas scooped the discarded shirt from off the floor and he smiled as he shook his head before pulling the garment on. “ Believe it or not, that’s the best I’ve slept in years.” he admitted. His blue eyes were soft and glimmering like gemstones in the low light. “ You smell just like the flowers that grow all over the hold. The tall, purple ones I mean. I guess that smell made me feel like I was home.”
Tarrowlyn felt tears prickle at the corner of her eyes and she got off the bed to give Farkas a hug. Seriously though, that warmth is addictive...she thought with a small smile. “ It's lavender by the way, well, lavender and dragontongue to be exact that you're smelling. It's a soap that my ma's made ever since I can remember. As for feeling like you were back at Jorrvaskr, you’ll be back there before long. I won’t stop until I can replicate what went wrong and I’ll get you home to your brother and your shield siblings. I gave you my word that I would.”
Farkas smiled and he nuzzled the top of her hair. “ And I trust that.” he replied. Farkas pushed Tarrowlyn towards the door and she chuckled. “ Right now my stomach is getting mad at me and whatever your ma has cooking down there smells good.”

The two walked down the stairs into the main hall, talking softly amongst themselves all the while. Tarrowlyn instantly went on the alert when she saw the lighting of the main hall and she looked around in confusion. “ Ma?!” she called out, her tone alarmed.
“ Yes Tarri?” came the sing song voice from inside the kitchen.
“ How long have we been out?”
Farkas didn’t realize anything was out of the ordinary until Tarrowlyn asked that question. Sure enough, the main hall was darker because the sun wasn’t hitting the windows on the western side, but he could see a few beams of light coming in from the open double doors on the second level. It was hard for any light to clear the mountain before noon, but it looked like it was nearly that time. The clock on the mantle showed that it was ten minutes to twelve on the nose.
“ Three entire days. I daresay both of you needed it.” Dahlia replied, a broad grin on her face as she brought out a large tray to deposit on the table. It was piled high with some of Tarrowlyn’s favorite meats and her mouth watered for it. “ I figured if anything was going to wake you two up, it would be the smell of good food and the whine of empty stomachs. How’s your magicka feeling Tarrowlyn?”
Tarrowlyn concentrated on summoning a blade, and she smiled as a dagger glimmered to reality in her hand. “Everything’s back to normal and flowing the way it should. Looks like I had a case of aether poisoning just like you said.” she said, banishing the blade after a moment. Her brow furrowed as she looked to her mother’s back as she bustled back into the kitchen and she looked over to Farkas. “ Go ahead and take a seat, I’ll help my ma being everything out.”
Farkas shook his head as he began following Tarrowlyn into the kitchen as well. “ I’ll help. This way all of us can eat faster.” he countered.
Tarrowlyn shrugged, but she held her arm out to keep him out of the way as Dahlia came into the room with a steaming pot of chowder that made her mouth water. She hadn’t had that chowder in months! “ Ma, has Tanaris returned home yet?” If it had been three days, her mare had to be home or at least nearby.
Dahlia smiled once more as she passed her daughter to bustle back into the kitchen. “ She came back yesterday. I’ve already treated her wounds and she’s been lazing about in the stable. I also put your blade on the usual mantle in the foyer.” she called out over her shoulder.
Farkas saw Tarrowlyn’s shoulders sag in relief for her mount and he patted her shoulder sympathetically and with a smile. Tarrowlyn had been beside herself with worry for the mare since he had come into her company.
Tarrowlyn gave him a grin as the silent sentiment and the three of them made quick work getting the veritable feast that Dahlia had prepared set onto the table. It was nearly just as quick that Tarrowlyn and Farkas started lighting into the food. Her appetite surprised her all things considered, as Tarrowlyn normally didn’t feel this hungry. Okay, maybe that’s not that true. I’ve eaten my weight in food before after a week or two of neglecting myself when I get super heavy into research mode. she thought to herself.
The look on Dahlia’s face was one of contentment as she watched the two. Farkas kept peppering his feasting with comments of gratitude and praise and he reached for the tankard of mead that had been set before him a few moments ago. After draining nearly half the contents in a single go, Farkas looked between Tarrowlyn and Dahlia. “ Please tell me both of you can cook this good.” he pleaded.
It was nearly sacrilegious to admit it, but this was better than Tilma’s cooking.
Tarrowlyn nearly snorted in shock as she put a spoonful of chowder into her mouth and Dahlia leaned back in her high chair, her head thrown back in laughter. Oh, the many ways that statement could be taken! Tarrowlyn’s reaction had been priceless! Finally Dahlia nodded as her wiped tears from her eyes. “ Yes, Farkas. I did make sure Tarrowlyn knows how to cook. There’s a few things that she makes that I can’t wrap my head around, but it’s delicious.” the matron replied. She looked over to her issue, who had nearly choked on her food at the inquiry, and Dahlia smirked knowingly. They had not let go of one another once over the last several days. There were many that would argue that she hadn’t been doing her duty in separating them, but Dahlia didn’t give a damn as to what anyone had to say. Tarrowlyn was a grown woman, and both of them were a damn good judge of character.
In Dahlia’s estimation, it was high time that Dibella had kicked her daughter in the seat of her pants to finally notice a man!
“ Good to hear. I’ll be stayin’ with her when we all go to Winterhold. This way we can share cooking duties.” Farkas said nonchalantly.
This time Tarrowlyn did choke, but it was on her mead rather than food. “ What?! I thought we talked about you staying with my mother while I returned.” she sputtered out after a moment. Her cheeks were crimson at the thought, but it didn’t repulse her. Not in the slightest.
Dahlia shook her head after taking a deep drink from her own mug. “ I’m coming back to help you with this endeavor, Tarrowlyn. Iliana will be cross for sure, but she’ll acquiesce once she learns of Farkas’ origins and what you’re hoping to do. I know for a fact she will. Besides, I will not be having my youngest child in danger of losing her life again. Holmar was a fool to send you off to Mzulft on your own.” the Dragonheart matron countered, near vehemently. Her brown gaze settled onto her daughter’s emerald one, as if daring her to defy the directive that she had issued.
Tarrowlyn was about to argue the point, but in all honesty having a learned mage like her mother in her corner would be more beneficial in the long run. It would put the Arch Mage, the Senechal, and the council of mages in her corner for this project, and their wisdom and expertise would be invaluable. “ Only the arch mage and the senechal are to know Farkas’ true origins. I don’t trust a certain part of the council to not try to take him before we can get him home.”
It was Farkas’ turn to nearly choke on his food. “ Just what do you mean by that?” he asked.
Tarrowlyn scowled as she looked down at the table. “ I hate necromancy out of all the schools of magicka that can be taught. The dead deserve their rest and as such should not be awoken. If the so called Scions of Arkay were to learn of your true origins as coming from a past age, well, death would be slow for starters. It would all be in the name of science for them, with little regard to someone’s pain and suffering. Ma and I have already crossed blades with them once.” Tarrowlyn answered softly. “ I wish the Vigilants would have obliterated them when they had the chance.” she finished with a hiss of contempt.
Farkas gulped down his mouthful of chowder. “ Dare I ask?”
“ They had to gall to bind my sons’ spectors. Tarrowlyn and I were forced to put them to rest all over again.” Dahlia’s voice held the same soft rage that Tarrowlyn’s just had and Farkas looked between the two women. No wonder they held a deep seated hatred for necromancy. “ What Tarrowlyn didn’t say out loud is that they would be doing all sort of heinous experiments on your person, both while alive and dead. They don’t care Farkas. Trust me when I say that. It took the Arch Mage’s intervention for them to quit their testing on deceased family members. Even then I don’t think they’ve stopped.”
Farkas had the grace to go pale at that explanation and he nodded in understanding. “ Lucky for me that I don’t get drunk easily.” he said, hoping to break the tension. It worked to an extent, as both women snorted derisively. “ Besides, I think I can keep my trap shut. I told you once already I don’t trust mage types. I trust you and your ma. Everyone else however? They’ll be lucky if I even grunt in their direction.”
That did the trick. Both women, even though the knew he was serious, dissolved into giggles at the thought of Farkas acting like some first generation Atmoran as opposed to a warrior of well renown. Farkas smirked, glad to have diffused the situation in the only way he knew how, and he began tucking back into the food before him.
Sometimes, even if Vilkas didn’t agree, Farkas could use his head to the best possible outcome.

A/N: For those of you who have read the first story of the series; Rise of the Harbinger, this chapter explains Tarrowlyn's hatred for necromancy and why she was as pissed as she was upon her arrival to Rannveig's Fast. It's a memory that's going to be further explored in Black Wings Unfurled for that matter. I hope you're all enjoying the story and I am so thankful all of you have stuck with me for so long between updates. I've been struggling between trying to keep up with my full time job and my family, on top of trying to combat anxiety and depression. Again, I seriously appreciate each and every one of you. Every comment,and all the dragonprints gives me the kick in the ass and renews my drive for continuing to write this series.
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Dragonheart: Trials of the Arch Mage