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 XIV - Acceptance


Cain woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. He laid in a strange bed for a few moments and stared up at the rafters while trying to remember exactly what the hell had happened last night that led him to his current situation. He didn’t drink all that much, and the last thing he recalled was standing in front of Linneá as she bowed her head and spread her arms wide, with Kyne in the background yelling something that he could not decipher.

And then it hit him like the strong winds of a storm blowing in from the Abecean Sea. The power, the knowledge, and the roar of a dragon had risen within him and rested calmly beneath the waves of his spirit. Still staring at the ceiling, Cain reveled in the newfound abilities his sister had granted him so effortlessly, and he dared to whisper a single syllable into the calm air above him.

“Fus.”

A small but still powerful buffet of air erupted forth from him and shook the rafters above, dislodging a layer of dust that poured down onto the bed.
“No shouting in my house, please,” came a soft voice from the nearby doorway. Cain turned his head to see Kyne silhouetted in the frame, smiling gently at him. “Feeling alright this morning I take it?”

“I’ve got the worst headache, but I feel fine otherwise,” said Cain.

“Good. I was worried she may have overdone it last night. Go take a bath, and then come join Anska and I for some tea and that headache will clear right up.”

“A bath? Whatever for?”

“I prefer my guests to be clean and unsullied. Bath. Now. There is a warm pool out back that is fed by the forge.”

“Yes, mother,” grumbled Cain, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“You jest, but you’ll end up calling me that in end, just like all the others have. Hurry up and go, if you please. Breakfast will be served when you join us, and Anska is getting very hungry.”

She left the doorway as Cain swung his legs over the edge of the bed and slipped on a pair of loafers that had been left on the floor next to his feet. He left the guest room and ducked out the back door in search of the warm bath Kyne had mentioned and stopped short when he saw the elaborate smithing area tucked away behind the house. The fires of a burning forge rested beneath a massive stone statue of a hawk, and under a decent size patio roof sat a tanning rack, workbench, grindstone, several shelves and chests, and even a smelter.

But the goddess’ words bounced around his head while his stomach grumbled, so Cain decided to come back out and rummage through the supplies after they had all eaten breakfast. The bath turned out to be much more enticing that Cain had anticipated, and it took more willpower than he expected to pull himself from the steaming waters, get dressed, and head back inside. All told, he joined Kyne and Anska at the familiar dining table about fifteen minutes later and started sipping from a steaming mug of freshly brewed tea.

“How was the bath?” asked Anska. “It was a little too warm for my taste, but I know you’re more used to that sort of thing.”

“Delightful,” said Cain. “Although now I’m sad that we weren’t able to enjoy it together. Sorta wish you had woken me up earlier!”

“Uh uh,” tutted Kyne. “I get enough of that from your sisters �" let’s just enjoy a nice morning meal and leave the bedroom talk be, please.” Cain and Anska both nodded while trying not to grin, and Kyne continued on: “Now, then… how are you two doing this morning? I’m sure that meeting someone like myself out of the blue was a bit of a shock. Can I do anything to help ease your minds?”

“Honestly, ma’am, I think I’m okay,” said Anska. “I can’t speak for Cain, but after Linneá and Serana showed up the initial shock wore off a bit. It was endearing to see how close you three are and it helped drive home the feeling that I shouldn’t be so nervous. I never thought I’d live to see a Divine in such a… normal capacity.”

Cain had already helped himself to a plate of fruit and took a second to swallow a mouthful before agreeing with Anska. “Same. It was all too much at first, but after Anska came out to see how I was doing, I was able to cool off and sit back down with a more open mind. And then after we spoke for a while things did indeed feel more normal. You really drove home the family aspect of all this in a way that hadn’t reached me yet. I’m very thankful for that.”

Kyne beamed brightly at both of them. “Good, I’m glad. You really did a number on Linn with that hug too, Cain. I don’t think she expected such a heartfelt reciprocation of love like that from you soon, even if she forced you into unconsciousness shortly after it.”

“I took your advice about not holding back and put a lot of unspoken feelings into that embrace,” said Cain. “Until we got here last night and all of that unfolded, there was a part of me deep down that thought everything happening was good to be true. In the span of several hours, I went from having no one to having an entire family that was overjoyed for me to be there. And finding Anska again was the cherry on top, even if the circumstances that brought her to Solitude were terrible.”

The maiden blushed at his words in spite of the sadness still resonating within her over the loss of her home. Kyne sensed the torrent of emotions and moved around the table to comfort Anska while they ate the remainder of their meal in silence. Once they finished, Cain and Anska hurried off with the dishes and cleaned everything up before sitting back down with the goddess for a final goodbye.

“We’ll see each other again, don’t fret,” she assured them. “As long as you aren’t around prying eyes, you’ll find I can’t help but stop by from time to time, no matter where you may find yourselves. However, I do have one more thing for you Cain, before you head back to Solitude. Linneá left her old book on Mark and Recall atop the table near the fireplace down the hall. I can tell you have a touch for restoration spells, so don’t be intimidated by teleportation. It’s an immensely useful skill to have, unless you feel like walking all the way back up to the Blue Palace. Study the theory and practice with short jumps around the estate. Don’t take too long though �" I gather that your father wants to sit down with you tonight.”

Cain and Anska stood up with Kyne and she hugged them in turn. In a flash, the goddess resumed her hawk form and soared out an open window, leaving the two of them behind with a task that Cain found daunting.

“Don’t look so anxious about it, it’s just another spell, right?”

“I guess,” said Cain. “Still pretty advanced though if you ask me. Guess I better go flip through that book before the day drags on. If you get bored, there is a wonderful smithing area out back of the house. I wouldn’t mind it if you touched up the fittings on my armor.”

“Hm, that does sound better than sitting around in here watching you read a book. I might head into town later for a bit, too �" I’ve never been to any city other than Morthal. Well, Solitude too, I guess.”

“If you do, stop by Jorrvaskr and give Athis a bad time for me. Make sure to remind him who the boss is now,” laughed Cain. Anska smiled and gave him a quick kiss before heading outside and leaving him to the hefty book laying on the end table. He picked it up with a sigh and started leafing through the introductory pages until he found the first chapter on magickal theory. It started off about as dry as Cain expected it would, but a few pages in he saw a scrawled notation at the bottom that was written in a very pretty, flowing cursive.


Skip ahead to chapter three unless you want to be so bored that you’ll consider sticking your head in the smelter.


The short message bore all the earmarks of being written by Linneá and he laughed aloud before jumping ahead in the book. It was nearly three o’clock in the afternoon when Anska returned to find him steeling himself for a first practical attempt at using the spell. Cain had marked a small piece of cloth and laid it on the floor near the front of the house, and was pacing back and forth in the the back, reciting the important parts in his head.

“How’s it going so far?” she asked him.

“Um. It’s time to test it out, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t apprehensive about it. If all goes well, I should warp up to the front door.”

“Sounds like you need a little incentive.” Anska slipped off her traveling cloak and started to untie the laces of her blouse. “How about this: I’ll wait up there for you, and if it works you can help me finish taking this off.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” He stopped pacing and closed his eyes in concentration. Anska’s footsteps faded away while she walked up towards the marker lying on the floor. Imagining the promised reward vividly, he visualized the destination and in a flash of magickal light, Cain vanished on the spot and reappeared directly in front of Anska. She didn’t expect him to try it that quickly and yelped in surprise at his sudden emergence from a swirling purple vortex.

“Holy [censored]! You could have warned me first! I didn’t think you would try it that fast!”

“And miss out on my prize?” grinned Cain. “Not likely.” He finished pulling her top off and then picked her up and set her on the kitchen counter.

They were kissing passionately for a couple of minutes until things started getting a little too heated for Anska and she pulled away before Cain’s hand wandered further south. “Uh uh, that’s enough for now,” she panted. “We don’t have that kind of time. Keep practicing, I want to get back to the Palace for dinner and we shouldn’t be late if your father is expecting us. The larders are a little barren here.”

Cain made a big show of being disappointed until she gave him another lingering kiss. Then he spent the next hour practicing the spell by moving further and further away from the house until he felt comfortable enough in his ability to return them to Solitude.

“How are you going to get us there?” said Anska. “You didn’t even know how to use the spell until today, so there is no way you could have marked anything that we can recall to. And how does it work for me? Do I just hold on for dear life and hope I don’t vanish forever?”

“You’ll be safe with me,” promised Cain. “As for marking… Linn had some notes in the back of the book about that. She found that things could be marked subconsciously if a meaningful event happened on or with them. I was going to focus on the scroll we discovered. That should drop us right into the depths of the palace.”

Anska bit her lip and frowned in worry. The way her nose crinkled when she did that made Cain a little weak in the knees, but brave as she was, he could tell she needed some reassurance. He took her hands and looked directly into her eyes. “It’ll work. I promise.”

“… Okay. I trust you. When do you want to �" “

Her sentence remained unfinished and hung on the air as they disappeared from the estate in a flash of light. Before she realized what had happened, they found themselves standing in the same room Cain had been brought to a few nights ago, the scroll still lying unfurled on the table next to them.
Looking around wildly, Anska saw where they were and proceeded to slap Cain across his face.

“Asshole! Why did you do it like that? I wasn’t anywhere close to being ready! You might be used to magick and spells but I’m not!”

“Sorry,” said Cain with an abashed look. “I just thought it might be easier to get it over with. Didn’t want you to get overly nervous about it.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she grumbled. “You’re lucky you’re so damn handsome, Mr. Prince of Skyrim. Otherwise I’d have done a lot more than slap you for that stunt.” Anska opened her mouth to say something else, and then quickly shut it again when she noticed they weren’t actually alone. Kirin and Sybille were sitting a table in the corner and they were watching the scene unfold with amused looks on their faces. “Oh, dammit,” blushed Anska. “This is embarrassing. See what you did, Cain?”

The high king waved her off. “Don’t worry about it, lass,” he said. “I’m glad you two are back, but can you excuse yourselves until supper time? Sybille and I still have some things to discuss.”

“Y-yes, of course,” said Anska. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” She grabbed Cain by the arm and pulled him into the hallway, shut the door behind them with a snap, and rounded on the Redguard. “Nice job, lunkhead. Imagine thinking that was a good idea when we had no idea who would be around. You’re lucky your father is such a kind person!” Then she turned on her heels and marched off for the living quarters, leaving a regretful Cain behind.

“Hey, where are you going?” he called after her.

“To my room for a while. Alone. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Cain watched her leave with a shameful feeling lying in the pit of his stomach. He figured they still had a couple of hours until that dinner, so he wandered alone off in a different direction to explore the Palace while he waited. The corridors and rooms that stretched out around him seemed to be endless: larders, latrines, storerooms, living quarters, and studies were littered throughout, and he eventually stumbled into a vast library teeming with towering shelves upon shelves filled with books and tomes. Smiling at the sight of it, Cain retreated to one of the pantries he had just passed, grabbed a couple bottles of mead, and returned to the stacks intent on getting lost in a book until dinner hour.

Several chapters into a good old-fashioned adventure tale, the sound of the door opening caught his attention and he looked up just in time to see Lydia enter the library and walk towards him. “I see you found your sister’s private collection. Her and Serana spent the better part of the last five years putting this together and they spend most of their time down here.”

“It’s amazing!” said Cain, shutting the book he was reading. “There are more books here than in all of Anvil.”

“She’ll be happy to hear you’re enjoying it. How did everything go at Elysium? Was she able to help you?”

“You could say that,” replied Cain. “First things first, though… You have some explaining to do. About a certain goddess who was waiting for us there.”
Lydia cast her eyes downward, blushing ever so slightly. “Yes, well, about that...” She looked back up and found him smiling gently at her. “Wait, you’re teasing me, aren’t you? Great, another prankster, as if Linn isn’t bad enough! So, you’re not put off by Kyne’s presence in our lives?”

“Not at all. It was unexpected, but everything worked out in the end. The arrival of my sisters definitely helped to calm things down after the initial shock. And Kyne was able to give me a thorough recounting of what the four of you have been through in the last thirty years.”

“It hasn’t been easy,” sighed Lydia. “But things are much better now. And happier.” She studied Cain for a moment, trying to pin down what seemed different about him since his return. He seemed less tense. More open. “Did something else happen when you were there? It feels like you are more relaxed then you were before.”

“Let’s just say Kyne has a way with words. She encouraged me to accept how much I mean to you all and I decided to take her up on it. Caught Linneá off guard, but I meant everything I impressed upon her.”

Lydia seemed delightfully surprised and she regarded her step-son with a praising sort of look before demanding that she give him a hug. Once they separated, she took his hand and led him out of the library. “It’s almost dinner time, we don’t want to be late. Kirin cleared his schedule for the rest of the night, despite Sybille’s protests. He wants to spend more time with us. You, in particular.”

“Good, I’m starving,” said Cain. “Lead on, mum!”

The high queen stopped short and stared intently up into his eyes. “Cain, I… You don’t need to call me that. I never expected you to and I would never demand it of you.”

“Is it alright if I want to? Ariessa will always be in my heart, but I’m not going to pretend that you aren’t just as kind. You’ve been so great to me since I arrived… it shouldn’t go unappreciated.”

She pulled him into her arms again and squeezed him tightly while tears of joy and relief dampened his tunic.

This post has been edited by Kane: Apr 28 2025, 01:14 PM