Season Unending, The Children of Kyne, Vol. III Options

[Kane]

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Content warning: this story should be considered 18+. Sexual content is present, but never described, and I don't shy away from foul language (though it seems to be censored). There is also darker content further in regarding sexual assault.

Prologue
It could be said that Skyrim was a cold, harsh land, unforgiving to outsiders and barely tolerant of anyone but a true Nord. Fortunately, those times have passed, and the sun shines brightly upon a healing landscape. The scars of civil war and dragon crises fading to memory as a new High King and his court sought to pull the land up from the depths of a crumbling Empire. An Empire in name only, its once powerful alliance spanning the entirety of Tamriel, now relegated to Cyrodiil (or the Heartland, as the Nibenese and Colovian nobles preferred to call it), High Rock, and, of course, Skyrim.

But now Skyrim stood to rise above the rest, and usher in a new era for a floundering society that still scurried from the inevitable boot of the Aldmeri Dominion. Hope began to inflame the hearts of men, for the Dragonborn King was rumored to be setting his sights upon the Ruby Throne, and the weak Mede Dynasty that occupied it. From his palace in Solitude, forces were directed and diplomats dispatched as the pawns of war moved slowly but surely. The Dominion was forced out of Skyrim with an ultimatum, and the land was finally back under the full rule of the Nords, as it ought to be.

The year is Two Hundred Twenty-nine of the Fourth Era, and the gears of war have started to turn, as the land braces itself for the Second Great War that was always to come. It was also the year that a mid-level member of the Anvil chapter of the Fighter’s Guild was loaned to the storied Companions of Jorrvaskr, in the city of Whiterun. This talented young warrior of Redguard descent suddenly found himself sailing to a strange land and leaving behind the only home he ever knew. Little remained for him in Anvil after the passing of his mother, so he looked forward to a new chapter of his life, far from the painful memories of home.

The first mate, a stout Imperial named Janius, approached the young Redguard with a roll of parchment and a quill. “Name?”

“Cain. No surname.”

“No surname?” inquired the First Mate. “How can that be, young man? I have it here that you were born and raised in Anvil, and joined the Fighter’s Guild when you came of age. Your mother is listed as Ariessa Janeel, also of Anvil. Do you not share her name?”

“In the absence of my father, she did not bestow it upon me.”

“Bastard then, eh? Unfortunate, but I see it all the time. What is your business in Skyrim?”

“On loan to The Companions. For what reason I do not yet know, but I will follow my orders from the guild and my future employers.”

“An honorable attitude for a young warrior, mister Cain. It’s a long voyage to the port of Solitude, so all we ask is that you remain civil and pitch in a helping hand when required.”

Cain nodded and the first mate moved on to speak with a different passenger. It was indeed a long voyage, filled with many sleepless nights while the ship bobbed and rocked on the choppy waters of the sea. The occasional storm would blow in and everyone from the captain to the lowest deckhands were grim-faced and determined as they struggled to keep the passengers safe from the onslaught of high waves and powerful winds. Nearly a full month passed before they sailed beneath the great arch of Solitude and nestled the ship into the port. All hands helped to moor the ship before the passengers eagerly disembarked in a new land.

A tall Dunmer man of middle years stood in wait on the pier, clad in worn hide armors with a longsword slung across his back. Years of experience lined his weathered face, eyes deep set and wary as he scanned the faces off all those who set foot off of the ship. When Cain approached the man, he flagged the Redguard down and directed him off to the side.

“You must be Cain,” he said. “Fresh from Anvil, yes? My name is Athis and I’ve been sent by our Harbinger to retrieve you. The Companions welcome your aid, but we have a long journey to Whiterun yet. Ordinarily I would accompany you south on foot, but we are already short-handed and will be taking a carriage.”

“Nice to meet you, Athis. Lead the way �" this is a strange land for me and I defer to your judgement.”

They shook hands and departed the port at a quick trot. A carriage sat in wait along the road to the capital city, and soon after Athis handed the driver a bag of Septims, the were trundling along the road to Dragon Bridge, headed for the southern road to Whiterun Hold and Jorrvaskr �" the legendary mead hall of The Companions. Despite being in an unfamiliar land, Cain found himself excited at the prospect of these new horizons and the change of pace from the last few months of misery that followed the death of his mother. He bowed his in prayer for her before striking up a conversation with Athis.

“So, what’s it like being in The Companions?” he asked. “Are things much different from the Fighter’s Guild?”

“Oh yes, quite different. Every man or woman in The Companions is their own. We have no leaders, just a Harbinger who is wise in counsel and offers a guiding hand. There are no ranks to elevate to and no coveted positions to fight for. We take the jobs we must and your shield-siblings will be ready to stand with you. Honor is valued above all else.”

“Interesting. I must admit, the lack of politics seems hard to believe. Everything is so much about rank and station in the guild that often times our true purpose is forgotten when the infighting picks up. Jobs go unanswered in the chaos and brawls turn deadly over simple differences of opinion. I might end up staying here for a long time if life is to be more peaceful in that regard.”

Athis chuckled. “While we do strive to rise above such petty squabbles, you’ll soon find that Jorrvaskr is anything but peaceful. However, our brawls usually end with hearty pats on the back and consuming copious amounts of mead, rather than misery and death!”

“Sounds like a dream come true, Athis.”

“That’s a very Nordic attitude, young one. Are you sure you’re a Redguard?”

“The color of my skin betrays that,” laughed Cain. “But who knows, maybe my father was a Nord, whoever he may be.”

The Dunmer smiled and their conversation moved onto other topics. Athis went over the finer points of The Companions with him and eventually moved onto the current political climate and powers that be in Skyrim. Cain listened with rapt attention, absorbing all the he could to avoid any run-ins with local laws and to avoid misunderstandings, no matter how small they could be. Just as the sun began to set, the carriage pulled into a small village and ground to a halt. Orthar, the driver, dismounted and told them they would continue on in the morning. Cain and Athis hopped down from the wagon and followed him into the local tavern, the Frostfruit Inn.

“This is the village of Rorikstead,” said Athis. “A fine place to spend the night. Grab us some mead and I’ll see about getting a meal. No sense in sleeping on an empty stomach.”

He left the inn as Cain was ordering a few pints of mead and a loaf of bread to munch on. Experience had taught the young man never to consume spirits on an empty stomach, and so he found a table off to the side and chewed on the crusty loaf while he awaited Athis’ return. Ten minutes later, his fellow Companion reentered the tavern with a basket of fruit in one hand and a bundle of skewered meats in the other. They ate and drank their fill while continuing to discuss the ins and outs of Jorrvaskr well into the night.

Dawn brought forth cloudy skies and the smell of rain upon the air as the carriage rumbled off onto the road, resuming their journey to Whiterun. By late afternoon, the two men were approaching the gates of the tundra city, and making their way through the bustling marketplace. They passed the local tavern and ascended a flight of stairs whereupon Cain was greeted with a breathtaking sight �" the Gildegreen was in full bloom before his eyes and the immense beauty of the towering tree froze him in his tracks as the wind gently whistled through its branches.

“Aye, a sight to see, eh?” remarked Athis. “Little matches the serene beauty of our mighty tree, blessed by the Goddess Kyne herself. That’s her temple there and the priestess' maintain the tree and those who seek her guidance within.”

“It’s amazing,” sighed Cain. “There is nothing quite as lovely in all of Cyrodiil.”

“Yeah, well, the Imperials already think too highly of themselves. Divines know they don’t deserve such a wonderful symbol as our Gildegreen. Let’s move on now �" Jorrvaskr is just over there.”

Continuing on, Cain and Athis soon stepped through the solid wood doors of the legendary mead hall and were met with the raucous din of the main dining area where shield siblings dined heartily and drank merrily, roaring with laughter and swapping exaggerated stories of their noble deeds. Athis steered him through the hall and down a small flight of stairs to a much quieter living area, with bedrooms lining the underground corridor. The walls were adorned with centuries of decorations ranging from trophy kills to impressive weapons to woven tapestries and ancient, tattered flags. At the far end of the hall two men sat around a small table and were deep in conversation, only noticing their approach at the last minute.

The smaller of the two large men rose to greet them. “Athis, I see you’ve returned with our new shield-brother!” He turned to the Redguard and offered a hand for Cain to shake. “Cain, yes? Welcome to Jorrvaskr! I’m Vilkas, Harbinger of The Companions, and the silent one here is my brother Farkas. He may look intimidating but I promise he is more bark than bite!” Vilkas roared with laughter and sat back down as Farkas greeted Cain.

“Pleasure to meet you, brother,” rumbled the towering Nord. He sat back down and resumed his stony silence while Vilkas spoke again.

“No trouble, then, Athis?”

“None at all. The land seems quiet for a change.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear that. But it’s getting late now �" you two head upstairs and eat. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow!”

Athis and Cain took their leave of the Harbinger, and his silent brother, and headed back to the dining hall for a good meal and plenty of mead. All in all, Cain was looking forward to being counted among the ranks of such proud, jovial warriors. Jorrvaskr was everything the Fighters Guild was not, and his mind was made up in short order �" tomorrow he would pen a letter to his chapter leader and tender his resignation. But the night was still relatively young, and after stowing what little gear he had under a vacant bed, Cain met Athis upstairs in the great hall.

They ate, drank, and sang well into the night as Cain made the rounds and was introduced to his shield-siblings. More than a few were young like him, and he could not help but eye up some of the female warriors among the ranks, especially Thea, a tall blonde Nord that shared the same birthyear as Cain. He lingered next to her the longest and was in awe at how much mead she could knock back with the rest of the burly men seated around Jorrvaskr. By midnight the two of them had slid out the back door and were getting to know each other better in the moonlit gardens.

The next day came earlier than Cain, still sleeping off the merriment and escapades from the night before, had expected it to. Farkas strode into his room just after sunrise and threw a dossier at him before barking out the Redguard’s first orders.

“Read that and then come find me in the mead hall. You’re heading to Falkreath today and we need to find you a shield-sibling to watch your back, and see what you can do. Don’t tarry, it’s a long walk to Falkreath and the sun is already up.”

Cain sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before leaving his warm bed and heading for the bathroom. He checked himself in the mirror before leaving and sighed at the long scratches Thea had left on the side of his face. Farkas had likely noticed them, too, but it was probably nothing new to the seasoned Companion. He splashed some water on his faced, headed back to general quarters, got dressed, and went upstairs for his first assignment.

This post has been edited by Kane: May 6 2025, 01:14 PM

[Kane]

Chapter IX - Family


Kirin Windborne, the High King of Skyrim, paced back and forth across the stone floor of his study tucked deep within the Blue Palace, his mind racing at everything that had come to light within the last day. He had awoken that morning with only one thing on his mind �" the delegation arriving in Morrowind and the possibility of allying with a powerful neighbor as a means to safeguard themselves against the Aldmeri Dominion. In hindsight, he found that he cared very little about it now that his family was growing again. I have a son, he thought. A son! I bet Linneá is beside herself…

“You will wear a path in the stone if you don’t stop that frantic pacing, husband,” came a voice from behind him.

Lydia, the High Queen lounged on her favorite ornate chaise and watched the king anxiously tread the same path over and over. Not one for the extravagance that came with their status, Lydia wore a simple white robe and a small tiara woven from vines she herself had pruned from the private gardens behind their residence. Pink blossoms from the Gildegreen had been preserved by her daughter and set into the tiara as gift on her fiftieth birthday, elevating the simple crown to a beauty that was hard to match.

“You’ll have to forgive me, dear,” said Kirin. “This is not something I anticipated �" not in my wildest dreams!” Realizing he hadn’t addressed something important, he stopped pacing and joined his wife on the chaise. “How are you dealing with all of this? I know it’s unexpected for everyone, but it also doesn’t exactly reflect kindly on my, uh, past behaviors…”

“Well, it wouldn’t be fair for me to angry with you about it, so I’m reserving judgement until I meet him. How old did you say he is?”

“Twenty-nine, according to the census records we’ve been able to find.”

“So, then you would have met his mother before you left Cyrodiil? Like I said, I can hardly be angry with you over that, but you’ll have to be patient with me if I show a touch of jealousy. That also would make him about two years older than Linn, and first in line as your successor.”

“Succession is the furthest thing from my mind right now,” said Kirin. “This needs to be about us, first and foremost. All of us.”

“What about Kyne? Does she know yet?”

“Linneá reached out earlier, but I don’t know if she will be visiting tonight. We are throwing a lot on Cain all at once, and introducing our own personal Divine might be too much for him to handle. I’m told he already needed some space after our daughter arrived.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “Hard to imagine why,” she giggled. “It’s not hard to imagine how that would have gone. Hopefully Serana was there to keep her reined in!”

Footsteps began to echo up the long corridor outside of the study, announcing the arrival of those who would be attending the ad hoc get-together so early in the morning. Kirin gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek and winked at her while getting to his feet and moving to stand impassively behind his desk.

“Er, how do I look, Lyds?”

“Like a king,” she laughed. “And like the patriarch our family needs right now.”

The footsteps grew closer until they ceased, and then came a small knock at the door, followed by the exasperated sigh of an impatient young woman. “Oh, for [censored]’s sake, just open the door Sybille.”

Shaking his head as the door opened, Kirin took a deep breath to steady himself. The door swung open and in marched a small group with two unfamiliar faces in the midst of it. Sybille Stentor stepped forward and started to address the king and queen.

“My lord and my lady, may I present to you �"“

“Hush, Sybille, don’t be so formal all the time,” said Linneá.

“Elle, the occasional bit of decorum won’t kill you, ya know,” said Serana. “Some things should be a little more formal than you make them.”

“Ahem.” Kirin cleared his throat looked sternly at his daughters, indicating them to get on with it.

“Oops, sorry dad,” said Linneá. She grabbed Cain (who had been silent up to this point) by the arm and yanked him forward. “Without further ado, I present this very handsome - and tall - hunk of Redguard meat. Cain, this is Kirin and Lydia: High King and Queen of Skyrim, and our parents. Well, sort of. Ugh.”

“Charming, Linn,” said Lydia, shaking her head. ”Next time, just let Sybille do her job, will you? Please come in and be seated. Sybille, we’ll call for you if needed.”

The court wizard bowed her head and left, leaving the remainder of the group to take a seat among the many chairs and lounges in the cozy study. Linneá and Serana didn’t hesitate to rest on another chaise, snuggled up against each other while they watched with anticipation. But Cain did not sit down yet, and Anska stayed firmly by his side.

“I, um…,” began Cain. “I’m not sure how this works. Should I be kneeling right now, sir?”

Linneá giggled, and Lydia shot her a look of daggers. Rising from her seat, she took the young man by the hand and shook it warmly. “You don’t have to be so nervous, dear. We know this is a lot to take in, and that we probably feel like complete strangers to you. But you’re among family, if you choose to have us.”

“My wife is right,” said Kirin. He stepped forward to join Cain and Lydia, offering his own hand. “Forget about titles and customs right now, they are unimportant. It’s been a whirlwind of a day, but I’m glad you are here. And before you ask…no, I was not aware you were out there somewhere. Sybille mentioned your mother’s name: Ariessa, yes?”

Cain nodded. “Ariessa Janeel of Anvil.” He shook the offered hand and then introduced his friend. “This is Anska, by the way. I’m sure you were only expecting me, but the circumstances surrounding all of this brought us back together. She was the one who hired the Companions, and, as luck would have it, me, to search for that scroll in High Gate.”

Lydia and Kirin both greeted her warmly and offered her to sit down and get comfortable. Anska took them up on it and sat down in a chair next to Cain’s newfound sisters, nervously watching things unfold.

“Sorry about this next part, I know it might be a sore subject,” said Cain. “But for my own sake, I need to know…do you remember her?”

“Your mother?” asked Kirin. “Aye, that I do. I was only in Anvil for a few weeks at that time, and I’m foggy on what job brought me there in the first place. Hunting a vampire, I think? Doesn’t matter. I met Ariessa at the inn �" Fo'c's'le was the name, if I remember correctly. She had just sailed into port from Hammerfell, and was looking to retire from the shipping merchant life.” He paused for a second to reminisce about a much younger time in his life. But he continued soon enough: “Ariessa was…a very beautiful woman with captivating eyes. Strong, too, and fearless - much like my Lydia here. When I walked into the bar, she had just knocked some sod out cold for trying to cop a feel.”

Smiling in spite of everything that was going on, Cain couldn’t help but be glad that she wasn’t forgotten. “That certainly sounds like her. She didn’t take [censored] from anyone and made sure to raise me just the same. Mother was the reason I ended up joining the Fighter’s Guild �" said it would help me learn to fend for myself in a harsh world.”

“We needn’t into any more, ah, detail, but rest assured that Ariessa is not forgotten, nor will she ever be,” Kirin stated firmly. “And should you ever like to return to Anvil and pay respects, I would gladly join you, my son.”

A brief silence lingered in the air when Kirin finished speaking, and it rested solely on those final two words. Linneá and Serana watched with rapt attention while Anska bit her lip nervously. Lydia, had remained steadfast in support of her beloved, despite having to hear him reminisce about past indiscretions. Now, they all waited with baited breath for what would come next.

“I’m glad to hear you say such kind words about her…father.”

Kirin beamed at the young man and immediately drew him into a tight hug.

“Oof, go easy on me. I can see where your daughter gets her strength from - pretty sure she bruised a few ribs earlier!”

Kirin released him and the rest of his new family began to greet him in turn. Lydia stepped out to have a word with Sybille and within ten minutes the palace staff started rolling in trays of food and drink for them to dine on as they conversed and got to know each other. Even though it was nearing dawn, spirits soared and excitement kept them all well awake, the raucous din of a family gathering echoing down the empty halls.

Lydia and Linneá stood off to one side, talking quietly to each other just as the sun began to peek in the study window. “Do my eyes deceive me, or is there something going on between Cain and Anska? Lydia asked her daughter. “He introduced her as a friend, but they can hardly keep their eyes off of each other…”

“Noticed that too, did you? I’ll make you a bet: ten Septims says they already boned.”

Serana walked up just as she finished speaking and playfully slapped her on the arm. “Don’t be so crass, Elle!” She turned to Lydia and expanded on Linneá’s statement in low tones. “But I wouldn’t take that bet if I were you, mum. I spoke to Anska for a little while when Sybille brought her in �" poor girl was in a right state, had just been plucked away from Stonehills and dropped here in the palace with no one to talk to. I did my best to comfort her, and offer some amount of solace.”

“You did?” replied Lydia. “That was kind of you to do so, dear. Could you imagine losing everything like that?”

“Yeah, she’s got a long way to go after returning home to find her village like that,” said Serana. “However, as terrible of a tragedy as that was, the stars may have aligned for those two. Our brother was smitten with her from the get-go, and even asked her out on a date. But Anska recognized the difficulty a relationship between them would entail, what with Cain being so new to the land and living all the way down in Whiterun. She had to reject him, even if she didn’t want to.”

“That doesn’t explain why mum shouldn’t take the bet though, Ana,” said Linneá. “Did they get a little extra familiar with each other or not?”

“Well, Anska didn’t outright say anything, but there was enough to read between the lines…”

“Hah! I knew it!”

“Do me a favor, Linn,” said Lydia. “Please don’t go parading around as a matchmaker. Their entire lives have just been upended for very different reasons. Let them be, and if it happens it happens.”

“Boo, you’re no fun, mum. Hey, speaking of which…does he know about our, ah, other mum? And vice-versa?”

“No, your father and I didn’t want to dump that on him right away. And you two better not either! Kyne is aware, but we’ll leave the rest up to her for now.” Lydia took a minute to glance over at her newfound son. “He looks so tired now…I think the night has caught up to him. You two should head off to bed as well, I think it’s time to end our little soiree.”

“Good, I feel like I could sleep for a week,” muttered Serana.”

“Don’t count on it, love,” winked Linneá. “At least not right away.”

Lydia left their side to go pull Cain away from a conversation with her husband. “It’s time for bed �" that includes you, Kir. I’ll walk Cain to his quarters and show him where he necessities are. Can you do the same for Anska?”

“Will do, my queen!” said Kirin. “Now, where did the lass get to…ah, there she is.”

He went off to wrangle the young woman while Lydia led Cain out of the study and down the hall towards the living areas. The Redguard was silent while they walked, but it seemed to stem from something more than just fatigue from the long day and night he had. Lydia sensed something deeper eating at him, and couldn’t help but give in to her motherly instincts.

“Would you tell me what’s eating at you, dear? Did we come on too strongly?”

Cain shook his head. “No, nothing like that. Everyone was really nice to me, and my father was not at all what I expected. I was glad he set aside the royalty business to just speak as family.”

“But…?”

He didn’t say anything for a minute, despite the one thing that had been racing through his head for the last several hours. Cain was certain it would have come up organically, but everyone had been more interested about his experiences before arriving in Skyrim, and not about all the recent events he had found himself in.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to him about what it means to be Dragonborn.”

“Hmm, I thought for sure it would have come up, or I’d have forced his hand a little. Tell you what �" after you get some sleep, seek out your sister before she heads back to Morrowind. She can help you if Kirin can’t pull away from his duties to talk to you.”

“Linneá? She’s Dragonborn too? That explains why she’s so strong.”

“Yes and no. She does have the same gift, but there is more to her than meets the eye. And her experience with embracing the dragon blood is much more recent than my husband’s. Linn did not want it and she actively suppressed it until about five years ago.”

“My sister suppressed a gift from the Divines? On purpose?! How is that even possible?!”

“She is uncommonly gifted in more ways than one, as you’ll soon find out. Intelligent, headstrong, precocious �" you name it. Her skill in the Voice possibly outrivals her father’s, she’s an accomplished mage, a practiced thief (don’t ask), and is extremely proficient with a blade.”

There was a lot to unpack there, but what caught Cain’s attention the most was the part about swordplay. “Adept with a sword? I’ll have to test that out with her �" I’m no slouch myself.”

“Just be ready for when she knocks you on your ass,” grinned Lydia. “Ah, here we go…you can have this room. I think Kirin is putting Anska on the floor below, but you don’t have anyone on either side, so it should be quiet for a few hours.”

Cain stepped into the room and nodded appreciatively. It was clean, spacious, and the bed looked wonderfully soft. There was even a tall bookshelf lined with numerous volumes, and a few bottles of mead on a table near the window. He stepped in and kicked off his boots, ready to crash into the plush array of blankets and pillows.

“One last thing before you go to sleep, Cain…”

He turned to face Lydia, the woman who had been kind and gracious to him even though he was a bastard son of her husband’s, dredged up from the past nearly thirty years later. “Yes?”

“I’d like to take a walk with you later today, if you have the time. Just the two of us, on a little stroll through town. And I want you to tell me all about your mother, Ariessa. I know that I will never be able to fill her shoes, but it won’t be for lack of trying on my part. Should you decide to stay here with us, and embrace this crazy family as your own, please understand that you will always be loved.”

This post has been edited by Kane: Jan 8 2025, 06:12 PM