Skyrim IV: The Ghost of Hamvir's Rest

Chapter Eight: Remember Your Kindness

  Arodil sat in his cell, hardly eating any of the food he was given. Instead, he kept to himself, in the corner the farthest away from the bars, and away from people seeing him. He preferred the isolation.  He looked down at his right hand, at the missing digits of his fingers. He recalled what Taniiaae had said, about Vulono, his father, his superior, his general, and he didn't want to believe it. He heard the sound of boots march up to his cell but didn't look up.  "Prisoner, you have a visitor." 
  He said nothing but he heard the voice. "I would like to go into his cell to speak to him. 
  "But sir, if Thane Dragonborn knew-" the guard tried to to coax, but the sound of septims jingling in a pouch quieted him down. "My wife would understand." said the voice. The Mer heard the jail cell door unlock and open. He clenched his fists as he saw the sight of boots and then the door slamming. 
  Arodil smirked but refused to look up at the Nord. He knew right away that it was the spouse of his sister. 
  Sinding leaned his back against the cell wall and crossed his arms. "Hello Arodil, I figured if I was closer to you, you would be more willing to speak to me." 
 Arodil looked up at him and spat at his feet. 
  Sinding gave him a small smile. "You are still as defiant as ever. But that is ok, I'm a patient man." Arodil glared at him as Sinding looked around the cell. "This reminds me of a similar situation I was in before, except....at least you get to sit down in a dry room. My cell was called 'the pit' and the bottom of it was water." 
   Arodil glanced up at him and gave him a toothy grin, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" 
  Sinding shook his head, "No, just a statement. No one gave me the time of the day either for what I had done.....except for Taniiaae." 
  Arodil clenches unto one of the metal tankards he was using to drink out of and flung it at Sinding. Sinding dodged it as it clattered against the stone. 
  Arodil could hear the sounds of boots as guards came up to the bars, but Sinding shook his head, "I'm fine, Lenus." 
  The guard ended up turning back and Sinding looked down at Arodil. The Mer's golden eyes widened in surprise. "I'm shocked you didn't leave, or have that man come in and beat me." 
  "Why would I do that?" Sinding said, crouching down towards Arodil's level, "We are just talking, man to man."  
  Arodil sighs and leans his head back against the cell wall. "You were saying?" 
 Sinding smiles a little. "A year ago, I found myself in trouble. I was locked up in a cell in Falkreath, I had been sitting in that cell for two days without food or fresh water, the only one talking to me was the local priest of Arkay. But he was speaking to me as a convicted felon, nothing more. But Taniiaae had come looking for me, on an errand of her Harbinger, but when she met me in my cell, she didn't see a criminal, she saw a man in need of help." He looks away, tears brimming his eyes and he smiles. "And I'm glad she did." 
  Arodil blinks, "What does this have to do with me?" 
 Sinding looks up. "Because like how persistent she was with saving me, she wants to save you. She sees good in many people, no matter how dark they seem, she will always find the good." 
  His eyes focus on the maimed hand and he says. "She told me about that. Your hand."
Arodil shrugged. "It's nothing that I couldn't handle."
"No, but what that man did to you, was cruel. As what he did to Taniiaae." 
 Arodil looked back, "From what you have said, you tore him to shreds." 
Sinding nods, "Aye, I did. And I would do it again. He did so much evil to the girl. When I met her in Falkreath, he had followed her to my cell and bashed the girl and struck her in the face. Another time, he followed her and attacked her in the nearby farm. Not to mention when he attempted to rape her. But...." he swallows, "Nothing was worse then when he forced her....to lose our first child." Sinding looks up at Arodil. "You are a victim of his hate because that is all you were used to. Taniiaae was raised with love and despite the sorrows and traumas she endured, she isn't cruel." 
  He pulled out a piece of bread and cheese from a small knapsack on his belt and held it out to the Mer. The elf looked at it anxiously but Sinding shook his head, "I wouldn't poison you, not with my wife fighting so hard." 
  Arodil leaned over the took the food and asked. "I thought you didn't like me, why the kindness?"
   Sinding stood up and leaned against the wall. "Oh, I don't like you. But I love my wife, and she wants to give you a chance. I told her that night I met her in Falkreath, when she offered to help me, that I would remember her kindness. I want to say, I extended that to someone she cares about." Sinding turned towards the cell door and calls, "Lenus, I'm ready now." Arodil listens at the bumbling guard stomps down the corridor, the jingly of keys in his hand. Sinding turns back toward the Mer and says. "We are going to find the God-Cleaver Axe in Haemar's Shame. Taniiaae wants you to come with us." Arodil's eyes grew round as the cell door opened and Sinding walked out. The door shut and locked behind him, but Arodil could see Sinding peer through the bars. "She wants to give you a chance, and hopes that by this extension of her kindness, that you will consider it. Think about what I told you, boy."  Sinding walked away from the cell door and Arodil looked down at the food, thinking about what he was told.  
  "Hey, elf." 
Arodil turned as the guard, Lenus peers in through the bars. "That's quite an act of trust that Thane Dragoborn and Mr. Sinding are offering you. Thane Dragonborn was like a daughter to the past Harbinger, Kodlak Whitemane. It seems that she is extending that same kindness to you that he would of done to anyone."  The guard walks away and Arodil closes his eyes, pondering all of what he just found out. Perhaps the girl was right.....

     "It's so good to see you, Ronthil." I say, giving the Bosmer a hug as he steps off the wagon in from of Whiterun with Serana. Serana had went to meet him and bring him back to Whiterun. I stood with Lucia and Lydia by my side. He holds me tight and when he backs up, he gives me a big smile. He looks the same, the fluffy-spikey dirty-blond hair, the pointed features, the only thing that seemed different, was his once yellow eyes were now a deep amber-gold. "You are looking wonderful, Taniiaae." He said, "Serana says that you and your husband Sinding were willing to let me stay for a bit, I'm most grateful." 
  "Of course, we always try to accommodate for guests. Right now we have someone else staying with us, but she keeps to herself mostly." I say, wiping the sweat out of my eyes from the beating sun. 
 "I'm sorry that Sinding isn't here to greet you, he had some business to attend to." I say, but put my hands on Lucia's shoulders, "But this is our daughter, Lucia. Lucia, this is Ronthil. He's a friend of ours and Serana's."
  Lucia gave a little wave, "Hi!" Ronthil gave her a little bow. "I'm pleased to meet the daughter of such good people." 
  He nods at Lydia as Serana says. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry, and I know Malborn was making potato stew, so I'm hoping to get a bowl of it."   
I smile, "Then let's go home." We start to head towards the road back home when I hear a voice call after me. "Tanii!"
Everyone stops as Aela comes rushing up. Her wounds seemed to have healed, but it had been over a week since Sinding and I spoke to her and she was insulting. But after hearing what Vilkas had said, I was trying to be more patient. She stops abruptly when she sees the others and I nod to Lydia. "Hey, get Ronthil comfortable at home. I'll be right behind you all." Lydia nods, "Yes, Thane." She says as she gathers the others towards our homestead. I cross my arms and look at Aela. "Sister." I say. 
  Aela looks at the hills around us, the farm land of the Battle-Borns. "I wanted to talk to you." 
 I nod, "Alright, then let's talk."
  Aela takes lead and we start walking away from Whiterun, west towards where Ivarstead would be. I find myself walking a little slowly, the exhaustion from my pregnancy had been keeping me awake at night. Between having weird bouts of hunger and nausea the next moment, my sleep schedule was out of sorts. Aela slows her pace and she sighs. "I know you are with child, sister." I stop for a moment, but decide to keep walking. "Oh, and how do you know?" 
  "Between your strange habits and the way you are being more gentle with yourself, Sinding told me." Aela says, as she combs her red hair back with her finger tips. "Look, I'm sorry that I have been treating you so poorly, Tanii. It isn't right of me." 
  Her grey eyes study mine and she says. "I still remember you as the young 'pup' of the litter. After your mother was sick and died, as much as you could tell you were hurting, you stayed strong and trained. I've never seen any other man or woman train as hard as you did when you became a member of the Companions. I was only fifteen when you came here, younger than your daughter. I knew then, that I wanted to look after you, as much as I could. Me and Skjor both did." Aela put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a small smile, "I'm proud of the woman you have become, Taniiaae. I don't think many people could have dealt with what you have, and become Dragonborn at the same time." 
  I give her a lopsided grin, "I don't think many people could become Dragonborn honestly, or.....at least that's what everyone thought, and why people think I'm so special." 
   Aela chuckled and drew me into a hug. Breaking away, my smile disappears as I say, "I wish I wasn't Dragonborn, honestly. My life would of been so much easier."
  Aela nods, "Maybe, but that's not what the gods chose for you."
 I clear my throat, "What about you? What are you going to do?"
  Aela crosses her arms. "I'm going to help you. I know you want to give the Mer a chance, but I'm not letting him get in between you with a knife, so that's what I'm here for."
  "It may possibly be a big party." I say, "We already have a few members accounted for." 
"That's fine, just add me in." Aela gives me an devilish smile. 
  I find myself smiling back. It was good to have her on the same side again.