The Call of the Wind, Children of Kyne, Volume I Options

[Kane]

I just finished up the long volume II of this series, so I thought I'd start posting them both here. This entry is one of my first real stabs at writing out a tale and one of only a couple I ever finished. The dialogue is a little stilted and the chapters are short (needed more practice) so it isn't a long read. If you are interested in reading it, I hope you enjoy! (PS, I'm too lazy to proofread this one and I wrote in 2018, so if there are any spelling or grammar errors, I apologize in advance!)



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Prologue

The morning dew lay gleaming on the lush, green undergrowth of Cyrodiil’s Great Forest as the morning sun shined through the branches of its lofty trees. Deep in the heart of the woodlands, sat a small clearing and at its center lie a large rock, covered in silky green moss. Here upon this stone, sat an impressively large brown hawk - it looked far out of place among the other birds of the province, but it was not without purpose. Sitting as still as the unmoving stone beneath it, a wanderer could have mistaken it for a small statue to some long forgotten god.
Nestling its head into her wing feathers, she waited impassively for her prey. Soon thereafter, a crashing could be heard in the forests nearby. Quite suddenly, a pale, sickly looking Colovian emerged from the dense brush and scampered right through the clearing without so much as a glance at the large hawk.

Craning her neck, she listened for the pursuer she was expecting.

And sure enough, the gentle footsteps of a practiced stalker could be heard approaching the clearing, following the rampant destruction of the woodland left in the wake of the panicked, clumsy runner. The hawk lifted her head and waited for this new, but nonetheless expected visitor.

Ah, I see this predator is much too clever to wander into a forest clearing. The professional that he is knows to avoid such a thing, as it is ripe for ambush. Perhaps a little encouragement is needed…

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The mercenary did not like what he saw ahead. Peering through the bramble, he intensely surveyed the clearing, looking for any sign of an ambush. The vampire he pursued had thus far been crashing through the forest like an ogre, but that may have been a ruse. Vampires, he had always thought, were usually much cleverer than this oaf was.

Hesitating outside the clearing was wasting time, but his instincts were kicked into overdrive as he approached it. Long ago he learned to trust those instincts, and many times they had been the difference between life and death. So there he sat, eyes darting around the forest opening, searching intently for signs of danger.

Quite suddenly, the once calm morning changed as a brisk northern wind began to flow through the woods, rustling the treetops and bringing a slight chill to the air. Our mercenary barely noticed the change in clime, until he heard the whispers on the wind. Startled, he relaxed his eyes, and instead strained his ears to the wind, where he swore a voice had whispered to him. The breeze fluttered once more, and this time he was positive…his name was carried gently on the wind.

Kirin...approach my child. Follow your instincts…and my voice…

Standing up nervously, he shouldered his composite bow, and walked boldly into the clearing. To his utter surprise, the hawk he’d mistaken for a statue hewn above the boulder stretched its impressive wings, and spoke to him with an undoubtedly feminine voice.

“It is time for you to return home, my child. Skyrim awaits you, and your destiny has come. Left behind will be your days of mercenary work and feeble pleasures. They matter not now, and only what you accomplish next will be of any consequence.”

This was unexpected, and temporarily froze Kirin, as a million thoughts raced through his mind. He settled on only one, though.

“And if I refuse?”

“It will matter not. The aspect of destiny is inescapable, and utterly final. Try as you might, it will simply catch up to you later, at a time when you may have less choice in its subtleties. Heed my words, and I promise you will not regret the choice to follow them.”

Kirin pondered on her words once more, and quickly realized what he was dealing with. One should not refuse the finality of the divines… He removed his helmet, and knelt on the grass before the large northern hawk.

“Lady Kyne, I see the wisdom in your words, and I pledge myself and my service to you.”

“Very well, young Kirin. Your time in Cyrodiil is at an end. Return to your fellow brothers and sisters of Skyrim, and your true journey shall begin in earnest.”

She then spread her wings once more, and took to the skies above Tamriel, flying ever northwards.skies above Tamriel, flying ever northwards.

This post has been edited by Kane: Dec 10 2024, 03:08 PM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Ooo what happened with the “vampire” in the prologue?

The whole time I’m reading this, I had “Call of the Wind” by Xandria playing in my mind, lol

[Kane]

Ooo what happened with the “vampire” in the prologue?

The whole time I’m reading this, I had “Call of the Wind” by Xandria playing in my mind, lol

Just a lost thread. Didn't seem very important to him after a literal god showed up.


A Gift from the Goddess

The Bannered Mare was quiet and still when Kirin awoke the next morning. Lydia was gone from her chair, and he could hear voices drifting up to the loft, alongside a sweet smell of berry and spice from whatever meal Hulda was concocting. Rising from the bed, he gathered his gear and walked downstairs into the main hall of the inn. Various partiers from the night before hadn’t made it home, and were still passed out on whatever soft bed they could find – be it a pile of hay or a fur rug.

Lydia was seated at a table near the bar, conversing with Hulda, the proprietor. As he slid into one of the other empty chairs they gave him a polite nod and continued talking while he dug into a berry crostata.

“I’m surprised you let these drunks loaf around here overnight, Hulda.”

“Oh, well, I normally wouldn’t, but it was a special occasion I suppose.” She glanced over at Kirin, “It’s not every day we have a hero in our midst, after all.”

Kirin swallowed a bite of crostata before replying, “I only do as Kyne guides me, Hulda. We all have her to thank for my return to Skyrim, so if you would thank someone, I would do so at the temple. My days of seeking glory are over.”

“Be that as it may, you still have found what you don’t desire. You should at least embrace it for the people – in these trying times, they need someone to look up to.”

One of the drunks began to stir in the corner and she rose to rouse him and usher the braggart out. He grumbled something about a headache as he pushed open the front door, and nearly fell over again when the bright morning sun beamed down on him.

Chuckling, Kirin turned back to his breakfast.

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A half hour later, he leaned back in his chair with his cup of herbal tea and began to contemplate on where his journey was taking him next. Ivarstead was a long walk, and High Hrothgar even longer. In his youth, Kirin had made the pilgrimage at the behest of his ailing father. Kroval was a deeply spiritual man, and wanted them to make the journey together when Kirin was of the right age. It was not a pilgrimage for the weak or weary, and many dangers lie upon the Seven Thousand steps of The Throat of the World.
Lost in thoughts of his childhood and family, he barely heard Lydia address him.

“So, you’re a follower of our Lady Kyne, Thane?” she asked, candidly.

“Kirin, Lydia. And yes, but it goes a little further than that. We talk about that later, though…for now I have only one question – what is going on with that empty house on the western road?”
“Oh, you mean Elysium Estate? Not much is known about it. It’s believed that the original owner as a patron of Kyne, much like yourself. The place is decorated with banners and tapestries adorned with her crest.”

This piqued Kirin’s interest immensely. “Oh?”

“Mhmm. No one has lived there in some time, though. Those that visit return emptyhanded, and sometimes a bit…different.”
“Different? In what way?” asked Kirin.

“Well, a few are touched in some way by Kyne…other refuse to talk about what they find. There is an air of mystery around the entire matter, so if you intend to go there yourself it’s my duty to advise against it.”

“Come now, Lydia – enough with talk of ‘duty’. You may have been assigned my housecarl, but you’ll learn quickly that I am not one for rigorous tradition.”

Lydia shrugged and got up from her chair. “I need to stop at Belethor’s before we leave. Do you need anything?”

“No. I’m a little overstocked as it is, and I will need somewhere to place it all before long. I’ll be waiting by the main gate.”

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The sun was approaching its midday stride when Kirin and Lydia met back up at Whiterun’s main gate. Kirin looked over his supplies once more to make sure nothing was missing, and then together they headed out through the gate and down the winding path towards the stables. At the road’s junction, Kirin turned west once again, heading for Elysium Estate.
“I take it your curiosity has gotten the best of you, my Thane?”

Kirin sighed. “Some habits are hard to break I suppose. But, yes, it has. It’s more than that, though…I believe that I am supposed to go there. My instincts have never steered me wrong, and that was before I had a goddess nudging them.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Kirin winked at her. “We’ll get to that later.”

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Soon after, they were walking down the path towards the wooden gate of Elysium. The place definitely did seem empty, but that’s what intrigued Kirin the most. Pushing through the gate, he looked around the yard and to his amazement, a ghost appeared off to his right, near the drinking well.
Before Kirin could decide what to do, the ethereal specter walked towards them, speaking in an otherworldly tone. She spoke of past owners and the Lady Kyne, who had domain over the estate. The ghost was once a caretaker for Elysium, and even after death had been tasked with keeping it up, until the right owner came to claim it. She instructed Kirin to go around the western side of the house, to pray at Kynareth’s shrine.

“If you are worthy, she will speak to you.”

And so around the other side of the house, Kirin and Lydia went. As they walked, Kirin gave her a reassuring touch on her shoulder. He could tell she was a little rattled, and that she was not ready for that particular outcome to the mystery of the estate.

They found the shrine under a small porch roof across from the stable. Kirin knelt before the shrine to prey, but had barely begun when Kyne’s voice rang in his head.

“You’ve done well so far, my child. You’ve proved yourself against the dragons, and learned about yourself – all while honoring me faithfully. But your true path has only begun to unravel. High Hrothgar awaits you, but before you depart for the lofty summit, speak to my priestess Danica in Whiterun. She has a task for you.”

“I will do as you wish, Lady Kyne. But I also have many questions for you.”

”And I will answer them in time. Do not fret, Kirin – we will speak again soon. In the meantime, enjoy this house as your own. You are my champion now, and it will suit your needs amicably.”

Kirin bowed his head in respect one last time, rose to meet Lydia. She had been watching him nervously while he communed with Kyne, and was pleased to see that he was well.

“Come, Lydia – we need to find The Caretaker once more….and get the key to my house.