Bread, Thorns, and Stormcloaks

The Night

Gently, I drew my arms out from where they were cradling Jofthor. His breath hitched slightly in his sleep, before he rolled over and buried his head into the crook of Solveigg's arm. The two of them, finally peaceful, warm in a cot far too large for them, slept. 
I looked over at my own bed, at it's untouched linen sheets, and knew that tonight it would not see me rest.

It was dark in the house. But as I stepped into the main room, the red embers of the fire set the walls alight with its bloody hue. At a table beyond it, Freya's hunched figure sat with her hands closed within mother's. Ingrid sat beside them, for once seemingly unable - or unwilling - to speak, her eyes already shadowed purple at this late hour.

"Go to bed Ingrid," my voice came out harsher than I'd wanted, a clumsy knife tearing at the quiet; but all it provoked was an expressionless stare from her, before turning back to the flames.
Mother was murmuring something to Freya. Something about having faith and not grieving prematurely I am sure, but my sister appeared oblivious. She looked exhausted. No wonder - she'd cried until she was sick, then cried some more. I hadn't known her capable of such emotion. I couldn't imagine ever feeling such emotion myself.
I should go over. Place my hand around Freya's shoulders. But I don't.

I felt, rather than saw, Hilda enter the room. She shared a glance of concern with my mother before kneeling with her back to the fire, hands clasped infront of her.
There was a moments silence - then her prayer began:
O Eight Devines,
We call on you this dangerous night to protect us, to keep us from harm.
We beg Tsun for strength against this terrible foe; we beg Kyne to keep us, and those we love, safe.

She paused then and held out her arms towards Freya. Gently, my mother guided her to the fire, Ingrid trailing behind like a lost puppy. The four of them clasped hands as Hilda continued:

Goddess Mara, we ask that you protect the marriages you in your goodness created. 
Allow Igold to return to his Love so that they may continue their lives together.
We ask that Orkey protect Igold on his journey back from Helgen; that he be given the strength and the courage to find his way home....

I watched the four of them, knowing I should join them in their prayer; to beg Talos for comfort; to plead for our safety and Igold's; to implore that the Gods protect Skyrim from Beasts that are meant to be Legends.
But the room felt too hot, the walls too red. Seeing Ingrid - fearless, stubborn, sceptical Ingrid - whisper to the Gods with knuckles clenched white... I felt suddenly and inexplicably like an animal within a snare.
I turned, and left them.

There were no stars outside - only rolling folds of darkness. The air felt mild. It's usually icy sting was muted under ash that swirled lazily in the air. The village had decided to put out all lanterns, and block all windows with thick cloth - the  dragon could be anywhere, and we would not make beacons of ourselves. So in the pitch blackness I stood, the hairs on the back of my neck standing erect, my ears straining for the rush of the distant stream. But I realised, that despite leaving my sisters and mother praying, I did not want to be alone this evening.
I'd go to the Inn. 

Feeling uncomfortably exposed, I stumbled half-blind to the garden gate, where I stopped. Low voices, conspiratorial, urgent, came from over the way. Temba's mill. I stopped to listen, trying to decipher who would be sneaking about in the darkness, when all of the village were gathered at Vilemyr Inn. Safety in numbers.
I edged closer, until finally I unpicked a familiar voice from the whispers, and felt a rush of comforting relief. Raoul. I moved quicker then, entering Temba's garden without a second thought, until suddenly the three of them appeared out of the night, sitting on the steps of Temba's house. 

"Eira!" Raoul's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and the man sitting next to him immediately stopped talking to observe me wearily. He was a Redguard, wearing the grey-blue uniform of a Falkreath soldier. One of the riders from Helgen then. He'd seen the dragon. 

"What are you all doing out here?" I asked, noting Wide-Arm siting slightly off to the side of the steps. There was a moments silence, in which Raoul looked unsure of what to say, and I felt a prickling of unease. Then he gestured to the soldier - 

"Camos, this is my sister, Eira," I saw the Redguard's eyes move to my pointed ears at Raoul's mention of 'sister' - but before I could hide them beneath my hair, he inclined his head in polite greeting and looked away. Raoul turned to me -
"We were just discussing with Camos what happened in Helgen.... with the execution." 

I remembered then. 

"Ulfric..." I kept my voice low. "They had him... the Empire had him." There hadn't been much time to dwell on this before - the prospect of a Dragon descending on the Village and killing us all had been quite distracting. Even now, as the significance of his escape dawned on me, it paled against the smoke which choked the sky. The Redguard nodded. 

"And now they don't," not a Redguard then, despite his oak-coloured skin. His way of speaking, though deeper and softer, was the same as father's. I went and sat beside Raoul on the steps, shuffling till my shoulder touched his elbow. It was comforting to know he was near.

"Do you think he escaped then?" I asked. Freya's form over the table suddenly appeared in my mind. "Do you think anyone else did?" 

"Hard to say. It was chaos. Couldn't tell Imperial from Rebel. Living from dead. Buildings were collapsing all around us, and every time the beast roared the ground shook with fear..." he trailed off, his eyes staring at something mine could not see. 

"But I think he lives."

"From the sounds of it, I don't think he did." Temba's usually level voice was terse, angry even.
"If fully equipped, Imperial soldiers couldn't make it out, what makes you think a chained prisoner could? I think the man's dead. And his rebellion with him." her eyes flickered to Raoul.

The guard shrugged. 
"Believe what you want to believe Ms Wide-Arm. I am sure we will know the truth soon enough." He leaned forward, forearms on his knees.
"All I'm saying is this: Dragons have not been seen in Tamriel for over 2 Eras. They were gone. Then right as Ulfric Stormcloak is to be sent to Sovngarde, one reappears. In all of Nirn it appeared on Tamriel. Out of all of Tamriel it appeared in Skyrim. Out of all of Skyrim it appeared in Helgen. And out of all these years, it appeared at the exact moment Ulfric Stormcloak faced death."
The guards' eyes met mine.
"I think he lives."

The conversation felt dangerous suddenly, though I could not understand why. I stood up, slipping my arm through Raoul's and pulling him up with me. 
"We have to go back now, Freya needs us," I turned to the Redguard from Falkreath.
"Camos, will you stay at the Inn tonight? Would you like me to show you where it is?"

He stood up slowly, chainmail clinking.

"Thank you Ms Fellstar, but no. My brothers and I cannot stay - we must get to Whiterun as soon as possible, and warn them of the Danger. We will ride through the night."
I regretted my abruptness then.

"That is very admirable, do you need some provisions for your trip? We have food left from the party which I would be more than happy to give you," He thanked me but declined, and soon he had disappeared towards the Inn. 

"Goodnight Temba. I hope you get some rest." She flashed me a strained smile then glanced at my brother as if about to say something; she appeared to decide against it though, and disappeared into the house.

Raoul and I were silent as we crossed the Village path. I wondered if he felt my uneasiness. I could feel his. 
When we reached the gates, he stopped and withdrew his arm.

"I'm going to go see if they need any help setting up before they leave. I imagine the horses will be in poor shape and they'll need to be fast tonight."

"Okay. I'll wait up for you." I smiled, though I felt a strange dread at the thought of him leaving my side.

"I might be there awhile sister - Alfgeir's up there so I might stay and have some ale after they've left. Calm the nerves." He squeezed my arm. "Try and get mother and Freya to sleep. I'll see you in the morning," He kissed the top of my head, and disappeared into the darkness as Camos had.
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I went back into the house where my mother and sisters held their sleepless vigil.

The next morning when I woke, Raoul was gone.