Skyrim IV: The Ghost of Hamvir's Rest

Chapter Nine: Disagreement.

 Karliah.

   Karliah kept to herself up in the attic in the homestead. She had been comfortable staying at the house with Taniiaae and her family, but she didn't want to allow herself the relief of being around others. She had done that decades ago with Gallus....and Mercer Frey. Karliah closed her eyes. She had come so far, she wouldn't let her guard down now. This new mission about finding the God-Cleaver in Haemar's Shame was only half of what she needed to do. If she got her hands on the axe before the Thalmor or Frey, she could prevent him from finding the Eyes of the Falmer, and destroying what little bind they had to Nocturnal. Karliah reflected on how Taniiaae and Sinding reacted to the mention of the Daedric Princes. Sinding seemed to have hated the Daedric Princes more than she would of thought, especially after she had watched him turn into the beast and tear the Thalmor commander to shreds. Taniiaae seemed indifferent, but Hircine was not Nocturnal, Karliah knew that. At this moment, along with her thirst for revenge for what happened to Gallus, Karliah wanted nothing more than to be welcomed back in the Lady of the Night's warm embrace. She was all she had left. The Guild were poisoned against her, since she was framed for something she never did. For killing someone she loved. For what happened to Gallus. She pulled out a small, gold box. When she opened it, a bright pink gem stone sat in it. She recalled it as one of the Stones of Barenziah. From her grandmother. Karliah had given it to Gallus as a token of her love and trust. Gallus had carried it on his person for years. After he was killed by their fellow friend, and Nightingale, Mercer Frey. Karliah was able to go to Snow Veil Sanctum where Gallus was killed, and was able to take back the Stone that was a token of their love and bury her lover's remains. But while Mercer Frey was alive, and still the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, Karliah's name would forever be tainted. She heard footsteps to the upstairs and shoved the Stone into her leather breeches when there is a knock on the latch door. 

  "Enter." she called. 
The latch opens and the Bosmer servant who cooked all the meals for Taniiaae and her family popped his head up, and he gives her an awkward smile. "Oh, Miss Liah, I just wanted to let you know that dinner is ready and that you can come sit with us." 
  Karliah gave him a small smile and said, "I appreciate it....." She struggled to remember his name.
  "Malborn." The elf said. 
"Malborn," Karliah nods, "I will be down later." 
The Bosmer nods and shuts the latch door as Karliah heard him climb down. She could hear the sounds of people talking and smiles. If she had been born into a different life, she might have enjoyed this. But instead, she had lost any chance of that when Gallus was killed. Karliah told herself that she would once again be in Nocturnal's good graces and kill Mercer Frey for what he did. For desecrating the Holy Twilight Sepulcher and killing the man she loved.

       
      ~  "I didn't know they had priests who were knowledgeable in curing vampirism in High Rock?" I say as I sit back in a cushioned chair at the end of the room. Ronthil and Serana sat at the kitchen table while Lydia stood looking out of the opened door, her arms crossed as she leaned against the door frame. Aela was scarfing down a bowl of stew as Malborn entered back from upstairs and pulled the dishes out of the basin to ladle food in. Lucia walked in from outside with a handful of flowers. "Hey Ma, I found these pretty flowers. Do you like them?" She handed me the small bunch of blue and yellow mountain flowers. I smiled. "These are very nice! We will have to put them into some water for the kitchen table." I get up and walk into the kitchen and pick up the flower pot that we had on the floor. I fill it with some of the water from the water basin and put it on the table as I set the flowers into it. 
  "Yes," Ronthil said, continuing my conversation. "Fennorian had told me about him. Fennorian had met many people over there who he and his sisters opened up their homes, and those who had been turned against their will, and wanted to go back to being human, Fenn had introduced them to him."  He gave me a smile. "Fenn didn't leave me at all during the process, and he and Valerica even walked me to the harbor when I left to come back to Skyrim." 
  "How is Fenn by the way?" Aela asked as she wiped her mouth with her arm. Ronthil looked at her, surprised that she was even talking to him and said, "He's very well. Says he misses seeing everyone and wishes his regards." 
  "And Valerica?"  I ask, looking at Serana. 
 Ronthil nodded, "Fine as well. She has focused completely now on her new garden and alchemy, while Hestla has been busy in her forge." 
  "Hestla? The whelp?" Aela said in surprise. 
 "And that is why she decided to leave and got enamored by Harkon." I say, rolling my eyes. I walk back over to my chair after grabbing an apple and sit down.  "It's good to have you hear, Ronthil. Sinding and I always try to make room for guests."
  "Ma, when will you and pa let Mila come over?" Lucia asks. 
 "We can do that soon, sweetheart." I say, "I promise. I need to talk to her mother first." Lucia smiles as she sits down to her bowl of stew. 
  "Did you ask Liah if she wanted anything?" I ask Malborn.
 Karliah had asked me in front of some of the others, to refer to her like that. 
 Malborn nodded, "She said she would be down later." 
"I thought so." I said. With how much cloak and dagger the Dunmer was, I didn't put it past her if she felt the need to keep to herself. And at this point, maybe it was a good thing. I bit into the apple and leaned back into my chair. 
  "Where is your other half?" Aela asks, as she puts her bowl of stew down. 
 "He said he had business in town today." I said. "He said he would be back by the end of the day." 
  "How is Sinding, by the way?" Ronthil asks, his amber eyes shining. "Well, I hope." 
I nod, "Very well, he's probably in better shape than I am."
  Aela smirked. "I doubt that. He might be strong, but I saw him get much more winded than I ever saw you back in Jorrvasker." 
   I give Aela a look. "Remember, he wasn't raised with you as a master." I smile, "Cut him a little slack."
   Just as I say that, Sinding came in through the door. Lydia backs up and smiles as he enters. When Sinding sees the full house, he smiles. "Everyone has come to visit, huh?" 
  Aela gives him an mischievous look. "I was just talking to your wife about you, how you always used to get so winded so easily after training at Jorrvasker." 
 I roll my eyes as Lucia comes over to me. I scoot my butt over in my seat and she sits besides me while I start to braid her hair in different strands. 
  Sinding crossed his arms. "You must be joking, Aela. I never did that." 
 "No? I'm pretty sure you did, and Tanii was drooling watching you without a shirt one." Aela said, her hands on her hips. 
   I look at her with wide eyes as Sinding blushes. "A-ELA!" I say, "Not in front of my daughter." Aela waves her hand, "What? It's not like a mentioned that little midnight hunt you had-" I grabbed my half eaten apple core and threw it at her. 
  It wasn't that I was embarrassed, but as a parent,  some things were not meant to be said until one was older. 
   Aela laughed and I shook my head. "Remind me if you ever have little ones in your stead, for me to do that to you." I feel my face grow hot, and squirms out of my grasp after I finish braiding her hair and heads towards her room. "I'm going to go read." She announces as she moves off quickly and closes the door to our room behind her. 
   Serana gave Aela a smirk. "You really scared her off,  huh, Aela?"
 Aela rolls her eyes, "Give it a break, princess, I didn't say anything bad." 
 I look over at Sinding, who gives me a gentle look. I exhale, feeling tired, but wanting to ask Sinding how his day went. But I preferred to in private. Instead, I figured maybe I go could go outside for a minute. I lifted myself out of my chair and walk outside in my bare feet. Lydia looks at me in surprise and she says, "Do you want me to come with you?" 
   I pause for a moment, "Sure." 
 Lydia smiles and nods at Sinding and closes the door behind us.  We walk down the hill towards behind our home, near our garden. Lydia sighs and then says, "I know what you plan to do, Taniiaae. And I think it's a bad idea."
  I look at her in surprise, "What?"
"You planning on doing this quest, to stop the curse of Hamvir's Rest, to get the God-Cleaver to keep away from the Thalmor." Lydia says, crossing her arms. "All bad ideas."
  "Oh? And how is it a bad idea? How is it different than the last couple of times?" I say, picking at my hand nervously.
"Well, it's obvious you are carrying another baby." Lydia says bluntly. 
I give a little squeak and look at her, red in the face. "How did you know? Did Sinding tell you?" 
"No, that he did not. You talk alot in your sleep, Tanii." Lydia says. "Apparently, you have done it every night since you have come back from Volkihar." 
  "You have heard me?" I asked, shocked. 
"Everyone in the house hears you." Lydia says gently. "You cry alot in your sleep. Sinding has told me that he often has to hold you before to help you calm down, but you never seem to remember it." 
  I look down at my bare feet, and slowly shake my head. "I never remember any of them, but it must be that bad if the whole house can hear me." 
 Lydia shakes her head, "It's not that bad, we are just worried. You have been through alot." 
 "I've been through no more than many others before me have." I say. Lydia is about to speak when I say, "Martin Septim, was a priest of Akatosh, trying to live a quiet life in Kvatch. But when he found out he was the heir to the Septim Dynasty, he didn't hide out in a church, he ended up going to Cloud Ruler Temple above Bruma and ended up fighting against Mehrunes Dagon during the Oblivion Crisis. His statue of his avatar of Akatosh still stands in The Imperial City." 
I swallow, "His life wasn't easy."  
  "Ysgramor, Tiber Septim, Queen Barenziah. They were all great heroes to their own people and none of their lives were easy. I don't want to be like them, but here I am." I say. "And I won't stop now." 
  Lydia takes ahold of my arms and says, "Tanii, you are with child, I remember how broken you were when we met. You have continuously pushed yourself. You need to rest. We can do this mission, we can go bring back the God-Cleaver. You can stay home."
  I give her a sad smile. "I wish I could, but Skyrim needs me. And.....if you are taking Arodil, I want to be there." 
 Lydia crosses her arms. "He tried to kill you, he would of if Sinding hadn't taken the blow."
"Yeah? And how many times have I've taken a blow and lived?" I snap. 
"Too much, Taniiaae, way too much." Lydia huffs. 
"You are being foolish. If you keep pushing yourself, you will lose this baby too." 
I jerk back in shock as if I had been slapped. I feel tears prickle my eyes, but I blink them back. "How could you even say that?" I whisper, my voice soft. I clench my hands into tight fists and say in a cold voice. "Who are you, to say that to me." 
 Lydia's face pales, as if she knew she said something wrong, and I push past her towards the stables. "I'm going for a ride, and I don't want you to follow me. I don't want anyone to follow me, do I make myself clear?" My voice was emotionless, but I had to keep my cool. I wasn't going to display any other emotion in front of her. I wasn't going to be stepped on. 
  Lydia said nothing as I mount Allie, "Housecarl!" I snap, "Do you hear me?" 
 Lydia bows her head, "Y-yes, Thane." 
 I gripped the reins in my hands. "Good." I kick my heels into Alsfigir's reins and we ride off.
 
  
Karliah.
 
       She watched from the window up in the attic as the Dragonborn road off. She had heard the whole argument, and even though she didn't know any of the hosts well, she thought the Housecarl's words were harsh. Karliah watched as the door opened, and Taniiaae's husband, and their friend, the princess walked out and confronted the Housecarl.
 Karliah sighed.  This was going to be a rough one to figure out. She pulled her hood up over her dark hair and lifted her mask over her nose as she left for the other side of the attic and climbed out of the window. She jumped down on the balcony and then on to the ground lightly. She saw that Taniiaae had rode towards Whiterun, so Karliah started to jog after her.