Destana again.  Things are heating up.  Last time I freed the companions from their curse.  

 

Time to check the old list.

List:

- Tour of the holds.

- Get Stronger.  (Forever ongoing)

- Get the Forsworn.  Better Nord than Thalmor.

- Marry Ulfric, become Queen and him High King, unify Skyrim.  Wedding date is 6 days (it’s day 8).

- Study the Eye of Magnus.  (Damien).

- Ready the holds for war.  (Fenrir and Ulfric).

- Go to Cyrodiil and either: Try to get the Empire to ally with us or ensure they don't help the Thalmor.

- Go to Elswyer, Hammerfell and High Rock to ask for aid.

Wow!  I am not making much progress at this.

 

Last time I was just walking into the common bunk room after taking a nap.

“Alright, you lost the bet.  Now take your clothes off,” it was Njada, and she was talking to Ria.  Wow, the girl really does not know how to be personable.  Athis, the Dunmer new blood, was just laying in his bed, watching this unfold.  He’d lost a fistfight to her when I joined, and now Ria had also lost one.  I’d heard about her bets – the only way she ever gets action because she can’t be bothered to learn how to talk to people.

Ria sighed, undressing, and Njada strapped on a device and penetrated her from behind.  I watched, my eyes shifting over to Athis as he took off his hunter’s mail bottom.

“Dude!” I said, looking at him.

“Oh, I didn’t notice you there, or you, Athis,” Njada said, “You can watch if you want, I guess.  Not that I can stop you - Harbinger!”

Ria groaned as she was thrust into, “Oh, Vilkas told us already.”

“Yeah, it’s big news and all, but have any of you guys seen Athis over here?” I asked.

 

They all turned their heads.

“Yeah, that’s just Athis.  He’s huge,” Ria said.

I walked over to him as he got up on his knees in bed, still messing with it.  I got in close to look at it.

“This thing is bigger than my forearm,” I said.  It was thick, and long.

“Probably the biggest dick I’ve seen on a man or mer,” I said.

“Want to touch it?” He smiled.

“Athis,” I said, “Of course I do.”

I put my hand on it, wrapping both hands around it and stroking it as he continued to watch the two girls go at it.  I watched too and was getting very aroused.  I kissed it.  He slapped it against my face a little, and I tried to put it in my mouth, but was unable.

“I’ve had a giant demigod’s cock in my mouth, and this is legitimately giving me trouble,” I said.

Athis smiled, “I can help you.”

He grabbed a handful of my hair and slid it into my mouth, then fucked my face a little.  He pulled it out, picking me up, then he moved me to the rug and got on top of me, fucking my face more.  When I needed to come up for breath, he bent me over and slid inside me. 

 

 

By the time, the girls were done and everyone was watching us.  Torvar showed up and Ria had sex with him while they watched us.  Torvar took a turn with me when they were done, and Athis and Torvar both finished on my chest and face.  Then we all collapsed in beds, sleeping for a few hours. 

Later in the evening (after washing), I walked out to the yard, finding Ria and Njada.  I approached Njada again, “You know, you’d make more friends if you used more honeyed words.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Njada asked, “Also, your tits are out.  What are you wearing?”

I replied, “The about half the forsworn women are topless.  I cobbled together forsworn clothes.  The next thing on my list is to try and make peace with them.”

Ria added, “Honeyed words are when you’re nice to someone.  Or maybe even do things for them, to try and get them to like you.”

“You can do things for people to get them to like you?” Njada asked, “Why the hell would I do that, when I could do things for myself instead?”

“Well, I dunno, to make friends, I guess,” Ria said, “You don’t have to be so hard all the time.”

“It’s good to be hard though.  Like Aela.  Someday I’m going to be a strong as her,” Njada said.

“How’s this for hard?” I asked, and put up my hands, “C’mon.  I bet you can’t beat me in a fistfight.  If you win, you get to do whatever you want with me.  For a whole day.  And if I win… you will do whatever I want for a whole day!”

Njada scowled at me, then she slowly smiled, “You’re on.”

I am surprised she thought she could take me.  Of course, I’m not physically strong.  But I am tough.  I feel like my skin is even tougher since I became a werewolf, even outside of the form.  And I regenerate now.  This was obviously not very fair.  We went blow for blow for a while, but every bruise she made on me healed during the course of the battle.  After a while she was badly worn and ragged, and I was in top shape. She fell to one knee.

“Talos!  How are you do damn durable!?  Even with your tits swinging around I feel like you haven’t taken a scratch!”

“That’s accurate,” I said, then helped her up.

“So, what are you gonna do with me?” She asked.

“We’ll start tomorrow morning.  And here’s your task.  I’ll make sure the Circle enforces it,” I smirked, looking over to Farkas, who’d been hanging out by the archery targets this whole time, “For one full day, you have to be nice, accommodating, and helpful to everyone in Jorrvaskr.  All the Companions, the help, and everyone who comes to us for missions.  If you’ve assigned a mission tomorrow, carry it out on your own time.”

Ria and Farkas laughed out loud, and Njada growled, “That’s even worse!” 

She walked inside.

 

“Make sure she does it, alright?” I told Farkas.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“Well, I do have two more things I want to do here today, then I’m going to the Reach.”

“What two things?” Ria asked.

“Well, first, Vilkas.  But then I’m going to take you out on one more hunt,” I said to Ria.

“Oh!  I’m happy!” Ria cheered, “Aela gave me a job earlier to go take care of a bear problem in Iverstead.”

“Alright,” I said, “Get ready.  I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

I went and found Vilkas, who’d been waiting in his room.  For me?  Not sure.  He looked up from what he was doing. 

“Reading a book?” I asked, “What is that?”

He put the book away.

“The Lusty Argonian…” I started.

“Okay,” he cut me off, “I’m a little inexperienced.  And it’s been a while.”

“It’s okay.  I’ve dealt with all kinds.”

I was slow and deliberate.  It took a little longer than I thought, but it was a good experience.  He even got a little rough near the end.  When we were done, I laid next to him in his tiny bed.

“Is what they’re saying true?  That you made your rounds through the Companions?”

“Yeah, I mean, I do that,” I said, “I live a life of hedonism.  I’m like the female version of a lady-killer.  But I can kill anyone.  Also, I could probably kill anyone for real.”

“I’m not sure where that metaphor went,” Vilkas replied, “Big difference between you and a man doing this – don’t you worry about getting pregnant?”

My eyes got big, and I got speechless. 

“Did you not realize…?”

“No, no, shut up,” I said, “Fuck.  Did you finish inside me?”

“Well, yeah, you seemed not to care,” he replied.

“I’m not a vampire anymore.  I am officially able to be impregnated again,” I said.  Then I smiled, “Don’t worry.  It’s not your fault.  I just need to be more careful again.”

“You know the reason why it’s been so long?”

“Why’s that?”

“I used to be sweet on a girl from here,” Vilkas said, “She was supposed to meet me one night, and I found her, torn to shreds.”

“Are you worried you did it?”

“No, it was some other feral beast-blood.  But I wondered if I became desperate, if I would do something like that.”

“So you closed yourself off,” I said.  Strangely, a little bit later he asked me to transform and give him head.  Now that is ultimate trust.  And doesn't sound like a good time at all.  

 

 

 

 

 

I went and bought pregnancy tests and termination potions before I met up with Ria.  I took a test and it was bitter.  Good.  Deciding it was getting late in the evening, I used flight and grabbed Ria to travel to Iverstead.  This was the fastest way of travel besides teleportation.  You can fit so many quests in a single day with teleport/flight!

“I bought along camping gear,” Ria said in flight.

“Why’s that?”

“Incase, you know, you can’t help yourself,” she replied.

I snickered and we set down by the Inn right after nightfall, “Going to be a long night.”

“Isn’t it always with you?” Ria smirked.

I found her quickly, “Temba Wide-Arm.  We’re the Companions, we’re here to help you with your bear problems.”

“I’m so glad to see you.  This has to be the worst place in Skyrim to have a mill.  If I didn’t have everything invested here, I’d up and move.  Sure, if you want to help me, would you mind bringing me their pelts?  There’s a little something extra in it for you if you can get good quality ones,” Temba said.

“Extra?  Like extra gold?” Ria asked.

“No, I’m offering your leader here sex,” Temba replied.

I blinked.  I thought I’d gotten that impression.  Geez, I’d had a lot of sex today.  I almost wanted to say no, but I didn’t.

“I’ve heard about you.  People like to trade bawdy rumors.  Also,” she looked down at my ‘Forsworn’ outfit, which still had my tits out, “I mean, those are nice.”

“Well, if people are trading such rumors, do you worry about your reputation?  You seem a respectable woman,” I asked.

She smirked, “I’ll fit you like a glove, if that’s your aim.  I haven’t had any in months.  Really, you’d be doing me another service.”

She walked into the Inn.

 

“I can’t believe you!” Ria said, a little shocked, but still smiling.

“Hey, she came to me this time,” I threw up my hands.

“I thought it was just the Companions, I didn’t know it was all of Skyrim!” She laughed, “Do women often throw themselves at you?  How do you do it?”

“My reputation is doing this.  Usually, it takes at least a little work.  Would you like to learn how to ply woman (and men)?”

She blinked, “Yes, please.  But let’s kill bears first.  At least I know how to do that.”

Not much to report.  We killed bears for an hour or two, then came back. 

Temba was very appreciative.  We went out back in the cool moonlit air and I tribbed her.  Ria watched.

 

 

“You, my dear, are the best,” Temba said, “Come by anytime.  Well, my business is falling apart, so back to work.”

“So, what now?” Ria said after she left.

“Now we find someone for you to fuck,” I said, and dragged her to the Inn.  We got a midnight meal and scoped out the babes and hunks.  I asked her a few times and she was choosy in picking out who she was attracted to.

“Her,” she nodded to Lynly Star-Sung, the bard.  And I understand why.  She had an amazing body, a beautiful face, and freckles.  We walked over to her.  Ria stood awkwardly behind me.

“Anything exciting going on around here?” I asked.

“Never,” she smiled at me, “You’re going to be bored to death if you stay here.”

“Nothing you’d like to do?” I asked, thinking it would lead her in the right direction.  At the same time, I pulled Ria out to stand next to me.

“Well…” Lynly trailed off, “I’d like to go inside the barrow someday.”

I blinked, “Well, that’s certainly a want, I guess.  Dangerous though.”

“Yeah, but it fills my heart with excitement,” Lynly whispered to me, “The dead walk.  Make me feel… I dunno…alive.”

“Well, my friend and I are members of the Companions.  We can make the barrow safe for you.”

“Oh, I’d certainly give you a small token of my affection,” Lynly smiled.

I nodded, and we walked back over to our table, “Okay, well, we’re in, I guess.  Just need to kill some draugr.”

“I dunno.  That didn’t sound like she wanted them killed…”

“Bards are strange,” I said, “I know quite a few.  And I guess I’m an amateur bard myself.”  Though I hadn’t taken out my lute in ages.

“Yeah, real strange,” Ria said.

“Excuse me, look who’s talking!  You remember what happened the first time we went on a hunt, don’t you?”

She smiled, “No comment.”

We made our way in, fought our way through a few dozen corpse bags.  There was only one decent challenge group at the end, but I did what I do.  I was just sheathing my weapons when another casket started to crack open.  I sighed, taking my sword back out.

“Wait…” Ria said, and she started to stealth.  The Draugr was a Deathlord, and he paced around like, ‘Where did all my friends go?’  Ria crept closer.  I didn’t like where this was going.

“What are you doing?” I whispered harshly, half a dozen steps behind her.

“Well, maybe the way the bard was talking got me curious,” she whispered back.

“What the… you better not!” I whispered loudly again, “Just how do you propose to do that anyway?  It’s not like you can sweet talk the dead!!”

“I’m going to improvise, like you taught me,” Ria replied.  She looked back at the deathlord and he’d turned.  He looked at her for a second, then he started making a guttural noise neither of us could understand.

“What if they retain fragments of their life and just want somebody to interact with?” Ria asked.

“I mean, if you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, I think most living Nords in Skyrim don’t have any qualms about doing whatever they want with your body, regardless if you consent or not.”

“Well, what if I do?”

“Ugh, what the hell is wrong with you?” I asked.

“See?” Ria asked, “He hasn’t attacked us yet.  I think he understands us.”

He made an angrier guttural noise, though he still hadn’t made move to attack us.

Then Ria bent down and said the magic words in a seductive and sultry tone, “Enough…I cannot best you…” 

Like some sort of ancient code or magic phrase, it seemed to signal what she was trying to do.  The draugr sheathed his sword and walked calmly towards her.  He started to pull off the bottom part of his armor.  She slid off hers, revealing chains she’d slapped on her wrists and neck, choking her a little.

“Gods, you are so strange,” I said, holding the sword in front of me.  Again, it was like watching a freak show.  I couldn’t look away as the creature took out his withered old dick, probably hundreds of years old.  Ria laid back on the stone floor and let him enter her.  He let out more growls as he started thrusting.

 

“So… um… how’s it feel?” I asked, “Like sand in your vagina?”

“It’s like a piece of jerky,” she moaned, “But not that bad.”

I…just couldn’t look away.  I watched for several minutes until both of them were nearing their natural climax.  Do… draugr still have cum?  I had no idea, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to have it.  He groaned, and she moaned loudly, and I pulled him out of her with my offhand and slit his throat. 

She was still laying down, her snatch pulsating with the orgasm.  When it subsided, she got up and said, “What’d you do that for?”

 

 

“I mean, I dunno.  Maybe because he was probably going to eat you afterwards.  Or come for me maybe. And I’m not into this,” I said.  I grabbed the Word Wall for Kyne’s Peace, and the treasure in the back which I split, but I felt as dejected as anything.  We walked back to the Inn.

“So, we cleared out the Barrow Den,” I said.

“You okay?  You seem down,” Lynly said.

“I’m just peachy,” I replied, “The real hero here is Ria.  I mostly got in her way.  Damn, I mean, I’m pretty useless in a fight.  I’m more of an admin bitch than anything.  You should give all your praises to her.  She’s the promising new recruit that’s going places.”

“Well, even so, thank you very much.  I think I will be in the Crypt in an hour, if she wanted to be there to make totally sure I am safe,” Lynly winked.

I walked over to Ria and said flatly, “She wants to fuck you in the Barrow.  Meet in an hour.”

“Hmm.. okay,” Ria smirked and went to order a drink.

“Hey, Lynly, question,” I said, “Do you have another reason for wanting to go in there, other than morbid curiosity?”
“I suppose I better come clean.  My brother and I were in hiding because of something I said.  A bounty hunter.  And my brother already got killed and I fled here.  I figured the Barrow is the most secure place, especially if people think there are draugr there.”

I shrugged, and said to Ria, “I’ll meet you back in Whiterun.  Gonna take a bath, and a nap, then head to the Reach.  Tell me how it went in the morning.”

I traveled back and noticed it was almost dawn.  I took a nap, then got up to a dragon attack… Talos fucking Kynesgrove!  I terminated it with extreme prejudice and didn’t bother preventing the Dragon Kill Orgy.  Curious, I walked around and found it.  Three women lined up in front of a lucky and attractive elf man I didn’t know.  Abigail the random maid, Carlotta Valentia (didn’t realize how attractive she was) and Lynly!  And Ria was perched on the man’s back as he fucked them all.

I walked over behind Ria, “So, seems like everything went okay?”

“She decided to come live here in Whiterun, with me!”

“Sounds like love at first sight to me,” I said, now feeling a little bit better about the whole experience, “You keep her safe and everything will be okay.  My work here is done, I guess.”

I walked away, still listening to the moans as they played in the street.

 

 

I flipped through my quest log for a few minutes over breakfast at the Bannered Mare.  I did have that investigation about the Forsworn, but I figured I would save that for later.

“Let’s see… Mudcrabs… Forgotten City… Kill a Bandit Leader… Retrieve a Drum for the Bard’s College…”  I flipped hard towards the back and found something.

“I wrote this down at least a year ago,” I read through it.  Apparently, the East Empire Company is hiring people to kill Forsworn.  Just, straight up kill them.  Maybe this is adding to the general animosity between the Reach peoples.  I thought back to all my interactions with the EE people, and none of them did I like.  I remember I killed a bunch of them for a Thieves’ Guild job, killing one of their leaders in the process.  And one time a random mercenary came to kill me from them, so, they’re on my shit-list.  I shut the book with a loud slam.  I’d always felt like the Forsworn got the short end.  They may or may not be cannibals, or whatever.  But technically so am I (as are all the Circle), so I guess we do have some common ground to start on.

I got up and headed toward Riverwood, also not far from Whiterun, and found the agent of the EE there, Zenoby Iniatus.  I threw on a random set of armor the Silver Hand were wearing, Dragonbone Armor.  Don’t want to give my intentions away.

 

She approached me immediately (I guess I have that adventurer look).

“Hey you look capable.  I need mercenaries to deal with some Forsworn that are living near a place we’ve set up shop.  250 gold a say.  Interested?” She asked.

“Sure,” I said.

“East of the Old Hroldan Inn, at a place called Hanging Tree, meet with Shae there,” Zenoby nodded to me, and I left.  I headed over to heavy overcast and found a bunch of mercenaries surrounding a group of Forsworn women.  I approached the woman who seemed in charge, Shae.

“Hey, I’m the person Zenoby hired.  You Shae?  What’s going on?”

“Yes, I’m Shae.  Why don’t you join us?  We’re about to torment these fucking savages.  We were sent here to kill them, so why not?”

“You’re just…gonna torture them?” I asked.  I already didn’t like this.

“Yeah, and kill them.  After all, it’s no fun to rape a corpse,” Shae chuckled, and the men in the group laughed with her.  Then she said, “Get in line if you want some.” 

She turned around and shouted to the men, “Looks like we have one more for the fun!”

“Rape, huh?” I sighed almost like a growl and pulled out my sword. 

Before I could step forward, one of the men shouted, “Wha~bam!”  And I dropped to the ground.

“Better watch yourself sister.  That hot Redguard back there was about to stab you,” he said, “But I’ve got the best paralyze staff money can buy.  Got this thing custom from the bounty hunters.”

I was laying there, unable to move.

“Thanks, Ariovistus!” She said.

He stepped up to me and put his boot on my neck, “So looks like you don’t know how to follow orders.  What kind of a mercenary are you?  Some kind of coward?  A forsworn spy?”

“I’ll … have… no part of this you… son of a,” just as my voice was coming back, he slammed his gauntleted fist on my forehead, and everything went black. 

 

The East Empire Company went from nuisance straight to Hated in my mind.  When I woke up, I was naked in a prison.  I can’t really tell you the number of times this has happened to me now – three perhaps?  I stood and a short (Nord? Breton? Forsworn?) pale girl with short dirty blond dreds was standing opposite me, fiddling with the door.

“Hey, do you know where we are?  Not any prison I’ve seen before… looks like the inside of a Fort.  And who’re you?” I asked as I stood.

“You’re finally awake…” She started, and I reached for my sword, but it wasn’t there.  I sighed.

“We’re in a prison.  They tossed you in here a few hours ago,” she said, “They said something about raping us before sending our heads to Markarth.  But you won’t need to worry about that.”

“Why?  Got a plan?” I asked.

“No, because I’m going to rip your eyes from their sockets and feed them to you, murderer!”

“Hold on, hold on.  Whoa.  What makes you think I’m anything like them?  Standing up to them got me blind-sided and thrown in here.

“Why should I trust you?  Everybody treats us the same.  Nords, Bretons, Elves.  You’re just like all the rest.  Burning our homes, destroying our land, hunting us down!  Explain to me why I shouldn’t attack, right now.”

“You seem to be low on friends right now.  Not only do I hate the East Empire Company now, but I want to help the Forsworn.  That’s why I came here.  To stop their operation,” I explained.

“Alright… maybe…” She seemed to calm down a little, “Fine.  We’ll work together for now.  Let’s see if we can find a way out of here before the guards come back.

She turned to mess with the lock, “Oh yeah, I’m Katalia.”

“Destana,” I said, “You know, I can open locks with magic.  Even if I don’t have my lockpicks, I’m a mage too.”

“Done!” She proclaimed, and the door swung open.

“Oh wow,” I said, “Impressive.”

“I can also open locks with magic,” she replied, “I’m a shaman (in training).  We Forsworn can tap into primal magic.  Old magic.  Not that I think you know anything about that.”

“No…” I said, “But I love learning new things.”

“Only Forsworn can learn such things.  To do otherwise is forbidden,” Katalia popped open the door quietly, “We worship at the sacred places, the powerful plant and animal spirits.”

“Well, what if I wanted to join you?  Call it an alliance.”

“You want to join my tribe?” She asked, “Oh, but let’s get out of here first.”

She walked over to the chest across the room and opened it.  Our stuff!  She slipped on a feathered, leathered forsworn armor and I slipped on my Zalisleather for now.  She looked around for an exit while I dressed, then she rushed over to some boxes.

 

“A piece of a sacred Menthir!” She cheered, “We’re lucky they brought this back here!  Probably wanted to sell it.”

“What is that?” I asked as I looked at the small rock with green lines tracing across it.

“A sacred rock.  We use them as teleport nodes,” she explained, “And I think… yes!”  She grabbed my hands, and we vanished.  Now, I could’ve teleported out of there earlier, but I wanted this girl to get out too.  And course, now I could see where this was all going.

We appeared by a much larger version of the rock, and a group of forsworn turned to us.

“Katalia, you’re safe!” A man said.  They turned to me, drawing their weapons.

“Wait, she’s alright,” Katalia said, “She helped me get out.”

 

The man nodded, “I am Gleba.  Thank you for helping Katalia.  But I need to know you’re on our side.  Bring me two Markarth Guards’ shields.”

We were just a stone’s throw away from Markarth now, and I raised an eyebrow.  He probably wanted me to kill to guards, but he hadn’t said that.  I walked up to the guards’ equipment station near the front of the city, “Hey, would you mind if I took two guard shields?”

“Oh, hey, you’re the Dragonborn, aren’t you?  Aren’t you getting married to Ulfric in a few days?”

“Why yes I am,” I said, “Thank you for asking.”

“So you’re going to be queen soon, aren’t you?”

“Yes I am.”

“Could you… could you give me an autograph?  Not everybody appreciates all the stuff you’ve done in Skyrim, but I do!  I’m your biggest fan!  Even if you are a Redguard, I think you’ll make a wonderful queen.”

I smiled, “Where do you want it?”

He took off his helmet, and I signed in the crown, above where his head would rub on it. 

When he put his helm back on, I asked, “So could I have those shields?”

“No deal,” he said, stonefaced.  A few seconds later, he laughed.  He handed me two. 

 

I returned to Gleba and now it was nighttime, “Here you go.”

“Well, okay then.  It’s a good start,” he replied, “Now a harder task!”

“Katalia,” I whispered, “Will doing these jobs actually get me anything?”

“Oh, he’s one of the chiefs.  He can put in a good word with Armin, the high chief,” Katalia whispered back.

“Next I need you to capture a Dibellan Sister,” Gleba said.

“Okay.  Why though?” I asked.

“The Forsworn worship the old gods, not Dibella.  And we have personal reasons to capture this woman.  She kills Reachmen in secret.  She travels around defiling our sacred trees and stones.  Bring her to me.  If you do that, I will present you to our leaders.”

“Alright, be right back,” I casted Flight and flew off, finding a yellow-robed woman just a bit later, “Hey, are you a sister of Dibella?”

I touched down.

“Yes, child, I am Kalydi.  What can I do for you?  Would you like the goddesses’ blessing?”

“Why, yes.  I would.  Would you mind coming with me?  I also have some friends who have need of your talents,” I replied.

She nodded, and I snatched her and flew back to Gleba, “Here you go.”

“You work for these savages?” She exclaimed.

“Yes, and now, I think, you work for them as well,” I said.

“Very good.  I think it’s time you meet our leaders,” Gleba said, “But I’m going to blindfold you both.”

A while later the blindfolds were taken off us. 

“Armin.  Hello.  I bring to you this woman, who wants to be Forsworn, and the Dibellan bitch who’s been defiling our sites,” he turned a bit, “Katalia!  I told you to go home!”

“Sorry, I needed to report too,” she replied.

 

 

“Aye, she did,” Armin said, scratching his chin.  His face was mostly obscured by an elk mask, but he looked pretty tough.  He continued, “So you’ve brought me a girl and a Dibellan slut.  Gifts for the gods, perhaps?”

“She helped me escape,” Katalia said, “She wants to be one of us.  I think she is interested in our magic.”

“And!  She captured this Dibellan sister on my orders!” Gleba said.

“Hmm… good work… you.  Katalia, bring the Dibellan to your mother.  She’ll know what to do,” Chief Armin replied, “Bring her too, but I need to talk to her first.”

He turned to me, “Since Katalia and Gleba vouch for you, I’ll let you pass.  Go see the girl’s mother.  But don’t forget, we are very different people to you, and even to the Nords.  You may not be able to stomach such things we do every day.”

We walked back to the stone and Katalia casted another spell.  In a flash, we were in a different place, with a different stone.

“Where’d we go?” I asked.

“This is our secret, hidden place.  The Lost Valley.  I transported us here,” she explained.

“Oh gods!” The Dibellan priest yelled.

“Oh, quit your whining,” I stared, but then I heard a bear roaring.  I turned to see a Lost Valley Forsworn shaman summoning a fire cloak with his pet bear!

“Wait!” Katalia shouted, but he wasn’t listening.  He knocked over the priestess and immediately came for me in some form of bloodlust.  Perhaps he was mad with some form of power or drug?  The bear leapt on top of me and I shouted the first thing I could think of, in Thu’um.  Unfortunately, it was not anything intelligible.  The bear backed off, and seemed to be calmed.  Did I just use Kyne’s Peace?  At any rate, the bear wasn’t attacking, and now the shaman was attacking Katalia.  The bear turned on him protecting Katalia.  I took out my sword and dagger and impaled him when he turned his back to me.

I looked over at the bear, my weapons still out.  He sat down calmly.

“What… did you do?” Katalia asked.

“I think I used a shout?  Maybe?”

“That was no shout,” Priestess Kalydi said, “It did not thunder.  What you did… was something else…  But I don’t believe it was normal magic either.”

“At any rate, the bear seems friendly,” Katalia petted him.

 

 

“Why’d that dude attack us anyway?” I asked.

“The tribe that calls themselves the Lost Valley Forsworn are fanatics.  As if none of the rest of us who live here… the Sicambre, the Marses, and the others aren’t ‘Lost Valley’ people as well.  They’re the ones who keep smashing themselves again and again against your gates.  They’ll kill anyone who isn’t forsworn, regardless of the consequences.”

“Well, I’d better become forsworn quickly then,” I replied.  As we walked away, the bear followed me.

Katalia smiled, “Up ahead is one of our most sacred places.”

As we came in sight of it, I was in awe.  A great tree, ringed in purple light.  Several forsworn women without chest covers were standing around it, and one of them, gray haired, came over to us.

“Mother,” Katalia said, “I want you to meet Destana.  She helped me escape, and she wants to learn our ways.”

A woman named Ethrane said, “Who is she?  She looked interesting…”

“Katalia.  I’m glad you’re okay.  They said everyone else died from your group.  I feared the worst.”

“Destana, this is my mother, Badycia,” Katalia said, then she turned back to her mom, “Armin and Gleba already tested her and allowed her to come here.  Also, they brought you a gift.”

She motioned to the priestess.

“I see,” Badycia said, “If they vouch for her, then I’ll give her a chance.”

“I’ll be in the Young Cave,” Katalia said, and walked away.

“Greetings stranger,” Badycia said to me, “Thanks for saving my daughter.”

“I don’t know that saved is the right word.  She gives me too much credit,” I replied, “I came here because I’m interested in your people.  I want to learn more.  I feel like the Nords don’t give you the respect you deserve.  Maybe someday we can reach peace.”

“You, or anyone can become a Forsworn.  We are of many peoples.  I doubt very much the Nords or the Bretons want peace with us.  But I will give you a chance to learn from us.  First, the gods demand blood.  We will sacrifice this priestess.”

“No, please… have mercy,” Priestess Kalydi pleaded.

“You’re guilty of defiling our sacred places and killing our people.  Why shouldn’t we kill you?” Badycia started to scowl at the woman.

“A wise man once told me… vengeance brings a cycle of destruction that leaves everyone dead,” I said, “It’s just like the Forsworn and other reach peoples.  They kill you, you kill them.  Over and over forever.”

“Compassion for your foes is not a virtue, but a weakness.  She would not do the same for us if our roles were reversed,” Badycia said.

“This world is cruel but we can choose not to be,” I said.

“The gods are cruel, and we are at war,” Badycia replied, then she scowled at me, “I did not allow you here to debate.”

“I brought your daughter home safely,” I replied.

“Alright.  But she can’t go free.  What would you ask of me?” Badycia asked.

“How about instead of a swift death, many years of servitude?  Bound to be more painful,” I asked, “This woman is part of the problem, so now let her help you.  Whether she likes it or not.”

“You bargain for her life with your own blood.  I can grant you this, if you supply blood for my rituals,” Badycia replied.

“Done.  It’s pretty potent.  Oh, and probably shouldn’t drink it or anything,” I said.

She cut me on my leg and drained a bowl of blood.  When she went to bandage me, the wound had already closed.  I smirked at her.

“This one has layers yet,” she put the bowl aside, “Now, you will choose which tribe you join.  It’ll determine the style of sorcery you learn.  Later, you will pick which path you take.  Whether you wish to become a true shaman, a briarheart, or a hagraven in the end.”

She continued, “As for the tribes, Marses use blood and flesh in their magic.  Sicambres use plant and blood mixtures.”

“Marses, I guess,” I said, acknowledging that I already ate a lot of human meat.  She handed me a piece of human meat soaked in blood.

“Enjoy the gift of the gods, sister.”
I ate of it, and felt a little funny, but nothing major.  And then she said, “That’s only the first step.  You have three tests to perform before you can be a full shaman.  If you’re good, you’ll be able to be one when my daughter does, at the next ritual.  For now, rest.  You’ve been out all night.  And then go talk to Armin.  I made you an initiate of the shamantic arts.  He will initiate you into the tribe itself – if you have the mettle.”

I nodded to her.  Heady stuff.  I went to the ‘Young’s Cave’ as they called it, my bear friend still following, and laid down in a small hut, sleeping naked.  When I awoke, a couple forsworn were laying with me.

“Shhh..” She said, “I see you already have a lot of ink on your body.  Would you like to add one of ours to your collection?”

I nodded, “Sure.  Not the face though.”

“I see.  How about your left breast?  I could do a spiral like the trail on a mountain.  For the power of nature, a man surmounting it.”

I shrugged, “Seems fine.”

Her friend handed her the small needle and she grabbed my tit as the first woman started hammering the impressions in.

“You’ll have to tell me all about these.  What do they represent?” She asked as she worked.

“Well…” I thought, “The axes on my stomach are from my time with the Stormcloaks.  The tally marks were forcibly given to me by Bandits.  The circle and star on my right leg is a magic symbol, I got because I’m a mage.  The trail down my left side that goes form my shoulder down my leg is a dragon, I got because I am a dragonborn.  The rose on my butt is from my first husband.  He gave me that himself – the Sanguine Rose.  The symbol on my back is my own design, a sign that symbolizes no matter what I become, I will overcome every obstacle.  The roses on my right arm and back are really just garnish to round out the set.”

“And now you have a symbol of the forsworn on your left breast, aligning you with the power of nature.”

I blinked, “You’re done?”

 

 

“Yes.  Usually, my subjects squirm a little more.  Especially something like a boob.  I figured I’d mess it up.  You’re a good subject,” the woman said.

“Hey, um… this is going to sound weird, but I have a request.”

“Hit me as hard as you can in the stomach.  Just, punch me,” I said.

“Okay,” her helper woman said, and slammed her fist into my gut.  She pulled back her hand, flopping her wrist around in pain, “Ow!”

“I barely felt that,” I said.  Was it werewolfism, or WW plus being a dragonborn that was producing these strange results in my body?  That shout from before, and now skin as hard as iron below the surface, but… I fondled my breast…. Still enjoyably soft.  Hmm…

 

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