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 XXVIII �" Reformed Ties


Emperor Titus Mede II gazed out at the Imperial City from his private balcony high atop the White-Gold Tower. Far below, the city expanded from the center, roads running to the very outer edges to meet a grand promenade that encircled it entirely, giving the layout it’s iconic wheel-like design. All of it was his. All of it would stay his, until the final breath escaped his tired lungs.

One threat had already been promptly eliminated: there would be no Ayleid allies to the northern alliance under his watch. It had been easy to manipulate the Thalmor into getting their hands dirty, for they feared the wild elves even more than Cyrodiilians did. The Dominion thought they controlled him and he would see to it that they saw the error in their ways.

War approached, sooner than they would expect.

The well-oiled door behind him opened and closed discreetly, and soon the High Chancellor stood at his side, admiring the view under clear blue skies.

“What news, Anilay?”

“Sire,” the man bowed. “Reports indicate the High King’s court is in disarray. His son disappeared along with the woman we framed and all of their resources are aimed at tracking them down. I’m told his own daughters are spearheading the effort and spending all of their precious time on the matter.”

“Excellent. They won’t be looking too closely at the shadows while we get the final pieces in place. You’ve done well, Anilay �" slipping the Ayleid news to those arrogant elves was a stroke of genius. We didn’t have to pull a single resource out of place and now a powerful opponent is off the board.” Still the idea of a rogue Dragonborn did not sit well with him. He’d been on the Ruby Throne for too long to not hedge against any bets. “Do we have any idea where the bastard went?”

“We do not,” said Anilay. “It would seem that no one does.”

“I see. Then, I must ask you to find him. Spare no expense, waste no time. He must be found.”

“As you wish.”

Mede dismissed him with a wave and Anilay made his way back inside through the empty study and downstairs to the council chambers. They had been receiving regular reports from the chancellor and were playing a very delicate game of cat and mouse with the Emperor himself. Little did the old man know that great efforts were already being made to track down the rogue heir and that Anilay himself had a few solid leads to track down.

This would all be so much simpler if we could communicate to the High King in secret, he privately lamented. But communications to their agent were strictly controlled and thoroughly reviewed by Mede himself, for fear of his plan going awry. I must find a way and quickly. The son is the key to all of this… we need to find him immediately.

-----

The sun had not yet full risen when Kyne descended into the copse where Cain and Anska had set up their campsite the night before. A few coals slumbered inside a ring of stone, waiting to be reignited when the two fugitives emerged from their tent for a hearty breakfast. Low snores emanated from within the tent itself, so the goddess was perfectly resigned to sitting around the non-existent fire until they awoke from their deep slumber.

She did not have long to wait, as Cain typically rose ahead of first light. The heavy linen tent flap was thrown back and he nearly yelped in surprise at the sight of the visitor calmly waiting outside.

“By the Nine, don’t sneak up on us like that next time!” he said. “I need a minute.” Cain disappeared behind a few trees and reemerged moments later looking more relieved. He took a seat across from Kyne and started stoking the coals and piling on more timber. “What brings you back to us so soon, mum?”

“I visited your sisters last night.”

“Oh? Did you keep your promise to us?”

“Yes. And no,” admitted Kyne, blushing slightly. Cain started to frown in frustration until she raised a hand. “Let me explain myself.” She waited for his approval and was rewarded with a curt nod. “Thank you. I had no intention of telling them I found you, but, er…”

“But what?” Cain inquired.

Kyne glanced meaningfully at the tent. She wanted Anska to be present for this but the woman was still snoring away in her bedroll. Cain smiled knowingly and disappeared behind the flap to gently rouse his sleepy fiancé. They both joined Kyne shortly after, Anska still wrapped in a cozy blanket, her new ring shining in the first light of dawn.

The goddess noticed it right off and beamed at her. “When did that happen?” she exclaimed, pointing at the sign of their engagement.

“Not long after you left last night,” said Cain. “I had the ring handy and I didn’t think there would be a better time than right then and there.”

She rose from her makeshift seat and beckoned them over. “Come here and hug me this instant!” Kyne wrapped her arms around both of them and kissed them each on the cheek in turn. “I love you both so much. And I know your family will be overjoyed when you are able to return. Now then, sit back down and we’ll get to why I’m here.”

All seated again, Cain began to stir the smoldering fire into life while Anska dug through her bag for the kettle and a tin of tea leaves. Kyne waited patiently once again for both of them to properly awaken, and accepted a fresh mug of the steaming beverage.

“Okay…get to it, please,” said Cain.

“Anska, dear, as I was telling Cain when he first came out here, I spoke to the girls last night and I told them what occurred in the temple.” Anska glared at her frostily and was about to unleash her temper on Kyne when the goddess raised her hand once again. “Please let me finish. I only told them because of the circumstances.”

“They had better be damn good ‘circumstances’,” warned Anska.

“I wouldn’t have done so otherwise,” Kyne assured her. “Linneá and Serana told me the moment they arrived that they’d made a mistake. Someone laid a trap for them and they fell right in, and for that they are truly sorry, my dear. Linn knows how much she hurt you and the guilt is gnawing away at her spirit. Serana’s, too.” She paused for a moment and smiled solemnly at Anska before continuing: “If you’d allow it, they want to come and see you. To apologize. And maybe grovel a just little bit.”

There was a brief silence while Anska stared into the flames of their campfire, lost in thought. She wasn’t sure how to feel about this revelation �" the pain from it had begun changing to anger over the slight towards her and the chaos it had caused. Kyne waited respectfully for an answer but Anska knew she wouldn’t be forced to see them if she didn’t want to. Her thoughts became confused until her fiancé whispered in her mind.

I’ll understand if you don’t want them to come. But if there’s anything certain I’ve learned over the years, it’s that grudges are a poison to the soul. Don’t let the anger consume you, my love.

Anska sighed and nodded to Kyne. “Fine. They can come see us.”

“Linneá will be overjoyed,” Kyne promised her. She raised a hand and opened it, revealing the marked stone Cain had dropped in the ruined Ayleid village. Then she tossed it a few feet away from the campsite and closed her eyes. “They’ll be here soon.”

It was even sooner than Kyne expected. Barely a minute had elapsed before the recall portal appeared and Cain’s younger sisters stepped into the clearing, staring sheepishly at them. Despite everything that had happened, Anska was happy to see them again, though she did hide her smile behind an angry façade. Rising to her feet, she marched over to Linneá and Serana with a purposeful gait and stopped just in front of them.

Her right hand moved so quickly that Cain half expected to hear the three words of power of the Elemental Fury shout echo around the still morning. All that he actually heard was two sharp cracks as Anska’s hand slapped each of them in turn, leaving a faint red handprint on their cheeks. Then her arms were wrapped tightly around them both.

Linneá and Serana were momentarily stunned, but they recovered quickly and began to apologize profusely until Anska cut them off. “Just shut up, would you? We all make mistakes. What matters is that you owned up to them.” She freed them from her clutches and raised a finger in a teasing warning. “But if you pull a stunt like that again, you’ll meet my axe instead of my hand!”

Cain chuckled and rummaged through his belt satchel for some of the herbs and flower blossoms he’d picked along the road yesterday. He mashed up a few sprigs of lavender and wrapped them into aloe vera leaves and offered them to his sisters. “Here, press these against your cheeks for a few minutes and it’ll dull the pain. I’ve been on the receiving end of her hand before and it’s not fun, as I’m sure you now know.”

They graciously accepted the soothing poultices and then sat down around the fire, still remaining oddly quiet.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, will you two liven up already?” teased Anska. “It’s time to move on.”

“Doesn’t mean I still don’t feel like an ass, sis,” admitted Linneá. “Serana and a I… this was not one of our finest moments. I can’t remember the last time I felt like such a piece of [censored]. I’m grateful you forgave us, but I think I speak for both of us when I say it will take some time to forgive ourselves.”

Serana nodded in agreement. “Indeed. You’re far to kind to let us off the hook so easily after all we put you two through.”

“Yes, well, sometimes there can be other occurrences that help put things into perspective,” she winked. Anska made a not-so-subtle show of resting her left hand on her leg, catching the morning sun so that it glinted off of the emerald inlay of her engagement ring. It had the desired effect of drawing their attention to it.

Linneá grinned slyly at Cain. “I told you she’d be your wife someday.”

Cain laughed aloud while all five of them started hugging and fawning over Anska and her new ring. They spent the next hour having a quiet celebration under the rising sun, feasting over a splendid breakfast conjured up by their ever-doting Divine matron. Towards the end, Cain pulled Linneá aside and told her of their plan to visit the Imperial City and she promised to keep up the charade of chasing them down until they rooted out the true enemy within.

They were just about to go their separate ways when it was Kyne’s turn to steer him away for a private conversation. “I noticed you didn’t tell them about the other big news,” she whispered to Cain. “Any particular reason why?”

“Anska and I talked about that last night,” he explained. “And we want to tell everyone at the same time. When we’re all safely back home.”

-----

His daughters had only disappeared from the Blue Palace for about an hour, but it was long enough for Kirin to notice their mysterious absence. Sitting on the bench at the foot of their four-poster bed, he leafed through the morning newspaper while waiting for them to sneak back in. Or try to. But when the door finally did open, Linneá simply shrugged at the sight of him and kicked off her boots.

“Early start today, eh?” he asked them nonchalantly. “Anything I should be made aware of?”

“Nope,” answered Serana. “Just following up on a bad lead. Ended up being a complete waste of time.”

He peered over the paper at them, trying not to smile. “You do realize that you’re both terrible liars, don’t you? Dishonesty doesn’t suit either one of you.”

“If we had anything of note pertaining to the investigation we would share it with you, dad,” said Linneá. “The trail is still ice cold, so we’re pulling whatever loose threads we can find with the hopes of getting lucky.”

She shared a quick glance with Serana and they silently debated on who would be the one to tackle the next part of this conversation. He was their father and they loved him dearly, but questioning the High King as part of their detective roles still made Linneá nervous. Thankfully, they were saved the awkward attempt by his own keen intuition.

“Spit it out so that we can move on,” he stated. Kirin had been wondering when they’d get this far. He’d made it clear that no one in the palace was above suspicion, including present company. And while he knew for certain it was no one from his family, they were right to be gently interrogating him.

“We’ll keep it short, dad,” nodded Serana. “Just one question, really: is there anyone who could possibly have overhead us talking about.”

Kirin pondered on the question for few moments, racking his brain and the various conversations he’d had with the girls and Lydia over the past month. They’d mostly been in his study, which was off limits to anyone but his direct family. And Sybille, if he invited her in for a chat. Then it hit him.

“Huh,” he said, thoughtfully. With a casual look at Linneá he discreetly motioned towards his ears. She caught on right away and casted her room muffling spell. “You’ll have to teach me that one someday, Linn.”

“Do you have something for us?” she asked him.

“Maybe. There was one odd thing that happened after your mother and I were first discussing the leak, Anska’s involvement, and the Ayleid village. She went to grab us a bottle of wine and found Sybille just outside the study. Apparently, she was just about to knock on the door, and she had a bundle of scrolls for me to look over. Normal clerical stuff, so I didn’t think anything of it. Now I can’t help but wonder how long she was standing out there.”

Linneá and Serana both felt a triumphant surge of excitement, but played it off for the time being. “Doesn’t sound like anything to worry about,” said Linneá. “Sybille is always dropping stuff off for you and I never once felt anything but respect for her. Especially after she helped Cain with saving Ana’s life.”