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 XXII – Tethered

The noontide sun blazed high above Blacklight as it continued its daily march west across the skies of Tamriel. A hazy heat filled the air while denizens bustled about the city trying not to linger outside for long periods of time. Anska sat alone, staring at nothing in particular while she battled with the feelings of frustration and disappointment bubbling inside of her. She barely reacted at all when Cain emerged from the cool café interior with a plate of food and drink, setting it on the table and sitting down across from her.

Cain took a pull from his glass of water and regarded her for a moment, wondering best how to soften the mood. He’d also been dwelling on Kyne’s refusal to offer the same gift his sisters had, and started to ponder a different solution. Maybe I can give her hope again…it’s worth a shot.

“Look, I know you’re upset about this whole thing with Kyne,” Cain started. “What if – “

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You couldn’t [censored] back me up at all with her? Nothing? ‘Drop it, Anska’ was all you could manage? [censored] off.” She took her own drink off of the platter and contemplated throwing it in his face.

“Anska, it’s not like we could have changed her mind!’”

“No, that would have required effort on your part.”

“We can’t argue with a literal divine! How do you think that would have gone?”

“[censored] if I know. Maybe next time you can grow a pair and at least try. We shouldn’t allow them to rule our lives – guidance is one thing, but active intervention Is another.” Anska looked down at the food he’d brought and realized she didn’t have the stomach for it. “I’m going back to our room. Eat if you want. I’m not interested.”

She got up and left Cain by himself at the table. Lunch suddenly seemed a lot less appetizing, so instead he drank the remainder of his water and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Echoes of a conversation he’d had with Kyne back at Elysium rang throughout his mind and he decided it was time to take the matter into his own hands.

Cain set a few pieces of gold on the table for their waitress and headed back to the embassy himself, hoping that Linneá would be in her room. The corridors of the building were mostly empty but he could hear a dull murmur of conversation from beyond the doors leading to various meeting rooms and offices. He walked past their own assigned bedroom and knocked loudly on the door to his sisters’ quarters instead.

“Come in!”

He stepped through the door and was pleased to see Linneá sitting on the floor with a book. She was leaning against the end of the bed while Serana laid at the foot of it, twirling her fingers through Linneá’s long dark hair.

“Hey, bro,” said Linneá. “What’s up? Where’s Anska?”

“She’s, uh, taking some time to herself. I’d rather not get into it.”

Serana raised an eyebrow. “Trouble in paradise?”

“Sort of. I could use your help, Linn. There’s something I want to ask you…”

“Would it have something to do with a certain meeting you had this morning that didn’t go the way your better half hoped it would?”

Cain stared blankly at her, already deflating. “How did – “

“Kyne likes to cover all of her bases. She’s very thorough like that. I take it you want me to teach you how to make the link yourself? How to steal a little bit of that divine power coursing through your blood?”

Serana’s fingers stopped twirling and she was watching them with rapt attention. Linneá had caught Cain off guard – it never occurred to him that Kyne would have also reach out to her, too, just to prevent him from doing exactly this: going around their patron goddess. He sighed in frustration and sat down in the desk chair.

“I take it you won’t help us then?”

“Sorry, Cain,” said Linneá. “I wish I could. Trust me when I say I understand why you two want this. And before you ask – no, she didn’t give me a reason either. But I can’t break Kyne’s trust. She means too much to me. To us.”

“[censored],” grumbled Cain. “Anska’s going to be even more disappointed now. She’s in a right state and I was really hoping to brighten her day.”

“I’ll go talk to her,” said Serana. “Is she just upset that Kyne said no?”

“She’s mad at me for not standing up to her, too. I just didn’t see the point in trying to change the mind of a divine. Not like arguing about it would have amounted to anything.”

“Maybe not, but I could see why she’d be frustrated about it. I’ll bring her around.” Serana crawled gracefully out of the bed and slipped on a pair of shoes. The door closed behind her a few seconds later, leaving Cain alone with Linneá.

Cain’s mind started to wander while Linneá began leafing through her book again. He was staring out the bedroom window, trying to imagine what could be so bad about linking their minds that Mara would actively warn against it. Then he heard the book shut gently. Looking over at his sister, he found her staring at him with an amused expression.

“Anska was right, you know. You should have stuck up for her. And it’s fun to argue with mum every once in a while. Her cheeks get these little creases in them when she’s worked up. Adorable. Besides, you don’t really need my help for this, Cain. No one helped me. It’s just a matter of willpower. The spark is already there, you just need to harness it.”

“Linn, I’m not nearly as adept with the arcane as you are. I can’t just parse out such a small sliver of magick and tell it what to do. Casting turn or healing spells is one thing, but this…this is entirely different.”

“We’re not talking about magicka. We’re talking about your inborn nature.”

The door opened before Cain could respond and Serana walked back in with Anska close behind her. She took her spot at the end of the bed again but Anska remained standing near the door with her arms crossed. Cain got up from his seat and went over to her, even though he wasn’t entirely sure about what he would say. But he did know where to start.

“Hey, so…you were right,” he began. She met his eyes, waiting for him to go on: “It wouldn’t have killed me to push back a little bit. I’m sorry.”

A smile tugged at the corner of her soft lips, and she raised a hand to his cheek.

“It’s a start,” said Anska. “But, I’ll take it. You and I are going to have a long conversation about solidarity though. And I appreciate you trying to get Linn to help us.”

“We’ll have plenty of time to talk while we head south,” promised Cain. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Linneá cleared her throat and tossed a bit of scrap parchment at them. Her eyes were narrowed when Cain turned back towards her.

“South?” she asked. “Why are you two going south?”

Cain’s stomach lurched. He figured Kyne would have already told her and Serana about the arrow and how they’d been summoned by a tribe of Ayleids. Especially since the goddess had deigned to head them off with his other request. He could sense the incoming frustration that was about to bubble over from his sister.

“Er, so…the arrow… It was an invitation of sorts. To meet some of them down south, in the mountains near the border to Cyrodiil.”

“Bullshit!” exploded Linneá. “I’m so godsdamned tired of being stuck in this stupid [censored] embassy for weeks on end! And now you two get to go trudging off after mystical elves who aren’t even supposed to exist!? Ayleids! How the hell am I supposed to be okay with missing out on that! I [censored] hate being a diplomat!”

Serana slid off the bed and sat in front of Linneá, placing her hands on her shoulders. “Hey hey hey, just relax, Elle. I need you focused on our role and I need you here with me. Come on, deep breaths. In and out.”

Cain and Anska still stood awkwardly near the door, rooted in place while Serana tried to calm down her wife. Linneá closed her eyes and took several deep breaths while she tried to center herself again. It felt like the room was spinning around her at first, but Serana’s gentle touch brought her back down, and she opened her eyes sheepishly.

“Um. Sorry. That’s been building up for a while.”

“It’s okay, love,” said Serana. “I know how much you’d rather be out on an adventure. But you’re doing a great job here, even if you don’t realize it. I can’t see these debates lasting for than another five or six days.”

Anska moved over to them and sat down next to Linneá. “Maybe you two can join us when you’re done here? Just mark a talisman of some kind and recall to us when you can. We’ll still have plenty of walking ahead of us at that point. Could be fun!”

“It’s a sweet thought, sis,” said Linneá. “I doubt dad will go for it, though. I’m sure he’s already got something else lined up for us.”

“I dunno, Elle,” said Serana. “He might have a change of heart once he hears about what’s involved with this. It could be huge for us, if we can somehow have an Ayleid presence on our side. There’s no telling what kind of numbers they have, but if they’ve existed in the shadows for this long, then they must be doing something right.”

They were interrupted by a gentle knock at the door. Linneá stood up to answer it, and ducked out into the hallway while Cain went over and sat on the floor with the others. They waited mostly in silence for her to rejoin them and she did just that in short order.

“Might actually be sooner than we thought, Ana,” Linneá said as she came over and sat back down. “That was Ulvon’s assistant - the Telvanni have caved on one of their more ridiculous demands. We could have this wrapped up in two or three days instead.”

“Then we’ll stay here for at least that long,” said Cain.

“No, you two should get marching right away,” sighed Linneá. “Anska’s right, we can mark something innocuous and catch up when we can. If we can. We’ll have to leave it here for now, though. Serana and I need to find Ulvon and work out our next steps.”

Cain and Anska left them to it and went back to there own room for the afternoon. There was little to do other than wait, so Anska threw herself onto the bed and took a nap while Cain tried to read a book on dunmer culture. But he couldn’t focus on the text, his thoughts dwelling on what Linneá had said to him about willpower and just having to tap into his own innate abilities. Instead, he closed the book and set it aside before climbing onto the bed next to a snoring Anska.

Her sleeping face was serene, and completely carefree while dreams began to flit throughout her mind. Cain thought back to some of Kyne’s proclamations on love, and how much emphasis she placed on its importance. Then he realized that the willpower Linneá spoke of was the easy part – Cain knew exactly how much he loved Anska and what his intentions were. It was the tapping that still eluded him. How can I draw from something I only partially understand?

Cain closed his eyes and looked inward, trying to meditate the way he would before a battle. His mother, Ariessa, had always told him that Leki, the Saint of the Spirit Sword, would protect those who prayed to her before battle, imbuing them with a warrior’s spirit. But he’d never tried to meditate for any other reason. He cleared his mind and focused on himself, rather than a potential fight.

And he nearly jumped from the bed in shock when he felt the dragon fluttering within. Cain suddenly understood exactly what spark his sister spoke of and the possibilities it offered. It amazed him that he hadn’t felt it before, the divine power flowing through his blood coalesced into a spiritual form that shared every part of Cain’s being, soaring just beneath the surface of his conscious.

The pieces fell into place all at once. His eyes still closed, Cain reach out and gently placed a hand on Anska’s sleeping form. He focused on his love for her, and how much they both desired to be closer.

To be one.

The dragon roared in unison and Cain felt utter contentment and warmth well up inside of him. It flowed calmly from the center out to all of his extremities, and passed right into the sleeping woman at his side.

Anska gasped loudly and sat bolt upright in bed, her slumber suddenly interrupted. But the unknown feeling of warmth soothed her, and she instantly realized something wonderful had happened. Cain’s eyes were opened, and he was smiling gently at her.

And then his voice spoke in her mind: Who needs a goddess when you have a dragon?

She felt her mouth fall open in shock. I can’t believe it! How did –

Not so loud, dear. It tends to echo.

Cain Windborne, you tell me this instant! How did you manage this?!

Linneá pointed me in the right direction. I had all the tools, much as she did. I just didn’t understand how to utilize them. But I knew I had to try. I knew how much it meant to you. And to me.

She was amazed at what he done for her. For each other. And at how far he was willing to go for her, and much he cared, despite not showing any kind of fight with Kyne when the goddess rescinded the offer. All of her prior frustrations and anger evaporated, and Anska leaned forward and tackled him into the blankets, kissing him furiously while she struggled with the leather belt on his trousers. Godsdamn it, do I love you! Now help me with this [censored] belt.