It's funny how our stories rhyme somewhat with certain characters. Not intentional at all, I might add!

They would certainly do it all again if given the opportunity. Love conquers all.

Time will tell!

Chapter XXXVII �" The Way Forward (4E 230)


The ardent waters of the Iliac Bay reflected brilliant shades of red-orange underneath a beautiful sunset. Only the faintest of gentle winds caressed the endless expanse while minuscule waves lapped calmly against the sandy shoreline. A lone figure sat above the tide line, staring aimlessly across the vast waters, wondering about what could have been. He heard soft footsteps in the sand behind him, but he didn’t even have to turn and look to know who it was.

A tallish woman with long dark hair as black as the darkest night took a seat next to him, her hazel eyes briefly staring out across the sea before turning to study his face. “Hello again, brother.�

“Linneá,� acknowledged Cain.

“It’s been nearly a year… Are you ready to come back with me?�

Cain said nothing. He knew exactly how long it had been but no amount of time seemed to feel like enough. The Redguard had been traveling endlessly since he left Skyrim, mourning the death of his fiance and their unborn child, taking whatever meaningless job would get him a meal or room at an inn for the night. He loved and missed the rest of his family dearly, but the pain was still too much to bear.

“I don’t think any amount of time will ever be enough, Linn,� he sighed. “Every time I close my eyes, I see her face. The memories of our time together fill my dreams at night, and the silence in my mind is deafening. The wound runs as deeply as it did the day it happened. No, I can’t come back. Not now.�

“Look, Cain, we all miss Anska and to this day we all mourn her loss. But you can’t shun your life away forever. We need you. And we can help. You shouldn’t have to continue on alone like this, wandering aimlessly around Tamriel, looking for an easy death. Come home. Then we can at least be sad together.�

He shook his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Linn. I’d just have soon as died for our mother, or anyone of you. Anska shouldn’t have been murdered so needlessly. She deserved better.�

“It’s easy to die for those we care about, Cain. Real courage lies in embracing the pain with those you love. And those who love you.�

Linneá looked back out to the sea, watching the last glimmer of the evening sun slowly fall beyond the horizon. Night fell over the silence between them as she tried to come up with another tact. Something had to break this spell over him. Then she remembered the note their father had given her that morning. Opening her satchel, Linneá pulled out a roll of parchment and small piece of charcoal.

“How about this,� she began, scribbling furiously across the page.

“Linn...�

“Hang on a sec.� She finished writing the letter and handed it to him. “A small job for you, just so that you can dip your toes back in and maybe take your mind off of things.�

“I’ve been living on small jobs,� said Cain. “Why should this one be any different?�

“Because it’s for me?� she asked, hopefully. “Anyway, the details are all in the letter - if you want to help, head for Wayrest. I assume you were going there anyway, since you’re only about ten or so miles out. Look for me at the Cloudy Dregs Inn and I’ll introduce you to the client.� Linneá rested a hand on his shoulder and then vanished into thin air.

Cain continued to stare out over the bay, counting to ten under his breath. Just a few feet away from him another person dispelled their invisibility spell and sat down by his side. Gwyndala Louvain was a Breton woman of similar age, with long curly hair ranging anywhere from raven black to an iridescent pink, depending on her mood when she woke up in the morning. Numerous piercings adorned her face and ears, and very little of her tiny frame remained free of mystical tattoos that glowed vibrantly in the dark. A self-proclaimed witch, she had a penchant for dressing more scantily than Cain was comfortable with, and practiced arcane magic of a darker nature than he was accustomed to seeing.

In their time together Cain had witnessed her use outright impressive, if not brutally effective spells to end fights in a hurry. The first time her magick decapitated someone he felt himself flinch subconsciously. And when she later turned a bandit inside out he nearly emptied the contents of his stomach at the sight of it. When confronted about the disturbing nature of her destruction spells, she simply shrugged and said: “I’m small and easily cornered. So, I fight back without giving them a chance to do so.� He thanked the stars she was a friend and swore to never have her as an enemy.

“Well?� said Gwyn, stealing a sidelong glance at him. “What are you going to do about this development? Are you ready to re-enter that fold?�

“I don’t know,� said Cain, plainly. “I miss them a lot, but we’re no closer to our goal than we were three months ago and I’m struggling to come up with an alternative option to what I proposed to you back then. We may not have a choice.�

“Hm. I’m beginning to agree with you there. None of the avenues I explored have come to fruition either. It’s really fuckin’ annoying to hit the proverbial stone wall, as it were.�

“Then it seems our hands are tied. Who knows, maybe Linn can help us out when it’s time. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty, or try unique solutions to impossible problems. And neither one of us can certainly set foot in that place or the entire plan will be ruined.�

“Wayrest it is, then,� said Gwyn. “I’m off to bed. Cya bright and early.� A quick wave of her hand summoned a small tent and she crawled into it before Cain even had his bag open to start erecting his own tent.

-----

Dawn came quickly and they were underway just after first light, heading towards the city under gloomy skies that threatened an early summer downpour. They moved quickly, for Cain had long since left his set of armor behind in favor of lighter clothes and freer movement. And Gwyn moved even faster than he in a set of robes that seemed to exist only to cover as little skin as possible. Had he still not been so steadfastly devoted to his late fiance, Cain felt that he’d have given in to temptation long ago.

It didn’t help matters that his odd companion was somewhat of a free spirit in regard to her sexuality. She’d offered him a roll in the hay more than a few times already, and when turned down she wandered off to find a more wiling partner. They’d been traveling together for nearly four months now, and there was still so much Cain didn’t know about her. Not for lack of asking, but more due to the fact that Gwyn refused to speak of her past.

All in all, Gwyndala Louvain was an enigma that Cain had yet to fully unravel. Their trust in each other was mutual, but he suspected a deeper trauma lay within that she’d only share on her terms. One thing she knew for certain though, is that his sisters would adore his new friend… when the time came for him to return home, that is.

By midday, Cain and Gwyn approached the eastern gate of Wayrest, the Jewel of the Illiac Bay. The guards bowed their heads politely while they passed through, their eyes lingering on the provocative attire she sported. Her tangle of hair was crimson today, which Cain had come to understand implied a night of fitful sleep and bad dreams. But she was always jovial and outgoing, despite what roiled under the waves.

They were ahead of schedule when entering the inn, so Cain grabbed a table and ordered lunch while Gwyn threw on her hood and took a seat at the bar, just within earshot. Not five minutes later, Linneá walked through the door with a stranger and joined her brother at his table.

“[censored] me, am I happy to see you here,� she half-shouted, beaming intensely at him. “I wasn’t sure you were coming, but I hoped beyond reason that you would. Gimme a sec, I’m ordering some booze for the occasion! Woo!�

Cain couldn’t help but grin at her antics. Ten months was a long time to be away from home and he did miss his family more than he let on. He gestured to the man who’d come in with Linneá and offered him a seat.

“Sorry, my sister gets a little excitable sometimes. “What’s you name, pal?�

“Genard,� said the Breton man, offering a handshake.

Cain accepted it and nodded. “Cain Windborne, at your service. So, tell me, Genard… what’s Linn getting me into this time?�

“We’ll get to that,� she said, setting down three pints of ale. Cain hadn’t noticed her slink back over, but he thanked her for the drink and waited patiently for her to explain.

At the bar, Gwyn had lowered her hood and was making a show of writing in her journal with her ears trained in their direction. The bartender sauntered over to see if she needed anything and she shooed him away with a lazy flick of the wrist.

“Tell me, brother,� continued Linneá. “What changed your mind this time? Why accept the offer after so many months of avoidance?�

“Can’t very well hide forever, can I?� came the rehearsed reply. “I dunno, maybe it is almost time to share the pain instead of keeping it bottled up inside. Won’t lie and say I don’t miss you all, too. But that doesn’t mean I’m doing this job and hopping on the next ship back Solitude.�

“I’ll take what I can get,� said Linneá. “Not too much longer though, yeah? I’m already going to have to spill the beans tomorrow about our little rendezvous’.�

“What? Why?�

“I stole a peek at one of dad’s communiques last night and it had a troubling if completely nonfactual report attached of your apparent imprisonment at the hands of a mercenary clan in Hammerfell. He’ll be forced to spend resources we don’t have looking into it, or officially declare you deceased to avoid dealing with them. No one wants that.� She paused for a moment and then went on. “Which also means your likely to get a visit from another ‘friend’ if you catch my drift.�

Cain swallowed hard. He was not looking forward to that meeting after nine months of no contact with Kyne. She is not going to be happy when she does track him down again. But they were here for a different matter, so he cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Let’s talk about that later, Linn. We’re here for a job.�

She nodded and gave the floor to their contact. Genard rustled up a letter from one of his pockets and laid it one the table for them to read while he took a pull from his ale. Cain and Linneá combed through it, exchanged a fleeting glance of doubt at it’s validity, and accepted the terms. All three shook hands and Genard drained his glass and left without a further word.

“He wasn’t very friendly, eh?� mused Cain.

“Asshole would be more accurate,� grunted Linneá. “And there’s no way this job checks out. The highest ranking Dominion spymaster in High Rock living in a boarded up house across town? Nah, this idiot means to capture one or both of us in hopes he can extort some gold from Dad. Be careful with this one, Cain. I know you can handle yourself, but I don’t want to lose you again.�

“I’ll be fine, Linn,� he promised. “Somehow, I doubt this will be the worse thing I’ve ever handled.�

“Good. Now stand up and give me a hug so that I can go. Serana and Salihn are expecting me for lunch.�

“Give them my best,� said Cain.

Linneá left the inn and Gwyn joined him at the table to discuss their next move. The job itself was trivial and together they would make sure this ‘Genard’ lout would regret going down this road. The real problem they had would be the arrival of a goddess and whether or not it was time for his new friend’s presence to be known.

-----

The morning sun rose high above the Blue Palace. As predicted, a guard knocked on the door to Linneá and Serana’s suite with an urgent summons to Kirin’s study. They dropped Salihn off at the kitchens along the way and then hastily headed up to what would amount to one hell of an argument and dissection of their behavior and secret keeping. When they arrived, Lydia and Kirin greeted them cordially before settling in for the meeting.

“I have some news regarding you brother,� began Kirin. “According to this letter, some thugs in Hammerfell claim to have captured him and they want a reward.�

He continued on with a dire tone, clearly struggling with could be done about it, and how seriously they should be taking it. Serana kept jabbing her wife in the leg with increasing force while she yelled mentally at her until Linneá yelped in pain and got the message.

“Something to add, Liin?� he asked. “Is this really the time for to two to be goofing off?�

“Elle, has something to tell you both,� said Serana. “Don’t you, sweetie?�

“Oh no,� sighed Lydia. “What have you done this time, Linn?�

“[censored]. Well, er, it’s nothing dreadful, of that I can assure you… but I sort of broke in here last night and read that same letter, dad. Sorry. Anyway, you’ll be happy to know that I can one-hundred percent guarantee you that it’s a complete fabrication.�

“I’m going to ignore that first part for now,� growled Kirin. “So, tell me how you know this is fake.�

Linneá fidgeted nervously in her chair and then looked at Serana for support. She shook her head and whispered in her thoughts: I told you we shouldn’t have kept it a secret. They are going to be very cross with us and it’s your fault.

I know. Guess I better just be blunt about it. Here goes nothing…

“Because I had a drink with Cain around noon yesterday, and he is very much not captured.�

“LINNEA!!� Lydia jumped up from her seat and grabbed her daughter’s shoulders. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ‘HAD A DRINK’ WITH HIM YESTERDAY? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HIM?!�

“How could you keep this from us, Linn?� demanded Kirin. “And you too, Serana, because I damn well know she told you right away!�

“That can wait, husband,� snapped Lydia. “What I want to know is how exactly did you find him when he’s managed to give everyone else the slip?�

She fidgeted uncomfortably again. They were going to be even more upset when she told them that she’d had the means to find him at any time since his departure last year. She only waited as long as she did out of respect for his privacy. And to let him have the time alone he desired.

“I, uh. I sort of marked him during our last goodbye on the night he left. Marked his spirit, I mean.�

Her parents both glared at her with expressions somewhere in between anger and shock. Lydia sat back down and lowered her head into her hands while Kirin sighed in disbelief. He tore up the letter involving the fake extortion scheme and tossed it into the fireplace. Deciding it would be best for everyone to take a breather, he dismissed his daughters.

“You two need to leave us for a while; I’ll come find you when I need you. And, Linn? This isn’t over yet. The four of us are going to have a nice long chat later about priorities.�

Linneá knew it wasn’t the time to defend herself, so she left with Serana and together they headed off to find their daughter. And outside the window, a large brown hawk took flight, bound southwest for the province of High Rock.

This post has been edited by Kane: Apr 5 2025, 02:26 AM

So, a year has passed and Cain’s pain over the loss of Anska is no less.

A surprise visit from Linneá with a job request. I’m glad Cain has decided not to ignore it. Hopefully this is something that can help bring him closer to rejoining his family.

A new friend and traveling companion!
“I’m small and easily cornered. So, I fight back without giving them a chance to do so.�
- - I couldn’t resist quoting this, as the words could have as easily been spoken by Buffy!
Gwyn is certainly a fascinating little witch and it sounds like she’s handy in a fight.

The job Cain agrees to is quite a mystery.

Meanwhile, back at the Blue Palace – ahah! So that’s how Linneá tracked down Cain. Clever girl.

He's a bit stubborn about letting go and it's going to be a major aspect of the final act.


Shorties unite! When I get around to creating her for my next round of Skyrim, she won't be quite as small as Buffy, just normal Breton shortness.



And yea, Linn was never going to let him leave unaccounted for.

Chapter XXXVIII �" From Past to Present


(Four months ago…)

Cain swayed dangerously atop a steep cliff face high in the mountains outside of Evermore. It had been an arduous trek up a rocky path in pursuit of a brigand who’d been terrorizing a local village tucked away among the lofty peaks of eastern High Rock. The job paid well and the poorly trained target had been trivial for Cain to eliminate, but the hunt had run into nightfall and so he decided to set up camp for the night in lieu of returning to the village.

The dead man he’d chased down had a backpack full of stolen mead from a local brewery. How he acquired it was likely one of the many reasons a bounty had been incurred, but Cain started helping himself to it nonetheless. Nearly six months had passed since that fateful morning in the Blue Palace and his heart still ached over her death, and he wished for nothing more than to hear Anska whisper in his head once again. The night wore on, and he polished off the remainder of a fifth bottle and chucked it over the precipice.

Alcohol helped dull the pain, but in a past life he’d been wise enough to know that it only offered temporary solace. For six months Cain had been on his own, always on the move and bouncing from menial jobs to meaningless tasks at the behest of whoever ran the tavern he found himself in at any given time. The mead became more and more enticing while the rabbit hole deepened. His thoughts grew darker and darker every day and eventually he stopped being careful when dealing with the louts he often tracked down.

And now he stood on that looming cliff while the mead drove those familiar dark thoughts to the forefront. He looked down at the rocky crags far below and wondered if he’d feel anything at all when his drunken mind and body lay broken and bloodied across them. Would it be a release from misery? Would he finally see his beloved Anska again? Or we he simply cease to be alive? Dead, but alone. Turned away from the fated realm of Sovngarde by a cowardly act.

He looked down and found that at this moment, after months of anguish and self-torment… he didn’t care anymore. A sixth bottle was drained and slipped from his fingers to join the other five far below. Cain lifted a leg to step forward and follow the bottle to its doom when he suddenly found himself rigid, his body bound in place by a swirl of green magicks that slowly dragged him back from the ledge. He turned to look for the source and just barely saw the flashing hilt of a dagger before it crashed into his head and knocked him unconscious.

It was morning when he finally came to. A warm fire crackled merrily next to him but someone had bound his hands and feet with rough cords that bit and itched at his skin. Looking around, he saw a hooded figure sitting nearby. It was dressed in tattered robes and there were strange runes etched into its skin that Cain swore were glowing in the soft sunlight of dawn. He was just starting to struggle against the bindings when he realized something was different… the fog was gone from his mind. It was as if weeks and weeks of inebriated thoughts had simply vanished, and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t crave another bottle the moment he woke up.

The initial rustling from his struggle garnered his rescuer’s attention and the diminutive form of a woman now stood over him. She regarded him curiously for a few seconds before kneeling down and severing the bindings from his wrists and ankles. Cain sat up and addressed her immediately.
“Who are you?� he demanded. “What have you done to me?�

“You could try being grateful,� said the woman. “A simple ‘thanks’ would be a good start. I could have let you die and taken the bounty for myself, with none the wiser. And I definitely didn’t need to purge all that booze from your system.�

Then it all came back to him: the mead, the dark thoughts, and a hazy memory of having one foot off the cliff and nearly plummeting to his death. Had he really been that close to ending it all? The thought had crossed his mind more than once, but he always shook it off as just the alcohol talking. And now that his mind was somehow cleared, the enormity of how far gone he was smashed into him like a ton of bricks.

“Oh, gods,� said Cain, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t believe this is what I’ve become.�

“Still waiting for that ‘thank you.�

Cain sighed. This person reminded him very much of his sister, whom he’d begun to miss quite a lot. “Thank you,� he said to her. “Whoever the hell you are,� he added.

“Name’s Gwyn. And you owe me for the help, and for the bounty you stole, Mr. Windborne.�

“Wait, how in the world do you know who I am?� he asked in surprise. “I’m very certain I didn’t tell you, nor that we’ve ever met before!�

“You’re the High King of Skyrim’s only son, idiot. Believe it or not, people outside of that frigid place know who you are, they’re usually just too busy with inane bullshit to put two and two together. What I really want to know is why the hell you are all the way out here, and why you tried to off yourself last night.�

“That’s my business, not yours. Why did you save me, anyway?�

“That’s my business, not yours,� came the mocking reply.

He looked at her for a few seconds and felt himself smile despite all that had happened in the last day. This woman had no reason nor any responsibility to do what she had done last night, yet she had saved his life anyway. And here he was, expecting answers from her when he refused to give any himself. Then he felt his stomach growl, and decided he would rustle up something to eat first. Opening his bag, Cain fished out a loaf of bread and started toasting the outside of it over the fire while he answered Gwyn’s questions.

“Okay, fair is fair,� he said. “Lemme see here… hm. You say you recognized me, yeah? Did you also hear anything about an attack towards the end of last year?�

“You mean when your wife was killed?� she asked him bluntly. “Sorry, that was insensitive. It’s obvious that you aren’t over that.�

“Fiancé, but yes,� said Cain, dabbing at the corner of his eyes. “And our unborn child, which wasn’t advertised. I left shortly after that to be alone for a while, which in hindsight was probably a mistake. My family would have been more helpful than the mead was, I think.�

“The mead isn’t the problem, Cain, it just exacerbated things for you. We all have trauma and we all deal with it in different ways. The world is a [censored] up place full of [censored] up people, just like us. You need to come to terms with her death and either move on or do something else about it.�

"You speak as if that comes from a place of experience,� probed Cain. “Did you �" “

She cut him off quickly: “Uh uh. No. I’m not the suicidal one here, and we aren’t talking about me right now. We’re talking about you. Last night, I saw the heir to Skyrim’s throne try to kill himself while in a drunken stupor. I used a handy spell to purge the booze from your system so that I could speak to the real you, but the desire for self-harm is still in there, despite the better mood you seem to be in this morning. You need to address that, or you’ll just end up back in that same situation. And there might not be anyone around to save your sorry ass next time.�

That shut Cain up for a while. He wasn’t ignorant enough to deny that everything Gwyn said to him thus far was anything but the truth. She saved his life, and then thoroughly undressed his current station in life. Not a day went by that he didn’t dwell on Anska and the life that could have been, and he was slowly starting to recognize the way his soul had been damaged by his solitary grief. Cain glanced to his left and saw the bag of stolen mead still laying in the dirt next to his tent and knew what the first step needed to be.

Gwyn’s shrewd eyes followed the broken man as he picked up the bag and tossed it over the cliff without hesitation. Maybe he’s not beyond help, she thought to herself. He walked back over to the fire and resumed eating his meager breakfast with a new light in his eyes.

“Hurry up and eat, yeah?� said Gwyn. “I’m not letting you out of my sight until you collect my bounty.�

Cain rolled his eyes. “Bark all you want, but we both know this isn’t about the gold anymore. You saved my life and then you stuck around to peel me apart and see what I would do. No, I think you’ve been on your own for a long time, too, and now you’ve found some whose problems remind you of your own.�

“Like you have any idea �"“

“Said it yourself, miss: the world is full of [censored] up people, just like us. Something tells me we can help each other, or you’d have already left.�

-----

(Present day…)

Cain and Gwyn stepped out onto the street in front of the Cloudy Dregs Inn and looked around in confusion. Wayrest had been relatively quiet the day before, despite the massacre of bandits that had taken place in a boarded-up house near the waterfront. Now, everyone was clamoring around market stands and vendor stalls, pointing at something and chattering excitedly. Gwyn motioned for him to say there and she ducked off quickly to see what the commotion was all about.

Not thirty seconds later, she returned to his side with a copy of the morning newspaper and shoved it into his hands. “You need to get us out of here now! Before someone recognizes you!� she hissed at him. He looked down at the paper and the headline nearly took his breath away.




“I don’t see what…� His eyes scanned down further down the page and stopped near the bottom. The article barely mentioned the attack on the Blue Palace that lead to his forced abdication, but sure enough, it included detailed renditions of his entire family. The familiar faces of Kirin, Lydia, Linneá, Serana, himself, and his late fiancé stared up at him. “Oh, bother. It really does look just like me.�

“Let’s go before you draw a crowd! If word gets out that you’re in High Rock, the royal families will all be searching for you to garner favor with you dad!�

“[censored],� muttered Cain, tossing the paper aside. “Okay, let’s go back inside. We can tell the bartender I left something in my room and I’ll teleport us out from there. No one will see us vanish, and… oh… oh no…�

“What’s wrong now?� asked Gwyn. “What the hell are you �"“

“Top of the house, just across the way,� he whispered.

Gwyn discreetly stole a peek at the aforementioned home but she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. An old woman was out front pruning a rose bush while her husband swept off the flagstone walkway leading to the front door. She was about to ask Cain what he was on about when she noticed the large brown hawk perched on the gable, staring right at them.

“Holy [censored],� said Gwyn. “That’s Kyne, isn’t it?�

“Uh huh,� gulped Cain. “Linn must have broken the news bright and early if she’s already here.�

“What do we do now?!�

“Doesn’t matter. She’ll be able to follow us anywhere, so brace yourself to meet a Divine.�

They hurried back inside and asked the bartender to the room key again. The surly old man refused to let them have it without paying and instead walked down the hall to unlock it for them. Thankfully, he went back to work and left Cain and Gwyn to their own devices. The former shut the door and locked it, put a hand on the latter’s shoulder, and quietly magicked them away to a small cabin tucked away on the Glenumbra Moors.

The unassuming home of Gwyndala Louvain consisted of a single room with an earthen floor. In one corner stood a set of bunk beds, with the top bunk having served as Cain’s home for the last three months. A small fireplace with a cooking spit stood in the center of the eastern wall, the mantle adorned with several oddly shaped hats, and a smattering of dishes and cutlery. Every other square foot of space was crammed with heaping piles of musty old tomes, tables and shelves crowded with alchemy ingredients and enchanting supplies, far too many shoes, and bundles of the scant clothing that Gwyn preferred.

As soon as they materialized, she began scooting about in a vain attempt to straighten up her haphazard little home. Cain sat down and watched with a bemused expression, trying his best not to laugh at the sight of Gwyn stuffing clothes into various sacks and overflowing drawers.

“You could help, you know!� she scolded.

“There’s no point,� said Cain. “Mum isn’t going to care about how messy this place is �" she judges people by their spirit, not by material possessions or lack of organizational skills.�

Gwyn huffed angrily and stood up to lob a pair of dirty stockings at him, when her mouth dropped open and she stared at the doorway to her cabin. Silhouetted in the frame stood the goddess, the bright sunlight outside adding to her ethereal glow. Kyne gazed around with a raised eyebrow, taking in the eccentric abode she’d followed them to.

“You didn’t tell me she was so beautiful!� Gwyn whispered. “How the hell am I supposed to compete with that!�

“You don’t. Nor does she expect you to. Forget about any of your preconceived notions, Gwyn �" Kyne is unique and you’ll know right away what she thinks of you.�

Cain got up from his chair and tried his best to play it cool in his approach to the goddess. He wasn’t at all sure how this conversation would go; especially since he’d elected to forgo his connection to her and Akatosh after his departure from the Blue Palace. At the time, he wanted to make sure he was alone until he felt otherwise, but he’d always hoped to reconnect on his own terms.

“Er. Hey, mum,� he said, trying not to stutter. “Been a long time, huh? Listen �"“

Kyne wasn’t having it. She took a page out of Anska’s book and slapped him across the cheek for his behavior. “I don’t want to hear anything other than a sincere apology for abandoning us come out of your mouth, Cain Windborne. And then, and only then, will I consider letting you call me ‘mum’ again. For now, it’s Kyne, or ma’am, got it?�

“I didn’t abandon anyone!� protested Cain.

“The hell you didn’t,� snarled Kyne. “You needed some time alone, fine. We agreed to that and let you go in relative peace. But you had no right to sever your influence from me! Ten months, Cain! It’s been ten months, and for all we knew you were dead in a ditch somewhere! All I wanted was to keep tabs on you from afar, to make sure you were safe and healthy. I couldn’t even do that, not even for your parent’s sake! And don’t even get me started on your sister not telling me that she’s been visiting you in secret for the last six weeks! Rest assured that she and I are going to have it out soon, too! I can’t believe that you’d stand there and… and…�

She trailed off at the sight of Cain sinking to floor, broken and defeated. This was not the same strong, courageous person she had come to know. Anska’s death clearly still weighed heavily upon him, despite the passage of time and the appearance of a what Kyne guessed was a new friend. Cain picked up one of Gwyn’s frayed and patchy shirts to wipe the tears away from his eyes and then returned it to the pile.

“You’re right, ma’am,� he said with a heavy sigh. “It was selfish of me to do that. I was in a bad place and trust me when I say things did not get any better. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you, and everyone else. Don’t be hard on Linneá, either �" she wanted me to come home but I’m not ready. It’s not the right time.�

The goddess felt her resolve soften, and she sat down on the floor with him. She could feel the sadness and guilt emanating from his spirit, and sensed how far he still had to go. “What’s happened, my child?� Then she gestured in Gwyn’s direction: “And, forgive me for not asking before, but who is your friend, here?�

“Oh. Right.� Cain had nearly forgotten about Gwyn during the confrontation. “I guess we can kill two birds with one stone. Kyne, meet Gwyndala Louvain,� he said, beckoning her over. “Gwyn stumbled into my life during it’s darkest hour, and stopped me from throwing myself off a cliff.�

Kyne gasped in shock at his blunt admission. Never had she dreamed that her charge would have fallen so deeply into depression, and she suddenly regretted not trying harder to find him sooner. But, his bravery in admitting such a dark thing gave her hope that Cain was on the mend, and that she would be able to help him through this.

Gwyn stood awkwardly nearby, waiting to formally meet the goddess. Kyne helped Cain to his feet and hugged him before turning to his friend. “Hello, Ms. Gwyndala. I gather Cain has already told you about me?�

“Yeah,� nodded Gwyn. “He earned my trust early on, and vice versa. Deep down, he always knew you’d catch up to him, and he didn’t want me to be caught off guard. And, just Gwyn please �" my full name is so damn formal sounding it makes me sick.�

“Very well, Gwyn,� giggled Kyne. “If Cain trusts you with this secret, then that’s good enough for me. Now then, how about we… oh my.� She paused mid-sentence and focused once again on Cain.

The Redguard had silently knelt down behind them and said a heartfelt prayer to the goddess, laced with love and gratitude for her presence in his life. Their connection of faith was restored, and it surged more powerfully than ever, allowing her a deeper look into his psyche. Beneath the pain and suffering, beneath the loneliness, and beneath the longing to return home, she touched briefly on a singular desire that drove him on with a fierce resolve. But it was only a fleeting feeling and she was unable to discern what it truly was, despite being stunned by its intensity.

“Goodness, Cain!� she threw her arms around him again and hugged him tightly. “You may call me whatever you wish after that display of love and devotion!�

“You’ll always be ‘mum’ to me,� he said. “I truly am sorry for the pain I caused you.�

“It’s fine, dear, put it out of your mind.� She dried her eyes and beamed happily at him. With a flick of her wrist, three chairs rose up from around the room, shook themselves in the air to dislodge any of Gwyn’s stray belongings, and floated over to where they stood. Once the three of them were seated, she gazed keenly at him. “Now, where were we… Ah, yes! I was about to ask you two what exactly it is that you’re up to out here. And after sensing that drive you were trying so hard to tamp down, Cain, I find myself doubly curious.�

This post has been edited by Kane: Apr 8 2025, 07:56 PM

The flashback to how Cain met Gwyndala Louvain (love her name by the way) really helped fill in some gaps from the last episodes. Gwyn sounds like a good sort and Cain’s lucky she intervened.

And Mede is out! Uh-oh, but so is Cain’s picture. So it’s off to Gwyn’s place.

’…far too many shoes, and bundles of the scant clothing that Gwyn preferred.’
- - Pfft. Every woman knows it’s not possible to have too many shoes!

A wonderful visit from an angry goddess who wastes no time dressing down Cain. All is eventually forgiven though and even Gwyn is welcomed into the clan.

Chapter XXXIX �" First Impressions


“Yeah, no, we can’t get into that with you, mum,� said Cain, evasively.

Gwyn bit nervously at her fingernails. She had believed her friend completely when he first explained his unique relationship to Kyne, but a small part of her never imagined she’d actually be sitting across from one of the Divines in her own home. Nor did she expect him to outright refuse to answer a pointed question about anything, let alone their unhinged plan.

For her part, Kyne seemed completely nonplussed about his sharp refusal. “Should I be exceedingly worried about anything, my child? I can’t help but wonder if you shouldn’t be… persuaded to go home for a while, instead of living abroad with unknown intentions. I feel better about being able to keep tabs on you again, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for you wander about Tamriel.�

“We’ll be fine, I promise. You know that I can handle myself, and trust me when I say that there is more to Gwyn here than meets the eye. I don’t even think Linn or Serana would want to be on her bad side.�

“Well, now,� said Kyne. “That’s certainly a ringing endorsement, miss Gwyn! I think you and I ought to get to know each other a little better!�

Gwyn blushed a deeper shade of red than Cain had ever seen before, and her hair changed from the utter black color she’d awoken with to a bright pink he learned early on denoted an embarrassed pleasure. “[censored] me, thank you. Oh, sorry about that, ma’am. Cain once told me that you’re used to his sister being crass, but he also had to double check that I wasn’t a sailor in a past life.�

“Think nothing of it, dear,� mused Kyne. “Although, I might take insult to someone insinuating I was a foul-mouthed cur from the sea port.�

“Oh, she did,� chuckled Cain. “Invited me to shove my head up my ass and then she ditched me near Shornhelm for a couple of days.�

“You deserved it.�

Kyne giggled at their familial banter and stole a quick peek into Cain’s psyche while he playfully jabbed back and forth with Gwyn. She was pleased to see a genuine contentedness settling down within, and began to understand why Cain didn’t feel an overwhelming need to return home just yet. His new friend was helping him heal, even if he didn’t recognize it for himself yet. She withdrew before he noticed, and just in time to hear Linneá’s voice whisper softly at her.

Can you spare an hour, mum? Dad is anxious to hear more about Cain.

On my way.

“Ahem,� said Kyne, politely clearing her throat. “Linn needs something, dearies. I’m heading back to Solitude for now but I’ll check in again later.�

Cain nodded, “I’ll keep an eye out for you, mum. Please tell my parents… well…� He suddenly found that he didn’t quite know what he wanted to convey. How does one apologize sincerely with just a few words relayed through another? ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t feel like enough to cut it, and yet Cain knew he had to offer something. “I…�

“Don’t beat yourself up over it,� assuaged Kyne. “I’ll make sure they understand.� She waved goodbye to them both, morphed into her hawk avatar, and soared out the front door.

Cain walked over to the doorway and watched her fly off into the distance until she was out of sight. After shutting the door and locking it, he turned back to Gwyn and shrugged nonchalantly. “That could have gone much worse than it did. I’ll have to thank Linn sometime for pulling her away before she could circle back to what we’re up to. She didn’t notice the books we’ve collected, did she?�

“You mean the ones I stashed in my dimensional storage? Obviously not, or she’d have blown her lid.� At this, Gwyn raised her hand and flexed her fingers into an odd symbol that summoned a small dark chest on the floor between them. “Maybe the next time I tell you to hide them better you’ll take me seriously, dumb ass. Although, it was amusing to see a goddess come in firing on all cylinders like that. I’m surprised she didn’t grab you by the ear and haul you back to Solitude herself! I see why you all refer to her as ‘mum’.�

Kneeling down and prying open the mysterious container, Cain began to pull out the volumes they’d been amassing over the last few weeks and laid them out in no particular order. He’d been halfway through one of the hefty tomes they’d found in Shornhelm before their trip to Wayrest and was eager to dive back in while Gwyn went outside to continue practicing her rituals. Finding it at last, he grabbed it and settled down near the window and buried his nose in its dense pages once again.

The hours flew by and the sun began to sink below the horizon, taking with it the light that beamed through the window of Gwyn’s cabin. Starving and unable to see the pages anymore, Cain went about fixing dinner for them. He was about to throw a hunk of persevered venison on the cooking spit when Gwyn’s earlier chastisement of his actions floated through his mind. Setting the meat down, he gathered up the books, tossed them into the chest, and gave it a swift kick to dematerialize it.

“And who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,� said Gwyn, smugly. Cain hadn’t heard her come back in from outside and startled upright at the sound of her voice. “Hah, got ya that time, didn’t I? Need to pay more attention, Mr. Prince. Anyway, what are you burning for dinner this time, cause so far it just smells like [censored]…�

“Keep it up and it’ll be a meal for one,� replied Cain. “Or would you rather go back to grazing the way you did before I started cooking real food for you?� He slid the venison onto the spit and reached for a small box of spices resting on the mantle. The familiar pang of sadness and longing hit him full on while he rifled through Anska’s collection of herbs and seasonings, looking for the jar she’d labeled for venison steaks. Pulling it from the box, Cain unscrewed the lid and sprinkled copious amounts onto the rotating hunk of meat.

“Alright, you got me,� said Gwyn. “That is starting to smell pretty damn good. How’d your research go?�

“Not as many answers as I’d hoped for. What about you? Will you be ready when it’s time?�

“I’m always ready. Just make sure you work out the theory for me. All that timey-wimey bullshit makes my [censored] head spin. Dunno how I let you talk me into this madness.�





(Three to four months ago…)


Gwyndala’s wrists were raw and bloody from the manacles that bound them tightly together. A rope lead had been tied to a leather collar wrapped tightly around her neck, and the disgusting brute of a man that dragged her onward did so with brutal intent. Two more foul-smelling pigs flanked her from both sides, and a fourth brought up the rear, prodding her every few seconds with the butt end of his spear. Her back was covered in bruises, and blood oozed from a deep gash on her cheek that she’d received from the initial struggle against her captors.

They’d come upon her in the dead of night and before she was even fully awake, Gwyn’s hands were bound, and a filthy gag that made her stomach turn had been stuffed into her mouth. Not knowing where she was being led, her terrified thoughts began to wander and eventually landed on the regret that she knew would rear its ugly head.

After traveling together for nearly a month, Gwyn had unceremoniously told Cain to get lost over what she now knew to be a trivial matter. The poor man had been grateful for her intervention outside of Evermore, and he just wanted to get to know her better. And she’d done nothing but shut him out and shut him down. Now he was gone, chased out by her unwillingness to connect with anyone, while she was trotted off like a prized slave to whatever grisly fate these bastards had in store for her.

It was near dawn when her feet nearly gave out beneath her from the long night of forced marching. Ready to collapse and beg for a break and some water, she exhaled a long sigh of relief when the bandits stopped in a clearing and decided to make camp for the day. They lashed her thin frame to a poplar tree at the edge of the forest and set about making a campfire. Gwyn’s head bobbed up and down with exhaustion. Every ounce of her body screamed for sleep but she didn’t dare let herself be more unguarded than she already was. She shook her head vigorously to keep herself from passing out, and that was when she noticed the asshole with the spear.

He was staring hungrily at her while the other three louts poured ale down their gullets and boasted loudly to each other over a frugal breakfast. Gwyn knew that look all too well and her insides froze when she locked eyes with that monster. He got up and slowly shuffled towards her, drawing a long steel dagger from his belt as he came nearer to the tree. She began to struggle furiously against the bindings in vain, desperately trying to get even a single hand free so that she could unleash hell on them with her magick. Nothing budged, and he grew ever closer until his hot, disgusting breath assaulted her nose. He raised the dagger and slowly slipped it down the front of her patchy robe until what remained of the garment fell to the ground, exposing her naked body to her tormentor.

Gwyn closed her eyes in fear and shook violently against the restraints. And then a curious sensation fell over her �" it was as if time itself slowed to a crawl, and every miniscule action seemed to draw on for uncounted moments. Her eyes eked back open and she flinched in horror at the sight of a dirty hand hovering a hair’s breadth above her exposed groin. Then a gleaming flash arced down in front of her and the hand slowly fell to the ground, severed cleanly above the wrist. Another flash, and the pig’s head fell to the ground at a comically slow pace.

Cain kicked the still falling brigand out of the way and rushed towards the other three men at normal speed. Within seconds, they all fell dead to his keen silver longsword, unable to react quick enough to mount even the most meager of defenses against his swift retribution. He sheathed the sword just as time sped back up, and then rushed to Gwyn’s side and began freeing her from captivity. The final cord snapped free and she collapsed into his waiting arms, sobbing heavily and shivering in the cold. Cain held her close with one arm and with the other he slid his pack to the ground and pulled out a blanket to wrap around the frightened and naked woman.

He consoled her for several minutes before leading her over to the crackling campfire and shoving the bandit corpses out of the way. They sat in silence for a bit while Cain handed her a canteen of water and started making a rudimentary stew from what little food he had on hand. A few moments later, Gwyn stood up and walked back over to the tree she’d been bound to and stared down at the headless man who had almost raped her. She bent over to pick up her ruined robes and Cain had to look away when the blanket fell to her feet. Draping it back over her shoulders, Gwyn grabbed some of the cord that had bound her to the tree and tied the remnants of her clothes back together.

Cain was about to call her back to eat something when her angry shrieks filled the morning air. She kicked and stomped at the lifeless body over and over again, spitting terrible insults at it, and spouting terrible curses over the man’s soul until she almost had enough. Cain saw the red magicks beginning to ignite in her hands and had to look away once again while her brutal spell ripped the flesh from his bones and scattered it about the edge of the clearing.

She marched back over to the fire and stood before Cain expectantly, covered from head to toe in blood and gore. “Take me home. Now. I need a bath.�




The sun was just starting to burn off the morning dew when Gwyndala joined Cain at a small table outside of her cabin. She was wearing a far more modest set of robes with a flowy tasset hanging from her waist and she smelled of fresh primrose from her long soak in the tub. Her long curly hair was tied up in a hasty ponytail, and had turned a deep bloodred after the harrowing ordeal. Cain sipped at his coffee while she stared out over the moor.

“I, um… I don’t… ah, [censored]. Thank you, Cain,� she said. “You didn’t have to come back for me, especially after how I treated you. And yet you did anyway. For that, I’ll be forever grateful. Another few seconds and.. and…�

“Don’t dwell on it, Gwyn. It’s not worth the torment.�

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. How’d you find me anyway?�

“I never went very far after you told me to [censored] off. I figured I would just give you some time to cool off and then check back in the morning. Found your abandoned camp and followed the set of tracks that led away. It was obvious that something terrible had happened, so I double-timed it until I heard those idiots carrying on and making a ton of noise. My blood froze when I saw what was about to happen to you…�

Gwyn swallowed hard and tried to force the memories out of her mind. “I’m sorry I pushed you away,� she said. “Life hasn’t been easy for me and I never let anyone in. You were just trying to be friendly and I blocked you out entirely. I’m still not about to tell you my life story, but I won’t be such a bitch anymore. That’s the best I can offer for now.�

“How about we just call it even and see what happens from there?� said Cain.

“Deal.�





(Present day….)

“As I recall, you were more curious about the implications of it than I was,� said Cain. “Your eyes lit up the moment I mentioned it.�

“From a practical standpoint, yes. I’m always looking to increase my grasp on magick and that particular brand of it has always been somewhat of a mystery. Can’t help but be curious.�

“Yeah, well…� Cain trailed off and glanced down at this forearm. The hairs were standing on end, and he felt a peculiar but all too familiar sensation overcome him. “Hm, Kyne must have given my family the rundown on us. You’re about to meet Linneá.�

“WHAT?!�

A flash of purple and white light briefly illuminated the dim cabin as Cain’s sister appeared in Gwyn’s home for the first time. She bore a set of black leather armor trimmed with crimson accents and steel studs that Cain had never seen before. The gauntlets on her wrist were also of forged steel and they flowed from her elbows down to razor-sharp points at the fingertips while a long leather skirt of the same accented deep red flowed out from her waist. It made her look very intimidating and Cain figured that was by design.

“Why, hello, brother,� said Linneá. “Care to tell me why you’ve been hiding your friend here from me during my visits of over the last few weeks?�

“Excuse me,� said Gwyn, “but who the hell are you to barge into my house uninvited? Do they not teach manners at the Blue Palace, Princess? Or are you just used to doing whatever the hell you please?�

Linneá studied her tiny frame up and down. “You’re Gwen, I take it?�

“Gwyndala Louvain, and you still haven’t answered my question. What the [censored] are you doing in my house?� She stared unblinkingly up into Linneá’s hazel eyes.

The taller than average Nord woman towered over the little Breton but Cain’s sister knew better than most that size didn’t betray anything. A gentle smile played at the edges of her mouth while she returned the gaze and she eventually broke the stony silence.

“You’re not afraid of anyone, are you, miss Gwyn? How is it that my brother here always finds the most interesting women while Serana and I are stuck dealing with the haughty bimbos that traipse through the palace? Linneá Windborne, pleased to meet you. And I do apologize for dropping in unannounced, but I just had to meet this mysterious new friend that Kyne told us about.�

The situation defused and Cain breathed a sigh of relief.

“Nice to meet you, too, Linn. I’ve heard a lot about you and your wife.�

“Indeed? I wish I could say the same, but I think we’ll have plenty of time for that.� Linneá glanced around the messy cabin in amusement, taking in the clutter of Gwyn’s life. Her eyes came to rest on the noticeably empty spot where Cain had dispelled the magickal chest from, and she waved a hand idly at it. A minor bolt of probing magick highlighted its silhouette and she looked back at them curiously.

“So, what kind of secrets are you keeping in there, you two? Would it have to do with that Kyne mentioned you were hiding?�

I've been work shopping her for a while now, took about two months before I properly integrated her into anything. She'll be thankful for Cain, too....

The shoe thing flows both ways, too, even if most men don't want to admit. I've seen some impressive shoe collections in some of the male dorm rooms on campus!

Kyne often means business, and he did have it coming....

So what in the world are Cain and Gwen up to with their mysterious books and talk of magic rituals? I guess we’ll find out.

Gwyn survived her meeting with Kyne quite unscathed.

Dimensional storage! Woohoo, a magical storage trunk. Okay, no jokes about Gwyn’s impressive chest. . . .

Another flashback. Poor Gwyn. Rescued by Cain who can now change his name to Nikov Thyme as he swooped in with flashing blade.

“Take me home. Now. I need a bath.�
- - A wise choice from a woman who knows what she wants. It seems the bumps and scrapes between her and Cain are serving to bring them closer.

“Excuse me,� said Gwyn, “but who the hell are you to barge into my house uninvited? Do they not teach manners at the Blue Palace, Princess? Or are you just used to doing whatever the hell you please?�
- - Linneá actually is a real princess I figure, but she’s fully matched by Gwyn here! Moreso since Gwyn’s on her own turf. No shrinking violet this small one be. Whew, no bloodshed between the two.

“So, what kind of secrets are you keeping in there, you two? Would it have to do with that Kyne mentioned you were hiding?�
- - I want to know also, Linneá.

Answers are coming soon, I swear! I definitely treat Linnea and Cain as princess/prince since they are the King's children. Dunno if they do in lore, but at least at the time of Skyrim it's unclear due to Torygg's fate.


Gwyn's past has definitely hardened her. We're getting more into that very soon!

Chapter XL – Do We Ever Really Let Anyone Go?


(Three to four months ago…)

After an unwelcome start to the morning, it had been a long, quiet day on the Glenumbra Moors. Lunch was eaten in relative silence and then Gwyn disappeared into the grasslands for several hours to mull over just how far into her life she was willing to accept the wayward prince who’d saved her life. She surprised even herself at the answer that eventually set her path back towards home.

Restless and bored from sitting around the cabin all afternoon, Cain had busied himself by chopping firewood and tidying up some of the overgrown brush that inhibited sightlines around Gwyn’s cozy homestead. He’d paused to rest for a moment and was drinking deeply from a water canteen when the tiny Breton returned from her solitude and moseyed up to his side.

“You asked me before how I came to live out here on my own…�

Cain was surprised, but he offered her a drink and invited Gwyn to sit down opposite him. Just about every question on her past he’d asked her in their short time together had been waved off with a stiff ‘mind your own business’, so this was certainly an unexpected development.

“It’s my late aunt’s house,� she continued. “Marceline Louvain. I used to stay here during the summer months when school was out. It was the only place I could be free to live, or act, however I wanted, and my auntie always encouraged me to learn everything I could. I pleaded with her every autumn to let me stay forever, but mother always returned to drag her prized possession away.�

Red magick ignited in her palms when she finished speaking. Cain reached out and placed a hand on her wrist and smiled, letting Gwyn know she could trust him. That small gesture of kindness was all she needed to go on.

The spell dissipated and she sighed deeply before continuing. “I loved Aunt Marcie to bits but she never believed me when I told her how my mother treated me. Never believed that the moment I entered womanhood her own sister whored me out for any spare coin that wasn’t nailed down, threatening to kill me if I ever told anyone. Never believed the countless times I was held down and violated.� Gwyn paused to wipe away the tears that had started flowing. After several deep breaths, she went on: “You’d be absolutely disgusted at how many pigs would line up to have their way with a thirteen-year-old girl, single or married. The world is full of monsters, Cain. I wish there were more good people like you.�

She took a break from recounting her grim past to wipe away the tears that continued coursing down her pale face. Cain handed her a kerchief and waited patiently for Gwyn to soldier on. He could tell this had been bottled up for years and was about to burst forth no matter what.

“By the time I was fifteen, I’d long since had enough. My education had revealed a natural talent for magick and the school library had plenty of tomes to study on the nature of Destruction spells. I had no idea my own internal pain and anger could twist it so until I tried to defend myself from three brutish louts that paid mother a premium to pile on me all at once. All I wanted was to invoke a flame cloak spell to drive them away, but instead the men exploded into a cloud of red mist that coated every surface of the cellar. Horrified and enraged by what I’d done, my own mother grabbed a club and started beating me with it, shouting all the while about my insolence and all the problems I caused her. Bruised, bloodied, and covered in gore, I was about to lose consciousness when I casted another spell in desperation and her arm was violently ripped from her shoulder and fell to the ground, the lifeless hand still clutching the club. I barely had the strength left to escape our village and it was only when I showed up here, filthy, violated, and reeking of death that Aunt Marcie finally believed me. She took me in for good and eventually we’d heard news that my mother didn’t survive the spell, and that the authorities were searching for her missing daughter. But they thankfully never showed up here.�

Cain had been listening in horror and had no idea what to say. He’d never imagined that someone so young could be subjected to such abject cruelty by their own mother. That one person could endure so much trauma on their own. He suddenly understood why Gwyn had been so standoffish, and had grown angry at his frequent attempts to make her open up to him. And why she’d finally had enough and told him to leave.

But he now also understood why his actions that very morning were so important to Gwyn. She was seconds away from reliving her worst nightmare when he intervened, and she nearly lost all her independence once again. Still not knowing what else to say about it all, Cain broke the painful silence by asking about her aunt.

“What happened to Marcie?�

“She passed away a year later,� sniffled Gwyn. “I’ve been on my own here since I was sixteen.�

Her reliving of a terrible past now over, Gwyn slumped back in her chair and let the tears flow unabated. Despite the memories flooding in that she’d been trying to ignore for so long, she felt a sense of relief at having finally told someone. Cain had been the first person she’d met in almost fifteen years who didn’t try to take advantage of her in some way, and he’d refused to abandon someone he viewed as a friend. And then he didn’t hesitate to rush back to her side when Gwyn needed him the most, even though she did her best to push him away.

The next thing Gwyn knew, she was being helped up from her chair by the strong Redguard who proceeded to pull her in tight and offer his own silent but much needed support. She was unsure how much time passed while he held her close, letting her sob into his tunic, but eventually the sun began to set and he steered them back into the cabin and finally parted with Gwyn to start whipping up a warm meal.

Soon thereafter, Gwyn sat with Cain at her tiny dinner table, idly twirling her spoon around a bowl of fresh vegetable soup. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, and the tears had ruined her makeup, but none of that bothered her at the moment. She set the spoon down and looked up at her friend.

“Thank you for listening to all of that. And for not judging me afterwards. I was terrified that if I ever told anyone, they’d think I was a monster. Or some kind of [censored] unhinged lunatic who likes to blow people up.�

“Don’t worry about it, Gwyn. I’m just glad you trust me enough to have done so, and that you consider me a friend. I’ll have your back from here on out, you can count on that.�

Gwyn smiled and ate a spoonful of the delicious soup he’d made for them. Maybe life won’t be so [censored]-up anymore, she thought to herself. At least there are still good people out there.

“I do have one question, though.� said Cain.

“Hm?�

“Your magick… is it still influenced by your past? Or did you further develop those flesh spells?�

She lifted her other hand and the familiar red magickal energy filled her palm. “It’s tainted from the trauma, I think,� she shrugged. “I can’t cast normal destruction magick anymore. Even a simple flame spell ends up like this.�

“Sounds like we both have a long way to go.�

“I guess so,� said Gwyn. “Or we could look into something else, if you’re interested…�

“Like what?�

“I’ve been thinking about your inborn nature as a Dragonborn. It puts you firmly in Akatosh’s camp, no? Have you ever thought to explore a possible connection to linear time and the influence dragons have on it?�

-----

(Present day…)

The outline of the chest faded and with a slight motion from Gwyn’s own hand, it vanished into the ether. She looked at Cain and could tell he was turning it over in his head, wondering if now was the time to divulge… and to ask for the help they’d inevitably need from Linneá. Instead of answering, he busied himself with the venison haunch that was still rotating over the hearth, and then he slid a kettle of water against the flames.

“Can I get you some tea, sis?�

“I’d love some. And I’d also love an answer to my question.�

The heat of the fire brought the kettle to boil quickly, and Cain was soon passing out steaming mugs of black tea infused with bergamot and lemon. He offered Linneá a seat at the ring of chairs Kyne had set up earlier in the day, and joined her and Gwyn after giving the meat another few turns.

“Forgive me, Linn, but I’m not ready to answer that.� Linneá opened her mouth to retort but Cain cut her off. “I’m not saying we won’t tell you at all, just not right now. Matter of fact, Gwyn and I will need your help with it before long anyway.�

“I see. And you just expect me to agree to that while you hold all the cards close to your chest? It doesn’t work like that, Cain. If you want my help, you owe me answers.�

Cain sighed and set his tea down on the floor. He knew this was coming eventually, but he never once looked forward to it. There was only one direction this conversation could flow now, and it led down the road to what Cain desired most. What Kyne had almost picked up on. What he and Gwyn had been researching, planning, and practicing over the last three months. Needing a moment to breathe first, he got up and returned to the fireplace, idly spinning the cooking spit in a vain effort to deny admitting how much he refused to let go.

“Okay, well, it seems that your brother is too chickenshit to admit some things about himself,� said Gwyn, deciding to do it herself. She summoned the chest at their feet and kicked it open for Linneá to see. “Help yourself to our extensive collection on the theories and practical applications of Time Magic.�

That was all Linneá needed to understand exactly what was going on. “You can’t be serious!� She nearly threw her mug on the floor as she got up from her seat and ran to her brother’s side. “Cain, this is madness – you can’t bring her back! Time doesn’t work like that and it shouldn’t be messed with so carelessly! You need to let go of Anska and move on!�

So far, it was going about as well as he’d expected.

“I implore you to read some of those books before you jump to any conclusions, Linn,� argued Cain. “There are three in particular that I can give you, and if you are as clever as I know you to be, you’ll be able to glean what the authors were missing and how close to reality it actually is. Especially for people like us.�

“What do you mean ‘people like us’?� she asked, eyes narrowing.

“Think about it, Linn. We may just be human, but we have the soul of a dragon - the singular creatures in all of creation that are attuned to the flow of Time.� He walked back over to where Gwyn had opened the chest and grabbed three hefty books from within it, and handed them to his sister. “Read these, please. Read them and I promise you’ll know exactly where we are going with this. I only ask that you tell no one what we discussed here. Well, besides Serana, of course. I’m sure she already knows. Ugh.�

Linneá didn’t know what to say. This was so far beyond anything she had expected to hear from him and his new friend that she simply stood there looking at them in disbelief. A small part of her wondered if this stemmed from Gwyn’s influence on him, but Linneá also knew that her brother only trusted those who were deserving of it. With a heavy sigh, she opened her bag and slid the books inside it.

“I’ll be back in a few days, maybe a week. Serana and I will need time to read these and discuss our findings. If I piece it together sooner, I’ll zip back to you when I can. Will you be here still?�

“I should hope so, since it’s my own [censored] house,� answered Gwyn. “Oh. Sorry. Not what you meant.�

“Yeah, we should be,� laughed Cain. “There aren’t any more books to track down, so we’ll be here going over all of this ourselves.�

His sister nodded and started to cast the recall spell before dispelling it quickly. “Cain, I… I’m sorry this has been so hard for you. I wish I’d come to find you sooner. Part of me didn’t believe that you are still in as much pain as the day it happened. I see now that you’ve just figured out a way to cope. I love you, and I promise Serana and I will take this seriously.�

“I love you, too.�

-----

Linneá rematerialized in her bedroom and immediately sat down on the edge of the bed. Serana joined her from the den a few seconds later and sat next to her wife, leaning her head against Linneá’s shoulder. Their daughter could be heard playing in the other room, singing in a raucous manner that never failed to bring a smile to Linneá’s face. This time, it was an old sea shanty echoing off-key around their suite.

“Who the hell taught her that one?�

“Falk was here the other day to visit dad, so I’d imagine that’s who,� said Serana. “It sounded like his retirement involved buying a ship and sailing wherever he pleases. He no doubt learned some songs at the ports!� Serana planted a kiss on her wife’s cheek, then she helped her up off the bed. “C’mon, dinner should be ready now. Let’s grab a quick bite and see if Salihn wants to have a sleepover with mum and dad. That’ll give us a chance to dive into those books tonight. Or into this bed.�

“Promises, promises,� grinned Linneá. “I just need to change first. My old vampire armor isn’t appropriate for dinner with the folks. You’re welcome to stay and watch. Maybe help me out of it?�

“With pleasure, my princess!�

-----

Twenty minutes later found the three of them having a quiet meal with Kirin and Lydia. The conversation mostly strayed towards everyday work in the palace, but before long it turned to the implications of the deposed emperor and what it meant for the already fractured Empire.

“Have you heard anything from Anilay recently?� Serana asked.

“Not so much,� said Kirin. “From his last latter, it sounded like the Elder Council were poised to make him the de-facto leader until a valid claim to the throne is made. I’d imagine he’s very busy at this point. We can talk about that tomorrow – what I want to know, Linn, is how my son is doing. And who this mysterious woman he’s with is.�

“Gwyndala Louvian. Not sure where she’s from or what the entirety of their history together is, but I can tell they trust each other implicitly, and that’s good enough for me. She’s a firebrand, too. In a different life, I think Gwyn would’ve fit in great with us and Anska. Cain certainly knows how to choose his friends.�

“I’d love to meet her, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see if he brings her home at some point,� said Lydia, joining in now that Salihn had eaten her fill and resumed playing. “But what about Cain? Is he still struggling? Should we be worried for him?�

“Yes and no,� replied Linneá. “He still grieves for her, but he’s not a wreck anymore. Having Gwyn around is definitely helping. No idea when he plans on coming home, though.�

Kirin sighed and took a pull from his tankard of mead. “I hope it’s sooner rather than later,� he said. “If I’m to make a claim for the Ruby Throne, I’d rather my firstborn be here to succeed me. Er, no offense, Linn,� he added. “I know it’s not something you ever wanted, though.�

Linneá sat in silence for a few minutes. Not so long ago, the idea of being Skyrim’s High Queen had repulsed her, but so much had changed in their life over the last year that her feelings were no longer clear on the matter. The absence of her brother and the adoption of Salihn had given her a lot of new responsibilities, and she and Serana weren’t quite so carefree about life these days. Her memories drifted back to that night in Blacklight when she’d first questioned whether or not her complete opposition to ruling was warranted.

I meant it then and I still mean it now, Elle, Serana spoke into her thoughts. Skyrim would be lucky to have you.

Lucky to have us, my love. Don’t think you’ll get off scot free!

She’d been silent for a little too long and Kirin waved a hand impatiently in front of her face. “Nirn to Linn – are you still in there?�

“Relax, I’m still here dad. Just got lost in thought for a moment. Anyway, about what you said before… well, you should never say never. Things change. People change. And I’ll do whatever I have to for our homeland.�

Sad to hear about Gwyn's tortured past. I hope something happens to mend her torn spirit.

It'll be a long road, but she'll get there.

What a horrible childhood Gwyn has had! It certainly explains her aloofness and flashes of anger, as well as her unusual destruction magic. A good step for her, I think, opening up to Cain.

Ahah, so the mystery of their objective becomes clearer. I rather thought his grief over Anska was involved and even wondered if they were looking into necromantic rituals. The Dragon God of Time and Cain being dragonborne. . . their crazy idea may not be quite so crazy as Linneá first thinks. Though she is not wrong to be concerned about unpredictable results and unintended consequences.

Whether to seek Kyne’s wisdom on the matter is quite the weighty question.

In the meantime, it seems Linneá is adjusting to motherhood and even considering the possibility of becoming Kirin’s successor if Cain is unable/unwilling to do so.

It was indeed, and by the time we catch up in the present day you can tell she is more outgoing. The Gwyn that saved his life would have bolted at the first sign of his family. Or Kyne.


Unfortunately, I think our goddess will be quite cross when this is all over.

This post has been edited by Kane: Apr 16 2025, 12:45 AM

Chapter XLI – Possibilities and Impossibilities


A six-foot diameter circle of grass had been burned off just a few steps outside of Gwyn’s cabin, revealing the damp morning soil beneath it. There remained at the center a single orange wildflower, surrounded by ancient runes that had been carefully painted onto the ground by Cain and Gwyn at sunrise. With the sun now steadily soaring overhead, she sat cross-legged at the center of the ritual circle with her eyes closed, concentrating on the chronomantic theories she’d been digesting.

Cain sat in a chair on the nearby front porch, watching and waiting eagerly to see if his friend could pull off a successful first test of this mysterious branch of magick. Thunderous rain clouds loomed far away on the horizon, so it was now or never. By lunch time, the runes would be washed away by the relentless march of nature. And time.

He sipped from his mug of coffee and then leaned forward when Gwyndala raised her hands, her palms filling with a vibrant blueish-white magicka that swirled and eddied in shapeless, yet threaded forms. The energy blossomed outwards to encompass the entirety of the small clearing, and the runes themselves began to glow with the same mystical light. Eyes still clamped firmly shut in concentration, Gwyn’s hand started to move in complex patterns that left a faint trail of light behind them, mimicking the runes painted upon the earth.

Then Gwyn’s hands came to a rest, stretched out in front of her and hovering delicately over the single wildflower. Her eyes opened and she gazed down at the orange petals and green stalk in front of her as she began to move her lithe hands in a circular motion around it. The energy of time flowed between her fingertips and cascaded down over the test subject. Astonished by what he was at last seeing, Cain rose from his seat and crept nearer to the ritual zone just in time to see the flower grow taller and taller and taller before shrinking down to a miniscule sprout, barely freed from its seed pod.

Gwyn reversed the circular motion of her hands and the flower grew upwards once again until she stopped, returning it to the natural state it had been in before her interference with the flow of time. The magick around her slowly faded from existence and the runes ceased glowing just in time for the ominous clouds overheard to begin their cleansing rains.

She pushed herself up off the ground and retreated to the dryness of the front porch where Cain stood waiting, admiring his friend and her competency with previously untested magick. “Weren’t those clouds a lot further off when I started?� she asked him.

The rain had already begun to wash away the runes. Cain frowned at her question and worriedly looked out over the moors for signs of a certain goddess that had been absent for a few days. Nothing leapt out at him and there were few trees among the expansive grasslands for her to be perched in.

“I get what you’re implying, but there’s no sign of her,� said Cain. “Maybe the winds kicked up and blew it in faster than we expected.� He turned back towards Gwyn and smiled at her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, so, that was really fantastic for a first attempt. It was amazing to see you at work, confidently practicing such an obscure form of the arcane like a master. I’m proud of you.�

Tears welled up in the corners of Gwyn’s eyes and she spun around on the balls of her feet and headed inside the cabin, closing the door behind her with a snap. Bewildered by the sudden turn of events, Cain stared at the door for a few seconds and contemplated following her. He decided instead to sit back down with his coffee and to give her some space. Gwyn was a complicated person that he still didn’t fully understand, and he’d learned from past mistakes not to pressure her.

Only a few moments had lapsed before the door was yanked back open and Gwyndala stomped out onto the porch, her previously dark red hair now changed to a delightful shade of golden-yellow that resembled an early spring tulip.

“Stand up!� she commanded. Cain did as he was told, while simultaneously being apprehensive about this change in demeanor. “Did you really mean what you said before?� she asked him, hopefully. “That you’re proud of me?�

“Is that what this is about?� he replied, letting himself relax. “Of course I’m proud of you, Gwyn! How could I not be after what you just pulled off?�

Gwyn threw herself into his arms and let the happy tears flow once again. “I’m sorry, I must seem like a damn blubbering nutjob.� She squeezed him tightly and then let go to dry her eyes. “Thank you, Cain. I, um… no one’s ever said that to me. Not once. I just needed a minute to let it sink in…�

“Yeah, well, you didn’t exactly get dealt a fair hand with life, you know. And my offer still stands: if you want a fresh start when this is all over, there’s a place for you at the Blue Palace.�

“Cain, we talked about this,� said Gwyn, a look of sadness dancing behind her eyes. “I can’t go back with you and you know that. I don’t belong in your life during that period of time. We’re already pushing the boundaries and testing the limits of reality by trying to save your wife and altering the past. But you existed there when you were supposed to. I was here, living in misery and hunting bandits for the gold to survive. We can’t [censored] around with the natural order of things like that.�

“I know that, Gwyn, I do. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. I hate the idea of you being out here on your own, without Time unfolding the way it has for us. What’ll happen to you if I’m not there to be saved? And if I’m not there to save you? You deserve a chance at a better life and I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if my own desires washed that all away. Come back with me and to hell with the consequences!�

“Uggggghhhhh, stop speaking in convoluted circles like that! Temporal mechanics give me a [censored] headache. No more talking for a while. I’m going to brew some tea and then we are just going to sit and watch the rain, got it?�

She didn’t bother waiting for Cain to answer and headed back inside once again to throw the kettle on. He sipped again from his coffee that had long since become tepid and wondered to himself if asking Gwyn to grab him a mug of tea too would count against her no talking rule. Thankfully, he didn’t have to dwell on that for very long – their time together had become a fast friendship and she anticipated his want for a new drink.
So, for the next hour, they sat in silence with their hot tea and watched the storms roll across the Glenumbra Moors.

----

“Son of a bitch!� exclaimed Linneá.

“What?� asked Serana. “Did you find something in that one?�

The two of them had spent the last four nights pouring over the books loaned to them by their brother, trying to piece together whatever it was that spurred on his desire to attempt such a dangerous and unpredictable endeavor. Until now, they had come up empty.

“It just clicked into place. And I hate to say it, dear, but… he’s right. Holy [censored]. Cain and Gwyn are on to something tangible, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already taken practice steps to test the validity.� She set the book down and took a few deep breaths to center herself. The implications were astounding, yet Linneá wondered if they should never see the light of day. “Ana this is real. With the right tools, he could actually alter the past with little ramifications, provided he does so with the utmost caution. He could save her, at the cost of only his time away from us this past year or so. And Gwyn, I suppose. They’ll never meet and only Cain would be aware of her.�

Serana closed her book and threw it on the bed, frowning at jumble of thoughts circulating through her wife’s mind. She reached out and placed a hand on Linneá’s leg.

“Slow down for a minute and explain to me what you found. Your brain is moving too fast for me to parse it out.�

“Cain was right about our inborn nature as Dragonborn and how we can attune ourselves to the flow of time. It’s not something I had previously considered, because I always assumed that only the most powerful dragons like Alduin or Akatosh himself could have any influence directly on it. But this isn’t so. If we can grasp the threads of linear time, either through magick, or by some other means, it can be navigated by someone possessing the willpower to do so. And he definitely has that.�

Leaning back in her chair, Serana exhaled loudly and stared up at the lofty ceiling. Searching inward, she found that the idea of it all terrified her on some level, and yet she could sense the mounting excitement over the prospect of it that Linneá was beginning to emanate. Her wife had always had a strong inclination towards learning and understanding magick at its deepest, but Serana couldn’t help but wonder if this was going too far.

Could Anska be saved? Or was the question they needed to ask not could, but should? Then she asked herself if either question truly mattered, for they would never know if Cain did succeed. Life would simply unfold from that new point in time, with Anska and her unborn child alive and well. They would only come to know of what happened if Cain told them what he’d done.

However, even that was uncertain. No one could predict temporal magick, otherwise it would have become more prevalent. His incursion into the past could blend both realties into one, leaving a lot of confusion and disorientation it the wake of it. Or maybe…

“I had the exact same though, my love,� said Linneá. “If he does this, I only see one scenario where it possibly works and the timing will be tricky, but not impossible.�

“You’re going to help him then?�

“To be honest, I don’t know. This isn’t something to rush headlong into and we haven’t had the luxury of considering it for three months.�

“I agree,� said Serana. “I won’t ask you not to, but let’s take some time to mull it over carefully. Especially since time is the one thing that we don’t have to worry about in all of this madness.�






Nearly ten days had come and gone since Linneá disappeared from Gwyn’s cabin with the books Cain had loaned her. Kyne had visited once in the interim but it had been a cordial and brief stop to see how he was doing. In the meantime, several more ritual circles had been created and wiped away each day while Gwyn honed her influence over Chronomancy. She’d repeated the process with the flower a few times before moving onto more complex life. So far, only one toad had perished when she sped up time for it just a tad too much.

The spells were taxing though, and typically by midday she was spent. And to top it off, Cain’s incessant pacing had been driving her up the wall until she finally caved and allowed him to organize her chaotic house as a way to pass the time while they waited. Gwyn didn’t love the idea of him rooting through her belongings, but she had become empathetic enough to understand that the current inaction was unbearable for the man, especially when they were so close.

She watched him struggle to hang a particularly skimpy black dress of hers and began to wonder if she was making the right choice in staying behind. Life had been so… grim, before he had wormed his way in. What would happen to her once he alters the past and never became a part of her life? Gwyn supposed she would technically never know, but damn it if the man didn’t have a huge influence on the woman she was slowly becoming.

Her idle thoughts were interrupted by a flash of purple light from inside her home, followed by two voices – one she recognized and another she didn’t. Gwyn headed inside and was greeted by Linneá with a nod, and with an apprising smile from a shorter pale woman who had equally dark, shoulder-length hair, and keen blue eyes.

“Ah, there you are Gwyn,� said Cain. “This is Serana: Linneá’s wife and my sister-in-law!�

Gwyndala offered a small curtsy and wasted no time with a question for them. “How in the hell did you find someone in that backward ass province who would wed two women?�

“Kyne,� shrugged Serana. “She does what she wants. And it’s nice to meet you Gwyn. Heard a bit about you from Elle.�

“Mhm. So, what brings you ladies to my home unannounced? Again.�

Linneá slipped her shoulder bag off and pulled out the three books Cain had offered her last week, setting them down on the now cleared off coffee table.

“So, we read through them and debated the merits of what you said, brother. You were right to infer that the answer would jump out at me, but I still have some questions before we agree to anything.�

“Shoot,� said Cain.

“First off, what was your actual plan?�

Cain looked at her in surprise. He had expected in depth questions on the means of time travel itself, not what he would do if it worked. Gwyn was also looking curiously at him and he started to wonder if they’d missed something.

“Um, I was just going to grab Anska, mum, and Salihn and take them to Elysium until the attack ended. Figured I would just regroup with dad and finish the job like we did the first time.�

“Thought it’d be something like that,� said Serana. “That’s not feasible, Cain.�

“How so?� frowned Gwyn, heading off a similar response from him. “It ties up everything with a neat little bow, doesn’t it? Cain saves his fiancé and gets his family out of danger. Everything is hunky-dory�

“No, it’s not,� tutted Linneá. “You missed something vital with temporal mechanics – when Cain goes back there will suddenly be two of him in the palace. And that’s where things will get ugly. You’re not going to replace your past self, he’ll still be there defending our home.�

“Then how – oh,� said Cain. “Oh, damn. I see where you’re going with this. That’s going to be really awkward to explain. [censored], but what about mum and Salihn? I can’t leave them there to fend for themselves!�

“Take them to Elysium like you planned and then high-tail it out of there before anyone notices.�

“Hold the [censored] on,� chimed Gwyn. “How will THAT work? If the past Cain is still there, then his fiancé is going to disappear for ten months with a different version of himself! How the [censored] does any of this make sense?�

“And that’s where Elle and I got to before draining a bottle of brandy to make the headache go away,� replied Serana. “I think we’ve collectively re-discovered the reason why Time Magick has become taboo.�

Cain leaned back dejectedly in his chair with a feeling of failure welling up inside. It was all unraveling. Everything he and Gwyn had worked at day and night for three months was amounting to nothing. No matter what angle he looked at it from, the entire plan began to fall apart the further along it got. He felt the headache coming on and decided it was time for a very strong pot of coffee.

Though they are experiencing some technical success with time manipulation, it is not long before the potential problems begin to reveal themselves.

They are not far off to believe that if Cain rescues Anska, Gwyn will likely not survive. Then Linneá, after some reading, brings up some other vexing concerns. The potential risks are very high for a distinct possibility that it will not work – or work with disastrous consequences. What would Anska’s counsel be? I think I know. The same as Kyne’s I suspect – which may well be why Cain is reluctant to ask her. That should tell him something.

Then there is Gwyn. I suspect there are more than the seeds of friendship growing in her heart. Yet how can she compete with the ghost of a woman who died a heroine - unless she gets a bit of help from Cain?

I am certainly on the edge of my seat as Cain wrestles with these high stakes decisions and plots his course.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Apr 18 2025, 12:48 AM

Temporal mechanics sure are a hoot, eh? I was pulling my hair out earlier trying to make nonsense make sense. Deep down I think he does know exactly what Anska would be saying on the matter, even of he can't bring himself to acknowledge it.

And yeah, no matter how this shakes out, it appears to set up Gwyn as the one with who loses the most. Either they figure out a safe way for him to go back to the past, and she never meets him, or Anska comes forward in time and leaves with a content Cain. Gwyn would still be a part of his life, but she'd be in the backseat while they build a family.

This post has been edited by Kane: Apr 17 2025, 09:38 PM

Chapter XLII – Division

Kirin knocked on the door to his daughter’s living space and waited patiently for an answer that wasn’t coming. He tried the doorknob and found it to be locked, so with a sigh he instead headed for their private library in one of the lower chambers. It was also empty and he returned to his study growing more and more frustrated. Shortly thereafter, Lydia slipped through the door with Salihn at her heel. The little one made for her usual corner of the room where her grandparents kept a small pile of toys, while Lydia joined him behind the desk.

“Something wrong, husband? You look a bit out of sorts.�

“Any idea where the girls went?�

“Linn mentioned something about Cain but didn’t offer any details. I just assumed she’s checking up on him again and that Serana wanted to tag along and see him, too. I thought about asking her to take me to see him tomorrow, if you’d like to join us.�

He took a sip of water from a glass on his desk and considered that for a moment. By all accounts, it would not be a dangerous trip to undertake, and he really did yearn to see his son again. Maybe he could speak to Linneá about it later.

“Any idea when they will be back? I think we should start moving some of the more dangerous items from Elysium, but I’m at a loss as to where we could move them that would still be safe. Certainly not here, that’s for sure.�

“And you’re thinking that Linn may have some secret bolt hole from her time in the guild?�

“Something like that, yeah,� said Kirin. “She knows the land better than any of us.�

“I’m sure they’ll be back soon, dear. His friend seems nice enough, but Linn mentioned she’s very guarded and doesn’t care for the extra company. I must admit, I’m almost equally interested in meeting this woman as I am in seeing Cain again.�

They heard a low rumbling sound and glanced over at Salihn. The little elf had dozed off in her toy pile while they spoke and snored nearly as loudly as Linneá did. Lydia gave her husband a kiss and then went to scoop up their granddaughter. They headed down the hall to her own living quarters and took a nap together while Kirin went back to work.

-----

“There is one other thing I still don’t understand, Cain,� said Linneá. “You mentioned needing my help but I gathered it was for more than just coming to the same conclusion you did. What haven’t you told us yet?�

“Hardly seems to matter now,� he grumbled.

Cain’s mood had grown increasingly dour while they’d been debating the futility of pulling off time travel without thoroughly thrashing the timeline and causing reality to come undone. The coffee helped with the headaches but did little to assuage the feelings of helplessness that were creeping back up from the depths he’d buried them in.

“Yeah, we’re losing him,� said Gwyn, staring worriedly at her friend. She could tell it was time to take the reins and put all their cards on the table. “Look, I’ll be honest… this part scares even me. Practicing some spells outside was one thing, but, well… he wants the three Elder Scrolls your family has hidden away at your old home.�

Nothing but the sound of a gentle breeze across the moor could be heard after Gwyn finished speaking. She had nearly winced when the words came out, half expecting Cain’s sisters to immediately trounce on them for even suggesting something so outlandish. Somehow, this stunned silence was ever worse, but this time Serana broke it first.

“I mean… just no. [censored] no! What the [censored] are you two thinking?! Time Magic is dangerous enough on its own and now you want to add Elder Scrolls into the mix? Are you trying to finish what Alduin started, or are you two really just that [censored] daft?!�

“Look here, princess,� Gwyn fired back. “No one invited you into my goddamn house to insult me. Cain needs your help and if you aren’t willing to give it then you can get the [censored] out before I make you.� Her hair faded from a shimmering azure to deep crimson before their eyes, and the barest flicker of a corrupted spell sparked in her palm.

Cain saw the arcing of red magick and his occupied mind jolted back to the forefront. “Gwyn, no,� he said, motioning to her trembling fist. “She’s not trying to insult you. That was a valid, if rather direct response to a statement we both know is absurd. Just take a deep breath – the last thing we need is to be fighting with each other. Anska and I went down that road once before and it sucked for everyone.�

Gwyn closed her eyes for a moment while her temper leveled off. Afterwards, she retreated to her tiny pantry by the fireplace and pulled out an unlabeled bottle and three dusty glasses. Then she joined them around the table again and poured out a generous measure of the deep caramel liquid for herself, Linneá, and Serana.

“Okay, let’s try this again,� she said. “Take a few sips and we’ll start over without the hostility.� Serana picked up her glass and examined it closely and then set it back down, prompting Gwyn to give her a nudge. “Drink up, girl. I was told you like brandy and this is the good stuff from Daggerfall. It puts that [censored] from Cyrodiil to shame.

“Uh, why exactly was that spell you had primed red?� asked Linneá, pointing at Gwyn’s hand. “I know more about magick than most and the only time I’ve seen variations of that color is when Ana and I were vampires. What kind of magick do you practice, Gwyn?�

“Destruction and that’s all you need to know,� said Gwyn, evasively. “Now, I believe we were talking about Elder Scrolls, yes? I’m not going to beat around the bush… will you help us or not?�

A fleeting look passed between Cain’s sisters. Ah, that would be connection he mentioned, thought Gwyn. I can see the merits of it. And why losing Anska broke him so. Gwyn took a deep sip from her brandy and let her eyes drift over to Cain. Judging by the solemn expression on his face, he’d spotted it too and knew what was coming next.

Linneá sighed and placed a gentle hand on his leg. “I’m sorry, but we can’t. Not in that way. They’re simply too dangerous to exploit in such a manner. We all know what happened the last time people tried using a Scroll to solve their problems, and mum and dad barely survived the end result.�

Cain stood up and headed outside without a word and Linneá followed just behind him leaving Gwyn and Serana in the throes of another uncomfortable silence. Serana had been watching Gwyn closely while her wife had broken the news, and she still nearly missed the playful smile that disappeared more quickly than it had formed. It was the only break in Gwyn’s usually guarded demeanor since they’d arrived, and one that Serana knew all too well. She recalled wearing that same smile plenty of times when Linneá wasn’t looking.

“Gwyn?� she had to be delicate about this. The girl seemed to run hot with her emotions.

“What?� came the waspish reply. “Don’t be bashful, you weren’t before.�

“If that’s how you want to play it, fine,� Serana took a deep breath and after Linneá silently confirmed that she and Cain would be a few minutes, she dove right in. “How long have you had feelings for Cain?� Gwyn began to stammer out a response and her pale face took on a delicate pink hue, but Serana cut her off. “Don’t try to deny it, I saw your reaction when Elle turned you two down. You don’t want this to work, do you? The Scrolls were his ticket to making something, anything, work and now that they aren’t an option, you’ll have more time with him. So, what’s the plan? Stick by his side until he gives up this crusade to rescue Anska, hoping he’ll see you as more than a friend? Or do you have a more direct approach in mind that won’t involve him ditching you for assuming he wants anyone but the woman he’s willing to risk destroying reality for?�

“That’s… your…I don’t… I… [censored].� Gwyn leaned forward with her head in her hands. “How in the hell did you figure all that out from single, half-second slip?�

“I was a vampire in a royal court for a very long time. Studying others is what I do. And I appreciate you not trying to lie about it.�

Gwyn drained the rest of her glass and filled it back up to the top before downing that one, too. The strong brandy scorched her throat on the way down but she savored the burn as a distraction from the conversation she now found herself in. A conversation she never expected to have with anyone.

“You will not say a word about this to anyone, got it?� she said to Serana. “Cain can’t know, not while he’s still so wrapped up in this. When you and Linneá leave, he’s going to fall apart worse than before and I’ll have to help pick up the pieces. Again. It’s gonna [censored] suck, but I managed it before and I can do so again. He’s earned it twice over in our time together.�

“Wow, he really did a number on you, huh? I won’t deny that Cain’s an exceptional man, but what brought this on, Gwyn?�

She thought back over the last few months with Cain and the rocky start their friendship had begun with. Gwyn hadn’t wanted anyone else in her life and barely tolerated his presence after she’d save him from death, and from his alcohol addiction. Here was another man to distrust, like so many others she had come across in her life. Yet, Cain often went out of his way to be grateful for her help that night, even though it had been for selfish purposes. And then he’d saved her life not ten hours after she told him to piss off and never come back. Saved her from the one thing she vowed never to let happen again.

It wasn’t until that same afternoon that they’d truly become friends, and she started to look on him kindlier. Looked past the grieving man to what he could be, given enough time… And then she’d let her curiosity get the best of her. Started asking about his nature as Dragonborn and soon steered them down the path that lay beneath their feet.

Realizing she hadn’t answered Serana, Gwyn let her heart speak. “He was kind to me when he didn’t need to be. When I didn’t deserve it. When I did my best to push him away, and nearly succeeded. Then, he saved me from being raped and murdered by bandits, and just like that, Cain had done more for me than almost anyone in my life ever had. And he didn’t stop there. The final nail in the coffin came last week when he offered something so simple, yet so powerful. Praise. He praised me like know else ever had.�

Gwyn brushed away a tear in a vain attempt to keep her eyeshadow from running. Serana handed her a kerchief and refilled her empty cup once again. She couldn’t help but pity the woman.

“Drink up, dear. I wish I could offer you some advice, but I suspect you’re right about my brother. Elle and I just killed his one desire and one reason for continuing on. The road for his recovery has grown long once again and I doubt he’ll come home to let us help him. He’s going to need your friendship more than ever, Gwyn.�

The door to the cabin opened and Cain trudged in with Linneá right behind him. He looked angrier than Gwyn had ever seen him, and she was shocked to see that Linneá’s eyes were red and swollen. Their talk obviously hadn’t gone very well, for his sister didn’t say a word while she grabbed Serana’s hand and teleported them away. He didn’t say a word to her as he kicked off his boots and climbed into bed.

-----

Morning came when it always did, even though it felt too soon to Gwyn. She didn’t sleep much last night and she wasn’t sure if Cain had either. Her friend hadn’t said a word to her since Linneá and Serana left the night before. Feeling hungry and thirsty, Gwyn kicked off her blankets and started bustling around the cabin in search of a bite to eat while she put the kettle on. With a fresh mug of her favorite tea ready, she went outside and sat on the porch. The activity must have awoken Cain, for he soon joined her with his own cup of the steaming beverage.

They watched the sun rise over the Glenumbra Moors in silence, until Gwyn broke the reverie. “Cain? What happened between you and your sister last night?�

He didn’t answer right away. Anger had gotten the best of him last night and he had said some hurtful things to his sister that he was already regretting. What Linneá had said was right, even if he didn’t want to hear it. The pain of losing their only shot at saving Anska was too much for him and he was barely holding himself together, but Gwyn didn’t deserve to see him like that again.

“Things got heated,� he shrugged. “I tried my best to convince her but Linn is one of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met. Once she makes a decision, she sticks to it no matter what. She’s more than willing to deal with Anska being gone than using Elder Scrolls and time magick to save her. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. “He sipped from his tea again and got to his feet. Gwyn could sense the darkness in him returning full force and it terrified her. “I’m gonna take a walk.�

Cain disappeared into the early morning mist while Gwyn watched solemnly. He needed help now more than ever but she wasn’t sure how to go about it. Would she let it go and try to get him through this? Serana said the road would be long and Gwyn knew deep down it was further than his sister realized. And yet, Gwyn had tossed and turned all night while she wrestled with a new approach to the problem and whether or not she should bring it to him. Or could.

The glum look on his face when returned an hour later answered the question for her. As much as she wanted to be selfish and hold onto him, Cain needed Anska – and Gwyn found that she would rather just see him whole again, even if it meant they’d never be together.

“Want some breakfast?� he asked her. “I’m starving and misery loves company.�

“I could eat,� said Gwyn. “Although, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about first, if can spare a minute.�

“What is it?�

“Um. I was up for most of the night thinking about our efforts. I’d hate to see them be for naught, so I tried to approach the problem from a different angle. One that doesn’t involve the Elder Scrolls.�

“I’m listening.�

“How would you feel about joining the ritual circle with me… and letting me draw power from your dragon spirit?�

Your skill with storytelling led me to pretty much the same conclusion as Serana. Gwyn’s feelings for Cain are even stronger than I thought though, for she is willing to continue trying to help him – even though success means he would be returned to Anska and she would be alone again. And the result might also preclude her being rescued from that likely mortal encounter with bandits.

So Elder Scrolls are out but, she thinks, how about joining his dragonborn power with her growing skill with temporal magic?

I wish Cain could hear from Anska's spirit somehow to perhaps help set him free. She died without even being able to say goodbye. Even Buffy had the luxury of hearing her dying mate's last words telling her to live her long elven life.

That means a ton to me Acadian, thank you.


It was sooooo hard for me to not give up the goose when you sussed that out in the last chapter! I think Gwyn still holds out hope that they'll at least be friends when it's all over. Everything about time travel remains uncertain, including her fate. glargg also had a good point that she and Serana share a similar dark past. I think on some level they are very in tune with each other, even if their fist encounter got off to a rocky start.


That's still a looming factor and it's probably what Cain and Linneá argued about before her abrupt departure with Serana. He did get some time together with Anska at the end, but it was fleeting. Definitely not enough to get any kind of closure.