Gray Heart: A Skyrim Tale of Family

She found her on a winter evening, shivering in rags by the graveyard in Windhelm. Under the dim light of the moon, Sareen stumbled along the worn stone path. It was so very dark out, even with one of the moons lit, and her eyes still hadn't adjusted to dull black nights in Skyrim. She was returning home from Morrowind after an old friend of hers had fallen ill. She was the best healer in Skyrim, and everyone knew it. She hoped no one had burnt her possessions. But even though the night was so dark, and the cold numbed her skin, and the wind roared in her ears, she heard the squeak of a small child. It startled her, and she turned around to see a young Nord child, tossing and turning in her sleep. She was clearly an orphan.

Who would keep their child outside on a night like this, in Windhelm of all places? She knew why the child had stayed hidden, but was surprised it was smart enough to do so. She was only about three years old. Sareen bent down to touch the frozen child, and realized with a start that she was blue, and her hands were beginning to crack and bleed. Sareen picked the small child up, who had fallen in to an unrestful sleep from the cold. She hurried to the Gray-Quarter and unlocked her door. It was almost as cold in here as it was out there. Luckily, no one had stolen from her, or burnt anything, so she plucked a few logs from a pile of firewood, threw them in the fireplace, and cast a fire spell. She put a bedroll by the fire, and lay the poor toddler by the fire, and covered her with her only other blanket.

Sareen's stomach growled. She missed how well she was fed in Morrowind. Here she'd get nothing but cabbages and potatoes. All week, cabbage and potato soup. The only things they'd LET her buy, and moreso afford. She cut the potatoes and half a head of cabbage and put them in a pot of water on the fire, stirring it occasionally. She was dazzled by the little thing sleeping beside her. Who was she? Where are her parents? Does she even have parents? Or family? Where is she from? How has a BABY evaded the guards? The little girl squirmed, and one of the cracks on her hands opened.

She opened her eyes and began to bawl. "Shh... Shhh...", Sareen cooed to the crying girl, and placed her hands over the child's hand. She let go, and crack was gone. The little girl held up her hand in the fascinated way only a child can, and turned it over. "Gone!", the child squeaked in delight. "Mac! Mac!" "Mac? Oh! She must mean magic!", Sareen thought to herself. She couldn't help but smile at how happy the child was despite her condition. The blue in her skin was fading away, and the snow had melted from her hair and clothes. She was soaking wet. Sareen poured the soup into two bowls, and ate a spoonful of one. She took the spoon, and fed the little girl some of the soup. She scrunched up her face and Sareen laughed. It did taste awful.

"Do you have a name, little one?", Sareen asked the child. The girl thought for awhile, and shook her head. "Awe can't rember.", she told her. "You need a name then. Do you like... Ariaetta? It was my mothers." She shook her head no. "Juilaia? It was my aunt's." The baby shook her head again. Sareen gave an exasperated sigh. "What about "impossible"? Do you like THAT?" She giggled and clapped her hand. Sareen gave her a look. "No." She giggled again. Sareen fed her another spoonful of soup. "Kedev! That's a perfect name for you! Do you like Kedev?", Sareen asked. She smiled and said yes. "Wonderful. You're name will be Kedev.", Sareen said softly, feeding her another spoonful of soup, and watched Kedev make another face.

"You're all wet. Let's go find something for you to wear.", Sareen said carrying her into her room. She rummaged through some extra cloth she had salvaged from the general store. The owner was a Dunmer, too, and he took sympathy to her. No one wants true remedies, ones that work almost right away. All of the Nords prayed to their Gods. While their prayers were usually answered, it did sometimes take a very long time. None of the people living here believed that the herbal remedies, medicine, and magic she used to cure so many with success was in fact a gift from the Nine, so she didn't make much money in Windhelm. Usually when she got coin from doing out of town work, she'd splurge on meat and new clothes, or a warmer blanket. Her skin wasn't nearly as accustom to Skyrim's freezing air as the Nord's were.

She took out a pile of the scraps and found a needle and thread, and stitched a crude dress for Kedev. She was a master healer, not a master seamstress. She dressed her in the new clothes, and pinned the wet ones on the wall to dry. "I know you don't like it, but you need to eat some more soup. You need to get warm inside, as well on the outside.", Sareen told her. Kedev frowned, but was so hungry she forced town the thin tasteless soup. Sareen yawned, and Kedev yawned with her. "Are you sleepy?" She nodded. "Me too. Come on.", she dragged her bedroll out to the fire and lay down. She let Kedev have the blanket. She was just about to nod off, when she felt something nestle by her stomach. Kedev had crawled in her to bedroll, and snuggle beside her.

Sareen smiled. This was a nice feeling, having a child to care for. She put her arm around Kedev, and held her close, and slept better than she ever had.