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 XIII – Gentle Winds and Powerful Knowledge


The noise level inside Elysium Estate grew considerably when the new arrivals dashed in and hugged Kyne in turn. They spoke eagerly for a minute or two before Linneá joined a dumbfounded Cain and Anska at the dining table while Serana walked over to the empty kitchen. She rummaged around for another minute and then headed back to the dining area with five glasses and a bottle of her favorite Colovian Brandy, poured five very healthy measures, and sat down next to her wife.

“How are things going in Blacklight, Linn?” asked Kyne. “Still too early to tell?”

“Much too early. The Telvanni won’t arrive until tomorrow, so we’ve just been getting to know the other councilors while we wait. Ulvon of House Redoran is the most important of the lot and he seems more willing than I expected, so that’s good.”

“Yeah, he is much more pragma – “ began Serana, but was unexpectedly cut off by her brother-in-law.

“Hold on a damn minute!” he half yelled. “What the hell family did I walk into where my siblings are just casually hugging and talking to a literal DIVINE like they are friends from childhood?! None of you could have given me a heads-up in Solitude? I’m supposed to just think this is completely normal?” Cain began to hyperventilate at the enormity of everything that was just revealed and found himself standing up quickly and heading outside. “I need a minute.”

The front door closed with a snap leaving a suddenly quiet atmosphere around the dining table. Kyne glanced sternly at Linneá and Serana with an eyebrow raised questioningly. “Is that true? Not a single one of you gave him any indication that I may be here? Or that I was around at all?”

“Um. Well, it’s kind of a big deal and neither mum nor dad said anything, so we didn’t think that…”

“Linneá, I would have thought you’d know better, especially after you kept it from Serana at first,” said Kyne. “And you Serana – you didn’t think it fair to give them a warning? I know how upset you were when Kirin let it slip before Linn told you. I’m surprised you didn’t take the initiative!”

“I…no, you’re right, mum,” Serana exhaled. “Just got caught up in the excitement with the rest of them. I should have said something to him. I’ll go and check on him.”

“No, let me do that,” said Anska, who had been quiet up until now. “My brain is about to explode too, so I think it’ll be good for the both of us.”

“Are you sure, dear?” asked Kyne. “I know this has been a lot and I can sense you’re not exactly calm, despite outward appearances. Maybe Linn should –“

Anska shook her head. “I’ll go. Just give us a few minutes, yeah?” She stood up and headed outside to find Cain, leaving a much more somber trio seated at the table. Linneá and Serana both looked bashful while Kyne sighed and stared accusingly at them.

Outside the house Cain stood under a tree, barely discernable from the nighttime darkness that filled the land around them. Only a sliver of his armor gleamed in the soft glow of Secunda’s light, indicating that he as was there at all. Anska walked over to him and took his hand, motioning to a bench against the outer wall of the estate boundary. They sat down together but did so in silence for a few minutes, until Cain spoke softly to her.

“I’m sorry I’ve gotten you involved in all of this…insanity. Dragons, kings, queens, and now goddesses. Life was much simpler a few days ago, eh? One minute we’re both on a simple job and the next we’re wrapped up within the stuff of legends.”

Anska was unsurprised to hear him say that, for it had been a long time since she’d met someone like Cain. Someone who often cared about others more than they cared about themselves. It was a quality of his that she found endearing after being on her own in Stonehills for so long, and it’s what drew Anska to the stoic Redguard in the first place. And somehow, it helped to calm her mind down after everything they just walked into.

“Life may have been simpler but it wasn’t nearly as exciting, Cain. Don’t get me wrong – I was freaking the [censored] out in there and I’m pretty sure Kyne saw me quavering a few times. Then she would smile so gracefully at me that I couldn’t help but be enamored with her all over again.” She placed a hand on his leg and smiled at him. “You’ve found something special here, even if it is overwhelming. How many people in all of history can say they met a Divine in person? Let alone be treated as part of their family? I know it’s a lot to take in, but I also know how capable you are. And look how happy your sister was to see her again – they seem like best friends or something even closer, rather than goddess and champion.”

Cain didn’t say anything for a moment. A lot of what she’d said to him was true and had been racing through his head since he had stepped outside, but it was good to know he wasn’t alone in how overwhelming it all was. He returned her smile, lost in her enchantingly deep brown eyes, and then he kissed Anska deeply, running his fingers through her long blonde hair.

Pulling away after a few seconds, she playfully smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t get me all worked up before we go back in there!” Anska got up from the bench and offered Cain a hand. “Ready?”

“No. But it’s not like we have a choice.”

They stepped back inside the house a few seconds later, sat back down around the table, and downed their glasses of brandy in unison. Cain wiped the corners of his mouth with a linen napkin and then addressed them. “Sorry about that,” he said, sheepishly. “That was a lot to take in though.”

“Think nothing of it, my child,” said Kyne. “I took the opportunity to scold these two for not warning you ahead of time that I would most likely be here. Please don’t be nervous or scared in my presence. I only ask for one thing from those that are a part of my family – love. If you love me, I will love you, and it will bring us all together. There is nothing more important in this world and it will let us persevere against anything it throws our way.”

“Don’t be so sappy, mum,” said Linneá. “They wouldn’t have come back in if they couldn’t handle us. Right, brother?”

“Hush, Elle,” scolded Serana. “Kyne knows what she is doing and she was right about us not telling them sooner. I was very cross when dad spilled the beans and it was only your immediate honesty and the fact that I could feel how upset you were about it filtering through our connection that kept me from being extremely angry with you about it.”

“I… Were you really that angry?” asked Linneá. “I mean, I could tell you were mad but I didn’t think it went quite that far…”

“If I hadn’t already fallen for you, or been able to sense your distress over it, I don’t know what would have happened between us. It also helped your case that you did summon her not long after.”

Linneá dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a napkin before taking Serana’s hands and leading her away from the table. Anska and Cain had been sitting awkwardly across from them, feeling like they should have been elsewhere during this conversation, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking Kyne about something that had been bugging him for a couple of days now. Something that seemed unlikely, yet could not be called impossible in light of recent events.

The goddess spoke first though, offering some reassurance to them. “Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon. I’ve never met two people that love each other as much as they do – Linn just wants to apologize in a more intimate setting. That room they disappeared into used to be their bedroom.”

“Er, I don’t mean to pry but can I ask you something?”

“Of course you can, dear,” answered Kyne.

“Can you read each other’s minds? There’s been a couple times now where it seemed like you were, and then Serana just mentioned some kind of connection between her and Linneá… What aren’t you three telling me?”

“It goes a bit beyond that,” said Kyne. “We are connected mentally and can speak with each other over vast distances, but the connection they share goes deeper even than that. Not even I can peer that deeply inside their minds.”

“Wait, really?” inquired Anska. “Is that even possible?”

“The ability is innate for my kind. However, in Linneá’s case she is truly gifted in her magickal acumen. When Linn was younger she began to explore the depths of her dragon blood, and devised a way to draw power from it, despite keeping it sequestered. I still don’t think she realizes how incredible of a feat that truly is, even though I told her it shouldn’t be possible.”

“It sounds like she stole a little bit of divine power,” said Cain, awestruck at the thought of his sister doing something that bold.

“A novel way of looking at it that suits her well,” acknowledged Kyne. “She always was a good thief, and why let a pesky thing like normality stop here from pushing magickal depths? I’m glad she didn’t go any further though – some of the other divines wouldn’t take kindly to a mortal tapping into that sort of power.”

Cain shook his head in disbelief and reached for the brandy bottle, topping off his glass and offering more to Anska. She declined and headed for the kitchen instead, looking for mead and a stout tankard to pour it in. The cabinet Serana had looked through before offered a few bottles of aged Honningbrew that Anska gleefully grabbed and returned to the table with, while Cain chuckled quietly at her.

“What?” she asked him. “Did you forget that I’m a Nord from one of the snowiest areas in Skyrim? Mead is in my blood!” She banged the tankard off the table and downed it in one go before uncorking another bottle. “That’s much better than the ritzy stuff you’re drinking. Now then, I have some questions of my own, Kyne. If you don’t mind that is…”

The goddess smiled at her. “Not all, my child. Ask away.”

“You said this all goes back to the king becoming your champion? How did that all come about?”

“I supposed we can get into a little ancient history,” said Kyne. “Give me one moment to see if the others will be rejoining us soon.” She paused and a look of concentration appeared on her delicate features, followed quickly by a deep blush. “Good heavens, those two are incorrigible. At least they are being quiet about it. We’ll continue without them!”

The three of them spoke at length for nearly an hour as Kyne recounted the last thirty years to Cain and Anska, and all the events that his family had been through in that time. He had heard bits and pieces from Linneá and Lydia over the last few days, but he hadn’t imagined just how harrowing it had truly been for the four of them. By the end, he found himself feeling grateful his sister and Serana had managed to rescue the king and queen at all. As short a time as they had been together, Cain couldn’t bear the thought of his father and step-mother succumbing to the fates they had nearly been consigned to. They had showed him nothing but love and compassion and it wasn’t until now that he’d realized just how much of an affect it had had on him so quickly.

“Are you alright, Cain?” asked Anska. She had placed a hand on his shoulder after Kyne finished the tale and was looking concernedly at him. “You’ve been oddly quiet for a few minutes now.”

“Yeah, sorry, I just got…lost in my thoughts.” He smiled at her before turning to Kyne. “I didn’t know what to expect when you started that saga, but it surely wasn’t all of that. Lydia hinted a little at some of the things Linneá and Serana had done, but I never imagined how perilous it was. For all of them. To go through such things and come out so strongly on the other side…”

“You can’t help but feel proud for them,” finished Kyne. “They are a very special family, Cain, and they are completely genuine in their love for you. The excitement radiating from Linn alone right now is so palpable it’s hard not to smile endlessly whenever she is around. And I can sense how much it means to you already. Don’t hold yourself back from them. That goes for you too, Anska.”

“Me?” said Anska. “What do you mean?”

“They can tell how much you two like each other. I know your relationship is young, but their loyalty is fierce and I have no doubts that Linneá and Serana would love to have another sister in their lives. Ah, speak of the devils…”

A door opened from somewhere down the hall leading away from the dining area and they emerged from the dimly lit corridor to rejoin them. Serana was panting slightly when she took a seat at the table and smiled wanly. Linneá didn’t get a chance to sit down. Cain had gotten up from his seat while they approached and he hugged his sister tightly, heeding the advice from the goddess that watched over all of them. Surprised but delighted, she returned the hug warmly as tears of joy flowed freely down her face.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when they parted. Linneá held Cain at arm’s length and beamed at him before bringing up the reason they were all there.

“Thank you for that, brother. It means more than you could know,” she cleared her throat and then continued, “Now then, you came here to learn what it means to be Dragonborn, yes? Well, there are a few ways we can go about that but I have a much simpler solution in mind.”

“Wait, Linn!” shouted Kyne. “Don’t do it that way, it’s too much at once!”

But it was too late. Linneá had already let go of Cain’s arms and stepped back as the swirling orange and blue energies of her dragon essence and knowledge poured forth from her being and flowed unbidden into her brother. Unsure of what was happening, Anska had rushed towards them from the table just in time to catch an unconscious Cain and keep him from falling to the floor.