I am Lena Wolf, Lena's life as it happens Options

[Lena Wolf]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum - just moved from Bethesda.net which is closing. I have been writing Lena's story for the past half a year or so, she travels in Cyrodiil and Skyrim, does stuff and lives her life. This is not a novel - it has a beginning but no end, until she dies, which is hopefully not for a long while yet. It is a saga, a feuilleton - as they used to say in the old days - the story develops as it is being written, bit by bit. I hope you like it.

I have more than a hundred entries written already, so I am not going to repost them all here, unless you really want me to. They are all published in my blog: MasserAndSecunda.wordpress.com which I started as a way to keep track of things for myself and keep everything in one place.

I shall now repost a few of those entries here, so as to introduce you to the characters and some key points that get referred to later on.

The running story takes place in the 4th Era, taking off in year 4E201. I had to twist the arm of the lore a bit to correct false accounts on a few things that allegedly took place in the 200 years since the Oblivion Crisis. But we all know how easily false accounts become "historical thruths", so I have no qualms about that. 😀 And yes, a lot of people that Lena met back in the day, were still around 200 years later. Considering how much mixing has been going on in Cyrodiil between men and mer for thousands of years, most people have some Elven blood in them, so the question of life span becomes rather academic.

Thank you for reading and I hope to engage with you all! You'll see me around - and I'll be reading so many good stories that people have posted here!

Yours -
Lena Wolf


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Contents

Chronology

Chapter 1 - Finding her feet (scroll down)

Exerpts posted here, see stories at Masser and Secunda for more.

13 Frost Fall, 4E201 - 16 Sun’s Dawn, 4E202
Cyrodiil.
Introducing Lena Wolf, Hauk Serck-Hanssen, Lucien Lachance, Geralt of Rivia, Jowan Angwin, Fenris Bero, Garrus Darelliun.

Chapter 2 - Matters of the heart

19 Sun’s Dawn - 4 Mid-Year, 4E202
Skyrim, Cyrodiil, Lena's first trip to the Fade, Shivering Isles.
Introducing Dylan, Sanguine, Rayenna.

Chapter 3 – Choice and Judgement

4-5 Mid-Year - 20 Last Seed, 4E202
Cyrodiil.

Chapter 4 – Travels and Revelations

21-23 Last Seed, 4E202 - 25 Morning Star, 4E203
Skyrim, Cyrodiil, Elsweyr, Valenwood, Lena's second trip to the Fade, memories of Temeria, Antaloor as a pocket of the Void.
Hauk departing for Morrowind; introducing Azarath Salvel.
Geralt finding his way in Skyrim.

Chapter 5 – Bonds

30 Morning Star - 7 Midyear, 4E203
Shivering Isles, Skyrim, Gransys, Albion; introducing Scorpio.
Hauk Serck-Hanssen, Lucien Lachance - Morrowind.
4th Era, Year Unknown - Gransys; introducing Rook.

Chapter 6 – The White Wolf

7 Sun’s Dawn, 4E195 - 11 Last Seed, 4E203
Geralt of Rivia - the Northern Realms, Skyrim.
Introducing Yennefer of Vengerberg.

Chapter 7 – Shards

Last Seed, 4E203 - Second Seed, 4E204
Vermund, Battahl, Gransys.

Chapter 8 - Heartbeat

First Seed, 3E434 - 4E203
Cyrodiil, Vermund, Battahl.

Chapter 9 - The Call of the Black City

Morning Star, 3E387 - (ongoing)
Ferelden.

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Chapter 1

Finding her feet

I am Lena Wolf

I am Lena Wolf. I was born on the 17th of Sun's Height, 3E417, in Cyrodiil to a Breton mother, and therefore was declared Breton. I have never been to High Rock, so when Hadvar promised to inform High Rock of my execution in Helgen later on, it made no sense at all. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. When I was 4 years old, my mother died of swamp fever, and our Argonian neighbour took me in. She was old already then, so we called her Gran. Gran always hinted that my unknown father was not unknown at all, just that it was best to keep it quiet until time comes. Time for what? Who knows. Wait and see.

As I turned 16, Gran got older still, and one day said there was something very important that she had to impart to me before her passing. She still couldn't name my father, but, she said, when the time was right, I should go to Skyrim to find out. How was I to know when that would be? Oh, not for a while yet, not for a long while. And she died.

Freedom at 16 proved exhilarating at first and cold and hungry soon after. Having tried this and that without much success and having had enough of goblins stealing my sweetrolls, I walked into Bravil's Mages Guild hoping to steal one of theirs. Instead, I found myself being thrust at a dinner table and loaded with all sorts of food, sweetrolls included. The mages took me in, taught me magic towards which I appeared to be inclined, taught me alchemy for the body, soul and enemies, and gave me a reason to venture into the caves in search of wisp stalks. The guards kept joking seeing me returning from my expeditions with yet another rusty sword or piece of armour, but the local smith fixed them up for me and taught me a few moves. Finally the goblins were getting their come-uppence!

Fighters Guild was not for me. Yes, I dealt with the headmistress's son in Chorrol and with the cowardly elf in Skingrad, and yes, the lich took some effort and lots of Freds to defeat, but I got bored with the routine and sort of quit. Well, got busy elsewhere. Free-lancing with Dark Brotherhood proved infinitely more fun, they didn't mind my vampirism, and Oblivion gates needed taking care of, too.

That disaster sorted, life got back to normal. Of course by then I found a cure for vampirism and joined the Arcane University, right on cue to face the King of Worms. Fortunately, Uncle Sheo decided to look in on us right about then, and the Shivering Isles provided a spot of sanity in a world gone mad. I still spend every autumn there.

So what do I do these days? I live. I potter about. I keep my home free from goblins and rats. I roast dreugh for dinner. I occasionally take a contract for another Ayleid sculpture or another bag of Welkynd stones. There's always a lich in someone's basement or a bunch of scamps needing a good home. And one day I'll go to Skyrim to find that important thing, but the time hasn't come yet.

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28 Last Seed, 3E433 – Lena’s Story begins

Lena Wolf's story begins at 16. Being quite young and still inexperienced, that last sweetroll she stole finally landed her in the Imperial Prison, and the story of the Oblivion Crisis was set in motion.

Everyone knows how that went, so we'll skip the details. Lena delivered the Amulet of Kings and was sent to Kvatch to fetch Martin, but went to Bravil first, stopped by the Mages Guild there hoping for a sweetroll that wouldn't land her back in Imperial Prison, got caught by the mages, but not handed over to the guard but fed and accepted into the guild instead... And what with one thing and another, she got completely side tracked by everything happening at once, including closing many Oblivion gates and fighting necromancers and vampires. She didn't realise what the Porphyric Hemophilia thing was until one morning she woke up a vampire herself! The mages still treated her well like before and she could progress in the guild, but the Fighters Guild wouldn't even talk to her - "We don't want your sort here!" The same with most merchants, but not all - for example the chap at the Main Ingredient in the Imperial City wasn't afraid at all and traded as normal, so we always shop there whenever we're in town.

Lena must have killed some non-bandit by mistake because Lucien turned up at night, and there of course at the Sanctuary she met another vampire and no one was bothered by her occasional feeding (although she usually didn't feed on guild members but rather on beggars and often went hungry as it came with benefits, not just curses). So eventually she progressed far enough in the Mages Guild that the Count of Skingrad hinted that perhaps they could help each other...

By the time she cured her vampirism and got to finally ousting Mehrunes Degon out of Cyrodiil, nearly 3.5 years have passed, bringing it to Sun's Dawn 3E437. The 3rd Era was coming to an end. Then Uncle Sheo decided to look in, and a mad prophet turned up in Anvil.

The Oblivion Crisis affair had her run around a lot and win a prestigious title, and I guess she should carry that title with pride, but in truth she'd rather forget about the whole thing, as well as Martin's panicked reaction there. Some Emperor he turned out to be! Perhaps it's true that you need to grow up as one.

With the Dark Brotherhood she advanced rather far, although not quite to the top. She only joined because Lucien said that being a vampire was fine and also he knew her mother. He probably lied about that, but who knows. She didn't mind the work, I guess she is not a do-gooder. So she wasn't even considering questing for the Knights of The Nine and simply killed the prophet. Oops! He, err, ate something rotten, it appears.

But the one title she enjoyed was that of Lord Sheogorath. What fun we had! Sanguine practically moved in to the New Sheoth palace, and Hircine had the time of his life running around the countryside chasing Gnarls. Why, even Vermina melted seeing the whole population of Dementia having nightmares all on their own. Meridia of course had to lecture everyone on their lack of virtue, so we sent her packing. But then Sheo himself returned, and in his usual charming manner first joined in and then kicked everyone out, Lena included. Jygg messed up his head, I'm telling you.

As for the Thieves Guild, Lena declined their every invitation. She's no thief. Gosh, I think I found a virtue!

The 4th Era saw Lena venturing out again, from now on always avoiding to deliver any suspicious amulets, and being watchful of the Hemophilia thingy. She had plenty of dealings with daedra - no, the closure of the Oblivion Crisis did not in fact prevent the daedra from entering the Mundus in the future, but it did cool things off a bit.

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12 First Seed, 4E195 - Flotsam

Lena Wolf returned from her stay in the Shivering Isles only to find that nearly 200 years had passed in Mundus in the meantime. She was no longer a "current" citizen, having missed the census for so long, and all her property had been repossessed by the Empire. Even her Mages Guild membership had been revoked. This was more than upsetting, and Lena boarded the first ship out of Anvil. It was bound for the Northern Realms.

The Northern Realms were kingdoms on the other side of the Great Maelstrom of the Middle Ocean. The journey was long and perilous, and even time itself was said to dilate along the way. People rarely made the journey more than once in their lifetimes, except for the ship's crew of course. Those sailors were tough, and inspired confidence. Lena was leaving.

The Northern Realms were at war. A constant war with each other and with the Southern kingdoms where Nilfgaard was building an empire. This had been going on for so long - for centuries - that people mostly ignored it, except when the menfolk got drafted to fight for the current king. The people still kept to the old country names, paying no heed to the king in charge.

Lena found herself in a small border town named Flotsam. It was a port on a major river and proved as refined as its name suggested. But the town had no resident healer, and Lena saw an opportunity. Her skills in magic and alchemy could be put to a good use, and with the help of a local herbalist she updated her herb knowledge and opened a practice.

Despite all odds, life in Flotsam proved quiet and largely uneventful. Trade flourished and there was no shortage of work for a healer. One day an old witcher walked in, badly wounded, looking to buy some herbs.

"I can't let you go anywhere" - was Lena's response. "I've got a bed free, you need to rest."

But despite Lena's best efforts augmented with the witcher's special potions, the witcher was not recovering. His wolf medallion kept buzzing - magic or danger, it was both, and he was dying.

The old man knew something though, or had seen something. He gave Lena his medallion and said that she should search for a white wolf with the same sort of trinket, and that it would make her complete once she found him. And then the old witcher died.

Wait, didn't we hear such a story before? First her Argonian grandmother telling her on her deathbed to search for something extremely important in Skyrim, and now this story about a medallion-wearing wolf?

But one day at the market Lena bumped into a fellow with white hair, and a shiver went down her spine. Yep, he wasn't looking where he was going and got her with the tip of his enchanted sword. A few choice recommendations were ready to roll off Lena's tongue when she spotted a wolf medallion around the fellow's neck. So, instead of giving him a piece of her mind, she politely enquired whether Master Witcher would be good enough to stop by her practice after hours because she needed his expert advice on a small, ah, matter. Flattery will get you everywhere, and come evening, the White Wolf turned up at her house.

"I am Geralt of Rivia - at your service."

Recalling the words of the old witcher, Lena was expecting a certain turn of events that would make her complete, at least for the night. But boy was she mistaken. The shiver that went down her spine back at the market, wasn't from any sword enchantment - it was her wolf medallion buzzing like mad near Geralt (Lena took to wearing the medallion because it went with her last name so nicely). The old witcher had re-enchanted the amulet with her essence, so it responded quite violently to another being with a similar essence. Lena and Geralt were related.

Having talked through most of the night, they got through a lot of Cyrodillic Brandy and Argonian Bloodwine, and having eliminated the impossible, the only remaining conclusion, no matter how far-fetched, was that they must be siblings. Having given up her first child with the unknown but obviously important Nord, Lena's mother kept the second child, and swore to raise her daughter in ignorance of the great heritage that made her son into the White Wolf and hoping that the little girl would be spared world-shattering responsibilities. Ha!

Since that chance meeting in Flotsam, Lena and Geralt never really lost sight of each other, although never paraded their connection either. As both of them were in the habit of regularly freaking out local world leaders, church heads and powerful sorcerers, it seemed prudent not to aggravate matters too much.

Geralt got embroiled in local politics despite his best judgement, then the war broke out for real with the Nilfgardian Empire invading the North. Death and destitution was everywhere. Lena made her way to Novigrad and boarded a ship back to Cyrodiil.

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Hauk Serc-Hanssen

Iver and Hauk Serc-Hanssen were twins born under The Lord on 21 First Seed 4E151. They were Nords, and as such were expected to become warriors. Nords value their traditions, and Nords living in Cyrodiil do so even more, although admittedly many of them have taken in too much of the mildness of Nibenay to be called sons and daughters of Skyrim. So when the boys started showing above average abilities in magic, their parents blamed the very soil of Cyrodiil for "mellowing" their children. The Serc-Hanssens were definitively the Nord sons of Cyrodiil.

"Well, if they are going to be mages, let them be battlemages at least" - was their father's verdict. And the boys were enrolled into education with the Mages Guild as well as training with the Legion.

At twenty, Iver and Hauk had joined both the Arcane University and the Imperial Legion, and have completed their Battlemage training. Then the Great War broke out. Iver was drafted into regular forces, but Hauk was sent to Skyrim to a special unit - scouts, messengers, liaisons, logistics, that sort of thing. At least, this was the official designation.

Nobody knows what that unit actually did in Skyrim, and those who know will never tell, so it's safe to assume they were maintaining a covert front behind the enemy lines. The unit wasn't large, so it was easy to disperse it without a trace after the war. Some even claim that the unit never existed - after all, Hauk had been seen on the front lines of many official campaigns... or was that Iver? Who could tell! They were twins, after all...

After the war, Iver and Hauk left active service with the Legion and returned to the Mages Guild, doing smaller assignments, training new apprentices, and generally settling back into a civilian life style. Iver got busy with the Guild and the University, while Hauk... well... Hauk kept disappearing from time to time, for several weeks or even months on end, then suddenly coming back looking like he had spent all this time outdoors and in cold water. Hauk looked out of place among mages that never left the comforts and security of the walls of the Imperial City, so he left his Mage's Staff and a few other important things with Iver at the University and joined the Legion again. Or had he ever left?

Years later, when Travis became the Arch Mage and banned necromancy, Hauk got into an argument regarding limiting the types of spells available to battlemages - the "code of conduct" was Travis' idea and Hauk disagreed. But arguments with the Arch Mage are doomed to failure, so not wanting to be banished from the Guild altogether, Hauk boarded a ship to Antaloor and was gone for several years - enough time to cool things off. Upon his return he was made to understand that although formally he would still remain a Mages Guild Evoker, he did not need to expect any assignments or promotions from the Guild.

At 50, Hauk found himself bored with nothing to do, and no family to take care of. Neither he nor Iver ever married, but Iver was still busy with the University and with the Guild, while Hauk... he wasn't exactly too old for the Legion, but there were no wars going on, apart from the usual regional conflicts that were as repetitive as they were pointless. Would he be interested in training up some recruits? No, thank you. Well, then... exactly. They had nothing of interest for him either.

One day Hauk stopped by the Arcane University to see Iver when he spotted a new member - a new apprentice, he was told. She didn't look new, she looked like she had done it all before and was simply going through the motions. She was also making some custom spells that were much too complex for a new apprentice. Who was she? Things didn't add up.

A few enquiries with the older members of the Guild made it very clear that whoever she was, Lena Wolf was not a novice and not a youngster, despite her youthful appearance. There was mystery there, some darkness perhaps, but Hauk was not a shiny new penny either. Lena was muttering to herself about doing some adventuring to raise funds for a house... raiding some Ayleid ruins in search of ancient statues and Welkynd stones... doing some contracts for the Fighters Guild - the sorts of things that "regular" warriors would rather avoid, like fighting liches and wraiths... What fun! Hauk would introduce himself and offer to join her. Let the new life begin.

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5 Sun's Dusk, 4E201 - Lena and Hauk meet

Skyrim can wait. Back in Cyrodiil Lena still has a lot to do. She needs to get back her house in Bravil which got repossessed by the county under the feeble excuse that Lena had been absent for a couple of centuries. So what! She had business in the Shivering Isles - time passes differently there, and longevity is not an issue for a vampire anyway... ex-vampire... What does it matter?!

The house got taken, and there's nothing left to do but to buy it again. Which requires funds, which in turn requires some serious adventuring.

Thinking these serious thoughts, and possibly muttering to herself, Lena spent some time at the Arcane University making custom spells and picking ingredients in that lovely garden of theirs, as well as shopping in the Market District. There, quite absent-mindedly, she bumped into something shiny. Looking up and shielding her eyes, she realised that she was looking at a highly polished suit of steel armour, probably the best looking steel armour in the whole of Tamriel. Inside it was a tall Nord on the better side of 40.

Hauk Serck-Hanssen was a Mages Guild battlemage, currently doing what all soldiers do in peace times - nothing. Hauk was a Mages Guid Evoker, just like his twin brother Iver (who insisted on dropping his last name out of false sense of modesty), but unlike Iver, Hauk was not a "proper" battlemage. "It doesn't become a battlemage to meddle with schools of Illusion or Conjuration - such mind-altering magic is for vampires and necromancers!" - you'd think Arch Mage Travis would have outlawed those schools along with Necromancy, given half a chance. Hauk took no notice of this new order of decent behaviour, and as a result his assignments became far and few between.

Picking up Lena's muttering about "needing to raid a few Ayleid ruins for Welkynd stones" and "going goblin hunting in Skingrad County", he put on his most gallant expression and introduced himself - "On behalf of the battlemages, may I welcome you to the Arcane University--" and then cleverly did not say "Recruit" or "Apprentice". Because this is not how you get into the good books of a young and pretty Breton who somehow does not seem to be in her early 20s as her looks might suggest.

But instead: "Can I be of some assistance on the goblin hunt, not that you would need any, of course?"

Why, what do you know! Adventuring with a friend is so much more fun! Lena's University life just got more interesting.

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24 Sun's Dusk, 4E201 - Dragons - The White Wolf

Later at Olav's the conversation was light, both Lena and Hauk avoiding the topic of dragons. Then Hauk could avoid it no longer.

"Tell me about the dragons in Skyrim."

"Well, there isn't that much to tell. I went over the border about a month ago - just before we met, in fact. You've heard about the Skyrim bandits that used to terrorise the border regions, well, I read they were finally defeated - again, so probably not for the last time. But it was safe to cross just then. My adoptive grandmother told me on her death bed that there was something important I had to do in Skyrim, but I never knew what. To do or to see or to find out - that was all unclear. I've been to Skyrim before a few times and nothing particularly important happened, so I didn't think this time would be any different.

"But this time it started strange and it continued even stranger, which is why I returned to Cyrodiil within a week.

"Firstly, as I was crossing the border, I got arrested by the Imperial Legion and sentenced to beheading - although they admitted that I was not on the list."

"That sounds a bit harsh!" Hauk interjected, although he could believe it perfectly. "Did they at least know what you've supposedly done?"

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was captured together with Ulfrick Stormcloack - the rebellion leader. He was the one they were after, and everyone else - me and another fellow - was coming along for the ride."

"Sounds about right. So how is it that you're still alive? Although I can see now why you are not in Skyrim."

"Oh, that has nothing to do with it. Just as they were getting started with the executions, a dragon attacked and sent everyone running for cover. It was breathing fire and chaos was complete. One of those rebels was trying to pull me to come with them, but I followed an Imperial soldier instead."

"That seems like a strange decision considering that the Legion was going to execute you!"

"Not really. The Legion is methodical and prefers to err on the side of caution - better execute one too many than one too few - but they are also level-headed, and I figured they'd reconsider my sentence, especially since I wasn't on their list to begin with. The rebels on the other hand, looked hot-headed, and anyhow I did not want to get embroiled in Skyrim politics."

"So who sent the dragon?"

"No one knows. But I think no one sent the dragon. I think this was a coincidence and the dragon business is unrelated to the rebellion. They also have Thalmor patrols everywhere searching for the cult of Talos - and that too is unrelated."

"Yes, we got ourselves in a right mess with the Thalmor."

"Well, that Imperial soldier took me to a nearby village - his uncle was a blacksmith there, and they made me welcome, I don't see why. But apparently helping the guy fight the rebels back in Helgen counted as 'saving his life', although I was mostly trying to save mine."

"I bet you fought bravely and impressed him, plus you didn't put an arrow between his shoulder blades. That counts for a lot in Skyrim."

"I suppose so. They asked me just to do one thing for them - to go to their local town and inform the jarl about the dragon, ask him to send some guards to this village in case a dragon turns up there. Ok, that's the least I could do. Plus, I ran into my brother there, and figured I'd be staying for a while."

"You have a brother?"

"I do. It's a long story for another time. He stayed in Skyrim, so if we go there together, you can't avoid meeting him."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world! When are we leaving?"

"Not tonight."

"I see" - Hauk felt that there was more. More about the dragons, more about the brother, much more of everything. Perhaps the best thing was just to let it develop at its own pace. Too bad that Nords are not blessed with patience... "Well, let's get back to the dragon then. Did you go to see the jarl?"

"I did. He thanked me and mentioned some errands that I might do for him, in case I was in need of coin. Fine, life was getting back to normal. Until a couple of days later a dragon attacked a watchtower causing chaos in the jarl's palace. Of course they will never admit it was chaos, but why else would they ask me of all people to help fight the dragon? 'You survived Helgen, you know more about dragons than anyone here!' I knew how to run away from one... but sure, I joined them."

"So how do you fight a dragon?"

"How do you fight any flying creature? With arrows or spells, what else can you do? We got it down and got it killed. An I absorbed its soul."

"Whoa!!" That was something else. It wasn't just about slaying a fearsome ancient monster, it was about taking over its power too. "You are Dragonborn?" Hauk knew exactly what it meant, what it implied and why Lena needed time to get her head around it. Each Dragonborn throughout history had a mission to accomplish, and choices to make, and none of it was easy.

"Yeah, that's what I discovered." Lena was relieved that she did not have to explain what it meant. She wasn't sure herself yet. "The Greybeards called me, but I haven't gone to see them, not yet anyway. Instead, I returned to Cyrodiil to get my head in order."

"And your brother?"

"He is not Dragonborn, if that's what you're asking. But he'll be there for when I am ready to go to Skyrim to find out more."

That wasn't what Hauk was asking, and they both knew it. But should Lena drop another bomb by saying that her brother was the White Wolf? Did Hauk even know who that was? Yeah, he probably did. He seemed to know a lot of things...

"My brother needed some time for himself. He's been through a lot in the last few years, so he came to Skyrim to get away from it all for a time, to get his own head in order. Our father was a Nord - that much we know - so Geralt figured Skyrim would be a perfect destination, a perfect change of pace."

"Geralt?" Yep, Hauk knew that name.

"My brother is the White Wolf."

Things were making sense now. The famous witcher was not Dragonborn, but it took more than an average person to become a witcher at all, and Geralt was quite a character. The news of the Northern Realms did not reach Tamriel very promptly, but eventually things became known, and some of them were even true. Hauk heard of the Wild Hunt that was tormenting the Northern Realms, and of the frost and ice that the Wild Hunt left in its wake. They were said to be wraiths - but what would wraiths want with the living? Why would they abduct whole villages at a time? Hauk thought it more likely that they were beings of flesh and blood coming from another realm looking for slaves, and the frost was simply their magic. The witchers would fight them, and it was said that an apocalyptic battle recently took place. The Wild Hunt was gone. For now or forever? The White Wolf was involved somehow, some said it was he who defeated the Wild Hunt king, other said no, the White Wolf was captured and was a prisoner himself, and someone else had to free them all... Whatever of it was true, it wasn't a walk in the park, and if the White Wolf was now here in Tamriel, then the Wild Hunt must have been dealt with. It wasn't in his character to run away. "His Nord blood wouldn't let him" - Hauk thought. "He finished his mission and came to seek out his roots."

"So what now? Are you going back to Skyrim at all?"

"Yes, I'll have to, I need to find out more, at least. But there is no rush, and my home is still here."

"Yeah, in Bravil" - Hauk remembered the effort that Lena put into getting back that house.

"Yeah."

The publican had been topping up their ale and mead for a long while already. Whatever those two were discussing, was keeping them drinking, and there's nothing wrong with that. Besides, they mentioned Skyrim - what better topic could a Nord wish for under his roof?

The regulars were finally going home, but Lena and Hauk didn't feel like sleeping. The conversation still hung in the air, and they just sat there, drinking silently for a while. They were getting more and more at ease with each other, no longer needing to talk.

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31 Evening Star, 4E201 - Lucien Lachance

"What did Lucien want?" - Asked Hauk at breakfast at Count's Arms.

"He... I thought you were asleep!"

"I was, until he banged the door on his way out. Who else comes to visit you in your sleep?"

That was solid logic, and there was no point arguing.

"He wanted me to rejoin the Brotherhood" - Lena conceded.

"Rejoin?"

"Yes. I was suspended after I refused to kill everyone in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary."

"And you lived?" - that was most unusual. The Dark Brotherhood wasn't just another Guild, transgressions came with a death sentence.

"Oh, they were sending assassins after me for a time until it transpired that the traitor was much higher up than anyone in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary - he was a Black Hand, and he was out for revenge after Lucien personally. That's a completely mad story" - Lena shook her head. "Then I was no longer the target and they let me be. Now they decided it was time I returned to the family."

"And will you?"

"Already have."

Hauk wasn't surprised. After Lucien's visit the night before, Lena disappeared for 24 hours. She returned during the night. Lucien's ways were rubbing off on her.

"So, if you were given a contract on my life, would you kill me?"

"First of all" - Lena was getting cross - "they would not give me a contract on a friend unless this was a test or a Purification Ritual. And second of all, this would be against my principles, so I'd kill the contract giver instead, and they know it. So you're quite safe from me" - Lena smiled.

"You put friends above your oath?"

"I do not serve Sithis. I have rejoined because Lucien did know my mother - he hadn't lied. When I refused to purify Cheydinhal, he exclaimed 'Just like her mother', and I learned later that indeed their paths had crossed."

That was as much as Lena was willing to tell, that was obvious. So Hauk dropped the topic.

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5 Morning Star, 4E202 - Lucien's offer

I've been promised the abandoned house in Cheydinhal for keeping a cool head and sparing them all back then. I was to perform the Purification Ritual with which I would break the tenet to never harm a brother. But were I to refuse, I would break the tenet to never refuse a contract. I did not believe the "evidence" and chose to refuse the contract. Another assassin was sent to perform the Purification, and failed. I had to face the Wrath of Sithis, but it wasn't my first wraith... Living assassins were sent after me, all in vain. Then the "evidence" that I discarded, was proven to have been fabricated. The traitor was much higher up and he was after Lucien Lachance personally, which of course broke a tenet of the Brotherhood. I was cleared, but it was considered best for me to stay away. Until now.

Lucien came to see me a week ago - they wanted me back. But they owed me, not just their lives, but their continued existence as members of the Brotherhood. Would I accept a promotion? Surely, I would make a superb Black Hand. No, thank you. I do not serve Sithis, and I dare to say it - I'll kill his wraith again if I have to.

"You are just like your mother. And your great-uncle, he too went rogue." Lucien hadn't lied, I received my great-uncle's will - he left me his sanctuary near Leyawiin. But he served Sithis, and I don't. I just want a normal house.

"A house? I think we can arrange that" - Lucien brightened up. "The Count here is not keen to have an ugly abandoned house in the city, but we are very persuasive. Plus, he still remembers - less than fondly - Morag Tong from his native Morrowind. I think he would be pleased if the house was no longer abandoned. But would you be willing to allow access to the Sanctuary through it?"

As I am the only member who likes to use that door, it isn't much of a problem. New members have to earn the right to use direct access, so new members need that route through the house, but I was the last new member to join, and that was 200 years ago. I would not worry. After the traitor used a new member - me - to try to get to Lucien, Lucien has been reluctant to accept anyone else.

"Go see the Count in a couple of days. What do you want to call the house?"

"The Wolf Sanctuary."

"How befitting" - Lucien smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - A visit to Lucien

Lena knew where Lucien lived and how to get there bypassing the guards. Of course she did, she spent a lot of time there herself. It was time to let Lucien know about her little enterprise. Lucien knew what's been done already and guessed rightly that she had plans for more.

On a piece of parchment Lena wrote a list of names.

She sealed the letter and left it on the table.

She returned a few days later. There was a brand new silver dagger where the letter had been. The barrel with poisoned apples had been unlocked. A bouquet of flowers lay on the bed: goldenrod, morning glory, lily of the valley, blue hyacinth. Good fortune, my dear - yours, always.

"The choice of a lily is... unusual" - Lena thought. "I would have expected something more neutral..."

She took the flowers. She knew that Lucien would see them in the Wolf Sanctuary kept fresh and understand her acceptance. But she wasn't laying ambrosia fruit on her bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

14 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - Death and Resuscitation - Wolf House - Prince Sheogorath

"This isn't as crazy as I thought it might be" - Hauk was saying at breakfast.

12 Sun's Dawn

Having breakfast at noon is not crazy at all if you only went to bed at 4 a.m. as they did. They brought the tongs and calipers to Tove, and he paid Lena 5 septims for each one, resulting in a very tidy sum.

"Oh I insist - for your trouble."

"That wasn't crazy after all to drag them all the way to here" - Hauk started to see sense.

After that they had a job to do at Xedilian.

"Now that I had to kill the Gatekeeper again, I need to fix Xedilian" - Lena was trying to explain it to Hauk. "It will attract people that don't belong here and make them belong."

Xedilian was overrun with grummites. They had removed the resonator crystals and attached them to their magic staves which made them so much more dangerous. At one point four Deathbringers and a Magus swarmed on Lena and Hauk from all directions and got them surrounded. Lena was using a lot of poisons but they weren't as effective on these grummites as they were on the ones in the hatchery. The battle was ferocious and Lena got knocked out - and couldn't get up. When Hauk finally dispatched the last of the grummites, Lena was still on the ground. Not unconscious but dead. One of the Deathbringers apparently kept hitting her after she lost consciousness - he was determined to live up to his title.

Hauk tried healing spells on Lena, cure poison and cure paralysis, smelling salts and aloe sap, to no avail.

"Ok then, it's the old-fashioned way again" - he thought removing her armour for CPR.

Resuscitation was successful. Lena sat up, still dizzy but alive.

"That was some battle... Thanks for bringing me back" - she said watching Hauk sorting through a pile of potions, clothes and pieces of armour that he dropped in the rush to get her heart beating again. He was still casting healing spells at her and at himself, and the sweat on his torso was shimmering in the mist of restoration magic.

"We'll need to take a break now" - he said wrapping Lena in some robes from their pack. "You need to warm up - don't bother wearing these, you'll be warmer in a wrap."

Being a Battlemage was clearly different from being an Adventurer, and having gone through the Great War behind the enemy lines taught Hauk survival skills like no training ever could. He actually knew what he was doing.

...

After a rest with some food and drink, they put their armours back on and decided to continue going through Xedilian. After all, they seemed to be nearly done.

"So this is the frog that got me?" - Lena stood over a grummite that lay where she had gone down.

"That's the one" - Hauk confirmed. "He just wouldn't quit which probably saved my own life - I would have been overwhelmed by an extra one joining in."

"I'm glad you weren't" - Lena looked at Hauk realising that were the roles reversed, she would have done everything in her power to bring him back.

13 Sun's Dawn

Xedilian was restored and the first group of adventurers was taken care of. Knights of Order appeared too, and were dispatched. Lena and Hauk stood outside again, it was mid-morning. They hadn't slept, but neither of them wanted to just now.

"What's next?" - asked Hauk.

"We could walk back to Passwall and rest at the inn there for a while" - Lena pointed West - "or we could start towards New Sheoth and get distracted along the way" - she pointed North East grinning.

"East" - said Hauk and started walking.

...

It didn't take long and they ran into another ruin and decided to investigate. Xalara housed some zealots, and obviously had to be thoroughly searched for the Fork of Horripilation.

The Fork wasn't there, but they found some substantial loot in an urn held by a statue.

"Good thing real Hungers aren't nearly as big as this one" - remarked Hauk admiring the statue. "Very decorative though."

He was definitely getting into the spirit of the place.

Xalara was a bit of a labyrinth with traps, sliding wall panels, collapsed sections and newly dug out bypasses. They kept coming out near the entrance which would normally be welcome, but in this case it wasn't because Lena was determined to search every nook and cranny for the Fork. Of course it was all for naught, but you wouldn't know it until you'd done it.

Exhausted, they decided to eat the zealots' food and sleep in their beds. It was getting quite late anyway.

14 Sun's Dawn

In the morning they set off for New Sheoth, this time intent on getting there without distractions. The landscape was swampy, but the water wasn't deep, and they didn't expect any creatures apart from baliwogs. Then suddenly Lena got knocked out.

"Whaaa-?" - Hauk heard her yelp but couldn't see what attacked her. Summoning a dremora just in case, he felt a little like that Orc adventurer that fell victim to Xedilian's magic - how do you fight the unseen?

The next moment Hauk was hit from above by a Skulking Scalon - a creature with a power to turn invisible and jump high and far. So this was what knocked out Lena - a scalon's touch also carried an electrical charge.

Hauk staggered, but his dremora swung into action, and soon the scalon lay defeated.

"Ugh, those scalons can really surprise you" - Lena was saying wringing out her skirt. The swamp wasn't deep to walk in, but it did get you thoroughly wet if you fell in.

New Sheoth wasn't far, and they didn't tarry and longer.

...

"We need to go see the Prince about Xedilian but not in these wet clothes" - Lena said as they entered Crucible. "There's a house here that we can use - it was left to me by a chap I did a favour for." There was no need to explain what the favour for Hirrus Clutumnus was.

When Hirrus left Lena the house, she went to have a look and didn't like it. Too much blood, torture tools and self-flailing in there. But now her wet clothes under her iron armour were chilling her to the bone, and she was ready to make use of the house even with Hirrus' spirit still hanging about.

They entered. Someone had redecorated. Gone were the torture tools, blood stains and cobwebs. Gone was the gloomy atmosphere - it's amazing what a few tapestries can do. It was still a Dementia house, but it was now clean and welcoming.

Dylan. It had to be.

But Dylan himself wasn't there, so Lena and Hauk spent some time in the Wolf House - as it was now known - to freshen up and rest. There was food, good wine and mead, and even fresh sweetrolls... nothing that Hirrus would have kept there.

In the afternoon they went to see the Prince. Lena put on a Red Finery dress that she had found in the cupboard. Hauk couldn't take his eyes off her.

The Prince was galant, as always, making jokes and never letting you forget who was in charge. Lena let him get on with it, not argueing or reminding him of things past. They both knew it was just a façade. He sent her to get acquainted with the new Duke and Duchess - Thadon and Syl, again? Well, yes, the same ones, or may be their twins... But they won't remember you, so don't you worry. But didn't I cut Syl's heart out last time? Yes, you did, but we don't let such minor details get in the way. Off you go now and enjoy your felldew.

Coming out of the Palace, Lena noticed that the Flame of Agnon wasn't burning - the Saints and Seducers must have been quarreling again. She had work to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

15 Sun's Dawn 4E202 - Another letter from Lucien

"Before I get embroiled in Shivering Isles politics, I need to return to Cyrodiil for a bit" - Lena was saying to Hauk at breakfast. "There are a few things I need to take care of, on my own." She looked at him somewhat uneasy.

"Of course" - Hauk nodded. "Give Lucien my regards. I'll stay here - can I use this house?"

"Please do" - Lena gave Hauk a long look. He was planning something. "But I don't think I'll be meeting Lucien" - she added.

"You'll see."

...

Returning to Cheydinhal, Lena found a letter waiting for her on the table at the Wolf Sanctuary. It was from Lucien:

Darling Wolf,

Come and see me at your convenience. We have business to attend to.

Yours -
Lucien

She went in the evening, planning to sleep at the fort if necessary, while waiting for Lucien to appear. She didn't have to wait long.

"I need you to go to Skyrim" - said Lucien pouring the wine. "There's a group there that calls themselves the Dark Brotherhood and is taking on contracts, but we don't have a branch in Skyrim and the Night Mother does not talk to anyone there. Go see what they are all about."

Lena heard of them when she went to Skyrim before, but because the Dark Brotherhood had a regional structure, she didn't expect to know any of them. Now it turned out they were imposters, which went some way to explain why they tried to kill her - and didn't know who she was. No one verified their contracts, obviously.

"How do you want me to approach them?" - she asked Lucien, helping herself to cheese and grapes.

"We'll bait them - we'll spread a rumour that you've gone after one of their contracts. They'll be in touch."

"If the Night Mother doesn't speak to them, then where do they get their contacts from?"

"From rumours, mostly. People know how to summon us - the real us - and so they perform the Dark Sacrament over and over, thinking that more is better, no doubt. Then, when no one comes, they start talking about it, and sure enough, soon afterwards someone appears."

"Your friendly neighbourhood assassin, here to help" - grimaced Lena.

"Quite. Ham or mutton?" - Lucien was taking roast off the spit.

"Mutton, please, and some of that orange chutney on top."

Two old friends sat down for dinner. Nothing unusual about that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Aug 12 2024, 10:22 PM

[Renee]

Hey!!!!! Glad to see you made it here, wow, what a surprise!

Bethesda.net is CLOSING??? Wow, but maybe it's for the best. Maybe they will come up with a forum which is more handsome.

I shall catch up on Lena's adventures, dear. Have a Fishy Stick.

http://static3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2013...Fishy_stick.png

[Lena Wolf]

Thanks, Renee!
Yes, I guess they figured 7 days should be enough notice for anyone. Tells you something about their attitude to their forums... There won't be a substitute - we are to use Discord instead. :-O So Macole got me onto here (thanks, Macole!), seemed like a great place to share stories. :-D
If you haven't read Macole's final story on Beth, you better hurry before it's all gone come Monday. He's done with Jandaga but I'm not done yet with Lena Wolf...

[Renee]

Okay, I'll have a look at Bethesda.net this weekend. Gosh, it's just so odd that place is gonna be gone. It makes me glad I didn't really post any really extensive works of fiction over there.

You will notice Chorrol is a much smaller place. Same faces every day, and so on. I've always likened Chorrol.com to a small country pub, in which you'll see everyone you know in the village, and get to know us well. Beth's forums are more like a sports bar with loud music, occasional fights, and also a lot of folks moving through (in the Skyrim and Fallout 4 / 76 forums, anyway).

Anyway, I'll shush now. I'll let others welcome ye here, my dear!

[ghastley]

Mine’s a pint!

[Acadian]

Welcome to Chorrol, Lena!

What a fun saga so far! I'm about halfway up to present since your first post is much too long to fully savor in one sitting. So far, I like the smooth way you have handled time/distance to connect Oblivion and Skyrim. Though not familiar with the Witcher series, it seems like you certainly are.

Looking forward to finishing up your first post in the near future.

[Lena Wolf]

Thank you! I must warn you that I do bring multiple worlds together. But you don't need to know any of them really to follow the story - I explain what is required. Those are just my favourite characters, and so they all eventually board a ship and sail over the ocean to Tamriel.

As far as the Witcher goes, he's Lena's brother and is quite a character in himself. My Geralt - the way I imagined him and played him in the Witcher series - has very little to do with the "real" Geralt - the one from the books. So just as well that you don't know him - he is not the same person. He he. It's all wrong here.

I won't post anything new for a few days - the first post is indeed so very long. But you can see that individual entries are not terribly long, so it won't be too bad in the future.

Thanks for reading! Glad you like it.

[macole]

Thanks, Renee!
Yes, I guess they figured 7 days should be enough notice for anyone. Tells you something about their attitude to their forums... There won't be a substitute - we are to use Discord instead. :-O So Macole got me onto here (thanks, Macole!), seemed like a great place to share stories. :-D
If you haven't read Macole's final story on Beth, you better hurry before it's all gone come Monday. He's done with Jandaga but I'm not done yet with Lena Wolf...

Glad to see you made it through Acadian's rigorous vetting

Hope you enjoy Chorrol as much as I do. The residents here have complained very little about the ramblings of an old spyrys. Personally, I think they are in for a treat when they see how you weave characters from different games into you story.

As for the Jandaga and his Ladies their story continues here uninterrupted. The last post in the Beth forms is like a ten thousand year jump to the future and in part is base on my real life experience. That's maybe more than anyone wants to know.

Anyways, I save everything I have written so if anyone wants to see a far in the future ending I can do it.

This post has been edited by macole: May 21 2021, 06:21 AM

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

Welcome aboard, Lena_Wolf! Nice to have a new face around here...

...But I'm sorry, did you say bethesda.net is closing? As in the current forums?

I had to double-check the date of this thread's beginning post and see if Renee was confusing the old forum closure with this one. I thought I was going crazy. So they're really closing the current forums down, huh? Kind of strange after how much they made a fuss about switching to them in 2016/2017, but whatever. I haven't legitimately been on there in a few years. I'm not sure if Discord is the best solution, but it is what it is.

Anyway, welcome again to you, Lena! And h/t to Renee for bringing back the fishy stick. I wonder if that has still been a thing on bethesda.net.


EDIT: We also have an Introduce Yourself thread in the General Discussion Forum if you want to put something there as well.

This post has been edited by RaderOfTheLostArk: May 21 2021, 05:36 AM

[Lena Wolf]

Thank you, Raider! Yes, Bethesda forums are going down... Rather unexpected, but there you have it.

Thanks for pointing me at the Introductions thread - I posted my hello there. Haven't had time to explore the forum yet, but will do in future.

Yes, I know about the fishy sticks... munch-munch... I even had one from M'aiq the Liar at some point, don't remember in which game... yeah, it's quite a thing.

[Lena Wolf]

Chapter 2

Matters of the Heart

19 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - Back to Skyrim

Skyrim calls. But Lena wouldn't leave without seeing Hauk first, after all he was waiting for her in the Shivering Isles, and she didn't know how long she would be gone.

"And this time I am coming with you!" - Hauk was adamant. Ok, let's go.

Lena and Hauk crossed the border to Skyrim and reached Riverwood without anything significant getting in their way.

"Hello, brother" - Lena noticed Geralt on the porch of Sven's house. "Have you been talking to Sven's mother again? You know she spreads rumours."

"Yep, and where else do you think witchers get their contracts from?" - Gerald grinned. "Good to see you, sis. And I see you brought a Nord to Skyrim" - he nodded at Hauk.

"This is Hauk, we've been adventuring together back in Cyrodiil. Is there any food at the cabin? It's been a long way."

Lena always kept the hunter's cabin well stocked with supplies when she was around. She hoped that Geralt didn't leave it empty. He didn't, and soon the three of them were sitting by the fire with mead and roast.

"Hadvar is back in Riverwood" - Geralt remarked casually. "Something must be going on by the border. He claims he is on leave, but I don't believe him. He asked about you."

"Did he now? In what way?"

"Either he was sent to get you to join the Legion, or to prevent you joining the Stormcloacks."

"Well, there's no danger of that - I have no wish to meddle in Skyrim politics."

"Too late for that, I'm afraid. They all want you now - you're the Dragonborn. Why are you back, actually?"

"I need to find out more about this Dragonborn business, why I never noticed anything before, what it does exactly, except letting me shout, which is kind of neat but not world-shuttering. I mean, other people can shout too, and they are not proclaimed to be Dragonborn. Didn't Ulfrick kill the High King by shouting at him? Yet no one calls Ulfrick Dragonborn."

She didn't say anything about her investigation for the Dark Brotherhood. This was her business alone. Hauk was watching the exchange between Lena and Geralt and thinking how close they seemed, even though he knew they could not have spent that much time together - they only met fairly recently. And the difference in years... Geralt was much older then Lena, as he didn't "skip" nearly two centuries as Lena did while residing in the Shivering Isles. Yet he wasn't 250 years old as he should have been... Time must pass differently beyond the Great Maelstrom. Geralt looked just over 50, but was probably pushing 100 - you can't tell with witchers. His age only showed in the things he said - wisdom coming from experience.

The roast was significantly diminished and the mead bottles around them were nearly all empty, when they heard footsteps coming their way.

"Hadvar!" - Geralt saw him first. "I see you've heard Lena is back. Come and join us, before all of the roast is gone."

"This is--" Lena started introducing Hauk.

"Hauk" - Hadvar didn't look surprised at all. "Hello, old friend!"

Was that a secret handshake or some such that they exchanged?

"We've met during the Great War, but Hauk returned to Cyrodiil afterwards and I stayed in Skyrim" - Hadvar offered, making it clear that this topic was now closed. This meant only one thing - there was so much more to that!

The conversation turned to lighter things, to stories of recent adventures in Cyrodiil - Ayleid ruins, caves, battles with beasts and undead, comparisons of draugr of Skyrim with skeleton heros of Cyrodiil, that sort of thing. It was already dawning when Lena finally declared she needed a nap and went into the cabin, and Geralt went to Sven's house where he was staying - Sven's mother insisted he should use their spare bed. Hauk and Hadvar stayed by the fire a bit longer.

"How do you know Lena?" - Hadvar asked.

"Met her through the Mages Guild."

"Tracked her down?"

"No, that was a real coincidence. I spotted her at the Arcane University, thought she looked out of place somehow, made some enquiries... Then introduced myself and we've been adventuring together ever since. I was getting pretty bored without any work, you know. I didn't know she was Dragonborn until later."

"That she is, but it doesn't mean much in itself, I think we both know that. It's what she does with it, if anything."

"Is that why you're here?" Hauk didn't believe that Hadvar was hanging around exclusively on Legion business.

"Well..." - Hadvar looked a bit uneasy. "The Legion is not going to interfere unless she tries to join the Stormcloacks, which we don't believe she will."

"And?" - Hauk was not to be put off that easily.

"And... Are you two... Should I leave her alone?" Finally! The real reason.

"We are just friends at this stage" - Hauk wasn't about to burn any bridges either. "But she is not wearing an Amulet of Mara."

She wasn't, not at that point anyway. It wasn't that long since Lena returned from the Shivering Isles, found her citizen rights suspended, went to the Northern Realms, met Geralt, came back to escape the war there, ran around the Imperial bureaucracy to get her rights reinstated, and she was still in the process of recovering her repossessed property, and now also this Dragonborn affair added on top. Lena's life was too tumultuous right now for the Amulet of Mara! Perhaps later. Hadvar and Hauk both saw that, and each was willing to wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - Hauk and Lucien

Jarl Balgruuf had made Lena a thane of Whiterun, granted her permission to buy a house within the city walls and assigned her a housecarl - Lydia.

"This is all extremely inconvenient" - Lena noted thinking over her investigation for the Dark Brotherhood at breakfast. "I hope the group here isn't going to be spooked by my status and will still take the bait and contact me."

Lucien had arranged for rumours to be spread that Lena was the one who murdered the woman at the orphanage in Riften in response to some young lad's summons. One small detail however: it happened before Lena returned to Skyrim, but Lucien summised correctly that the group of Skyrim assassins wouldn't know the difference. Information wasn't their strong suite. All Lena had to do now was wait for them to take the bait and contact her, and being a thane - even just in title - was very inconvenient for that.

"Jarl Balgruuf just wanted to be the first to claim the Dragonborn" - Hauk seemed to have read her thoughts. "You are here for Lucien, aren't you? No, no, don't tell me - it's your affair." He broke five eggs for an omelette.

"How did you know?" - Lena needed some answers now, and Hauk saw that.

"I didn't, but I guessed. You had no intention of going to Skyrim before, in fact in the past four months you've repeatedly said you were not ready. Then suddenly you were leaving immediately. It stands to reason you got an assignment to follow through, and that could have only come from Lucien."

"It could have come from any number of sources - the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild, the Legion, the... what do I know!" - Lena wasn't satisfied as yet. The omelette bubbled and squeaked in the pan filling the hunter's cabin with enticing aromas.

Hauk gave her one of his looks taking his eyes off the pan for a moment - oh please!

"The Fighters Guild does not operate in Skyrim, they are terrified of the Companions, so no. The Mages Guild or the Legion - I would have known, as I'm a member of both, and in fact you haven't joined the Legion yet, so don't exaggerate. What is left? A personal favour for someone? Possible, but I doubt it would have carried this urgency."

"Ok" - Lena conceded that he could have just deduced that, accepting a plate with half an omelette that Hauk handed to her. "But how did you know I was going to meet Lucien when I left the Shivering Isles? I didn't know it myself, I was just going to do a few things and come back."

"I know Lucien."

"How?"

Lena was pretty certain that Hauk had never been a member of the Dark Brotherhood. Of course one did not need to be a member to have heard of Lucien Lachance, but Hauk's knowledge of him seemed to be more than hearsay.

"Our paths have crossed during the War. No, he wasn't after me and I wasn't after him, but we appeared to have had the same target, although with a slightly different purpose. I wanted information, and I reached the target first. Admittedly, there wasn't much left to do for Lucien when he appeared, but I let him fulfil his contract. We had a chat and parted ways. So I got the feel for the man."

"Which doesn't explain how you knew I'd be meeting him" - Lena wanted to know more, Hauk's delicious omelette disappearing quickly.

"When Garrus mentioned that someone gave you flowers that you carefully kept fresh in an urgently ordered urn, I knew it was from Lucien. Garrus was teasing me of course, but I knew just why you kept them - a reminder of things past, a recognition of his gratitude, more than gratitude - lily of the valley, was it? Of course you kept it, regardless whether you felt the same or not. And goldenrod and morning glory - back to business, sister. You've been promoted, whether you know it or not, so a special assignment wasn't far off. I wasn't certain of course when it would come exactly, but I didn't think it would be too long."

Lena suddenly saw a whole different side of Hauk. There was a lot more to him than met the eye, even after some four months of adventuring together, all the fights, the wounds and the campfires shared. With everything he just said, he still hadn't told her a thing about his duties during the Great War - that information wasn't his to give, the Legion was keeping its secrets. The same as Hadvar - be convincing without revealing anything of importance.

"I see..." - Lena started thoughtfully, picking at a bunch of grapes, deliberately, one by one. "Well, since you've figured out that much, you won't be surprised when something odd happens. Come with me to High Hrothgar, I need to follow up on that Dragonborn business anyway, and I could use the company while... well, I could use your company" - she concluded firmly, looking straight at him.

"Not taking Lydia with you then?" - Hauk gave her a wink, slicing up some cheese. "'I'll protect you with my life!' She's very eager, you know."

"'I am swooooorn to carry your burdens' - yeah, right" - Lena was particularly annoyed by that line. "She'll only get in the way and get herself killed. I'm not the kind of thane she was hoping to get assigned to. Although you might have been one - we can bring her along, if you like."

Was it time for another one of Hauk's looks? Perhaps. But he kept it to himself and just laughed.

"Ask Wolf to come too" - he said. "I think he's had enough of Sven's mother."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

21 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - Helgen bypass

Lena, Geralt and Hauk set off to Ivarstead in the morning. From Riverwood, the shorter route was to circle the East side of the mountain, passing by Helgen.

"Is the place still closed?" - asked Lena pointing at some charred corpses displayed outside the main gates. "Did everyone just run away? The devastation wasn't that bad, surely."

"It's not the devastation that's keeping most people away" - Hauk replied sending a few fireballs to the top of the Helgen wall. "It's the bandits. After the initial confusion, they quickly moved in. Hadvar told me" - he added seeing Lena's raised eyebrows and her usual 'How did you know?'. "The Legion should have stayed at Helgen after the dragon flew off, but most soldiers were killed trying to contain the panic and save civilians, and Talius was too slow sending a new contingent. By the time they figured out that the danger had passed, the place was overrun with Thalmor followed by bandits - they appear to be friendly to each other somehow. The remaining Stormcloacks ran off to the nearby camp - so much for the Real Sons of Skyrim. So now you can't even pass by Helgen without getting peltered with arrows from the walls."

"We'll have to sort this out at some point" - said Lena, sending a few arrows of her own.

"I thought you weren't going to meddle in Skyrim politics?" - laughed Geralt. "Way to go, sis."

With the bandits' shouts still following them, they continued up the hill, only to be promptly attacked by a Stormcloack "patrol".

"What on Nirn...?" - Lena swore getting off her horse and spinning to face her attacker. "Put away that thing - you'll hurt yourself!"

It only takes one strike with a blade to put down even the heaviest fighter - provided you get his heart. She did. Geralt went for a decapitation, which was equally effective.

"They didn't seem to be such great warriors" - commented Lena, rather surprised at the easy victory. "Why pick a fight then?"

"They probably thought we were easy prey. Their camp is just behind those trees, and I bet they are out of mead - as well as everything else" - Hauk commented, looking over the bodies. "Look - poorly healed scars, frostbite and their stomachs stuck to their spines. Supply problems, clearly."

Feeling a little guilty for killing people in need, our party continued on.

(click image to enlarge)

"Haemar's Shame" - Lena pointed at a cave entrance. "There's a shrine to Clavicus Vile in there. Last time I was in Skyrim, his dog had me go clear the vampires from this cave. It was another one of Clavicus' deals, of course."

"How so?"

"The vampires asked Clavicus for a cure and he told them to assemble at his shrine. Then he banished his dog Barbas, knowing that Barbas would pick up someone who'd help him to get back. Of course that involved going through the cave and killing all the vampires. That was the deal - they were now cured of vampirism. They had not specified that they wanted to stay alive."

Lena shook her head.

"So what did you get as a reward?" - asked Hauk. "Was it the Umbra or the Rueful Axe or may be the Mask?"

"Nothing. I declined it all, and now Clavicus Vile is indebted to me" - Lena grinned.

"Oh - you are his worthy student!"

They laughed at the story descending the mountain pass into the frost-free landscape below.

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: May 20 2024, 11:50 AM

[Renee]

Ah, so is Lena and her posse officially Imperials? Or did they just get caught up with the wrong Stormie at the wrong time?

"So what did you get as a reward?" - asked Hauk. "Was it the Umbra or the Rueful Axe or may be the Mask?"

"Nothing. I declined it all, and now Clavicus Vile is indebted to me" - Lena grinned.

Good for her!

[Lena Wolf]

Well, they are from Cyrodiil, so I suppose that makes them Imperial. Hauk is certainly Imperial, as he's with the Legion. Lena has not joined any faction yet, but I can tell you a secret - she's not joining Ulfrick, that's for sure. Her brother is neutral - or so he claims.

[Acadian]

Lena, thanks for the additional info you provided in your comment verifying a little more about weaving characters from other worlds/games/times into Lena's saga. Wonderfully creative - and a clever tool to support a neverending saga.

I did finish your first post and, in total, it does provide a good feel for Lena's complex comings and goings and her massive range. Nicely done and you have an engaging writing style!

I noticed that you added another episode, but I'll get to that within the next couple days.

[Lena Wolf]

Thank you, Acadian, glad you enjoyed it! I promise to hold off posting for a bit... although I wrote a few more episodes. They are like busses - you wait for days, and then several come at once. (Sorry for the tired joke!) I try to write them in such a way that missing a few episodes would not prevent you from following the story. It's like in life - sometimes you miss stuff and only hear about it later when it comes up in some other context. But I felt that a decent introduction was necessary, hence the very long first post.

I shall also be adding pictures in future!

[Acadian]

Well, I'm caught up as Lena continues her adventures, currently in Skyrim. Again, I like your idea of treating time freely and using characters from other games. May we expect to see such characters as Aloy, Minsc & Boo, Sir Keldorn at some point?

Having played Oblivion and Skyrim extensively before moving on to ESO in 2016, there are lots of nostalgically familiar moments here - with your own creative and welcome twists added.

[Lena Wolf]

Acadian - thanks for reading I know who Aloy is, but the other ones I had to google... No, not them - I never played those games. But this story already has Jowan from Dragon Age Origins. I didn't include any of it this time because the first post was getting too long already. Jowan is currently exploring the Imperial City, so he's busy. But we'll bump into him again later. The other games that are likely to be involved are: Two Worlds, Risen and Fable.

[Lena Wolf]

24 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - Ivarstead - Ghost - Proving

They arrived in Ivarstead in the afternoon.

"Finally - some new faces!" - the innkeep was very welcoming. "Do come in!"

21 Sun's Dawn

Ivarstead was not a large village, but its location was very much at a crossroads, where the Whiterun-Riften thoroughfare split off North towards Windhelm. If there ever was such a thing as a Skyrim thoroughfare. The inn should have flourished though - and not just from High Hrothgar tourism. Yet it all looked a bit too quiet...

"It's the bandits. Nilheim might seem far away, but they ambush the road, so people stay away" - he explained. "That and that ghost..."

"What ghost?" - asked Lena sensing the real problem.

"In that barrow across the road" - the innkeep waved his hand. "He appeared about a year ago, out of nowhere. Haunts the barrow - chases everyone away!"

"That doesn't sound like a ghost to me" - Geralt whispered into Lena's ear.

"Has anyone gone to investigate it?" - asked Lena, not hoping for a 'yes'.

"No" - the innkeep didn't disappoint. "The guards say the Jarl isn't paying them enough to deal with ghosts, and none of us wants to either."

"You--" Lena started saying something unwise when Geralt pinched her in the small of her back - the only place he could get to that wasn't covered in armour.

"Don't" - he whispered. Then continued to the innkeep: "Well, would you mind if we took a look? We'll see if this ghost likes us better."

The innkeep looked at them as if they were mad, but had no objections to the enterprise, especially if they were to buy some food and drinks first. That did sound like a good idea, and after a meal and a few rounds of ale, they were ready to go.

"You two go" - said Hauk. "It doesn't look big enough for three people. And I've got an errand to run."

They left the inn together, then Lena and Geralt crossed the road towards the barrow, and Hauk crossed the bridge going South.

"Legion business" - noted Lena. "There's a camp that way."

...

Shroud Hearth Barrow was a typical Nord crypt with draugrs resting in their alcoves. Some of them would occasionally get up, disturbed by the intruders, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. A series of linked gates spiced up the adventure, with the inevitable poisoned darts pelting you if you pulled the levers in the wrong order. Lena wasn't keen on the poison, but Geralt just laughed - his witcher blood could take much more than that.

The extraordinary thing in this barrow was the ghost. Yes, there was one, it was true. May be not a real ghost, but certainly a ghostly apparition - he greeted them as they entered, howling quite theatrically: "Leeeeeave this place! Leeeeeeave this place!" But when they paid no heed to his warning and proceeded, he retreated further into the barrow, howling some more.

"This is not a ghost" - Geralt said firmly. "Not a ghost, not a wraith, not an undead shadow - this... err... apparition is a living man. Somehow."

"There's magic that can make you ethereal, although it is quite rare" - suggested Lena. "We'll need to get to him to find out."

They proceeded through the barrow, pacifying some more restless draugrs along the way, and finally entering a secret chamber hidden behind a sliding wall. The "ghost" was inside, now ready for a fight.

...

Spectral magic finally dispersed revealing a body of a Dunmer. His journal was right there on the desk - he was searching for a claw needed to unlock the ancient part of the barrow, holding great treasure - or so he believed. He couldn't find the claw, and too much of the spectral magic turned his brain...

"Oh! As simple as that" - the innkeep was shaking his head reading the journal. "And we fell for it!"

"Spectral magic is very rare..." - started Lena, but Geralt poked her again: don't.

"Here - take the claw" - the innkeep pulled it from under the counter. "It hasn't done anyone any good, and why should it be kept here at the inn? Use it, leave it at the barrow, do what you want with it - nobody goes into the depths anyway. Just don't leave it unlocked when you are done - the dead in there are said to be restless. We don't want to be overrun by ancient draugr as well!"

Lena stashed the claw in her pack. It was past midnight and they left the barrow exploration for another day. Hauk just returned from his errand too, so they rented rooms for the night and proceeded sampling the local mead by the fire.

"If anything unusual happens during the night" - Lena started turning to Geralt - "don't panic and let it happen."

"What are you expecting to happen?" - Geralt looked at her shrewdly.

"I don't know, we'll see. If nothing occurs, we'll go exploring the barrow tomorrow and stay here for another night" - Lena added as if it explained anything.

"You think they'll be imitating Lucien?" - Hauk obviously had an idea what she was expecting.

"I think they will, and I want to see just how good they are and what exactly they will do." Then turning to Geralt again she added: "Don't worry. Wait for me here - for days, if need be. I'll be back."

22 Sun's Dawn

"Well, that is a surprise" - a woman's voice said from the dark, then someone pulled off a sack that was covering Lena's head. She didn't recognise the place. "You picked up one of our contracts" - continued the woman. "Now you owe us."

Ah, yes, they fell for it.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" - Lena decided to play ignorance.

"I am Astrid, the head of the Dark Brotherhood - the Dark Brotherhood, that's right." She checked for the effect of her words, and Lena quickly arranged her face in a suitable expression of horror and admiration. "Aretino's contract should have been ours" - she paused again, and Lena added a bit of fear to her expression. Astrid seemed to be satisfied. "You can repay your debt by killing one of these... err... subjects."

She pointed at three figures kneeling in the next room, their hands bound behind their backs, sacks over their heads.

"Kill any one of them, and your debt will be repaid, and what's more - we'll welcome you into our family." Astrid seemed to be sure she was making an offer that Lena could not refuse.

"All right" - said Lena, and thought to herself: "Better do it right. She seems to go for the theatrics."

She killed all three subjects before they could start protesting.

"Very good - I'm impressed!" - Astrid looked really taken. She told Lena how to find the Sanctuary, and how to enter. She would welcome her properly there. "Oh - and here's the key to this cabin. See you soon, sister!"

Astrid vanished. "Teleport" - Lena thought.

She exited the shack, finding herself on a moor, far from Ivarstead. The Sanctuary too was a good distance away. She whistled for her horse, Roach appeared and Lena rode South.

24 Sun's Dawn

Two days later she walked into the Vilemyr Inn in Ivarstead and found Hauk and Geralt playing Gwent at rather high stakes.

"Finally!" - Geralt greeted her. "That took a while."

"I told him not to worry" - said Hauk, folding the cards. "And he was losing anyway. Did you learn what you were hoping to learn?"

"Yes" - Lena replied. "I might have to follow up on a few things before we can return to Cyrodiil, but I need to think on that first. And go up to High Hrothgar."

It was late afternoon, and she didn't want to climb that mountain in the dark - she would go tomorrow. This night her sleep would be uninterrupted, and she needed a good rest after all that running around. The innkeep was pleased to have guests staying for a while, especially thirsty ones as these, so please, there's no need to rush - we've got rooms, food and mead at your convenience. How nice.

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Mar 26 2024, 01:29 PM

[Lena Wolf]

25 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - High Hrothgar

"You should go alone" - said Geralt when Lena was finally ready to climb up to High Hrothgar. "It's up to you to do something with it."

Lena opened her mouth to argue, but Geralt gave her that look - don't even think about it. She closed her mouth, checked her blade and turned to leave.

"Wait, take this" - Hauk handed her a book. "Just in case."

She opened it - it was a Summon Dremora spell tome.

"Skyrim is shielded - you cannot summon any of your clannfears or daedroths, but dremoras do come through. It's best to be prepared." Hauk watched Lena take in the spell.

The climb started out easy, and quickly got harder and colder. Skeevers were replaced by wolves, wolves by ice wolves, ice wolves by...

"What was that!?"

Lena was flung down the steps with some force, but her iron cuirass kept her ribs from being smashed. A frost troll. She could just make it out against the blizzard.

The troll was approaching fast - Lena hid behind a rock. Quick - think of something!

Dremora. Time to try out the new spell!

"A challenger is near!" - roared summoned dremora. He fought bravely but the troll proved too much for him. Not waiting for the first dremora to disappear, she summoned another. And another. Then... wait...

The blizzard was getting really thick and she could hardly see what was happening, but the last dremora seemed to have defeated the troll and was coming towards her. He would be banished any moment now... surely his time was up...

"Here - take my arm" - he said helping her up.

"Sanguine!" - she wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you, by the looks of it" - he laughed. "You summoned me to fight that troll."

"I'd never... I summoned a dremora!" - protested Lena.

"I am a dremora" - Sanguine pursed his lips.

She kissed him.

"It's been too long!" - she smiled. "But how did you get here? I thought you were back in your Realm after Sheogorath kicked us all out of his Palace."

"What Realm? I never bothered to build one - you know that!" - he laughed. "I've got a few islands, true, but the real fun is down here in Mundus. You got yourself noticed absorbing dragon souls and whatnot, and I thought you might need a hand."

"As long as it doesn't involve any goats, giants or hagravens, thank you" - she winked at him. "I've got to go see the Greybeards, but I didn't expect frost trolls along the way. It's supposed to be peaceful up here!"

"Perhaps they updated their security, or perhaps it was a test of your mettle" - Sanguine joked. "Either way, the troll is dead and the way is clear - as far as we can see, which is about three steps ahead in this blizzard. Come, I'll walk with you - I still know how to fight."

It was only now that Lena noticed an enchanted greatsword on his back. He came prepared.

"What have you done with the Rose?" - asked Sanguine.

"Lost it in a drinking game" - Lena blushed.

"That's my girl!" - laughed Sanguine patting her on the back. "If you want another one, you only have to ask - I'm sure I can come up with a suitable princely task for you!"

...

The weather at the top was remarkably clear, without any trolls in sight. Sanguine was taking his leave.

"Be careful now, little one" - he said, kissing Lena goodbye. "Don't let the Greybeards bore you too much. I'll be watching."

He waved and disappeared. Lena entered High Hrothgar.

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Mar 26 2024, 01:30 PM

[Lena Wolf]

25 Sun's Dawn, 4E202 - The next task

"Apparently, being able to absorb the dragon language straight from the dragons, doesn't make me a 'proper' Dragonborn yet" - Lena was saying to Hauk and Geralt in a rather annoyed tone. "I now have to go and fetch some horn from one of those crypts."

"And how is that going to prove you're Dragonborn?" - Geralt didn't get it either. "Anyone can go into the crypts, fight the draugr and get whatever is hidden in there, you don't need to be a Dragonborn for that! Unless there's a special test for you in that particular crypt?"

"There's no other way to find out but to go there" - said Hauk pragmatically. "Where is it?"

"Up on the moors, not far from Morthal."

"Charming" - Hauk shivered. "Never liked that place - too many monsters."

"Monsters?" - Geralt looked up. "As in - unnatural creatures to be slain by a witcher, or just unpleasant wildlife?"

"Both. Dangerous giant spiders and chaurusses, rogue draugr and skeletons, vampires, mad wizards, and of course unfriendly necromancers - they've got it all. Oh, and bandits and an occasional assassin - I believe they have their training grounds there." Hauk looked at Lena - "Isn't that where they took you?"

"How did you know?" It was becoming predictable, but Lena couldn't resist.

"Penitus Oculatus."

Of course. Just what exactly was Hauk's role in the Legion? It was pointless to ask - he'd never tell.

"Sounds wonderful" - Lena concluded. "Shall we set off straight away or shall we look around here some more? There are crypts to explore and bandits to slay" - she produced a bounty note for Nilheim.

"Let's stay here a bit longer" - Hauk wasn't keen on leaving. "The mead is good and the innkeep is friendly, so why not hang around some."

None of them was particularly keen to go to the moors just yet, so they decided to stay in Ivarstead for a few days.

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Mar 26 2024, 01:31 PM