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 XXV – Sundered Ties


The days drew on while they trekked ever southwards. More small inns and villages were scattered about and Cain was delighted to find some that were more hospitable to outlanders. He noted there were more Imperials among the populace too, as the forests grew denser and the road they followed gently sloped up to the Velothi Mountains near the Cyrodiilic border.

Nearly three weeks had passed since he and Anska departed from Blacklight, and the journey was uneventful outside of the usual incidents with bandits or predatory creatures. Cliff racers in particular seem to enjoy dogging them throughout the days, but Anska was quick with her hunting bow and drove them off easily.

It was just past the dawn of another warm summer day when Cain felt it. They were cooking breakfast over a newly kindled campfire when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He glanced around the area nonchalantly and whispered a thought at Anska.

Someone is watching us. I can feel it.

Oh, good. I thought I was just being paranoid. We must be getting close to the tribe by now – do you think they are following us?

I don’t doubt it. They haven’t survived for thousands of years by being clumsy. Let’s just keep to our normal routines… but keep an eye out. Maybe we’ll get a glimpse of who or whatever it is.

They ate and drank in a hurry, just like any other morning, and began to pack up their gear before getting underway again. The feeling of being watched did not go away, but neither could they spot the watcher. It was around noon when they made their first stop to have a brief meal under the soaring treetops.

“Cain?” said Anska, nervously. Something had been gnawing at her for a while now, and she was sure he had noticed.

He took a sip of water and then passed he canteen to her. “What’s up?”

“…Are you at all worried about what Kyne wasn’t telling us?”

“Little late for regrets, don’t you think?” asked Cain.

“I’m not saying I regret it. Not a single bit. I love the [censored] out of you and I never thought I could be so close to someone. But don’t sit there and pretend it’s not at the back of your mind.”

Cain nodded. He’d thought about it often after that rainy evening a week into their journey. Since then, Kyne had stopped in every few days to see how they were doing, but no one had brought the subject up again. The goddess seemed happy enough to be with them and always departed their company in high spirits.

Oddly enough, she never had any news from back home.

Then his train of thought was broken by a strong gust of wind blowing in from the west. It carried a smoky haze into their vicinity that reeked of burnt foliage and smoldering ruin. He stood up and peered through the trees in vain, trying to catch a glimpse of its source.

“Kick out the fire, dear. We need to move with haste.”

They were on the move in la matter of minutes, moving westward at a brisk pace while keeping an eye out for their shadowy stalker. The air grew heavier with smoke as they walked, the acrid smell forcing Cain and Anska to tie linen masks around their mouths. It also stung their eyes but there was little they could to abate the foul air around them. Just when it became nearly unbearable, they found themselves on the edge of a large clearing deep within the forest that had been reduced to ashes.

Among the charred fallen trees and branches were the remains of tents and yurts of varying sizes, all collapsed and burned out by the fierce blaze that still lingered in small clusters of dense fuel. An odor of rotting flesh nearly made Cain double over. Corpses burned beyond all recognition were scattered about the area, humanoid and beast alike.

“My gods…” muttered Anska. “Cain, I think this was the tribe we were looking for. How could this have happened?”

“I don’t know,” said Cain. “Tighten your mask and have a look around – we need to find some sort of clue as to who would so such a thing. To slaughter an entire village…”

“You don’t think it was a dragon, do you?”

“No, we would have heard it happen and I’m fairly certain I would have felt it. This is the work of something else. Or someone else.”

Anska hesitated before following him into the ruined. She knelt in the withered grass at the edge of the once proud little Ayleid village and said a prayer to Arkay. Then she followed her lover into the ash, kicking over stones and rifling through ruined homes and cinder piles, looking for any sign of the attackers.

Not a single being was intact enough to determine anything other than a relative age. Her ash covered face began to streak with fallen tears while Anska walked past the small remains of children, some clinging to the larger skeletons that would have been their parents. The grief she felt for these innocent families quickly turned to rage, and she yelled to the heavens in despair before making it more than halfway across the clearing.

Cain circled back to comfort her, trying everything her could to soothe his distraught girlfriend. She wept into his tunic while he spoke softly in her ear, encouraging the maiden to be strong and promising they would find those responsible. A slight movement caught his eye and his head snapped up just in time to see a small figure moving between the very trees they had stood under moments before.

I just saw our hidden friend, love. Wait here and don’t be alarmed.

Alarmed by what? Came her depressed thought. Cain, what are you –

She froze in shock while time slowed down around her. Anska had felt more than heard the powerful words issue forth from Cain as a blast of ancient power radiated out from their center, encompassing the area around them in a dense mire. Her mouth hung open while he darted away at normal speed, moving effortlessly through the stillness until he disappeared into the forest.

After what felt like an eternity, the slowness ended and normality caught up just in time for Cain to emerge from the trees with a small figure slumped over his shoulder.

“What in the hell did you do just now?” Anska half-shouted at him. “That was so…weird!”

“Slow Time shout,” he explained. “I quite literally hit pause so that I could chase this miscreant down before she escaped.”

Kneeling down, he gently laid the unconscious elf on the ground between them. She looked to be no more than eight or nine years old, with skin slightly darker than that of an Altmer, and long brown hair that was caked with a thick muck that also stained the once fair cotton robes adorning her small frame.

“Why is she unconscious?! Did you attack her, you lunkhead?”

“Absolutely not,” Cain retorted indignantly. “What kind of monster do you think I am? The poor girl must have stumbled when the Thu’um reached her – she was laying against a tree, sporting that nasty lump on her forehead. Keep an eye on her for a few minutes and let me know if she wakes up.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to summon Kyne. She needs to relay this back home.”

Anska’s eyes widened as an odd flash of multicolored light briefly illuminated the area just behind them. Cain had left his traveling pack on the ground when he chased after the girl, and now Linneá and Serana had materialized directly on top of it while Kyne soared down from the sky and morphed into her human form.

Linneá looked down at the now filthy bag they’d trod on and smiled weakly at her brother. “Er, sorry, Cain. Might need to rinse that off.” She bent over and fished the marked stone of the bag and handed it to him. “That came in handy after all!”

“How did – “, started Cain just as Serana cut him off.

“Mum told us what you found just after you got here. We needed a few minutes to dry off and get dressed or we’d have come immediately.”

It was only then that Cain noticed their damp hair, still dripping slightly on their shoulders and tied up in long ponytails. He stood up and hugged them both before turning to Kyne.

“Could have given us a heads up, mum.”

“Your father needed to know about this right away, my child,” said Kyne. “The implications are…unsettling, to say the least.”

Anska had still been tending to the unconscious Ayleid. She tucked a linen roll under the elf’s head and stood up to join the conversation. “What implications? Oh, and hey Serana. Linn.”

They paused briefly and then nodded curtly at her. “Anska”, said Linneá. She turned back to her brother: “The implication being that no one else but we five and our parents even knew about this village. And now it’s been utterly destroyed with the exception of a single child.”

Cain didn’t like the way that sentence hung on the air between them and he had not missed the way his sisters had all but dismissed Anska. Something was afoot and decided to call them out on it right away. He glanced at Kyne for guidance but even the goddess seemed nervous about something.

I don’t like this, love, Anska’s voice spoke into his head. They seem…hostile to me. I can feel it and I don’t understand why.

We’ll get to the bottom of this, promised Cain.

“Speak plainly, Linn,” he said to his sister. “Don’t think we didn’t notice how you’ve all but ignored Anska. Something is going on. Out with it.”

Linneá bit her lip and frowned. This was not the way she’d hoped it would go. She and Serana had intended on gently coaxing them back to the Blue Palace, but their emotions at the sight Anska had got the best of them, and now they stood on a precipice.

“We need you both to come back with us,” said Serana. “Some… things have come to light that need to be discussed. Between all of us.”

“You can tell us here,” stated Cain. “Your entire attitude towards her has changed and we aren’t going anywhere unless you give us a good reason as to why.”

He took a step back and stood in front of Anska defensively, his hand straying closer and closer to the clasp on his scabbard. Linneá and Serana had just started to fan out when Kyne stepped in between all four of them.

“Knock it off, all of you,” she commanded, her voice echoing about the smoldering village. “I will not have my children fighting one another, no matter what the reason is.” She glared at Linneá and Serana until they nodded in obedience. Then she turned to Cain and Anska: “As for you two… move your hand away from the hilt of your sword, Cain.”

He did as she asked but did not say a word in response. Kyne waved her hand in a flourish and a stout wooden table with five ornate chairs appeared just off to the right. She indicated for them to sit down before taking the fifth seat for herself.

But Cain was still uneasy about the situation and had begun planning their escape. Making a show of fumbling for his canteen, he discreetly dropped the mark Linneá had given him and then took a drink of water ahead of sitting down with his sisters and Anska.

Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, he thought at her. Keep your hand on my leg in case I have to teleport us away.

I’ll be ready.

“Now then”, began Kyne. “We are family and a family does not keep secrets from one another. Cain, Anska – you must understand that you are not in danger here. Nobody wants to harm you, but answers are needed and that is why you must return home.”

“How can we provide answers if we don’t know what the questions are?” Anska spat. “You three all turned up out of the blue with a mysterious intent, and now my own friends won’t even deign to look at me! I thought we had grown close! Like sisters! Now, spit it the [censored] out or leave Cain and I alone.”

“Anska –“

“No, mum, I’ve got this,” said Linneá. “You want answers, sis? Then explain to us why information started leaking to the Thalmor the moment you turned up in our lives.”

Nothing but the sounds of nature could be heard in the air around them. The silence was heavy and the venom behind her question had caught both Cain and Anska off guard. They started at Linneá in dumbfounded shock, barely able to believe what they were hearing.

“You think… Anska is a spy?” said Cain through clenched teeth. “Based on what? Her [censored] presence in the palace? How could you possibly come to that conclusion when our home is crawling with hundreds of guests, staffers, guards, and diplomats every single day.”

“Just hold on a minute, Cain,” said Serana. “The information leaked was only known by a select few. Most of whom are here right now.”

“Then how do you know it wasn’t me?” he asked her. “Why jump straight to Anska? Because she’s not family? This is bullshit and you know it! Do you really think she’d be capable of hiding something like that from me? We share each other’s godsdamned thoughts!”

“Would you betray your family like that, brother?” said Linneá.

“No, I damn well wouldn’t, and neither would Anska! And if you can’t take our word for it then we have nothing more to discuss.”

“Please stop arguing,” pleaded Kyne. “All of you – just please stop. I know this is hard to hear, but I stand by my promise that no harm will come to either of you. Return to the palace with us and let’s put the matter to bed.”

“No,” said Cain. “I’m sorry, mum, but we can’t. I won’t allow Anska to be held captive and interrogated – even if it is under good conditions. She is innocent and you three refuse to see it. The hostility towards her is uncalled for and I’ve lost my faith in all of you to treat her fairly.”

“Serana and I are capable of bringing you back unwillingly, brother,” warned Linneá. “Please don’t make us.”

That cold statement settled the matter for Cain. He felt Anska’s hand gripping his leg tightly and he casted the recall spell before the others could react. They disappeared into a swirling purple and white magickal vortex just as Linneá’s paralysis spell flew towards them. The green magick passed through the empty space where Cain had just been sitting and flew off into the trees.

“[censored],” exhaled Linneá. “That couldn’t have gone any worse.”

Kyne lowered her head into her hands and quietly wept. Never had she imagined such strife would tear her family apart like this and the pain tore into her divine being. Serana brushed away her own tears and moved to comfort the goddess, sharing a chair with her while Linneá got up and started picking through the ruined village.

“I’m sorry it ended up like this, mum,” said Serana. “We should have been more cordial when we arrived. Elle and I let our feelings get the best of us and Cain knew something was amiss right off.”

The goddess dabbed at her eyes with the corners of her robes before standing up and doing the same for Serana. “We’ll figure it out together. But I need to be alone for a while. See what you can find here and I’ll catch up with you later. Visit me at the estate tomorrow night.” She transformed back into the hawk and soared off into the cloudy skies above.

“Ana, come over here!” shouted Linneá.

Serana walked quickly over to her wife. “What’s up? Did you find something?”

“No, but I almost forgot about the marked stone. Grab my hand – we’re going after them!”

Their fingers laced together and in the blink of an eye they had warped to the small stone that lay in the dirt some thirty feet from where they’d been standing.

“Damn it, he really did have that all planned out,” grumbled Linneá. She knelt down and grabbed a fistful of ashen earth, sifting through it to find the small mark she’d given her wayward brother.

“Elle, look!” exclaimed Serana. She was pointing at a small bit of gold sticking out of the dirt Linneá had disturbed. She scooped it up and rubbed it clean on her pant leg before closely examining it.

“Is that what I think it is?” asked Linneá, her lips forming a triumphant smile.

“I think so,” answered Serana. She poured a little water from her canteen on it and rubbed the remaining dirt off of it. “Yeah, it definitely is.” On her palm rested an ornate golden clasp adorned with a stylized eagle.

The same eagle that adorned Thalmor banners.

“We were right,” said Linneá, “and she must have tipped off her overlords about the Ayleids. Speaking of which…”

A small whimper came from the huddled figure on the ground nearby. The nearly forgotten young elf sat up and looked around before bursting into hysterical tears at the remains of her village. Serana dashed over to the poor girl and scooped her up in her arms and tried to comfort her.

“Elle, let’s take her with us and get out of here. She doesn’t need to see this anymore.”