Skyrim IV: The Ghost of Hamvir's Rest

Chapter One: Trapped

It was a warmer day in the Whiterun hold. The sun was out, and the breeze was cool. A pleasant day to be outside. I sat down in a chair near the Homestead. I was trying my hand at sewing. Sinding had gone into town with Lucia and Serana to get some groceries and supplies. I sat outside, while Malborn cultivated the garden. Lydia came out from inside the homestead and laughed when she saw me. "How is being a little house wife for you?" 
   I smirked. Every since I was injured in the fight against Lord Harkon, Serana's father, I was doomed to stay home while my neck and under arms healed. The bruise I had received from trying to obtain Auriel's Bow was now a greenish color, and my wounds were now scabbing over. Still, I was told to stay home and only do light duty. I was going crazy.
  "In all honestly Lydia?" I say, as I sow one of Sinding's shirts, "I rather being in court, which says alot."
   Malborn looked up from his garden work and wiped his brow. "That says alot, Taniiaae. Everyone knows you hate sitting down discussing the odds and ins of Whiterun."  
  "Well, for one thing, I'm glad I don't have any journey to partake in, but another thing, I rather not be stuck home all day."  I say, setting down the shirt and looking at Malborn.  
   "Well, aren't you supposed to be traveling with Balgruuf to convene at High Hrothgar with Ulfric Stormcloak within a fortnight?" Malborn asks. I nod, "I'm supposed to. But that's another thing, I don't want to leave Lucia by herself again. I feel like all I do is leave." I say, shaking my head. 
   "Well isn't Sinding and Serana supposed to be going with you?" Lydia asks, crossing her arms. I nod, "They are supposed too...." 
  Malborn raises his eyebrows, "You seem hesitant." 
 I go back to my sewing, "Again, I rather not leave my daughter by herself again any time soon. The last two times have been too much."  
   "It seems that even if you state how bored you are, you also don't want to leave, Tanii." Lydia says.  I look up at her, "Maybe I don't. Like, leaving to go into the city is one thing, but traversing all over Skyrim? I feel like its been alot for the last year. And to think, it's happened in just one year." 
    "It didn't take you long to get married once you found Sinding." Malborn says, a smile on his face.  I smile back, feeling my cheeks burn. "Well, as you know in Skyrim, they tend to want you to get married sooner than later." 
  Lydia nodded. "I was always taught that." 
 "So, enough about me." I say, grinning at Lydia, "How are you and Farkas doing?" Lydia's smile dropped and she swallows. "Eh, it's been alright. We have talked here and there." 
"And?" I prod. 
 Lydia shrugs. 
 My smile slowly fades as I say, "It hasn't been good, has it?"
She shakes her head, "Farkas told me he cares about me, but...."
"But?" I repeat. 
"He said he doesn't see himself settling down, not when Vilkas has been under alot of stress from being the leader of the Companions, and Aela hasn't been any help. " 
  "What do you mean, Aela hasn't been any help?" I ask, my voice edgy. 
 "Apparently she keeps running off to find the Totems of Hircine." Malborn says. "Farkas had visited while you were gone and told Lydia that he would love to get to spend more time and know her more, but with Vilkas under alot of stress being the new leader and court and Aela disappearing from time to time again, Farkas said he has little to no time to court Lydia."
  "Is Aela still gone on her little mission?" I ask, a hint of agitation in my voice. 
Lydia nods, "As of now, yes." 
"Okay, then." I say as I slowly get up and set the shirt and sewing needle down in the chair. I walk towards the small table where my horse, Queen Alsfigir was. 
  "Wait, wait, wait! What are you doing, Taniiaae?" Malborn speaks faster than I can walk as he puts a hand in front of me. 
"I'm going down to Jorrvasker to speak to the twins." I say, as Lydia takes a step in front of Allie's stall.   
"Tanii, please don't." Lydia says, "I'm sorry. I should of just told you that all is well."  
"Why are you sorry?" I demand. "Its not fair that you and Farkas can't spend time together if you both care about each other, plus, if Aela is gone, they need help running things down there." 
  "Why do you think Sinding is in town today?" Malborn asked, nervously. 
"Serana and Lucia are down to get supplies, but Sinding said he needed to speak to the twins." Lydia says, "He knows that you are still exhausted from the Dawnguard Wars and wants you to rest into you have to go back to court."  
  "Why didn't he tell me?" I ask. 
 "Would you have listened?" Lydia smirks. 
I look down at my feet and shake my head, "Probably not. I just wish he would of told me." 
  "He says he was going to tonight." Malborn says, "But he still wanted to you feel care free and rest for a day." 
  I smile a little, my husband, always had me in mind. He was a good man, too good for me honestly.  "Alright, I won't give him too much of a hard time when he and the girls come home." I say, moving past my friends to stroke Allie's muzzle.  
  "Also, I think he said that tomorrow, he wanted to take you into town to be examined by Danica Pure-Spring." Lydia says. 
   I make a face. "I dislike being poked and prodded but I will heed what you all want." 
"Tanii, Serana's father took so much of you when he was fighting against you and Serana, that you were a bloody mess. At least that's what Sinding said." Lydia points out. 
   I feel a slight throb in my neck and I nod. "I know. I just, don't want to be coddled...if that makes sense?" 
"Tanii, of all people, I think you should be." Lydia says, her face kind. "The amount of times you have gotten injured....." 
   A whistle interrupted our talk as we looked around.  The sky grew darker around us, and the wind blew in our direction. My loose hair whipped around my face as Malborn puts his gardening tools against the house. "I think it's about time we get inside. It looks like it could rain." 
"Did anyone else hear that whistle?" I ask. 
Lydia nodded, "I did, but I rather get you inside before I scout around. Your husband would be most upset if you got hurt....again." I make a face at her but do not argue as we get into the homestead. I move my hair out of my face as I set the shirt and needle on the kitchen table. I could fix Sinding's shirt later. I was starting to feel tired again. Serana said it was my loss of blood while turning back from being a vampire. The fact that I was already injured while a vampire was bad enough, but turning back had really made a number on me. Against my own will, I yawned. 
 "Maybe you should go lay down for a bit, Taniiaae." Malborn said softly, "I will get dinner going and we can wake you when Sinding and the others come home." 
  I nod, "Alright, I won't argue with that."  
I walk towards the bedroom that Sinding and I share and walk through the open door. I slowly lay down as not to hurt my sore arms anymore. Once I'm laid down, I feel myself doze off. 

    When I woke up, I felt the mattress underneath me lurch. The room was dark, but it lightened a bit when a candle was lit. I look up to see my husband, Sinding lay down beside me. He looks at me apologetically, "Did I wake you up, my love?" 
  I shake my head and try to sit up. "What time is it?"  
"It's about nine at night, my love." Sinding says, as he puts his hand on my hip. I nod and close my eyes. "I don't even know what I time I fell asleep. I think it was around four, Malborn says he was going to make us dinner and Lydia mentioned waking me up." 
  I hear Sinding chuckle. "I think after she saw how tired you were, she decided to let you sleep." 
I smile, and then open my eyes. "How was the day in town?"
 Sinding exhales through his nose and says, "I think I would of enjoyed it more I was just shopping for supplies. But I left that for Serana and Lucia." 
"Lydia and Malborn mentioned that you had been meeting with the Twins back at Jorrvasker. That Aela has  disappeared for her own reasons, so you were trying to help them in my stead?" 
  Sinding nods, "You can definitely tell I'm not one of the Circle." He laughs. "I think you would have more insight on this whole thing, but I've been wanting to keep you home for the time being, at least while you heal."  "I wonder why Aela decided to just up and leave.....and this happened when I was in the Volkihar court?" I ask. 
  Sinding nods, "From what I had heard. Vilkas says he hasn't heard from her in a fortnight." His hand drifts from my hip up to where the injury on my neck was. His jaw sets. "How are you feeling?" 
   "Sore." I say, "Bored, trapped in my own home, yet, happy to be trapped in my own home." I give him a smile. "I just wish I can go into town with you and Lucia. Or maybe you can stay here with me." 
  "I don't plan on leaving tomorrow. If you need any help, I'm here." Sinding said, his eyes drifting to mine. I nod, "Next time you go into town, I want to come with you. I need to speak with the Companions." 
   Sinding gave her a sad smile, "You'd think I'm the one keeping you locked away." 
I held my fingers up in a 'tiny' gesture. "Maybe a little bit." I give him a mischievous grin.  
Sinding scoots closer and holds me against his bare chest. I can hear the pounding of his heart against my ear as I feel his lips kiss my head. "I promise to take you with me next time I go into town." He murmurs. I smile and close my eyes. "Good, I maybe a little worse than Lucia when it comes to going back to Whiterun." He chuckles. "You may just be a tad worse, Tanii." 
 One of his arms wraps around my middle as his other caresses my hair. "I love it when your hair is completely down, it gives you more of a...." he hesitates a tad.  "Feral look?" I say in amusement.   "Feral is a little harsh, isn't it?" Sinding muses. 
   I look up at him and  scrunch my face. "Well, if I had been on the tamer side, I don't think anything I have done in the last year would of been possible." 
   "No, probably not." Sinding agrees. "How can it be that we have met almost a year ago? I believe three months will make it a year that we met...." 
"And that I became Dragonborn." I murmur.
Sinding kisses my forehead, "I don't think you just 'became' the Dragonborn, my love. I think, you were born as the Dragonborn and it didn't awaken until this year."  
  "I think if I knew I was Dragonborn when I was a child, then things would of turned out differently." I ponder.
  "I'm glad they didn't. Everything worked out as it should of." Sinding said, his fingers combing through my hair. I nuzzle up in the crook of his arm and kiss his lips. "I am glad too."