Jump to content
  • entries
    74
  • comments
    384
  • views
    8,308

About this blog

After her ship sinks in the far, frozen north, Aithne is forced into servitude.

Entries in this blog

Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 69 - Now We Are Three

Aithne tried to put Merks out of her mind (an impossibility - his constant presence beside her was like a hovering gnat) as she turned to Sloan.   “Have you found either of the others? I assume not the Dragonborn or she would be with you, but…”   Sloan shook her head. “I just came from Windhelm but there is no sign of Trendil. She may be on some Stormcloak mission – I was unable to tell for certain. I did happen to run into Delphine, of all people, so if we go to her, we will
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 68 - Second Reunion

Four hours later, after the new couple had made their grand egress from the bridal ngot and Nyatt had publicly commanded his wife to fetch his clothes (much to the overwhelming approval of the meyge), and after the massive feast for which Aithne’s human stomach only lasted five of the twelve courses, a very animated Chyehye led Aithne through the crowd toward a table at the very back, saying only there was someone Aithne “would want to meet” – and although bursting with curiosity, Aithne fought
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 67 - A Wedding of Necessity?

By Aithne’s own personal timeline, it had been less than a year since her previous marriage. Barely half that, in fact – just over seven months ago, she had been standing at the top of the College of Winterhold gripping Urag’s hands and listening to what sounded like bells pealing in celebration of the apex of her long journey, the moment the universe finally aligned to give her happiness after years of torture and pain.   It had all been an illusion, of course; the universe was the cr
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 66 - Pick a Husband, Any Husband

Aithne blinked and set down her book (trying not to think about what Urag would say if he knew she had taken some of his books on her journey) as Chyehye entered the bridal hut with a large bundle of clothing draped over her arms.  “Oh, you’re back! How did the hunt go?”   “It took longer than expected. My apologies – we found traces of the ba-ṭːa-tswas while hunting for your feast, so we tracked them down.” Chyehye set the clothes on the large bed – the only piece of furniture in the
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 65 - Trial by Blade

It was a lovely morning, with crisp blue skies and a lingering fog that was slowly being eaten by the ever-lifting sun. Aithne stood in the central area of Narzulbur and did some calculations - it had been awhile since she had consulted a calendar -  as she swung the orcish sword, trying to get a feel for it. It seemed well made, to her untrained eyes, and had nice balance, but the peculiar shape, with its bend halfway down the blade followed by a graceful arc back up at the end, changed the swi
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 64 - Narzulbur

“Who in the hells are you?”   Aithne snapped back from the abyss when the orc spoke; his pale green skin and incongruously high-pitched voice shattered the Borkul illusion and left her struggling to hold back a giggle. It took her a couple attempts to be able to say, “My name is Aithne.”   “She just saved your life, Nyatt,” the orc woman interjected. “Show some respect.” The woman knelt beside Aithne and bowed her head. “I am Chyehye, by the way.”   “Aithne,” Aithne
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 63 - Back on the Road

It was strange to be on the road again. In some ways, it was the same as it had been with Borkul - no sound but wind and animals and their own footsteps, fresh air tinged with the brine of the sea. The hours of travel had been the only peaceful part of those times; she had cherished every step, dreading the next stop. Or, at least, the tiny part of her that had watched from a distance had.   The other similarity was less encouraging - she found she was, exactly as before, completely de
Aithne's story

Aithne's Story part 62 - The Steadfast Servant

Aithne came to her senses some unknown time later to the smell of tea. Jazbay, her favorite. She peeked up to find Merks sitting in silence across from her, a teapot and cups placed neatly on the table between them. As she sniffed and lifted her head, Merks picked up the teapot and poured some into the cup nearest her. His mind was a maze of emotions but Aithne blocked them out – she did not want to know what he was thinking.   He had already proven to be the only one in this new reali
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 61 - A Small Taste of Home

Aithne heard his voice before she saw him - there was no mistaking that gravelly baritone. Her feet hurried as if of their own volition, until she was nearly skipping when she came upon the classroom.   Urag was doing the spriggan demonstration, one of his favorites. The leafy creature stood in its glass enclosure, a slight buzz the only indication it was anything but a gnarled tree. Aithne leaned against the doorway and watched, her mouth lifted into a small smile. She had heard this
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 60 - The Orc, Revisited

Urag looked annoyed. Of course, that was how he usually looked anyway. Except when he had looked at her.   “What do you mean, what am I doing here?” Urag gestured around the room with those long arms and Aithne just resisted jumping on him to try to get him to wrap them around her. “This is my suite! How did you get in here?”   “What?” Aithne looked around as light panic raced through her. She recognized their…his suite in an instant and flushed red. “Ah! Um. I’m sorry, I mus
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

9
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 59 - Negotiations

The Archmage’s tower room looked exactly how Aithne remembered it, down to the table bearing his notes on Labyrinthian. The door-knocker-thing that unlocked the door was not, at this point, anyway, being used as a doorstop.   Also, she noted with annoyance, the books that rightly belonged in the Arcaneum were still there. Maybe taking some of those back would give her an opening to talk to Urag.   The thought pushed a wave of lonely sorrow through her strong enough that she m
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

4
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 58 - Some Necessary Conversations

Tolfdir rubbed his beard. “That is…quite the story.”   Aithne sighed and lifted her feet up to the chair seat so she could hug her knees, now wrapped in the familiar feel of a College robe. With the adrenaline of her encounter with Borkul drained away, she felt empty and tired, and full of regrets about her brazen self-introduction to the College. A more subtle approach would probably have been better.   Too late.   “I know it is difficult to believe. I assure you i
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

7
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 57 - A Little Problem Named Borkul

The orc heaved a large bag out of the water and flopped it on the ice with a jarring metallic clank without looking away, then spoke in exactly the deep grumbly voice Aithne remembered.   “I have one more load to get. Sit tight – I won’t be long.”   The command coming in that voice sent a jarring trill through Aithne's body. Her mouth snapped closed on any words she might have been tempted to say while her body, already collapsed to a kneeling position, obeyed with an instinc
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

5
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 56 - Splintered on the Ice

Aithne blinked as the world reassembled itself around her. She still felt as if she was flying, though the wind had slowed, as had her body. Nevertheless, the wind that brushed against her face made her cheeks feel mildly chapped from the cold.   Around her, the sea played its constant rhythm, a rhythm that was counterpointed by the familiar creaks and groans of a seafaring vessel. Ahead and just to port, a large iceberg jutted out of the water, its clear ice sparkling in the bright su
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

11
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 55 - The Shout Heard 'Round the World

“When the next dragon attack happened, a mere twenty-six days later, I thought we were prepared. We had learned some things, you see.   “For instance, the staff I told you about? The staff of Magus? Yes, the one I got from Labyrinthian. It doesn’t need to be held to work. I learned that in Labyrinthian, in fact. Archmage Savos – although he wasn’t Archmage at the time, of course, he was just a student – used it to bind his classmates and then just left it there and it still worked.
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

5
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 54 - Professor Aithne gra-Shub

“Professor?”   Aithne shook her head at the mess on the table as she sorted the books. Things had changed so much in her time at the College, but students leaving their study material all over the place was one thing that remained…   “Professor!”   The insistent voice stopped Aithne’s thoughts in their tracks and she blinked and turned. Two students, both fourth-years, stood at the side of the table, watching her.   “Oh! Um. Sorry!” Aithne gave herself a l
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

11
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 53 - Our Little Secret (Don't worry, it's not an April Fools prank)

“Hmm. You’re not supposed to be here. This is a tricky one. What to do, what to do...”   The voice came from nowhere. Or everywhere. It was deep and rich and sounded faintly alarmed. Aithne blinked, although there was nothing to blink at – all around her was darkness. She felt nothing, saw nothing. She wasn't sure if she had actually blinked or had just imagined it as a sort of habitual response.   But she smelled something - the sweet scent of roses. She inhaled it even thou
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

25
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 52 - All That Glitters is an Illusion

Hollow. Empty. A shell. A husk. Devoid of substance, of thought beyond the festering wound of memories. All was lost; nothing carried meaning.   Aithne meandered through the silent suite, wading through a pool of despair so deep, it threatened to drown her. Only her traitorous body and its stubborn insistence on continuing to breathe kept her alive.   That and her so-called friends, who came by from time to time and insisted on making her eat and bathe and sleep.  
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

18
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 51 - The Bells Sound for a Wedding Day

Everything was impossible.   The sky was impossibly clear. The sea was impossibly blue. The Observation Circle at the apex of the College of Winterhold was impossibly beautiful, boasting impossibly bright streamers and impossibly perfect flowers.   Aithne was impossibly happy. She had walked through a nightmare to end up in an impossible dream. Archmage Ervine spoke words but Aithne heard them only as if from a distance – all her attention was wrapped up in the orc who faced
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

15
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 50 - A Proposal for a Graduate of the College of Winterhold

“That was such a good speech! It made me want to go out and conquer the world! And the tribute for Savos was nice, even if I didn’t like him.”   Brelyna laughed. “You actually listened to it? I didn’t think anyone ever listened to graduation speeches!”   Onmund nodded as he stretched. “Yeah, I fell asleep.”   Aithne could not believe her ears. “Really? How could you fall asleep? This is so exciting!”   “For you, it is, J’zargo agrees,” agreed J’zargo. “You
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

14
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 49 - Storm Clouds on the Horizon

Chtonji beamed as the cake was set in front on him and immediately grabbed for it.   “No.” Aithne took his hand and held it, laughing. “Not yet. First we need to crush the box. Right, Da Da?”   Urag, beaming from the other side of the table, nodded, picked up the small box on the side of the cake, and set it in front of Chtonji. He placed his hand on Aithne’s, which still held Chtonji’s, and said, “Ready?”   Aithne nodded, her attention fully on keeping the toddler’
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

11
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 48c - Labyrinthian part 3

The absolute terror in Atmah’s voice snapped Aithne back to her surroundings, a transition so quick her head spun a little. Or perhaps the dizziness was from the residual energy wafting through the closed door. Something was in there. Something…   “What is that?” The words slipped from her before she realized she had spoken. Atmah turned to her, all traces of anything but fear wiped from her face.   “That is Morokei, one of The Eight.” At their blank looks, she added, “He was
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

6
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 48b - Labyrinthian part 2

When the first two draugr appeared, Atmah started to shout, “Watch out, they…” but before the words even left her throat, the draugr were dead. Trendil moved with a speed that belied belief, slicing one of the monsters into pieces with her swords while Sloan seemed to disappear from Aithne’s side and re-appear behind the already-slumping form of the second draugr. As the creature’s chest exploded and it crumbled, Atma finished, “…’re deceptively quick.” Atmah blinked at them. “Um…”   S
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

10
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 48a - Labyrinthian part 1

Trendil stared at the imposing double doors of Labyrinthian with her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Looks like this adventure will be over before it even starts.”   “Why doesn't the door have a way to open it?” Sloan peered at the smooth metal so closely her eyes appeared to touch the surface.   Aithne shrugged. “I guess they want to keep people out.”   “Well, then how did the original owners get in?” Trendil asked at the same time Sloan raised an eyebrow at
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

4
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 47 - The Beginning of the End of the Beginning part 2

Aithne had Chonji calmed with the help of a plate of sweetrolls by the time a pensive-laden Urag returned to the suite. She said simply, “The Archmage?” and took his shake of his head as confirmation of what she had assumed. “Well. Not to speak ill of the dead, but I’ll not miss him.”   He snort-laughed. “No, I imagine not.”   “What happens now? Who chooses Archmages?”   Urag shrugged as he sat at the table and snagged one of the sweetrolls. Fortunately, Chonji alre
jfraser

jfraser in Aithne's story

2
×
×
  • Create New...