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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Stumbling

Juniper grimaced and squinted into the overcast sky as she stepped out of The Bannered Mare. “ How was Skyrim always so bright when there isn’t any sunlight?” she pondered. Her entire body ached, the nasty, melon-sized bruise on her leg the bandit chief in Redoran’s Retreat had given her protested with every step the took down the steps. The bounty had only been a measly 100 septims. After a rented room, food, and Faendal’s cut, she walked away with only a small profit. If she were to make a living, she would have to find a higher-paying job since what’s left of her mother’s money won’t last forever. Last thing she needs right now is to try to work while starving.

The market square was already bustling with life. Juniper could make out the exasperated voice of Carlotta attempting to brush off Mikael’s advances and the squeals of children chasing each other through the district. Begrudgingly, she adjusted her cloak and trudged her way towards Dragonsreach giving a small nod to a fellow bosmer, Anoriath, along the way.

Having been raised in the Imperial City, Juniper was well accustomed to being the minority elf surrounded by humans. Weaving through the crowd was effortless, considering she was small enough that humans rarely paid her any mind. Stopping short at the bottom of the steps to the Cloud District, she frowned up at Dragonsreach, contemplating whether she actually wanted to walk all the way up there or if she should just lay in the gutter and accept her fate. The possibility of having to sleep in the streets made the decision for her and she reluctantly made her way towards the top.

‘Dragonsreach may be impressive for its size but lacks any substance.’ Juniper thought as she looked around. Large plain wood beams and arches adorned by the yellow banners of Whiterun and a mostly empty foyer greeted her as she stepped inside. The Jarl, Balgruuf the Greater, sat on his throne lost in an intense conversation with his brother, Hrongar. Her entrance was obviously noticed as the Jarl held up a hand, silencing the others and beckoning her to approach.

As she ascended the final steps the Jarl spoke, “I assume you are here for more work?" Juniper nodded as Balgruuf rose from his throne. "There is something you can do for me, suitable to someone of your particular talents. Come.”

Jarl Balgruuf led her into a room to the side of the great hall where a mage stood bent over a stack of books and papers. He looked up, face scowling with irritation until he saw who his guest was, his demeanor quickly rearranging to a more polite expression.

“Farengar, I have someone who may be able to help with your dragon project.”

Farengar lit up as he turned to Juniper “So the Jarl thinks you may be of use to me?” He eyed her critically. “Ah, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. I need you to fetch something for me. Well, by ‘fetch something’, I really mean delve into a dangerous crypt bring back a stone tablet that may or may not be there.”

Juniper crossed her arms. “All right, so where am I going and what am I getting?” 

“Straight to the point, eh?” Farengar scoffed. “No need for tedious hows and whys, I like that. Leave those details to your betters, am I right?”

Juniper stared him down, willing her eye not to twitch in irritation at the man's impertinence. ‘I’m likely older than you.’ she thought ‘I’ve been a real mage since you were barely a child learning how to set the drapes on fire.’ By the grace of Stendarr, she managed to keep her expression neutral though her crossed fists clenched at her sleeves.

“I learned of a certain tablet housed in Bleak Falls Barrow -  A dragonstone, said to contain locations of all of the dragon burial sites.” Farengar continued, unaware of Junipers attempts to restrain the part of her that wanted to stuff his quill up his nose. “Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet, no doubt interred in the main chamber, and bring it to me. Simplicity itself.”

“Of course, I’ll retrieve it from the Barrow right away.” Juniper quipped, turning and leaving before she did or said something that would get her in trouble.

“Leave it for your betters.” she huffed under her breath as she made her way back to the inn to meet Faendal. “Prat probably thinks he’s the smartest man to grace the ground we walk on.”

  As Juniper entered the Bannered Mare once again, she was greeted with the sound of raucous laughter emanating from a group of guardsman gathered around the fire, likely from a particularly raunchy joke. Her eyes scanned the room, landing on Faendal sitting at one of the barstools. He jauntily returned the small wave she sent his way.

Juniper liked Faendal. She had few friends that were Mer and though the Imperial City hosted people of every race, not many of her fellow elves had been close in age nor had any interest in socializing with her. Though she sported a light complexion, white sclera, and golden eyes, her small stature and dark, mahogany brown hair pegged her as Bosmeri even at a glance. If her ears weren’t visible she may be confused as a Breton from behind yet the moment someone saw her face, their demeanor would change. Even amongst other Mer, Bosmer were always looked upon with suspicion. She may have dressed, spoke, and acted like a well-bred, well-raised lady, she was still a sneak and a thief in their eyes. Juniper didn’t like it but after 38 years of life, young by Mer standards but mature compared to humans, she had learned to ignore it.

Juniper slid into the stool next to Faendal and ordered an ale from Hulda, the Bannered Mare’s owner. She took a sip, sighed, and turned to her new friend. “I’ve got some work, but it’s probably not up your alley.”

‘Oh?” Faendal said, watching an intoxicated Nordic man bellow a very spirited, albeit off-key, rendition of Ragnar the Red.

“It involves traipsing into an old Nordic dungeon filled with who-knows-what to get a fancy rock that a pretentious mage needs in order to find some dead dragons.” Juniper explained.

Faendal knitted his eyebrows, shifting towards Juniper “Delving into dungeons? You’re not a mercenary. We barely survived fighting a small group of bandits and your wounds from Helgen have barely healed. Do you really think that’s wise?”

Juniper stared down at her mug in silence, knowing his concerns weren't unfounded. She was handy with a bow and a decent mage, but until a few weeks ago, she had never even fought for her life much less killed a man.

The Stormcloak soldier rushed towards her, sword held high, eyes showing the fear that could only be inspired by seeing a living dragon in the flesh. Juniper lets loose the string on her bow, sending an arrow straight through the man’s face. He stumbled and collapsed at her feet, body spasming on the ground for the last fleeting moments of his life.

“Juniper?”

“... Juniper?” 

Faendal’s voice pulled Juniper out of her own mind, eyes snapping up to meet his before flicking away. “Sorry.” She murmured, "Look, I know you aren’t an adventurer either so I can hire a professional to go with me. It’s a high paying job so I’ll make my money back plus some.”

She paused to take a sip of her ale and sighed again, turning to look at Faendal once more. “I appreciate you coming with me to Whiterun and helping me with the job, but your home is in Riverwood.”

Faendal pursed his lips, “Just be careful, those ruins can be dangerous even for veteran adventurers.” he conceded.

Juniper gave him a small smile, ordered another round, and spent the evening watching the other patrons get loud and rowdy.

---------------

Juniper awoke the next morning much like she had every day for the last few weeks; with a start and drenched in sweat. Laying in the bed, shaking, she frantically looked around and tried to remind herself she was safe, no Thalmor, no soldiers, nobody there to hurt her.

She slowly dragged herself out of the bed and rummaged through her belongings, once again mentally thanking her mother Aveena for the gift of her enchanted bag. As small and innocuous as it looked, the bag was much larger on the inside than it appeared. It was filled with stacks of books and journals, Juniper’s sword and bow, potions, her mother's staff, and a whole pile of gear and clothing that her mother had packed before rushing Juniper out of their home in the middle of the night.

Juniper ran her fingers over one of her mother's journals and opened it up, feeling at home looking at her mother's script and sketches. Aveena had been an incredible mage who specialized in Alteration magic, serving on the Emperor's council of Magi and studying magic related to manipulation of time, space, and the relations between Nirn, Atherius, and Oblivion.

Aveena was eccentric and warm, she would offer a guest a cup of tea and a meal but also get them wrapped up in some sort of lecture involving obscure Yokoudan magic lore or something of that ilk. Juniper smiled at the memory of walking in on her mother’s guests' pained expressions as she was an hour and a half into a detailed description of the etchings on an Argonian ritual bowl.

Snapping the book shut before tears threatened fall and smear the ink, Juniper took a shaky breath and gently placed it back into her bag and began to put on her gear. She could hear the sound of the morning bustle downstairs as the other patrons began their days. Hulda gave a friendly greeting as she walked into the main room of the inn. Faendal had likely left early that morning. Juniper was sad to see him go, but she had a feeling her new lifestyle wouldn’t treat him well, not that she was particularly suited to it either.

Taking her now favourite spot at the bar, Juniper addressed Hulda “You don’t happen to have any tea, do you?”

“I’m afraid not, just water, ale, or wine.” Hulda offered an apologetic smile. “Not much demand for it in these parts. Most people prefer to warm themselves with mead.”

“It’s all right.” Juniper smiled. “Just the water, then. And some bread, cheese, and apples, please?”

When Hulda had returned with the food, Juniper asked “Do you happen to know of any blades for hire here in town? I’ve a job that may be a bit bigger than I can handle on my own.”

Hulda paused thoughtfully. “You could hire the Companions for a job but they don’t come cheap. If you’re looking for something else, you can try the dark elf who spends her time in the Drunken Huntsman. I hear she sometimes does mercenary work and isn’t quite as… particular about the jobs she will take.”

Juniper thanked Hulda and focused on her breakfast, considering her options. Once her appetite was sated, Juniper made her way towards the Drunken Huntsman to hopefully snag herself a mercenary.

The smell of wine and wood hit her nose as she entered the Drunken Huntsman. She looked around curiously at the small shop, a voice resounded from the corner, making her jump.

“Ah, how my heart soars to look upon a fellow Bosmer.”

Juniper could see a middle aged Bosmeri man walk up to the counter to her left. Bows and arrows of all kinds hung on the wall and filled the shelves behind him. “ My name is Elrindir, what can I do for you?” he continued.

‘Ah, a fletcher? This is good to know.’ Juniper thought as she walked up to him. “Good morning, I’m actually looking for someone. I was told there was a Dunmeri mercenary for hire and I could find her here.”

Elrindir tipped his head towards an alcove on the far side of the shop. “That’ll be Jenassa, then. She’s right over there.”

Upon hearing her name, the Dunmeri woman in the alcove that Juniper hadn’t yet noticed turned and looked in their direction. Juniper looked her over, taking note of the yellow war paint, braided raven hair, and small scar on her cheek. She didn’t look very old. ‘But how many Dunmer look their age?’ Juniper thought. She had well worn but obviously cared for leather armour and an Orcish style sword and bow leaned against the wall next to her.

“Blade and shadow, silence and death - these are my arts.” Jenassa said. “I’ve been all through Skyrim, Morrowind, and beyond. Whether it be beast or bandit, I can fell it.”

Juniper tipped her head. “I have a job from the Jarl’s court that requires me to delve into a Nordic crypt. What’s your price and how long does that earn me your service?”

“It’ll be 300 septims for a fortnight of work.” Jenassa stated. “If there is ample loot, I’ll accept that as future payment after that.”

“That sounds fair enough.” said Juniper. After making plans with Jenassa to meet in about an hour and waving goodbye to Elrindir, Juniper stepped out and made her way to the smarmy general goods merchant to find herself some travelling supplies. The way he joked about selling everything for the right price, even his sister, made her skin crawl. She quickly found what she needed and got out before he offered to sell her any other relatives. Nearly an hour later, Juniper and Jenassa set out freshly outfitted with new gauntlets, rations, and a modest leather tent with two bedrolls.

Chapter Text

Bleak Falls Barrow stood dark and foreboding, sticking out of the mountain like the horns of a Dremora. The bandits outside the entrance fell quickly to Juniper's and Jenassa's bows thanks to the element of surprise. After checking the corpses for any salvageable supplies, the pair carefully made their way into the Barrow. Jenassa waved for Juniper to crouch and follow her quietly. 

At the far side of the entry chamber stood two bandits in the midst of a heated argument which explains why they were able to enter the Barrow without being noticed. The women stopped, eavesdropping, listening to the bandits fuss over someone running off with something called a golden claw. Juniper turned to Jenassa, confused, and mouthed “Golden claw?” answered by a shrug from her partner. Jenassa motioned for Juniper to draw her bow. Two arrows flew through the air, each thudding into a respective bandit before they had a chance to react.

They began moving steadily through the Barrow. It was dark, dank, and smelled of something rotten. Juniper timidly followed Jenassa, trying to will her nerves to be quiet. Jenassa on the other hand, was calm and collected as if she had done this a thousand times. ‘Now that I think of it,’ Juniper thought ‘she likely HAS done this a thousand times.’

After making their way through a chamber where a particularly dim-witted bandit had fallen to a poison dart trap, much to Jenassa's amusement, they heard a man’s voice calling out for help. Cutting their way through some thick, sticky webbing, they walked into a large room full of webbing and cocoons.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Jenassa muttered, readying her sword.

Juniper couldn't repress a screech as the largest spider she had ever seen dropped from the ceiling a mere 30 feet in front of them. She quickly slung her bow over her shoulder before readying a shock spell. The spider lunged in their direction, barely missing them as Juniper was flung out of the way by Jenassa, causing them to both tumble to the side. Spinning around, Jenassa drew her sword and sliced through one of the spiders legs in one smooth motion, earning them an ear piercing screech.

The spider turned on them, rearing to strike, but Juniper sent a shock spell towards it, causing it to convulse and spasm. While the spider was incapacitated, Jenassa surged forward and ran her sword through the creatures underbelly, spilling innards everywhere. The spider finally collapsed on the ground and Juniper simultaneously plopped on her rear, gaping at it in shock.

A Dunmer wrapped up in the webbing piped up “You did it, you killed it. Now cut me out of here!”

Jenassa walked up to the man and inspected his bindings. “So, where is the golden claw that your compatriots were so tied up over?” she inquired.

“Yes, yes. The golden claw.” he babbled “I know what it is, how it works. The claw, the markings, the hall of stories. Cut me down and I’ll show you how it works!”

“Why don’t you give it to us first?” Juniper inquired.

“Do I look like I can move? Cut me down, then I’ll give it to you.”

Frowning, Jenassa used her sword to hack at the webbing holding the Dunmer up. When the last fibers gave away, he dropped to the ground, groaning and rubbing at his sore arms. He rose slowly with a chuckle. Without any warning, he sprinted down the corridor and out of sight shouting, “Fools! I’ll never give the claw to you!”

Juniper lunged forward after him but was held back by Jenassa's hand gripping her elbow.

“Wait.” She said, flicking her eyes towards the direction the man had gone. “We go slowly.”

Juniper fell back in line behind Jenassa as they once again began moving through the halls. Enchanted torches illuminated the way, casting deep shadows along the pillars and alcoves. A blood-curdling scream echoed through the ruins, causing Junipers hair to stand on end. As they rounded the corner, the found themselves at the top of a set of stairs, looking down at the bloody remains of the Dunmeri bandit at the bottom.

Juniper felt something cold and heavy settle in her stomach as she stared at the figure standing over the mangled body. It looked like a man but it was skeletal with skin dried and stretched taut over its body. Where eyes should have been, there were just empty holes and there was no skin over the mouth, giving it the appearance of a mangled and twisted animal baring its teeth. She stood there shaking as it turned and looked up, letting out a guttural, choking growl as it began to shuffle up the stairs.

Juniper was rooted. She couldn’t move, couldn’t scream, just stared in terror as this nightmarish monster moved towards her. With a snarl, Jenassa slashed with her sword, felling the creature just a few steps before it could reach Juniper. Spinning around, she snapped her fingers in Juniper's face to get her attention. With a choked out squeak, Juniper's eyes shot up to look Jenassa.

“You freeze, you die!” She barked. “Get it together!”

“W-what was that?” Juniper stuttered out, gasping for breath.

“It’s a draugr. The bodies of the ancient Nords will walk the halls of their old crypts and cities." Jenassa peered around the dark chamber. "They feel nothing and will not show mercy, you should do the same.”

Juniper barely had time to register what Jenassa told her before they heard another growl. Another draugr had rounded the corner and was shuffling towards them.

“Get it!” Jenassa ordered, sword at the ready.

Juniper raised her hands and sent forth a powerful fire spell, filling the room with the stench of scorched, rotted flesh and sinew. The draugr burned away, skin charring and falling away from bone. The creature shuddered as the pieces holding it together turned to ash, collapsing into a scorched mound. Panting and shaking from the adrenaline, Juniper turned towards Jenassa, who looked at her approvingly “Everyone is afraid sometimes. What is important is to push past it and focus on surviving first, then worry later, all right?”

Juniper nodded, rubbing her sweaty palms on her breeches. Her companion continued walking through the crypt, Juniper's hurried steps catching up behind her.

------------

After many hours underground, they emerged from the Barrow into the night time mountain air, Dragonstone in hand. Juniper collapsed on the ground outside, exhausted, weak, and confused. The golden claw and Nordic puzzle wall were very novel to both of them, but it didn’t take long to match the markings on the claw with the door to solve the puzzle and be granted access. The final inner chamber held a powerful draugr guardian, the Dragonstone, and a mysterious wall with strange etchings on it.

Once the draugr was no more, they had taken some time to look around for loot. Jenassa took the liberty of rummaging through a chest but Juniper was more focused on her ears. A thudding, like drums kept ringing through her ears. She tried in vain to shake her head and rub her lobes to ease the sensation but it got worse the closer she got to the large engraved wall in the back of the chamber.

As Juniper neared the strange wall, the words etched into it began to glow and fill her vision, blinding her. Screwing her eyes shut, all she could hear is the roaring of voices and war drums booming in her head, throbbing like a migraine. When she opened her eyes again, she was laying on the ground, Jenassa kneeling while holding Junipers head off of the stone floor.

“Did you see that?” Juniper gasped, scrambling fingers gripping the stone beneath her as if she were trying to hold on for dear life.

Jenassa furrowed her brows, “See what?”

“The wall! Did you see it glowing?” Juniper insisted.

The Dunmer turned her head to examine the wall, looking for signs of anything unusual or magic, but the wall was just as still and innocuous as it had always been in her eyes. Shaking her head, “I didn’t see anything. You’ve most likely overexerted yourself.” Jenassa said, scanning Juniper's head for any signs of a wound.

Juniper peered at the wall again, but for all appearances it was a normal wall. With Jenassa’s help, she climbed to her feet and together they walked through the passage and out through the final door, giving one furtive glance back to the barrow as the door slammed behind her.

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The walk back was gruelling, Juniper barely standing by the time they made it back to Whiterun. She had a comfortable life before coming to Skyrim and thus was unaccustomed to such daunting tasks or intensive physical labour. Jenassa made her way nimbly through the mountain path with ease while Juniper trailed behind, shuffling and tripping over the rocks. She nearly collapsed to her knees with relief when the pair made their way past the gates of Whiterun.

Groaning while climbing the steps to Dragonsreach, she practically crawled through the door to the Jarl’s hall. It was a couple hours after sunrise and the hall was already full of people. She barely registered the people gawking at her disheveled appearance as she turned into the wizard’s study. A woman clad in leather with her face obstructed by a hood stood over the desk, speaking to Farengar and inspecting a book. Juniper picked up the tail end of the conversation as she entered.

“... Perhaps dating after the Dragon War. If so, I could cross-reference the names with other later texts.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re making progress. My employers are anxious to have some tangible answers.” The woman spoke lowly. “This isn’t some theoretical question. Dragons have come back.” She glanced up at Juniper. “You have a visitor.”

Farengar finally noticed Juniper lingering in the doorway. “Ah, Yes. The Jarl’s protege. You didn’t die, it seems you are a cut above the usual brutes the Jarl sends my way!”

Juniper didn’t have the energy to be annoyed this time, she limped towards the desk and placed the Dragonstone atop the scattered parchment.

“You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that? Nice work!” the woman said before turning to Farengar. “Send me a copy when you decipher it.”

Junipers head throbbed, "Now you have the stone, what next?” she asked.

Farengar was so engrossed in the tablet, he didn’t even bother to look at her and said “That’s where your work ends and mine begins. You can see Proventus for your reward.” and dismissed her with a wave of a hand.

With a sigh, Juniper turned around and caught the mysterious woman staring at her briefly from across the foyer before disappearing through the main door. ‘I can't possibly be that interesting.’ she thought wearily. Juniper glanced around the hall but saw no sign of the Jarl’s steward. In no mood to go hunting for him, she resolved to find him the next day and made her way back to the inn. 

The sounds of the revelers in the tavern made the throbbing in Juniper's head erupt behind her eyes as soon as she crossed the threshold. A mug was tossed across the room, barely missing her head. A human, she couldn’t remember his name, hurried over to apologize but stopped in his tracks when he saw the withering glare she sent his way. Looking up and down at the blood and dirt caked on her leathers, face, and hair, the man stuttered and flinched when she shoved him aside to walk over to the bar and hand Hulda some coin for the room. She stumbled upstairs, dunked her head into a bucket of water, barely getting her armour stripped off before she collapsed onto the bed, finally falling into the first dreamless sleep she'd had since she came to this Gods-forsaken place.

------

Juniper had no idea how long she slept, all she knew is when she woke up it was daytime and Hulda was knocking on the door. She tumbled out of the bed half dressed, opened the door, and peered out at an obviously concerned innkeeper.

“I didn’t want to wake you but you’ve been sleeping since yesterday afternoon. We were getting worried.”

‘We?’ Juniper glanced behind Hulda, spotting Saadia peeking at her from around the corner. 'Yes, Im sure the nosy little Redguard was so concerned.'

“I’m so sorry, Hulda. I was so exhausted after coming back that I must have slept for too long. I can pay for today, just give me a moment and I can-”

“No, no.” Hulda cut her off. “ I just wanted to make sure you were all right. You can pay for the extra day later.”

Juniper had to swallow a lump in her throat. “Thank you, Hulda. I’ll be down later.”

Hulda nodded and left Juniper alone. She turned and looked about the room. Her belongings were strewn about haphazardly, her dirty leathers lay abandoned on the floor, and she was pretty sure there was still blood in her hair. Looking over at the tub of water, she set about cleaning herself and her clothes.

-----

The late afternoon sun was shining when Juniper exited Dragonsreach, heavy sack of coins and a dagger from the Jarl’s personal collection in her possession. Once she made her way back to the market, she let herself have some time to peruse the stalls and shops. It felt nice, almost normal for a moment, to act like her life hadn’t been turned upside-down. To close her eyes and pretend she was back home with the smell of the Imperial port and squall of the seagulls, the bustle of the market plaza, to smell the famous venison roast from the Tiber Septim Hotel wafting through the street on the way home.

“Get your things, we need to leave now!” Her mother’s voice rang in her ears.

 

“What? It’s the middle of the night.” Juniper asked, rubbing her eyes.

 

Aveena’s expression was grave. “There isn’t any time. Pack all of your essentials in the bag now!” She rushed out of the room. Juniper could hear her mother arguing downstairs with her husband, Nirelos, in hushed voices. She couldn’t hear what they were saying but he sounded furious. Her half-brother, Narcissus, stood in the doorway and whispered harshly to her “This is your fault.” before he disappeared as quickly as he came. 

 

Juniper stood in the middle of her room, dumbfounded for a moment before she turned and gathered as much as she could hold and stuffed it into her mother’s bag. Her mother reappeared and shoved a travelling cloak into her arms and dragged Juniper out the door. Aveena paused, turning back to Nirelos and Narcissus, and leaned up to press a kiss to her son’s face. “I love you, my dears.” she whispered before turning away and leading Juniper out of the city.

The crack of an axe on the chopping block pulled Juniper out of her memories. She glanced over and saw the man from the tavern last night chopping wood. ‘Sigurd.’ she remembered, feeling guilty for being so unkind to him ‘Oh, Auriel, what has gotten into me?’ 

Dropping her gaze, she wandered over to Carlotta’s food stall. The produce looked beautiful and she could smell some sort of berry pie wafting from under the cheesecloth. Juniper gave a polite smile to the Imperial woman, which was briefly returned before the woman’s face fell back into a scowl.

“Is everything all right, Carlotta?”

Carlotta sighed in frustration, picking up her knife. “That Mikael is begging for a dagger to his throat, the way he goes on about me.” She sliced an apple with much more force than necessary. “I heard him boast at the Bannered Mare, saying he’ll ‘conquer me as a Nord conquers any beast’.” She offer a slice of apple to Juniper.

Juniper frowned as she accepted it. “Would you like me to try talking to him?”

“You can try, but I doubt anything will get through that thick skull of his.”

Juniper hummed. "Perhaps."

-----

Juniper slipped into her usual place at the bar, lightly sipping some ale while waiting for Mikael to make an appearance at the tavern. The bard seemed to be there most evenings, playing the lute and often attempting to play the women as well. As people began wandering in and sitting around the fire, it wasn’t long before Juniper saw a familiar golden-haired bard saunter in. ‘Gods, but doesn’t his nose look much too straight?’ Juniper snickered to herself.

Her only close friends growing up had been boys so she was well accustomed to little scuffles. Her childhood consisted of many moments of sitting sheepishly in the parlor as her mother and Nirelos ranted about how unbecoming it was for her be 'brawling' like an animal. Although her mother viewed them as bad influences, they’d taught her how to stand up for herself. Mikael would never see it coming. Downing the last of her ale, Juniper waved away another one from Hulda and made her way to where Mikael had Olfina trapped between him and the wall, the latter of whom seemed unimpressed at best. Juniper crossed her arms, patiently waiting for him to notice her presence, which didn’t take long. He cocked an eyebrow at her, a smirk appearing on his smug, pale face.

“I don’t believe we’ve met, have we?” Juniper stated as he turned to look at her properly. She was a far sight from how she looked the previous night. Clean hair, fair face, dressed in a fresh tunic and trousers that hugged her hips and thighs. The bard gave her a not-so-subtle appraisal, the smirk stretching into a lecherous grin.

“Well, I can be inclined to change that.” He purred, stepping closer and curling a lock of her hair around his finger. She tensed at his proximity but he didn’t seem to notice as he leaned forward and whispered. “No matter the shape of their ears, all women still make the same sounds in my bed.”

In a blur, Junipers fist made contact with Mikael’s nose, sending a loud crack through the room that turned the heads of everyone nearby. She hissed softly at the sting in her sore shoulder and the sharp ache that radiated through her fist. The bard fell back on his arse, howling while clutching his face.

“You bitch, why?” He spat at her, blood running down his face and into his mouth.

Juniper stood over him, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear “I'll say this only once, pig. Leave Carlotta alone.” She emphasized the statement with a nasty glare.

“Did she put you up to this?” he snapped “That fiery widow is mine-” He let out a shrill scream when Juniper stomped towards him. The crowd roared with laughter, shouting “Milk drinker!” and “Squeal like a pig!”

When he realised that there wasn’t anyone stepping up to help him he conceded “Fine, fine! Tell her I won’t bother her again!” then rushed out of the tavern to nurse both his nose and wounded pride.

Juniper practically skipped back to her favourite seat, shaking out her sore hand. As soon was she took her place at the bar, three ales were placed in front of her. At her confused expression, Hulda pointed over Juniper’s shoulder. When she turned around, a group of burly nords sitting at a far table raised their mugs to her. She grinned, raising hers in thanks and turned to Hulda, who smiled back at her with a twinkle in her eye and a wink.

Chapter Text

Whiterun was an agreeable enough city but the next few weeks seemed to pass so slowly. People didn't seem to mind her presence, a few could even be considered friendly now. With a limited number of bounties available, Juniper had to get a little more creative to make money so she flitted through town doing small tasks for people. Pick vegetables, sort supplies, help with hunting, fetch a sword here, waltzing into a catacomb there, she did her best to busy herself as much as she could to keep her mind off of other matters.

The doors to the Hall of the Dead closed behind her with a solid thud. The walking bones down in the catacombs were eerie to look at, there was a light glowing in the place where their eyes were supposed to be. Juniper's first thought was necromancy but nothing about the magic was typical of that. With conjuration magic, there was always some sort of feeling you would get. A forcibly raised creature was sick, wrong, not natural but these lacked that aura.

'Maybe there is some old magic at work in Skyrim that causes bodies to rise?' she mused. 'Mum would have practically jumped at the opportunity to study it. She'd likely keep a draugr as a pet, maybe even give it a ridiculous name like Dusty or Mouldy.'

The mental image of her mother presenting a pet draugr made her smile, which quickly melted into melancholy.  It had only been a few months now since her mother's passing and the wounds would be slow to heal. Her mother had always been there, guiding her and offering advice whenever asked. Losing her so suddenly left Juniper feeling lost and empty. Her original idea had been to go to the mages College in Winterhold since her mother had spoken of it many times. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, she dreaded the idea of going there at all. Perhaps it would remind her too much of her mother or maybe she would feel even more alone. The Nords were generally wary of elves to begin with but most steered away from mages. Juniper had made an effort to keep her magical knowledge to herself for now as she was still barely able to get work or hold a conversation as it was.

Juniper watched idly as a Redguard girl accosted a Nord boy across the street. As she neared them, she picked up the conversation and couldn't help it when a small smile graced her lips. When the young boy ran off, the girl saw Juniper watching the exchange. She put her hands on her hips and looked defiantly up at Juniper.

"What are you looking at?" she said. "I'm not afraid of you, even if you are my elder!"

Juniper crossed her arms and looked back at her, highly amused. "You know, there are better ways to get a boy to like you. Beating them up often has the opposite effect… well, most of the time."

The girl blushed "I wouldn't have to beat him up if he'd just kiss me!" and stomped away with a huff, leaving Juniper to giggle to herself alone in the street like a madwoman.

"Most of the time?" Juniper jumped when Jenassa's voice sounded behind her, causing her to give a very undignified squeak.

"Well, some men seem to find it endearing when a woman can put him on the ground." Juniper laughed. "I'm afraid I was never quite big enough to take down my sweetheart."

Jenassa raised an eyebrow. "Oh, a sweetheart? Sounds awfully romantic."

"I suppose but it was years ago. Not much to speak about anymore."

"If you say so." Jenassa said, nudging Juniper's shoulder, walking with her back to the Drunken Hunstman for a pint and another evening of telling old stories around the fire.

-------

    Only a few days later, Juniper was once again awoken by a banging on the door, this time accompanied by a man’s voice shouting. Juniper rolled out of bed and wrenched open the door to see Hroldur, the Jarl’s brother, standing in the hall.

“The Jarl has summoned you.” he commanded “Don your armour and meet us at Dragonsreach immediately.” and departed quickly down the stairs.

‘Oh, Gods. What could it possibly be now?’ Juniper thought as she hurriedly put on her leathers, snatching up her bow and bag. The sun had yet to rise when she rushed outside, quickly making her way to the Drunken Hunstman to fetch Jenassa.

Once they reached Dragonsreach, the pair was ushered up the stairs to the Jarl’s office. Weapons, maps, and stacks of documents were stuffed in the shelves behind a large central table that was surrounded by a group of people.

Irileth, the Dunmeri head of the Whiterun guard, saw her first. “Good, you’ve made it.”

“Is something happening? Does the Jarl need me again?”

Jarl Balgruff was the next to speak up “There’s no time to stand on ceremony, we need your help again.” He walked around the table to stand in front of Juniper “A dragon has been spotted at the Western Watchtower, I need you to go with Irileth to investigate.”

Juniper blinked. “I’m not sure I’m the right person for such a task, sir. I’ve no real combat experience.”

“You were at Helgen, so you know more about what to expect than any of us.” the Jarl insisted. “I would consider it a great favour should you do this.”

Juniper didn’t know how to respond. ‘How does running for my life from a massive, fire-breathing monster qualify me for this?’ she thought, but all she could say was “Of course, sir. Whatever you require of me.” with a small, tense bow.

Nothing about this felt real, ‘Maybe I’ve been dreaming all along.’ wondered Juniper as she and Jenassa followed Irileth down to the front gates. There was a knot in her stomach, her hands threatened to visibly tremble. 

Jenassa put a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly “Survive now, worry later.”

Juniper took a deep, shaking breath, nodded at Jenassa, then followed the company of soldiers to the watchtower.

----------

Smoke rose in plumes around the watchtower as they approached, the sun threatening to peek over the horizon made the shadows deep and ominous. Scorched grass and charred bodies littered the ground around the tower. The guardsmen spread out on Irileth’s orders while Juniper and Jenassa made their way to search the tower. Turning into the doorway, they both started as guard jumped out of the shadows.

“No, get back! It’s still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!”

“We should be on our guard.” Jenassa muttered. “We can get a better view of the area if we go to the top of the tower, but keep an eye on the sky.”

In the distance, a familiar roar rang through the air, sending shivers down Junipers spine and making her blood run cold. Juniper and Jenassa rushed up the stairs and gazed over the battlements. In the rising sun, a dark figure rose in the sky, taking aim straight towards them.

“Ready your weapons!” Irileth shouted from below.

Nothing could have prepared her for how fast the dragon flew. It dipped down, sending a rush of wind over them, knocking Juniper off her feet. A guard grabbed her by the hood of her cloak, hauling her back up in time to see the dragon doubling back towards them. This time, she was ready for it and dodged to the side as it released a spout of fire from its mouth. It carved a line of scorch marks from the top of the tower down to the field below.

The dragon landed on the ground amidst a group of guards, sweeping a couple to the side with its tail. It turned on Irileth, stalking towards her. As it reared up in preparation to spit fire, an arrow pierced the side of its face. It screamed in agony, flailing its head for a moment before it whipped around and set its gaze upon the top of the tower.

Juniper felt the colour leave her face as the enraged dragon glared at her, eyes filled with wrath. It launched itself in the air and barreled towards the tower. Juniper dove down the stairs as quickly as she could, barely missing the fire it spat through the hole in the wall. She smelled something singed as she nearly tripped.

‘Gods, I hope that wasn’t my hair!’ she thought as she frantically patted the back of her head.

Behind her, Jenassa exclaimed loudly “You couldn’t think of something better than making it angry, you s’wit!?”

“What else was I supposed to do, let her burn?”

"You're SUPPOSED to have better aim!"

Juniper didn't have time to invent a witty retort as Jenassa notched an arrow to her bow and charged out of the tower, Juniper hot on her heels. As the dragon swerved around the side of the tower, the guards let loose a barrage of arrows. They pierced the membrane on its wing, sending it tumbling to the ground. Irileth’s voice resounded across the field as she urged her men to close in. The dragon slowly rose to its feet, shaking its body like a dog and sending a shower of rocks and blood over everyone in the vicinity. With a cry, a guardsman rushed the dragon, sinking his sword into the dragons haunch causing it to snarl and sweep its leg, sending the guard flying into a pile of rubble. The rest of the guard approached from the rear, leaving Juniper and Jenassa directly in front.

The dragon opened its maw preparing to spew fire in her direction. Pooling her magika, she summoned the strongest ward she could muster.

Despite all of the training she had, Juniper wasn’t prepared for how powerful the dragons fire truly was. She was roughly knocked back by the force of it, sending her stumbling to the ground but thankfully unharmed. Panting and winded, she rolled back to her feet, grabbing her weapon.

Juniper drew her bow again, fingers trembling on the string. The dragon charged her, opening its mouth and ready to tear her to pieces.

‘Breathe in, breath out, and release.’

The blessing of the Gods was with her today, her arrow pierced the unprotected underside of the beasts throat, causing it to collapse. The dragon thrashed and gurgled, giving Irileth the opportunity to run her sword into the underside of the dragon’s head.

A rush of steam burst from the dragon’s throat. As Juniper locked eyes with the beast, she could swear she heard it speak as it released its final breath.

‘Dovahkiin, no…”

Everything ceased at once, leaving the battlefield feeling eerily quiet. Juniper slowly crept closer to the smoking body while the guards gaped at the massive beast they just defeated.

As Juniper neared the hulking remains, the scales began to glow a brilliant gold, bathing her in light. The skin and flesh of the dragon began to turn to dust and wisps of gold surrounded Juniper, momentarily blinding her. Rushing wind filled her ears, hair whipped around her face, and she felt warmth emanating from the tips of her fingers into her chest and settling in her throat.

As soon as it came, the light and wind left, leaving Juniper standing alone in a daze in front of the skeletal remains of the dragon.

'Mirmulnir' a voice in the back of her mind whispered.

A Nordic guard approached her from the right and removed his helmet, staring at her, icy blue eyes wide with wonder. "I can't believe it. You're… Dragonborn." he exclaimed breathlessly.

"I'm sorry, what?"

The other guards had gathered around, staring at her and what was left of the dragon.

"Those born with the dragons blood in 'em. Like Tiber Septim himself." He continued, "The old stories told of the Dragonborn who could kill dragons and steal their power."

"I never heard of Tiber Septim killing any dragons." the guard to the left argued while pulling a scorched boot out of where the dragon's stomach had been.

The first guard huffed. "There weren't any dragons then, idiot! They're just now coming back for the first time since… forever."

"Captain Irileth," a third guard piped up "What do you think of all this Dragonborn business?"

"Some of you would be better off keeping quiet than flapping your guts about matters you know nothing of." she barked "Here is a dead dragon and that's something I can understand. Now we know that we can kill them."

Irileth and her guards continue to bicker while Juniper watched the exchange quietly, not sure what to do or say. Her mind was racing, trying to process everything she had just seen and heard. Irileth broke her train of thought by asking her to return to Jarl to report their findings. With a nod, she and Jenassa began the walk back to Whiterun.

Neither of them spoke as they marched back, Juniper still lost in thought. A rumble, like thunder, broke through the clear sky and a man's voice boomed, stopping them in their tracks.

" DOVAHKIIN !" 

The farmers tilling their fields started and looked towards the mountains and flocks of birds burst from the trees. Juniper looked to Jenassa, who shook her head, shrugged, and continued walking, as unfazed as ever. As they neared the stables, the farmhands, carriage driver, and a woman clad in steel armour were all chattering excitedly about the voice in the sky but all Juniper could hear was a low ringing in her ears.

The moment they had stepped through the doors of Dragonsreach, they were mobbed by people asking questions. Jenassa grabbed Juniper by the arm and pushed through the crowd to reach the Jarl's throne.

"I see you've returned!" he exclaimed. "What happened at the watchtower, was the dragon there?"

Juniper took a deep breath, unnerved by her large audience and willed her voice not to waver. "The tower is destroyed, but we were successful in slaying the dragon, ser. However, two of Irileth's team perished in the battle."

"I knew I could count on Irileth. Yet, there must be more to it than that."

Juniper hesitated, then stepped forward, lowering her voice a little. "Something happened when the dragon died. I absorbed something from it. The guards were calling me… Dragonborn, but I'm not sure what that means."

"... So it's true." The Jarl leaned forward, his gaze intense "The Greybeards really were summoning you".

"The Greybeards?"

"Aye, Masters of the Way of the Voice. They live in seclusion high on the slopes at the Throat of the World. The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the Way of the Voice, letting them Shout as the dragons do."

The Jarl's steward, Proventus, stepped forward. "My Jarl, how much weight are we going to give this nord nonsense?"

"'Nord nonsense?'" Hrongar bellowed "These are our sacred traditions you pompous-"

"Enough!" The Jarl commanded. "This is no time to bicker amongst ourselves." He turned back to Juniper. "The Greybeards rarely involve themselves in the affairs of others. I would greatly urge you to accept their summons."

He waved to Proventus, who retrieved a box and presented it to Juniper.

"For your services to the hold, we present to you the Axe of Whiterun. You have shown great honour and courage and have my thanks."

Juniper graciously accepted the weapon and a very hefty coin purse and excused herself with a low bow. 

As they walked through the busy midday streets, Juniper spoke softly to Jenassa.

"Thank you. I doubt I would have been able to do that on my own."

Jenassa didn't respond at first. "I was not concerned about the heat of battle," She said "but much has happened in a short time and you've had little time to process. Are you all right?" 

"... I think so." she said. 'I hope so.' she thought as she waved farewell to her companion. She stood in the empty side street, most of the townspeople in the market or gathered gossiping of the recent news. Without further distraction, every moment of the day flashed through her head, she felt so dizzy, she was breathing too quickly.

'It's not real. It isn't me. What is happening?'

A wave of nausea hit her hard, like hitting the water after jumping off a cliff.

 'How did I know the dragons name?' 

She ran to the side of the street, collapsed to her knees, and vomited until there was nothing left and then she just kneeled there, dry heaving. She wanted to scream or cry, anything, but all she could do was stare blankly at her hands.

The tavern was thankfully empty when Juniper finally slugged herself through the door. Hulda was nowhere to be found so Juniper left a pile of gold and a note on the counter then trudged up to the room. Once behind the door, she filled the basin and slowly took off her armour, barely noticing the aches and bruises as she immersed herself in the cool water.

Juniper couldn't remember how long she sat there staring at the wall, unable to think or feel anything. Her fingers pruned and she shivered when she sank all the way down until only her face remained above the water. How easy it would be to just slip under the surface, to hear nothing except the water in her ears and relish how numb her body felt. It took all of her effort to pull herself from the tub, pull on a robe, and force herself to lay in the bed. Dying candle light cast deep shadows through the room and she lay facing the ceiling until it burned out and the room finally went dark.

Chapter Text

The mountains towered cold and grey over Ivarstead. Juniper and Jenassa stood at the bottom of the steps, gazing up at where the peak would be if they could see it past the clouds. If it truly was 7,000 steps to the summit as was told by the Nords, their feet were going to be quite sore.

"It's not too late to go back to the inn." Juniper looked sideways at Jenassa. "You could spend the rest of the day in front of the fire."

"I don't think my conscience would allow me to let you crawl up this mountain alone. We would likely find you halfway up, frozen in an undignified position." Jenassa snarked back.

'She isn't wrong.' Juniper mused, stomping her way up the first steps.

It had already been 2 days trek to Ivarstead from Whiterun, with only a night's rest in the tavern. Juniper was already weary and legs were heavy by the time they made it up the first 1,000 steps, still within sight of the sleepy Nord town. The higher they got up the mountain, the more they began to struggle. The air became thinner, the weather became colder, and the wind buffeted them around. Juniper lost count after the 2,753rd step because she had to put all of her effort into not tripping. It was a brutal climb but they still met a few other people on the trail taking their pilgrimage. Eventually, the only other creatures they encountered were some goats, a few wolves who were easily scared away with some firebolts, and finally a large frost troll.

It was a nasty creature, covered in dried blood and muck. It lumbered towards them with a snarl on its twisted face before it broke out into a full charge. Jenassa shoved Juniper to the left then ran right, goading it into following her away.

"Use fire!" Jenassa bellowed over the howling wind. Juniper did her best to aim for the troll but every time she was prepared to burn it, Jenassa was in the way.

"Don't worry about me!" Jenassa yelled. "I can handle it!"

Juniper was not completely convinced but still sent a large flash of fire towards the beast, setting it ablaze and grazing Jenassa. The troll roared in agony, running about while flailing wildly. It slipped and fell, tumbling down the side of the mountain, hitting rocks and outcroppings until it crashed onto the cliffs below. The two of them gazed over the edge, a bit shocked.

"Keep that in mind for next time, yeah?" Jenassa scoffed.

Juniper couldn't hold back the relieved laughter that burst from her and walked back towards the the road before she blacked out from the lack of oxygen and followed the troll off the cliff. She looked over at Jenassa, worried that she may have burned her, but couldn't see anything more than a small scorch mark on her upper arm. Jenassa caught her eye.

"Perks of the Dunmeri blood, fire and heat are shrugged off fairly easily." she said, picking up her bag once again and moving back up the steps.

The rest of the walk was uneventful but by the time they made it to the front steps of the monastery, they just collapsed and laid on the stone, panting. From the ground, the cold stonework facade of the building seemed to lean over them.

"What do you think we'll find in there?" Juniper panted out.

Jenassa grunted, dragging herself to her feet, "Your guess is as good as mine."

Juniper placed the supplies that one of the townsfolk gave her for the Greybeards in the chest on the stoop, made her way up the final steps, and tugged on the massive door. The inside of the building was stone on stone, cold and dark. She clenched her fists repeatedly as she cautiously shuffled forward towards the foyer. When she finally stepped into the light, a mans voice called from across the room.

"So, The Dragonborn appears at this moment, in the turning of the age."

Her eyes fixed on the stairs on the far side of the room as an old man clad in grey robes moved towards her. He had ice-blue eyes shrouded by thick grey eyebrows, his long beard hung low, down to his chest. Three other men, just as old and grey, followed behind him.

"I'm answering your summons." She answered, a little more meekly than she would have liked.

"We will see if you truly have the gift." he continued, his gaze assessing. "Come, Dragonborn, let us taste of your Voice."

Juniper stopped in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. She stared at the Greybeards for a moment, a moment that seemed to go on forever. She finally spoke "I'm not s-sure what to do."

"Feel it.. Let it grow, hot like fire in your chest. Think of the word you want. A word of power."

With hands on her hips she closed her eyes and thought. 'Word of power?' she thought. In the back of her mind, something nudged at her. Her heartbeat rang in her ears, thudding hard in her chest like war drums. She could hear the voices of men chanting and behind her eyes she could see a wall, the wall from Bleak Falls Barrow that glowed blue. A word stood out amongst the others, in a script she couldn't understand. In the back of her mind she heard it, in an instant it was upon her lips.

"Fus!"

Everything in front of her went flying. Dust burst in the air, pots shattered against the wall, the Greybeards stumbled backwards. Juniper gasped loudly and clamped her hands over her mouth. She locked eyes with Jenassa, who just stared at her, mouth agape. The Greybeards collected themselves, adjusting their robes and beards that had been blown askew, one moving to right the pots and braziers that had been strewn about.

“So, Dragonborn, it is you.” The first Greybeard stepped forward “I am Master Arngeir, I speak for the Greybeards. What brought you you here?”

Hands still shaking slightly, Juniper lowered them away from her mouth. “I’m answering your summons. I want to find out what it means to be Dragonborn.”

Master Arngeir beckoned Juniper to follow him “The Greybeards have guided many of those with the Dragon’s Blood, bestowed upon few by Akatosh, himself. It gives you the power to Shout, use your Thu’um, to speak the words of the Dragons.” They moved through the quiet stone halls followed by the other Greybeards and Jenassa. “If you are the only Dragonborn of this age, we do not know. You are the only one that has been revealed thus far. Should you prove willing to learn, we can teach you to harness this skill.” He turned and looked at her expectantly.

Juniper hesitated. ‘Do I have a choice, any other options? I still don’t know how any of this is real. Should I do it?’ Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she finally said “I’m ready to learn.”

-----------

There was no other way to put it, Juniper was livid. She sat fuming next to Jenassa in their tent, watching the rain pour on the Great Plains of Whiterun out of the open flap. The Greybeards sent her on a mission to retrieve The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the relic of a former master of the Voice. It took them a week to go back down the mountain, through the plains outside Whiterun, and slosh through the marshes near Morthal to finally get to the ruins of Ustengrav. The ruins were inhabited by necromancers, draugr, and even a few frostbite spiders. They had finally made it to Jurgen Windcaller's tomb only to find that, instead of the horn, a note inhabited the pedestal.

Juniper clutched the note in her hands and read the words again for the twelfth time. “Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood.” she muttered to herself before letting out an exasperated groan “I can’t believe this!” She fell back onto her bedroll, curling up to pout.

“Throwing a tantrum isn’t going to make it any better.” Jenassa grumbled. Juniper simply rolled away and ignored her companion and tried to rest. Heavy rain had been pouring for nearly three days and they still had two days of walking to reach Riverwood. If she were being honest, Juniper was relieved for the break. The past weeks had been grueling and she was wearing a bit thin. Her feet ached, she was covered in bruises, and all she really wanted right now was a hot bath so she could stop smelling her own underarms everytime she took a breath. The way things were going, it was going to be a long while before she got a chance.

--------------

The Sleeping Giant Inn was well-named, the place was a quiet, sleepy tavern in a small, sleepy town. Fire crackled in the center of the room, a few patrons were scattered across the benches and tables. Juniper turned her eyes to the end of the room where a man and a woman stood by the bar. As she and Jenassa approached, the woman turned, eyeing them curiously while the man greeted them brusquely.

“We have food and drink, but if you want a room you’re gonna have to talk to Delphine.” he then grabbed a rag and walked away to clean a table before Juniper could open her mouth. The woman, Delphine, moved to stand in front of Juniper. She looked vaguely familiar, Juniper couldn't quite place her, perhaps they simply had crossed paths during the time she spent in the village shortly after coming to Skyrim.

“Sorry about Orgnar.” Delphine started. “He doesn’t take too kindly to strangers.”

‘Especially the ones with pointed ears, I bet.’ Juniper thought.

She continued “If you’re looking for a place to stay, I have a room available.”

    “Er, yes.” Juniper stuttered a little. “I’d like to rent… the attic room?” she turned around to look at Jenassa, who gave her a raised eyebrow and a pointed look that clearly said ‘Get on with it!’

    Delphine paused for barely a second “Attic room, eh? Well we don’t have an attic room but the one on the right is available.” she nodded her head towards a small bedroom to Junipers right. She walked around the counter, motioning for Juniper to follow. Juniper turned to Jenassa and waved her over. When they were inside the room, Delphine closed the door behind them then turned to appraise Juniper.

    “So, you’re the Dragonborn everyone’s been talking about. I think you’re looking for this.” she pulls a horn out of her knapsack before passing it to Juniper. She turned the item over in her hand to inspect it. It was a long, black, ridged ram's horn that had been hollowed out. Its age showed in the small cracks, flakes, and the generous layer of dust that coated it. Juniper handed the horn to Jenassa, who mused over it a moment before placing it in a protective box that was then stuffed into Juniper’s enchanted bag.

    Delphine turned around and opened a tall wardrobe. She pressed a hand against the back wall where a secret door opened to reveal a corridor with a stairway. She walked down, waving at them to follow again. At the bottom of the stairs was a room with a large table with a map of Tamriel in the middle. Along the walls were racks of weapons, shelves of potions and ingredients, and chests full of mystery items.

Juniper turned to Delphine. “You’re the one who took the horn?”

    “Surprised? I’ve gotten pretty good at my harmless innkeeper act.” Delphine laid a book and map on the table. “The Greybeards seem to think you’re the Dragonborn. You're clearly capable as an adventurer, judging by how well you managed with the Dragonstone. We’ll see soon enough if you're the real thing."

Juniper blinked in surprise 'She was the woman who was speaking with Farengar when I returned to Whiterun.'

    “What’s with all the cloak and dagger?” Jenassa piped up from behind Juniper.

    “You can’t be too careful.” Delphine frowned. “Thalmor spies are everywhere, I needed to make sure it wasn’t a trap. I’m part of a group that’s been looking for you, or someone like you, for a very long time. But before I tell you any more, I need to know I can trust you.”

    Juniper considered her for a moment. She had so many questions and didn’t know where to start. ‘Thalmor? I’m not sure I want anything to do with this.’  she thought. “Why did you take the horn from Ustengrav?” she said finally.

    “I figured the Greybeards would send you there if they thought you were Dragonborn. They’re quite predictable. Once you came looking for the horn, I knew you were the one they had sent.”

    “You said the Thalmor were looking for you?”

    “Yes, we’re old enemies. If my suspicions are correct, they may have something to do with the dragons returning. But that isn’t important right now, what’s important is that you might be Dragonborn.”

    “What do you want with a Dragonborn?”

    “We remember what the Dragonborn used to be - the ultimate dragon slayer. You’re the only one who can kill a dragon permanently by devouring it’s soul. Can you do it?”

    Juniper shrugged, she wasn’t sure if that’s even what happened.  “I absorb some kind of power from them, that’s all I can really say.”

    Jenassa stood next to Juniper with crossed arms, “So, what’s the part you aren’t telling us?” she said.

    Delphine looked irritated at the intrusion but signed and continued. “ Dragons aren’t just coming back, they’re coming back to life. I need you to help me stop it.”

    Juniper and Jenassa looked at each other then back at Delphine. “Do you have any idea how mad this sounds? What makes you think they’re coming back to life?” Juniper gaped.

    “I know they are. I visited their ancient burial grounds and found them empty. I think the next one will be near Kynesgrove, so we are going to go there and kill it. If we succeed, then we’ll find out if you’re really Dragonborn.”

Chapter Text

“Lorkhan’s eyes, look at the size of that bastard!” Delphine cried. 

The trio had spied the dragon flying above the hill as they passed through Kynsegrove, dodging the fleeing townsfolk. ‘I’d much rather be following their example.’ Juniper thought dryly as she rushed behind Delphine. She had dreaded the entire two day walk to Kynesgrove. Close calls with the previous two dragons left her with little enthusiasm for the task ahead. “Little enthusiasm” may even be a bit nicer than how she felt. She felt miserable, exhausted, and homesick. Her feet felt heavier with every step she took. The fear she had been trying to keep at bay in the back of her mind was pressing at her, threatening to send bile up her throat.

    Booming above them, Juniper could hear a deep voice that made her hair stand on end. “Sahloknir! Ziil gro Dovah ulse!”

    Once they reached the top of the hill, they paused to take in the scene laid out above them. A large burial mound stretched across the ground and above it hovered a massive, black dragon. Juniper’s heart hammered in her chest. She gasped, turning towards Delphine, her face as white as bone meal.

    “It’s the same dragon! The same one that attacked is at Helgen, I’m sure of it!” she said, voice wavering.

    Delphine opened her mouth but before she could speak, the burial mound split with a loud crack. A massive skeletal dragon burst from the ground with an ear-splitting roar. It spoke with a rumble, “Alduin, thuri! Booan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?”

    “Geh, Sahloknir.” The black dragon above turned to look directly at Juniper, red eyes boring into her and sending ice to her heart, “ Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu’u koraav nid nol dov do hi. You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to take for yourself the name of Dovah. Sahlokniir, krii daar joore.” With the final word to his fellow dragon, the massive black beast rose into the sky, flying off to the East.

    “Did you hear that?” Delphine asked, but Juniper was too focused on the other dragon in front of them to respond. Its entire body shuddered and flailed as skin, sinew, and flesh began to cover its form as if it were burning in reverse. When the leather of its wings had materialized, it burst into the air and sent an arc of flame into the sky. It quickly swerved to dive directly at the three of them. Juniper stumbled to the left out of the way, Delphine and Jenassa to the right. Juniper was trying to keep calm but couldn't help remembering that the last time she fought a dragon there had been a dozen others there to help, this time it was only the three.

    Juniper drew her bow and sent an arrow into the dragon’s side, but it barely registered the wound, simply flicking its tail in irritation, knocking Juniper over into a bush as it landed between her and her companions. The others had their swords drawn and were thankfully keeping the front end of the dragon occupied while Juniper struggled to detangle herself from the shrubbery.

    The dragon flapped its wings, sending a cloud of dust in the air. “I see mortals have become arrogant while I slept.” it jeered at them “Come and face me, then!”

    Delphine leaped forward, sending her blade arcing towards the beast, which it quickly dodged. It buffeted Delphine with its wings, knocking her back, but Delphine rolled gracefully backwards then back on to her feet. Delphine and Jenassa struck, parried, and dodged their opponent's blows in quick succession as Jenassa carefully flanked to the side looking for an opening. Juniper had finally removed her robes from the brush, pulled herself to her feet, and summoned her magica. The dragon made to once again take off but Juniper sent a lightning spell to a wing causing the muscle to spasm, sending the beast crashing on its side. Delphine took the opportunity to lunge forth and slice the delicate wing membrane, effectively grounding the behemoth. It roared in fury “Thurri du hin sille ko Sovngarde!" as it lashed out at Delphine, latching onto her leg and flinging her across the field.

    Jenassa, who had flanked the dragon, vaulted onto its back. It thrashed in an attempt to dislodge her from atop it. She hung on for dear life and plunged her sword into the base of its head, aiming for a gap between the scales. The dragon writhed and gurgled as blood poured from his mouth. Jenassa tumbled to the ground, her sword still lodged in the beast’s skull. A dull crash shook the ground as the dragon fell, blank eyes gaping at them and blood dripping from maw. A slow groaning exhale left the dragon as it shuddered one last time.

“I’ll be damned, we did it!” Delphine exclaimed as she limped towards them, panting. “Wait, something is happening!”

Just like when the previous dragon was felled, this dragon glowed, burned, and turned to ash. Juniper was surrounded by the gold light and rushing wind in her ears. Warmth tingled in her fingers and toes, bringing some feeling back to them. 'Sahloknir' a whisper in the back of her mind tingled at the base of her neck.

“...So, it’s true.” Delphine was intensely staring at Juniper, like she was some puzzle to piece together. She walked around the dragon, inspecting it thoroughly. “I owe you some answers, then. Go ahead, ask me anything.”

Juniper tripped slightly as she stumbled over to Delphine, the adrenaline leaving her body and making her even more clumsy, her feet unwilling to cooperate. 

“Who are you and what do you want with me?” she huffed out.

“I’m one of the last members of the Blades. We were once famed dragonslayers who served the Dragonborn.” Delphine hacked a horn off the dragon’s skull. “For the last 200 years, since the last Dragonborn, we searched for a purpose. Now that you’ve appeared, we have that purpose again.”

Juniper sighed. This was becoming more complicated by the minute. “Alright, what’s the next step, then?” she said as they began to make their way back down the hillside.

“The first thing we need to do is figure out who is behind the dragons.” Delphine started. “The Thalmor are our best lead. If they aren’t the ones bringing back the dragons, they’ll know who is.”

Juniper stopped walking and looked at Delphine incredulously “The Thalmor? What makes you think they’re bringing dragons back?”

“The Empire captured Ulfric, he was about to be executed and a dragon conveniently attacked Helgen. He escaped to continue the war, which weakens the Empire, weakens Skyrim. Who else would benefit but the Thalmor?”

Jenassa spoke up behind them “How do you suppose we find this information?”

Delphine cast a rude look towards Jenassa that made Juniper clench her teeth. “If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy, we may be able to find proof of their involvement. It may take some time to arrange it but I could get you in.”

“The Embassy?” Juniper felt like icy water had been dumped on her. “You expect us to sneak in there, surrounded by Thalmor agents?!” she said, her voice becoming almost shrill the longer she spoke.

Delphine sighed in frustration. “They know who I am, there isn’t any way for me to get in without being noticed. You’ll probably have to go in alone-”

Juniper just stared blankly at Delphine. The longer the woman spoke, the more Juniper's ears began to ring until she heard nothing else.

“- meet back at Riverwood and we can start getting information and come up with a plan.”

Juniper couldn’t bring herself to speak, she just nodded absentmindedly as Delphine continued on her way back to Riverwood. She slowly turned to Jenassa. Her expression must have been quite alarming because Jenassa stepped forth and put a hand on her shoulder. Juniper brushed her off gently and walked down to the inn in Kynesgrove to hopefully get some well earned rest. The inhabitants of the small mining town cheered their entrance and refused to let them pay for drinks or board for the evening. Despite the cheerful chatter, Juniper couldn’t bring herself to join in the jubilee.

They’d traveled together for a few months now so Jenassa and Juniper had become quite good friends. Jenassa had noticed how Juniper was so terrified about the idea of going to the Thalmor embassy. Despite her concern, Jenassa didn’t want to pressure Juniper to speak of it. Neither of them said anything to each other all evening and Jenassa pretended to not hear the soft sobs from Juniper’s side of the room when she went to bed that night.

----------

The opportunity to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy came a little over a month later. The Thalmor Ambassador, Elenwen, had planned a soiree for the plethora of pompous nobles of Skyrim. Thankfully, there was a month to properly plan the heist.

In the interim, Juniper had taken the time to travel back to High Hrothgar to return the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller to the Greybeards. She wasn't particularly keen to make the trip up the mountain again, but even that was more desirable than having to deal with the Thalmor. Even with the detour, she barely managed to put the party planning off for a week. Delphine had busied herself with acquiring an invitation for the party, leaving Juniper and Jenassa to travel to Solitude to meet Delphine’s inside man, Malborn.

Solitude was a beautiful city with rising walls of masonry adorned by ivy and moss with flowers and gardens in every unused corner of the city. Juniper may have been more enthralled in the city’s beauty if the first thing she’d seen when entering had not been a public execution in the town square. The jeers and shouts of the crowd hurt her ears as she watched an apple fly through the air to hit a man wearing rags. She cringed, quickly turning away, unwilling to watch, and pulled Jenassa towards the tavern.

"You don't want to see what the commotion is?" Jenassa asked, craning her neck to get a better view.

"I really don't want to bother with it. It's none of my business." Juniper murmured. Jenassa shrugged then followed through the door.

The Winking Skeever was thankfully quiet, as most of the citizens of Solitude were at the execution. Breathing a sigh of relief, Juniper looked around for her contact. Thankfully, Bosmer were not very common in Skyrim. It wasn’t difficult to pick out the sole Bosmer sitting alone at a table with his nose in a book and an ale in his hand. He glanced up at the elven women as they approached.

“Are you Malborn?” Juniper asked. The mer raised an eyebrow at her. “Our mutual friend sent me.” she continued.

“You’re who she sent? I hope she knows what she is doing.” he scoffed. “Look, I can smuggle in some things for you but security is going to be tight. When you’re at the party, I can help you slip away but the rest is up to you.”

Juniper scowled. She was loath to part with her bag after nearly losing it at Helgen, but had little choice in the matter. There was no other feasible way for her to smuggle her bow and quiver, her blades, or really anything too large to strap to her leg. She reluctantly held out the bag to him. “Just this.”

---------

Juniper hated the cold, the wind, and the Thalmor. Unfortunately the Embassy had all three in abundance. She wrapped her fur lined cloak around her tightly in the hopes that she could hoard a little more warmth. Juniper and Delphine had a very heated debate over what she was to wear to the party. Juniper had steadfastly refused the horrid Nordic excuse for finery. She dragged Delphine to Solitude's clothing shop that was thankfully run by Altmeri sisters who actually had some attire appropriate for a lady mer. Rather than the typical Nordic pelts and heavy linens, Juniper chose to adorn herself with a sleeved green silk gown and a fur lined brocade cloak. Finery enough to blend in but not ostentatious enough to stand out amongst the crowd.

Juniper climbed out of the carriage as gracefully as she could manage, nearly tripping into a Redguard man sitting nearby who already sounded slightly inebriated. Collecting herself as best she could, smoothing her pinned-back hair, she strode to the Thalmor wizard who was checking in the guests. The invitation apparently passed his scrutiny because the wizard waved Juniper past before turning her attention to the Redguard man, who was apparently named Razelan according to the guard who seemed to know him by name.

Upon entry to the building, Juniper was immediately addressed by a stranger.

"Good evening, I do not believe we have met."

Juniper spun around and found herself face to face with an Altmeri woman. Juniper had to crane her neck just to meet the woman’s eyes. She was tall with bright golden skin. Her long, straight chestnut hair ended just past her shoulders and framed bright golden eyes. Juniper had no doubt that she was exceptionally beautiful by Altmeri standards but Juniper was more intimidated than enthralled. The woman held herself with the same air of superiority that most Altmer did. 'They think they are the literal golden children of the Gods after all, don't they? The true Mer.' Juniper thought sourly.

Juniper forced herself into a sweet smile and perked her voice up nearly an octave. "Oh! You must be Elenwen, I've heard so much about you! It's so lovely to meet you!"

"I hope it was all good things." Elenwen gave a haughty smirk. "I'm afraid I can't say the same. What did you say your name was, again?"

A meek voice sounded from behind the ambassador. "Excuse me, Lady Elenwen? I have a question about the wine selection." Juniper peered around to see Malborn behind the counter, looking pointedly at Elenwen.

"Excuse me." Elenwen turned and gave Juniper a nod, dismissing her. "Please enjoy yourself and perhaps we can speak later."

Juniper gave a small curtsy, and quickly moved away before she risked being politely interrogated. She swiped a bottle of brandy from the bar then carefully made her way to the corner of the room where she could survey the other guests. The room was filled with about 20 or so men and mer, each as pretentious as the next. At least a couple of them appeared to be Jarls and she spied Proventus Avenicci amongst them, likely attempting to insert himself in a nearby rectum. A few mer were scattered around but Juniper appeared to be one of three bosmer in attendance, the others being Malborn and a servant girl.

Elenwen herself was across the room speaking to one of her Justiciars. Juniper slowly walked around the room, hugging the wall, seeing if she could pick up any of their conversation. Thankfully, she picked up some tricks from all of the times she would eavesdrop on her mother. A softly whispered incantation and she could focus her hearing further away.

She picked up Elenwen's voice. "- only a matter of time before Rulindil gets the information I want."

"Rulindil certainly is a skilled interrogator. He has the ability to… inspire his guests to speak." The man drawled.

Juniper skirted to the side to get a better look at the Justiciar. He was tall and handsome with a pale speckling of facial hair and a clean shaven head. His skin was a fair gold and his eyes were a piercing emerald. As most Justiciars did, he carried himself with an air of haughty superiority like he simply knew he was better than everyone in the room.

 "And that," Elenwen cooed "Ondolemar, is why I favour those who have such desireable qualities." The ambassador traced a finger along the lapel of the Justiciar's coat. Juniper decided she had seen enough and turned away, rolling her eyes. 'I need to cause some sort of distraction.' She mused.

Her eyes settled on the Redguard man she tripped over earlier, Razelan, who was arguing with Malborn. With a dismissive wave towards the mer, the human stumbled over to a bench and flopped himself down upon it. Juniper took the opportunity to saunter up to him.

"Problem?" She asked.

Razelan didn't even try to be subtle as he looked her over "What's a fellow need to do to get a drink around here?" He dramatized a sigh, as if his lack of libations was unbearable.

 Juniper smiled. "You can have mine, if you'd like."

"Pretty and generous, eh? A woman after my heart." He went to reach for the bottle but Juniper pulled it back a little out of reach before leaning in. 

"Could you do something for me in return?" She asked, doing her best to give him a charming smile.

He hiccuped and gave a sloppy grin in return "Honey, you could stomp me into the ground and I'd still die happy."

Juniper scrunched her nose a little but didn't let her smile falter. "This party is just so boring and all I wanted was a little fun. Do you think you could do something fun, maybe make a scene, stir things up?" She gave Razelan a little wink.

The man laughed heartily "You could say that causing a scene is a specialty of mine. Stand back and behold my handiwork."  He walked over to the center of the room, picking up a stool along the way. 

"I have an announcement to make!" Razelan bellowed as he clambered onto the stool then raised the bottle in the air "I propose a toast to Elenwen, our Mistress! I speak figuratively, of course. Nothing could be more unlikely than that someone would actually want her in their bed."

 Juniper moved towards Malborn now that Elenwen was occupied, attempting to conceal her uncontrollable giggling. Even over the Redguards hollering, she could hear the ambassador's hissing voice as she threatened the inebriated man.

"Quickly! You don't have time to gawk!" Malborn whispered as he nearly dragged her through the door behind the bar.

Juniper followed Malborn closely as they walked through the bar storage then into the Embassy kitchen. A tawny Khajiti woman gave a low hiss as they entered.

"A guest, Malborn?" She growled. "This is against the rules and you know I do not like strange smells in my kitchen."

"She is feeling unwell, Tsavani. Leave the poor wretch be." Malborn made to shoo the feline away, "and if you are going to talk about rules, I'm certain that eating moon sugar is also-"

"Tss," Tsavani spat, "Get her out of here, Tsavani saw nothing."

Malborn let her into a hallway where he opened a chest and pulled out Juniper's bag. Juniper gratefully took it from him, retrieving her dagger from within.

"I'll have to lock the door behind you so you'll be on your own." Malborn opened the servants entry to the rest of the embassy. "Good luck." He said as he closed it behind her, the sound of the lock softly echoing in the empty hallway.

Chapter Text

Juniper slowly made her way down the hall, pausing at the open door. She could catch the end of a conversation between two Thalmor soldiers. Carefully peeking around the corner, she saw a large foyer, multiple doors, another hallway, and stairs were around the room. There was no way she could sneak past the soldiers and not get lost at the same time. She bit her lip, trying to figure out the best way to get past them. 

'Well, I'm either going to make this work or they're going to kill me.' Juniper thought. 'If anyone is going to have the information I need, it'll be the interrogator, Rulindil.'  She felt a prickle of anxiety raising the hair on the back of her neck at the name. It was vaguely familiar and the only way that would be possible- she swallowed hard and shook her head to dispel the sensation.

Reaching up and unpinning her long hair, she carefully fanned it out. Next she loosened the laces on the front of her dress, bringing attention to the top of her chest and proudly displaying her amulet of Auriel. Her hands shook slightly as she took a couple of breaths before holding her chin high, striding through the doorway with all of the confidence she could muster.

Both soldiers noticed her immediately, hands moving to rest on the hilts of their swords, but Juniper spoke up first.

"Excuse me," she somehow managed to not let her voice waver "can one of you please direct me to Rulindil's office?"

"Rulindil? What business do you have with him?" The soldier on the left approached her, stopping only an arm's length from Juniper. She had to fight the urge to flinch and step back. 

Juniper did her best impression of a sultry look; flipping her hair over her shoulder, slightly cocking her head to the side, pushing her chest out the way she would see her friends do. She looked up through her lashes at the mer. "Of course," she purred "I have a meeting with him." then reached out to walk her fingers up his chestplate.

The soldier cleared his throat while his compatriot snickered and answered "The Justiciar's office is out that door, across the terrace, and will be on the left as you enter the solar." Juniper tossed him a smile and a soft thanks then walked off in the direction the guard had indicated. Her heart slammed in her chest as she walked out the door, past the other guards who gave her cursory glance but thankfully didn't seem alarmed by her presence.

As Juniper entered the solar, she could hear angry voices. There was a soldier in gilded armour facing away from her, apparently oblivious to her presence. Juniper quickly darted to the right, hiding behind the small bar and listened, not needing the assistance of a spell this time as the voices carried easily through the empty rooms.

"He's talked, hasn't he? He knows where that old man you're looking for is, he told me himself." The voice of a man rang out through the foyer.

There was a loud bang then that vaguely familiar voice of another man with an Altmeri accent responded. "You'll get your money when he has told the rest of his story, as agreed. Everyone talks, in the end. Now, I have work to do. Leave me to it if you ever want to see the rest of your payment."

A human man stormed out of the office, stomping loudly as he burst out the front door and into the cold. Juniper listened as the other man walked down some steps and slammed a door behind him. Pulling out her bow and notching an arrow, she carefully looked around the bar and spotted the single guard pacing aimlessly in circles around the room, humming to herself. As Juniper leaned forward to line up a shot, the lower limb of her bow bumped a bottle of wine on the bar shelf, knocking it over and shattering it.

The guard whipped around, drew her sword, and opening her mouth to shout for help. An arrow to the face sent the guard stumbling backwards, the crashing of her armour echoing through the foyer. Juniper froze, terrified that the ruckus would alert the other guards outside and prayed that the wailing Skyrim wind would help mask the noise. Luck seemed to be in her favour as the door remained closed and she couldn't hear any Thalmor coming to incinerate her where she stood.

Juniper carefully made her way to the office, searching for anything that could give her some sort of clue. The chest behind the desk caught her eye and she inspected the lock. It surprisingly wasn't enchanted as far as she could tell but she was not particularly skilled at lockpicking. Frowning, she attempted a spell to unlock the padlock, but her spell wasn't strong enough. Running back to the foyer, she grabbed the shield from the dead guard and used all of the strength she had to smash the lock off of the chest.

A number of journals and dossiers filled the inside of the chest in addition to a roll of parchment regarding dragons. Juniper quickly shoved all of the documents into her bag to sort through later and made her way down the stairs to what she assumed was an interrogation room, judging by the muffled screams she heard behind the door. Juniper undid the laces to her skirts, slipping them off which left her in the trousers she had worn underneath. She cast a muffle spell on herself before she slipped through the door.

Inside the interrogation chamber, a female Thalmor soldier was beating a man who was chained up in one of the cells. A Justiciar was sitting at a desk adjacent to the cell, overseeing the beating with his back to Juniper. The human was gasping out. "I don't even know anything...There's an old man...he lives in Riften. He could be the one you're looking for. He's old and seemed kind of crazy. That's all I know."

The Justiciar rose from his seat and paced the room. He huffed impatiently "That will be all for now. I must say I continue to be disappointed in your lack of cooperation. I hope next time you will do better." 

The human sobbed "What else do you want from me? I've told you everything. Listen, If you let me go I can take you to Riften, show you where--"

The Thalmor soldier struck the human again, shouting "You will not speak unless Master Rulindil permits you to!" She raised her arm to strike again but a poisoned arrow pierced her shoulder, knocking the mace from her hand. Screaming, she fell to her knees, thrashing as the frostbite venom entered her system. Rulindil whipped around, shock spells readied at the tips of his fingers. He didn't even need to shock her, one look at his face was enough to paralyze her. 

Juniper felt the fear drop in her stomach like a cold stone as he zeroed in on her location. Rulindil reared up and sent an arc of lightning her way. She deflected it with a ward and launched herself to the side, flinging an ice spike towards the Justiciar's head. He ducked behind an upturned table as Juniper drew an arrow back on her bow. As soon as Rulindil appeared from behind the table, Juniper sent the arrow flying towards him, it missed a killing blow but still hit his abdomen. The mer bellowed furiously at her, readied another shock spell in one hand, ripping the arrow out of his body with the other. Juniper tossed her bow to the side, pulled her dagger from the strap on her leg, and took a deep breath and let a Shout burst from her lips "WULD!" 

Rulindil had no time to react as the Bosmeri woman was in front of him literally in the blink of an eye. Juniper didn't hesitate this time, she rammed her dagger up the underside of Rulindil's throat. He gurgled and choked, spell dying from his hands as his long fingers gripped her wrist. Her eyes met his and in an instant a memory hit her.

Juniper's face slammed into the wood table, embedding a splinter in her cheek. Two strong hands, much stronger than her own, held her wrists above her head. Ears were ringing and she could barely hear her own whimpering over it. Another hand fisted in her hair, jerking her head back so she was forced to look directly at her captor. The Thalmor emblem emblazoned on his chest was the first thing she saw until the mer leaned down, face level with hers. Long pale hair framed harsh amber eyes that in the torchlight almost seemed to glow red.

He sneered at her, obviously enjoying her despair. Releasing her head he ordered a soldier to chain her wrists. She felt a blade at her back and heard the tearing as her robes were ripped to pieces, leaving her in the remnants of her small clothes. A large hand palmed her rear, digging the nails in and drawing blood, causing her to sob again. She felt the heat of his body as he leaned over her small frame, smelled his breath as he hissed in her ear.

'I'll show you what it truly means to submit to the Dominion."

Juniper let out an anguished scream, wrenching the dagger from Rulindil's head. He collapsed to the ground, body shuddering for a moment before falling still. Juniper took a few ragged breaths as she dry heaved, trying to bring herself back to reality. Her hands were shaking, the sweat on her brow not only from the exertion of the scuffle. She looked back to where the soldier lay still in the cell, whether she was unconscious or dead, Juniper couldn't bring herself to care. Then she looked to the prisoner, who was watching her through his long, blood-caked hair. Juniper walked back over to her bow, picking it up with a lot more care than when she had disposed of it during the rush of adrenaline.

Neither the prisoner nor Juniper uttered a word as she walked to where Rulindil's body lay and searched him for a key, quickly finding it in the breast pocket of his robes. The human eyed her warily as she entered the open cell.

"I'm not going to kill you," Juniper said gently "I just want to know who you are and what they asked of you." With some difficulty, she unlocked the rusty cuffs, the man falling to his knees.

"I'm Etienne Rarnis. They were asking about a man named Esbern. They said he was one of the Blades." He panted and groaned on the ground for a few moments before he was able to continue. "I told them I thought he might be the old man who lives in the Ratway under Riften because he matched the description. I spend most of my time down there, so they must have assumed that I knew."

Juniper attempted to put the pieces together, but her train of thought was interrupted by the door on the far side of the dungeon swinging open. Two Thalmor soldiers strode in, one of them dragging a beaten and bloody Malborn with him. Juniper passed a dagger to Etienne, weary as he may be, and pulled another arrow from her quiver.

The soldier to the left shouted "It's over! We have your conspirator." The other one shoved Malborn to the ground. Juniper took a deep breath and unleashed another echoing Shout.

"FUS!"

The two soldiers were launched back against the wall. One slumped against the wall motionless, the other was left dazed and moaning on his back. Malborn, who who was spared the force of Juniper's Shout due to being on the ground, scrambled down the steps to where Juniper and Etienne stood.

"This way!" Malborn yelled as he bolted for a trap door in the corner. Juniper tossed him the keys and he managed to unlock the bolt to the trapdoor. She kept a close eye on the Thalmor soldiers while the men hauled open the door then leaped down out of sight. Juniper braced herself for impact as she threw herself down the dark hole after them.

Juniper was wholly unprepared to land in a pile of half frozen corpses, having to fight the instinct to retch as the putrid smell of rotting flesh hit her nose. Malborn rushed forward, pulling her to her feet and dragging her behind him and Etienne. The three of them scrambled through the cave passage as quickly as their legs could carry them. It wasn't long before they burst from the cave opening straight into the cold shore Northwest of Solitude. The sky was dark, the Aetherial Aurora sparkled across the black ocean in front of them. Juniper didn't have much time to admire it because Malborn stomped over and shoved her down into the sand.

"I hope it was all worth it." He spat as Juniper stared up at him from the ground. "The Thalmor will be hunting me for the rest of my life." He whirled around, marching East towards Solitude, while leaving Juniper and Etienne to follow silently.

---------

"Esbern? He's alive? I thought the Thalmor must've got him years ago." Delphine mused as she paced through her bunker in the Sleeping Giant Inn. "Figures the Thalmor would be on his trail, though. Esbern was one of the Blades archivists back before the Thalmor smashed us during the Great War. He knew everything about the ancient dragonlore of the Blades."

Juniper bounced on the balls of her feet, thinking for a moment before speaking. "So the Thalmor think the Blades know about the dragons… they seem to believe he is hiding in Riften."

Delphine nodded. "Probably down in the Ratway, then. It's where I'd go." She scribbled something on a piece of parchment. "When you find Esbern... you may have some trouble getting him to trust you. Just ask him where he was on the 30th of Frostfall. He'll know what it means."

--------

'Riften may be the city of Autumn, but the Ratway Warrens are more like the city of fish and shite.' Juniper groaned and scrunched her nose in disgust as Jenassa quickly knocked on the metal door to Esberns' supposed hideaway. The small slot in the door was slid open with a loud clunk and a set of eyes appeared on the other side. Juniper spoke urgently to the pair of eyes "Esbern? Open the door. I'm a friend."

A man's voice sputtered "What?! No, that's not me. I'm not Esbern. I don't know what you're talking about."

Juniper bit her lip and uncomfortably shuffled her feet. 'Of course,' she huffed 'We make it all the way here just for me to forget the date.' She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Delphine said…" she trailed off, trying to remember. She turned to look at Jenassa pleadingly, who in return gave Juniper an exasperated look and stepped forward.

"Delphine said to remember the 30th of Frostfall."

The man was quiet for a moment, pondering before speaking "Ah. Indeed, indeed. I do remember. Delphine really is alive, then? You'd better come in then and tell me how you found me and what you want."

The slot in the door slammed shut followed by a series of knocks and clicks before the door swung open to reveal an older Nord man. Esbern quickly ushered them in, giving a quick glance around the Warrens before slamming the door shut behind them. Juniper peered around the small room. For living in a sewer, Esbern had made it surprisingly comfortable. A small cooking set up, a bed, table and chairs, and a plethora of scattered books adorned the small space. Esbern shuffled past them and began to speak "So Delphine keeps up the fight, after all these years. I thought she'd have realised it's hopeless by now…"

"The Thalmor have found you. We were sent to get you out of here." Jenassa spoke, the stress of possibly being caught evident in her voice. "They likely will reach the Warrens any minute now."

Esbern shrugged "Yes, yes, so you said. But so what? The end is upon us all. I may as well die here as anywhere else. I'm tired of running."

Juniper, who had been inspecting a book on the bedside table, looked up at Esbern. "What do you mean?" She inquired.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Esbern cried as he threw his hands in the air. "Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said! The Dragon from the dawn of time who devours the souls of the dead! No one can escape his hunger, here or in the afterlife! Alduin will devour all things and the world will end. I tried to tell them but they wouldn't listen. Fools. It's all come true…" Esbern lowered himself into a chair, his eyes weary as he stared emptily at the corner of his quarters. "All we can do is watch our doom approach..."

"Alduin…" Juniper mused, knitting her brows together before it clicked. "The dragon who's raising the others?"

"Oh, yes. It's all been foretold. The end has begun. Alduin has returned." Esbern sighed. "Only a Dragonborn can stop him. But no Dragonborn has been known for centuries. It seems the gods have grown tired of us. They've left us to our fate, as the plaything of Alduin the World-Eater."

The room went silent as Jenassa looked sideways at Juniper, who looked between her and Esbern before saying meekly "Esbern… I- I am Dragonborn."

Esbern stared at Juniper for a moment, mouth agape before speaking. "What? You're... can it really be true? Dragonborn?" Esbern burst out of his chair, startling both women as he exclaimed "Then there is hope! The gods have not abandoned us! We must... we must go to Delphine! We have much to discuss." The nord began to move about the room with a spryness that surprised Juniper as he began to quickly gather his things while muttering excitedly to himself. 

Jenassa, who had moved to the door to keep watch turned to them and hissed "There is noise in the corridor, we must move quickly!"

Esbern hefted his pack over his shoulders and led the women out of the door. The group could hear the clattering of boots and distant shouts echoing through the Warrens. Esbern pointed them to a stairway to the side, moving the group through the Warrens as swiftly and silently as possible. About halfway out towards the exit, they rounded a corner right into the view of three Thalmor agents who immediately spotted them. One of them raised his voice in command of the others. "There they are! Seize them! I want the Blade alive!"

Juniper, Jenassa, and Esbern took off through the Warrens, the Thalmor hot on their trail as they weaved in and out of hallways and gates. Thankfully, Esbern's knowledge of the many pathways gave them a small advantage. As they reached one of the rooms leading out, Juniper stopped to grab a sword that lay on the ground. She whipped around, slamming the door behind her, jamming it closed with the sword then took back off in the direction of her companions. As she reached the far end of the room the Thalmor agents, led by a Justiciar, reached the gate. She heard the Justiciar shouting "Someone blast this damn gate!" as she rounded the corner and ran back to the Ratway Cistern.

Juniper frantically burst through the door to the bowels of Riftens lower docks, Jenassa and Esbern hot on her heels. They'd barely managed to evade the Thalmor in the Warrens but it was only a matter of time before they would make it back out behind the trio. The three of them were determined to be out of the city and away from the Justiciars as quickly as possible. People turned to stare as they sped past to get through the gates, the aspen leaves of Riften whirling around their feet as they made a mad dash towards the safety of Riverwood.

Chapter Text

"Oh yes! Dragonborn! This changes everything, of course. There's no time to lose. We must locate... I know I had it here…"  Esbern chattered excitedly as he moved through the bunker, shuffling through books and maps. "Ah! Here it is. Come, let me show you." He beckoned for Juniper, Jenassa, and Delphine to gather around the table as he pointed to a spot in the Western side of a map of Skyrim. 

Esbern enthusiastically tapped his finger on the mountain range. "Sky Haven Temple, constructed around one of the main Akaviri military camps in the Reach, during their conquest of Skyrim. This is where they built Alduin's Wall; a hedge against the forgetfulness of centuries. Despite the far-reaching fame of Alduin's Wall at the time, its location was lost." 

Juniper looked at the other women in the room 'Please tell me I'm not the only one who has no clue what he is speaking of.' She thought. To her relief, they seemed just as lost as she was.

Esbern paused at the evident confusion on the women's faces. "You three... you haven't heard of Alduin's Wall? Any of you?" Juniper just shook her head, Jenassa stared blankly at him, and Delphine spoke up.

"Let's say we haven't. What's Alduin's Wall and what does it have to do with stopping the dragons?"

Esbern ran a hand through his grey beard, a bit exasperated. "Alduin's Wall was where the ancient Blades recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return. Part history, part prophecy. It should hold the key to the downfall of Alduin." Delphine walked around the table, standing next to Esbern to inspect the writing scrawled across the map.

Delphine pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's near Karthspire, deep in Reachmen territory. That's not going to be easy to get to even under ideal conditions. We'll definitely need more time to prepare."

Juniper was quiet, lost in thought as Delphine and Esbern muttered to each other. She looked up when she felt Jenassa’s gaze on her, meeting the Dunmer's eyes. Jenassa wore a very grave expression, frowning as she turned away, walking up the stairs to the Inn. Juniper made to walk after her but was stopped as Delphine piped up. "Dragonborn," she began. Juniper's lip twitched into a small grimace, still unsettled by the title. "This will be a big undertaking, requiring a few weeks of scouting. If you leave Riverwood, don't go too far." She stared at Juniper expectantly, who simply nodded and turned to follow Jenassa up the stairs.

When she couldn't find her companion upstairs, Juniper walked out of the Sleeping Giant Inn into the summer night. Most of Riverwood's inhabitants had retired to their homes for the evening, leaving the streets empty save for the sounds of the river and the chirping of crickets. Winding her way through the street towards the lumber mill, she found Jenassa sitting on a tree stump with a bottle of whiskey held lightly in her hands. 

"Jenassa," Juniper ambled over to where her companion sat "is everything all right?" She stopped in front of Jenassa, who took another swig of her drink before tilting her head to look at Juniper.

"I think…" Jenassa paused and took a deep breath. "I think it may be time for me to return to Whiterun." 

There was a minute of silence as the words hung in the air between them. Juniper just stared at her, stunned, trying not to cry, heart pounding faster, and breathing harder in an attempt to stave away the spots in her vision. "I can't do this alone!" She blubbered, wringing her hands. Her eyes squeezed shut, finally forcing the tears lingering on her lashes to carve a path down her face. "What will I do? Why in Oblivion would you just leave like this?" 

Jenassa shook her head in vexation and cried "Blades? Thalmor? I didn't survive this long just to be done in by some feud between these s'wits. Now they want to send you into the heart of Forsworn territory." She stood up and started pacing aimlessly. Running a hand through her black hair and letting out a loud groan. "Is this what you want? To be a pawn in whatever agenda Esbern and Delphine have cooked up?"

Juniper wiped her sweaty hands on her breeches, swallowing back the lump in her throat. "What makes you think I'm just a pawn?" That made Jenassa pause her pacing and turn those fierce red eyes on her.

"They don't even call you by your name. They just call you 'Dragonborn'." 

Juniper's mouth snapped shut and she sniffled, 'She isn't wrong though.' she thought, hiccuping a little. Thinking back, there was always a crawling feeling when she was around Delphine. 'It's no wonder they make me so uncomfortable. I thought I was imagining the feeling.'

"It's like they don't even think you're a person." Jenassa continued, "You are just a means to their end." She paced back towards Juniper, "I'm not wishing to abandon you, I just hope you can consider your own best interests." Her words were stern, but her eyes were compassionate. She held up her bottle towards Juniper. Small fingers wrapping around the neck, Juniper took it and downed a hearty swig… before coughing and sputtering which earned her a chuff from Jenassa.

Juniper stared down at the bottle and asked "Are you leaving tonight?"

"I'll be able to make it to Whiterun before morning if I leave soon."

Juniper nodded and was silent for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the Skyrim night. The stars blinked down at her as she tilted her head to the clear sky. "Thank you." She said, giving Jenassa a grateful smile. Jenassa returned it.

"You'll be alright."

------------

A soft knock at the door woke Faendal from where he had dozed off by the fire. Groaning, he shuffled to the door to wrench it open grumbling "Do you have any idea what time-" before seeing the person outside his small home. "Juniper!" He exclaimed. She peered up at him wearily.

"I apologize for intruding, Faendal. Would it be too much trouble for me to stay here for the night?" 

Faendal didn't even hesitate to usher her in. "Gods, yes! You're always welcome." He closed the door behind her and shuffled around the house, putting things away, clearing the table, dusting off a chair. "I'm sorry about the mess, I don't usually have company!" He chuckled to himself before continuing, "It's a side effect of being a bachelor." He glanced up at Juniper, his smile faltering as he got a good look at her in the firelight.

She looked exhausted. She had lost weight, her under eyes were dark, there was a bruise under her chin, and her shoulders slumped as she stared emptily at the fire. Faendal grabbed a bit of cheese, bread, and a pear, bringing them over to the table and setting them down next to her. The tap of the plate on the table started her out of her thoughts. She peered up at him apologetically. 

"I'm sorry, Faendal. I seem to be a little distracted." She gave him a tired little smile. "So much has happened since I last saw you."

He gave her a kind smile in return. "If you have the energy, I'd like to hear about it."

-----------

When Juniper awoke, Faendal had already left for work, leaving her alone in his house. There was high noon sunlight beaming through the window, illuminating the small cottage. She stretched, reluctantly dragging herself out of his bed to find relief for her full bladder and maybe some breakfast. After dressing and relieving herself, she found some food that had been left on the table for her which she gratefully helped herself to. After finally satisfying her neglected stomach, she leaned back, considering her options. Picking at the remnants of her bread, she thought,  'If I just left and didn't follow Delphine and Esbern, would I be an awful person?' 

She sighed, standing to clean up after herself, now taking in the mess around the cottage. 'Do they really need me? What if all of this turns out to be a dead end?' Collecting the scattered dishes around the house into a basket then grabbing a washbasin, she opened the door to make her way to the river. She smiled and waved at the townsfolk as she passed while ignoring the scowl sent her way from Sven. If he wanted to be angry, that was his prerogative. Perhaps if he hadn't written a disgusting 'love' letter posing as Faendal, the truth about which she revealed to the recipient, then Carlotta may still have favoured him. His loss is her gain, as she won Faendal’s friendship from that debacle.

Reaching the river banks, Juniper pulled off her boots, tied the hem of her cotton dress out of the way, and waded a foot deep or so into the water to wash the dishes. The stream was so clear, she could see the little River Bettys flitting in and out of the reeds and grasses. There was so much peace in the small mountain town, it made it easy for Juniper to hear her own thoughts without the distraction of the bustle found in the larger cities. As she rinsed and scrubbed the cutlery, some of which had been likely dirty for a while, her thoughts returned to her predicament.

'How do I know they won't just let me die and climb over my corpse to reach their goals?' With the dishes clean and drying in the basket, she made her way back to the cottage barefoot with her boots tucked under her arm. Upon reentering Faendal’s home, she realized the cabinets were far too dirty to put the dishes away so she prepared a bucket of water and moved on to washing the cabinets. Once the cabinets were clean she noticed there was water on the floor so she began to sweep and mop, her entire train of thought derailed by the tasks in front of her.

By the time Faendal made it home after working at the lumber mill with arms and back sore, his house was spotless. He stood in the doorway shocked that his house was cleaner than the day it was built. Incredulously, he turned to Juniper and exclaimed "You cleaned my house!"

Juniper gave a bashful smile, weaving her fingers and fidgeting with her feet. "I intended to do just the dishes but got a little carried away. I hope I didn't cross a line." She played with the ends of her hair, feeling a little awkward that she may have gone too far. Faendal burst into laughter, eyes crinkling with mirth. Juniper couldn't help but grin back at him as she moved to the counters to prepare some stew she had made. He met her over there to help carry bowls, tankards, and spoons to the table. Sitting down together, they began to eat in a companionable silence. 

Juniper finally broke the silence. "Cleaning helps me think when I'm stressed. Tidying a space helps me tidy my mind, I suppose. Or perhaps I'm just too restless and need to occupy myself." She toyed with a potato in her bowl. "It gives me an outlet for my anxious energy."

"Did it help?" Faendal asked.

Juniper looked at him and sighed. "Yes and no." She said, "It's hard to decide between what is the right thing to do for myself, what is right to do for the world, and what I want to do." She stared into the fire in the hearth. "I keep feeling like I'm either selfish or a coward."

Faendal was silent for a few minutes, mulling over her words. "Look," he began, "you're the only one who can decide if you're ready for something. They may judge but in the end, the only opinions that matter are from the people that matter to you. You're allowed to pick yourself first sometimes."

The fire crackled in the silence as Juniper pondered the words. 'He's making sense but it's hard to not feel guilty.' She thought. Turning back to Faendal, she smiled a little "Thank you, I appreciate your counsel."

Taking a sip of his drink, his eyes got a mischievous twinkle and he said. "You know, if you can cook like this, maybe I should marry you instead." Juniper flushed bright red and sent a light-hearted punch to his arm resulting in a loud cackle from her friend.

---------

Juniper awoke early the next morning, the sun barely making its way through the window. Faendal was sprawled out on the other side of the bed, half awake. She tried to poke her friend in the side, eliciting a grumpy groan. He rolled over to look at her, mumbling "After everything that happened, it doesn't bother you to sleep next to a man?"

Juniper hummed then turned to look back at him. "I grew up with a group of boys. I suppose I'm used to it in general." She trailed off for a moment. "But, you remind me a lot of my best friend, Varinus. I think that's why I feel so safe here."

Faendal reached up to tuck a lock of her long, wavy, mahogany hair behind her ear. "You're always safe here." He smiled at her before getting up to dress for work. As he grabbed an apple for his breakfast, he said "Please don't think I'm trying to rush you out, but do you know when you're leaving?" 

Juniper pulled her breeches on under her linen tunic, followed up by her soft leather bodice and bracers. She was braiding her hair to the side when she turned to look at him. "I should hopefully be on my way to… wherever... sometime today." She gathered her things into her pack, mentally making notes of things she needed to purchase. After ensuring she had everything she brought, she walked out the door with Faendal. They got a couple of scandalous looks from the old women who saw them leave his home together, but they just ignored the crones and chatted happily. 

Once they reached the shop, they stopped to say goodbye. Juniper waved Faendal off and watched him walk towards the mill then made her way into the Riverwood trader to buy supplies.

Roughly half an hour later she emerged from the general goods store, shoving her purchases into her bag. When she looked up, there was a horse drawn carriage filled with goods parked in front of the tavern. Walking over she found the Nordic driver sitting in the tavern steps while the carriage was being unloaded. The man looked up at her. "Can I help you?"

"Do you take passengers on your carriage?" She asked, giving him a friendly smile. He leaned back and appraised her for a moment, likely trying to decide if she looked like a risky hitchhiker. 

She must have passed his scrutiny because he relaxed. "My next stop isn't until I reach Windhelm. You can ride along but I'm not stopping anywhere that isn't on the route." Juniper cocked her head to the side and considered it. 

"I've never been to Windhelm. Could you tell me about it?" She asked.

The man cocked an eyebrow. "It's cold, for starters. Not just the city but the people too." He rose to his feet as the men finished unloading their shipment. He continued speaking as he walked around the carriage, checking his horse and tack before moving to check the ropes tying the barrels. "It's the center of the Stormcloak rebellion. They aren't very friendly if you aren't a Nord. They even force the Dark Elves to live in the slums and the Argonians to live on the docks." 

He took the bit from his horse's mouth to gave the bay gelding a feed sack with grain. He smoothed the forelock down under the horse's browband and looked at her. "You won't find it welcoming, but the docks can get you transport to other port cities or even Solstheim."

Juniper considered it for a moment. 'Even if I don't like the city, I can at least take a boat to somewhere better. Anything is better than this.' She thought. "All right," she said, shaking his hand "I'll do it."

Chapter Text

An uproar across the lower deck pulled Juniper out of the book she'd been immersed in. Pulling herself out of her bunk, slinging her bag over her shoulders, she made her way to the other side of the ship's belly to investigate the source. The first thing she saw when walking into the mess was a Dunmer man throwing a Nordic man into a table. Raucous laughter and hoots egged the men on as they attempted to pummel each other into the wood. On the wood table where the crew ate was a small smattering of blood from the Dunmer's busted lip. The Nord had a spattering of spit up blood across his face, looking shockingly crimson against his fair skin and ash blonde hair. With a thunder of boots, a booming voice announced the arrival of the Captain, Gjalund Salt-Sage.

"What in the Gods' names am I paying you lot for if all you do is drink and brawl?" He roared. "Get your arses back to work!" Most of the mates quickly scurried out to go back to work while the fighting duo continued to grapple at each other, locked in a wrestling match. Captain Gjalund grabbed the Dunmer by the collar, flinging him off of the Nord with surprising ease. The Nord, enraged, leaped forward towards the Dunmer but was knocked back on his arse by a ward that materialized between the men. He turned to glare and posture at Juniper, the source of the ward, who just stared back impassively. Even in the heat of a fight, he was smart enough not to pick a fight with either a mage nor one of the Captain's passengers.

Captain Gjalund shoved the Dunmer deckhand out the door. The Nordic man wiped his face off, seeming to deflate so Juniper dropped the ward. The Captain gave her a sideways look, grunting "If you're that interested in being useful then get on the weather deck and do something." Juniper awkwardly scooted sideways past him out the door to climb the ladder up to the main deck of the ship.

Ocean air and sea spray whipped around her head as she clambered up to the top. While she still hadn't fully gotten her sea legs, it was better than the first day on the ship. She could barely move from her bunk or keep her head out of the pot to hurl every few minutes. After that it was a couple days of rough seas that kept her gripping the support beams for fear that she would roll across the floor like a loose barrel. The most difficult part was trying to sleep in a bunk with strange men coming and going past her all night. It kept her awake many times throughout the journey but to her relief the crew gave plenty of space and didn't harass her. A call in her direction got her attention and she spun around to find the first mate, a weathered but relatively young Nord, waving her over. 

"There," he said, pointing to the sky "you can tell we're close to Solstheim when you see the ash clouds." He was right, what she originally mistook for distant storm clouds seemed to be massive grey clouds of ash.

"The ashes from Red Mountain reach this far?" She exclaimed.

"Aye! Covers nearly a third of Solstheim. We Nords are nearly gone from the island 'cept for one settlement. The Dark Elves live n' breathe the ash, even grow their crops in it. They took over Solstheim when the Empire left."

"Amazing…" Juniper mumbled, awed by the expanse of the ash cloud then snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, Captain sent me to ask for some tasks to do!"

The first mate looked her up and down. "You've no skills I can use but you can untangle ropes n' nets if you'd like. Unless you can use those magic hands to get us there faster." He laughed, sandy hair whipping around his dimples.

Laughing with him, Juniper said "Sadly, I don't know any sort of spells for that but I'll tackle some of the ropes for you!" as they walked towards the pile of ropes. Hands on her hips, she huffed at the mess that lay before her. 'Should have stayed in my bunk.' She chuckled before busying herself, glad for something to pass the time.

-‐-----------

The next day brought ash filled skies and the ringing of a bell to signal that the vessel was nearing land. Juniper stood on the prow with the Captain, watching the land draw near. He shook his head, "I don't know why you would want to come here of all places." Juniper watched the town move closer to them as they neared the shore.

"I suppose I needed a change of scenery."

The Captain gave a humourless laugh. "I'd have taken a trip to High Rock if I needed scenery. Only people who come to Solstheim are the ones who run away from something." He gave her a curious look, but she kept her gaze on the shore.

"I should gather my things and prepare to disembark," Juniper deflected, "thank you." turning to return below deck to grab her belongings.

Juniper emerged from the lower decks as they began to dock. She waved at the crew, who warmly wished her a goodbye, giving a nod to Captain Gjalund Salt-Sage before making her way up the pier on wobbly sea legs. Stopping once her feet hit solid ground, she took a good look around her.

'It's very… grey.' Juniper thought, her boots kicking up small ash and dust clouds as she walked towards the center of the town. It was late afternoon and the day was starting to wind down. She got a couple of curious looks but most people brushed past her to finish their errands before dinner. Juniper stopped just before reaching the town square, looking around her. While she had not seen much of Dunmeri architecture, she had seen drawings of them in books. Most of the buildings were in the Redoran style, rounded roofs, built under ground rather than upwards like most of Tamriel.

While standing in the road, admiring the unique buildings and landscape, a flutter of robes out of the corner of her eye alerted her to the approach of an elder Dunmer man. He stopped a few feet away from her, a severe, suspicious expression coloured the lines on his face.

"Outlander, I have not seen your face before so I'll assume it is your first time in Raven Rock. I am Second Councilor Adril Arano. State your intentions."

Juniper shrunk a little under his gaze but gripped the straps on her bag tighter and met his eyes.  "I'm just looking for work"

He gave a derisive huff. "Well, you've picked just about the worst place in Morrowind for that, but suit yourself." Narrowing his eyes at her, he continued, "Raven Rock is under the sovereignty of House Redoran of Morrowind. Whilst here you will be expected to follow our laws."

"Of course, ser. I have no intention of causing trouble."

Second Councilor Arano hummed, "We shall see." He said before beginning to walk away.

Juniper shifted her weight between her feet for a moment before calling out. "Excuse me!" He turned to look at her. "Where is the tavern?" She inquired.

The Second Councilor gave her a distasteful look before pointing, "The cornerclub is there." and walked away again. Juniper spun around to the direction he pointed towards, marching off. 

A large guard leaned outside the door of the building, looking imposing in his, ' ... is it bone?' she thought, armour. When he turned his head towards her, she asked "Is this the taver- cornerclub?". The guard simply nodded, turning his head back to whatever he had been watching for. Juniper pushed the door open and walked in.

It was warm inside, a pleasant feeling after traveling over the cold sea. A set of stairs leading downwards was in the center of a circular room. A menacing looking Dunmer and Orc were sitting at a table, a couple of other dunmer in workers clothes sat at another table, and a man in chitin armor lounged by the fire. They all glanced at her but seemed relatively uninterested, much to Juniper's relief. She made her way down the stairs to find the innkeeper, hopefully to secure a room for the night. Upon entering the main floor, Juniper had to stop and admire the architecture. The roof and supports were arranged in repeating arches moving through the room, creating little alcoves. The room was sparsely adorned but was still comfortable with tables and chairs scattered through the rooms alcoves.

She spied a counter with a man behind it, polishing glasses and wiping the bar. The barkeep gave her a warm smile and waved her over excitedly, exclaiming. "Welcome to The Retching Netch Cornerclub, home of the greatest sujamma to ever grace your lips! I am Geldis Sadri, owner and proprietor!" He had a thick, distinct Morrowind accent and a jovial demeanor. Juniper immediately decided she liked him and sat, smiling warmly in return.

"Thank you!" Juniper set her bag on the seat next to her, making herself comfortable, glad to be somewhere warm and welcoming again after nearly two weeks at sea. She cocked her head, giving him a quizzical look. "Forgive me, but what is sujamma?"

The barkeep gave her a superfluous show of shock and offense before his grin returned. "Sujamma is a drink originating from Morrowind. It'll make you as strong as a kagouti and dumb as a netch!" He pulled two small cups from under the bar, filled them with liquid from a clay jug, and slid one towards her. She picked up the cup, eyeing it carefully to smell it. Her eyes watered a little when it hit her nose. 'Gods, I can't imagine how potent this is but there's a nice aroma under that.' She thought to herself. "Is it spiced?" She asked.

"My specialty." Geldis winked then gestured towards her. "Now, go on, it's not for sipping. Down the hatch!"

Juniper raised her glass, mirroring Geldis's own salute, and downed the lot. She immediately felt the burn in her throat and chest and began coughing. "Good gods," she wheezed, "it's not for the faint of heart is it?!" Red faced, she looked at Geldis with a scandalized expression. 

Geldis guffawed at her "Not to worry, little Bosmer, we will make a hardened barfly out of you yet!" as he filled her cup again.

Juniper could already feel the effects of the booze, laughing, face tingling and warm. "How can I ever trust you when you've made an attempt on my life within minutes of meeting me?" To which Geldis laughed harder. After a few more minutes of pleasantries, Juniper finally asked. "Do you rent rooms here?"

"Of course," Geldis said. "Ten septims a day for room and board."

Juniper considered for a moment. "I'll take it. Can I pay a week up front?" Gathering the smaller coin purse with her pocket change, she began counting.

Geldis perked up at that. "I'll do you one better, for every week you stay, you'll have a day free."

Surprised, Juniper gave him a grateful smile. "You're too generous!"

"No, no. We don't get visitors near often enough and I'll be glad for a fresh face around here." Geldis waved his hands, shaking his head. "Come on, I'll show you the room!"

Her room was in the back of the cornerclub, well away from any bustle. Geldis handed her a key and opened the door. It was quaint but more than enough for one woman. Juniper walked in, set her things down and took a spin about the room. There was a single bed covered in furs, table with two chairs, some sets of shelves, two storage chests, and a stone bathtub in the corner. Juniper smiled at Geldis, who was watching her expectantly. "It's lovely, thank you." 

Geldis nodded, gesturing to  a small wooden sign on twine that sat atop a shelf. "I'll keep out of the room unless asked otherwise. Just place this on the handle if the room needs tending. I'll provide 2 meals a day. Drinks are yours to buy, though." He bowed his head and saw himself out, leaving Juniper alone.

She walked over to the bed, sitting on the furs. In the silence of the room, all of the exhaustion from the past few months and the voyage to Solstheim seemed to hit her at once. Juniper stared down at the hands she folded in her lap and began to quietly cry. It wasn't a shaking, furious, wailing cry but a silent, still sadness. The only way anyone would know is if they saw the droplets landing on her hands, squeezing her eyes shut as if it would keep the tears in. She lifted her hands to her face and let out a shaking sigh. "I'm just so… tired." she whispered to no one in particular.

It took a great deal of effort, but Juniper pulled herself to her feet to begin to prepare a bath for herself. 'Hopefully with some sleep, tomorrow will be alright.'

-----------

Living in Raven Rock wasn't too different from living anywhere else, in Juniper's opinion. The air was a little more dusty, the food a bit unusual, and the people harder than she was accustomed to but she didn't find it off-putting. It was truly a relief for her to be somewhere that didn't constantly remind her of her old home or her life before leaving Cyrodiil.

She wasn't paying attention as she exited her room one morning, just over two weeks after her arrival. When Juniper spun around after locking her door, she ran directly into the man in the chitin armor. She bounced backwards from the impact to his breastplate but he caught her by the arm before she hit the ground, causing her to flinch from the physical contact.

"Be careful." He scolded, but wasn't unkind when he pulled her to her feet. Noticing her discomfort, he quickly released her arm, allowing her to mumble an apology before scurrying off.

The past couple weeks had been spent running errands and performing small tasks for people, much the same as she did during her time in Whiterun. Unfortunately, due to the economical instability on Solstheim there wasn't much work within the town. There was a greater abundance of jobs that would take her outside of the city but Juniper didn't relish leaving the relative safety quite yet. She was trying to put off such jobs as long as possible. Passing out Sadri's sujamma samples, gathering herbs, helping Glover hold things at the smithy, and other menial tasks helped occupy a portion of her time.

Slipping into her usual seat at the bar, Juniper gave Geldis a sleepy smile as he set a pot of tea and a cup in front of her. There were only a couple of other patrons in the cornerclub, a severe looking Dunmer man who sat in the corner and the armored man Juniper had collided with minutes before. Leaving a chair between Juniper and him, the armored man took a seat at the bar. He wore a helmet with goggles and a face cover every day, even if all he did was lounge about the town. While she had seen him there every day, neither of them had initiated conversation, content with ignoring each other. Juniper didn't look at him as she still felt uncomfortable after their interaction earlier but decided to break the silence in the room first.

"So, Geldis," she started as she dripped a little honey into her tea "have you gotten any leads for some work?"

Geldis set a bottle and a piece of bread in front of the armored man. "Aye, there have been a few jobs posted but they require a bit more martial skill, unless that's something you'd be interested in."

"I suppose it can't be helped. What kind of jobs have been offered?"

Pulling out some slips of paper, Geldis read aloud. "Ralis has been asking for help at Kolbjorn Barrow, Captain Veleth has been trying to recruit outside help with the ash spawn, and reports of werewolves at Frostmoon… and then there's the Telvanni wizard..." He frowned and looked up at her. "You could try to talk to Glover about some pickaxe he has been griping about."

Juniper mulled it over for a minute, chewing her breakfast. 'I don't like the idea of werewolves or ash spawn.' She thought. "Well, that sounds as good as any task, I suppose. I'll go speak with Glover."

--------------

"It isn't yours, Crecius." Juniper said calmly. "Glover needs his pickaxe back and you don't have a right to keep it."

The old Imperial man gave an impertinent sniff, his wife Aphia stood in the corner with her arms crossed. Groaning, "Fine, take it! I hope he drops it on his foot." he snapped before handing her the pickaxe. She nearly dropped it on her own foot as she didn't expect it to be so heavy.

Juniper was preparing to leave when he called out. "Could I ask you something?" She turned back to look at him. "My great grandfather, Gratian Caerellius, worked these mines when they were once owned by the East Empire Trading Company. They claimed he died down there due to a rockfall but I think it was because he discovered something they wanted to keep hidden."

"I wouldn't be surprised. The East Empire Trading Company is well known to be ruthless."

Crecius nodded. "I found some of his things including a key to another part of the mine. The only problem is, I haven't found the door to it."

"You're too old for this, Crecius! It's time to let this this go. I'm not going to be party to it anymore." Aphia cried, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. She stomped her way out of the mines while Crecius only rolled his eyes and continued.

"His body and journal are down there somewhere but I'm just too damn old to go myself. I can't offer much but if you go down there and find it, I'll repay you however I can."

"I can't make any promises" Juniper said "but I can try to take a look."

Crecius' shoulders dropped in relief. "I'd be grateful, but don't go alone. Falls and tunnel collapses aren't the only dangers down there." He waved her out as she hauled the pickaxe back to Glover.

The path to the smithy wasn't a far trek, for which Juniper was thankful. The ringing of Glover Mallory's hammer on his anvil rang through the square as she walked up, pickaxe slung over her shoulder. He looked up, noticing her, and set his hammer down to wipe off his hands.

"So, you got my pickaxe back!" His low, gravelly voice sang with amusement.

Juniper set the pickaxe down, leaning it against the building. "He was a little stubborn, but I don't know any old men who aren't."

Chuckling, Glover perched himself on the edge of his workbench, eyes lingering on the pickaxe. "Hey," he began, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Why don't you just keep the pickaxe?" Juniper stared back at him in disbelief, mouth open as she tried to find a way to respond but he spoke back up before she could. "I haven't used it in ages, it's just been gathering dust. The only reason I wanted it back was to teach the old cudger that he can't go around taking peoples' things."

"While I appreciate it, I'm not sure what use I'll get out of it, though."

The smith shrugged. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. Take it."

Juniper looked at the pickaxe, tilting her head back and forth as she considered it for a moment. Slinging her bag from her shoulder she opened it wide. She set about fitting the pickaxe inside as Glover watched her out of the corner of his eye. Once she shoved the cumbersome tool into her pack, its weight was negligible and she was able to hoist it onto her back with ease. She caught Glover's eye, sending him a little wink, to which he shook his head and chuckled again.

It was about noon when she walked back into The Retching Netch to once again bother Geldis for information. The armored man sat in his usual haunt by the fire on the top floor, feet propped up on a chair and reading a book. He didn't even spare her a glance as she went down the stairs. Geldis wasn't behind the bar but she heard some clattering in the storage room so she walked back and knocked on the open door. Geldis stumbled into view, hefting a cask in his arms. "Back already?" He exclaimed.

Juniper rushed forward to help him carry the cask to its spot under the bar. "I needed some more information and I figured you'd be my best bet." She wiped the dust off on her hands, huffing a little from exertion. "I think I need to hire a mercenary."

"A mercenary?" Geldis's eyebrows sprang up in surprise. "Taking on a wider variety of work?"

Juniper laughed a little. "It's nothing I haven't done before but I'd feel a little better going down the mines with a little bit of muscle."

"The mines are dangerous. If you're going down there, the only mercenary on the island worth his salt is Teldryn Sero."

"Teldryn Sero?"

Geldis gave her an odd look. "Yes… you sat next to him at the bar this morning."

Juniper smacked her forehead and groaned. 'The man in the chitin armour.'   "I suppose that's my fault for never asking his name." 

Geldis snorted, pointing to the stairs. "He'll be up there in his usual spot. Don't worry, he's not as coarse as he seems."

Juniper pushed herself off of the bar to drag herself up the stairs. Like usual, the mercenary sat by the fire with a drink in one hand and a book in the other. Stopping a few feet away from him got his attention. His head turned up towards her and stared without speaking. She froze, staring back at him with her mouth half open as her brain failed her. He definitely seemed imposing. 'Why am I so nervous? I traveled with Jenassa for nearly 6 months and that was fine. Is it because he's a man?'

"Can I help you?" He drawled, pulling down his mouth cover to reveal a mouth adorned by a goatee and a glimpse of dusky skin.

She cleared her throat. "Are you Teldryn Sero?"

"Does a troll shit in the woods?" 

After a few seconds of blinking at him Juniper quipped. "I'm fairly sure they also shit in caves, too." 

Teldryn chortled, nearly spitting out a little bit of his drink. "All right, you got me there." He wiped off his face and the table and turned back to look at her. "I take it you need a blade?"

"I'm going down into the mines for Crecius Carellius and he suggested I bring someone with me. Last thing I need is to run into something nasty or…" she shrugged "heavy… without help."

"Have you ever done dangerous work before?"

"A little bit. I delved into some dungeons and crypts in Skyrim. I've fought bandits and the like before, as well."

"I hope so." Rising to his feet and brushing crumbs off his lap, he crossed his arms. "500 septims upfront. I'll work for a month on that. We can negotiate pay or a cut from your paid work after."

"500 septims?" She considered his offer. 'That's pretty steep. Though, it is for a month's worth of work. This will give me the opportunity to explore other job options that I can't take on my own.' "That sounds reasonable. I'll take you on." She said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Teldryn took her offered hand and shook it. 'It's eerie." Juniper thought, staring at the goggles to see if she could find his eyes. 'To not know what he is thinking behind the helmet.'

"So!" Teldryn said. "Are you ready to leave now? Pending payment, of course."

Juniper blinked. "Now? Haven't you been drinking?"

"Of course I've been drinking. However I doubt drinking water will cause any inebriation." Teldryn's voice feigned offense but he was grinning. "Or have you spent the last couple weeks under the impression that I spend my days drowning in sujamma?"

Juniper flushed and sputtered, clearly caught red-handed. She spun around, marching to her room to count out the gold, Teldryn's teasing laughter following her the entire way.

Chapter Text

Juniper and Teldryn peered down the dark hall past the gate. After making their way down to the bottom of the mines and investigating the tunnels, they'd found a boarded up wall.  It took a few minutes of breaking and pulling but they finally uncovered a locked gate. Teldryn held up a flaming hand but it only illuminated about ten feet ahead of them. Juniper nudged Teldryn aside to cast magelight, sending a ball of light ahead of them that illuminated the path ahead well. At the far end of the room, down a ramp, there was yet another tunnel. 

"You have the key?" He asked, inspecting the gate.

She pulled the key from her pocket followed by a bit of jiggling and muttered curses. With an echoing screech, the gate slowly swung open giving them access to the uncharted part of the mine. Juniper felt a little flutter of nerves in her stomach but cautiously moved forward through the small room. Teldryn walked up to her side, holding up an arm to stop her.

"I'll go first. Just keep the path lit." He murmured. With sword drawn and spell hand at the ready, he led the way.

The musty smell of mold and dank water greeted them as they moved down to an opening on the far wall. Sloshing through a large puddle, they reached the wall's opening and sent the light further ahead. There was a very noticeable difference in the stone as it changed from natural walls to chiseled and adorned stonework. This stone had a familiar type of swirling markings adorning it.

"Those look Nordic, don't they?" She said, Teldryn nodded in agreement. 

"We may have found a crypt. Keep your ears and eyes open for draugr."

No sooner than it took for the echo of his words to bounce off the walls did it take to hear a clatter to the side. Juniper readied her arrow, sending the light ahead. About 20 feet ahead to their right was a draugr ambling towards them. She attempted to draw her bow but before she even had it fully drawn Teldryn sent the draugr flying back in a burst of flame. It lay motionless, the light from the fire illuminating the rest of the room. Another draugr had begun to rise from its alcove in the wall. Teldryn lunged forward and cleaved its head from its shoulders before it could even grab its axe. He scanned the rest of the room for any other walking corpses. "Come on." He said, beckoning towards the next hall. "There's a trap here, you can see the spiked gate. Follow my lead."

They pressed themselves against the side wall to avoid the pressure plates on the floor then continued through the crypt. The draugr were easy pickings for Teldryn's sword, flames, and flame atronach. Juniper kept the path and rooms well lit, sending arrows flying when necessary. 'Geldis wasn't exaggerating. He's very skilled.' She thought as she watched him cave in the chest of a downed draugr.

The path through the ruins led to a large circular room. An eerie disembodied light illuminated the water below an intricate grate that made up most of the floor, sending soft blue shadows through the room. Along the walls were a ring of stone thrones, each one occupied by a perfectly still draugr. Juniper slung her bow across her body to free her hands for her spells. There was a deep thunk as the stone under her foot sank into the ground. The door they came through slammed shut, causing her to squeak in alarm. 

The echo of the doors faded into silence where neither Juniper nor Teldryn dared to move. A shuffling began to fill the room from all sides as eight massive Draugr stood from their thrones, weapons in hand. Teldryn cursed loudly while summoning a flame atronach. The flaming figure walked gracefully through the air on fiery feet, setting herself upon the closest draugr, drawing the attention of two of them. The other six made their way towards the only two beings with heartbeats. Teldryn sidestepped the group coming from the right, sending a ball of flame towards one. Juniper flicked her eyes between the two coming from her left and the four that were moving towards Teldryn, unsure of what to do.

"Get your shit together and fight those two! I can't fight all of them and babysit you!" Teldryn barked.

Juniper whipped around, flinging a bolt of lightning towards one draugr. She barely dodged in time to avoid an arrow to her shoulder from the other. The one she had shocked was still standing but wobbled as it continued it's march, sword scraping the ground as it walked. Readying her spell again, she arced the lightning towards both draugr, managing to catch both in the spell. The already weakened one dropped to the ground, smoking from the inside. The other convulsed against the stone wall, momentarily incapacitated. 

She glanced in Teldryn's direction. One draugr already lay still on the grate. He parried two draugr that swung at him, ducking between the two, and turned around to slam into the back of one. He had to launch himself out of the way of a hulking draugr brandishing a greatsword just as its blade came crashing down. That maneuver landed him close to Juniper again. They now found themselves cornered by four draugr.

"Get behind me!" Juniper cried.

"What?!"

Juniper huffed and grabbed the back of his gauntlet to tug him back. He complied this time, moving to stand slightly back.

"Cover your ears if you'd like to keep them!" She called out behind her, staring down the encroaching undead. Taking a deep breath, she could feel the heat in her chest as she Shouted. "FUS RO DAH!"

Three of the draugr were launched back across the room, hitting the wall with a clatter of armour and a crunch of bone. The lone living corpse rushed from the left but didn't make it within arms reach of Juniper as Teldryn darted forward and ran it through with his blade. A burst of flame on the other side of the room got their attention. Teldryn's flame atronach collapsed and burst as she returned to Oblivion, leaving only one Draugr standing.

It was a massive Nordic berserker stalking towards them, one side of his head, shoulder, and armor singed and smoking. Raising her hands, Juniper sent a blinding arc of lightning soaring which finally downed him. Two of the three she had shouted across the room had collapsed to the floor, bones broken and crushed. The last one was dragging itself slowly across the ground, no longer able to use its legs.

Teldryn walked over to the creature, looking down at it for a moment before he smashed its skull under his boot. Grimaching, he scraped the putrid, rotten mess off his boot. He watched Juniper make her way across the room, daintily stepping over the scattered bodies.

While they had a moment of reprieve, he checked over his armor and weapon for damage. "You can Shout." He said matter-of-factly. Juniper was a little surprised he even recognized they were Shouts.

"I know a few Shouts."

He looked up from his task, eyes boring through her from behind his helmet. "I feel like that would have been pertinent to know before we got down here."

"I don't like to advertise it. It brings unwanted attention."

Teldryn rolled his shoulder and cocked his head towards the door opposite of where they entered, leading her through it. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Juniper chewed her lip. "Well, if you insist on knowing, I'm the Dragonborn."

He snorted. "Aye, and I'm the bastard son of Vivec."

The only sound that could be heard in the hall was the soft tap of their boots against the stone floor. Teldryn turned his head to examine his patron, whose eyes were focused on the path ahead with an uncharacteristically serious expression. Juniper nearly collided with him when he stopped suddenly. Her face snapped up to his in alarm, taking a couple of hurried steps backwards.

"What?" She asked when all he did was stare at her.

"You're serious?"

"About?"

"Being Dragonborn."

"Why would I lie about something like that?"

Teldryn cocked his head to the side. "People lie about anything. A person is as good as their word and there are not as many good people in the world as I would like."

"You don't think I'm a good person?"

"I don't think anything of you, yet."

Silence fell between them as they continued through the ruins, accompanied by the cool blue light Juniper cast ahead of them.

        -------------

"Well, shit." Teldryn said. "The old man wasn't crazy after all." He stood in front of a wall covered by red, glowing markings, pacing back and forth.

Juniper carefully picked through the bones and clothes on the ground, fishing out an old, musty book. Making her way to sit on a nearby rock with the magelight hovering above her, she flipped it open and began to read. The cavern was silent save for the drip of distant water accompanied by the soft plod of Teldryn's feet as he examined the room. He crouched by the downed bodies where a large sword lay. Picking up the sword caused a loud scrape which made Juniper jump a little.

A huff came from behind Teldryn's helmet. "Are you always so easily startled?" Juniper gave him an irritated look but went back to her reading rather than answer. He tested the balance of the blade in his hands. It was a large greatsword of black metal with odd spikes at three different places along the blade. As soon as he touched it, it glowed a soft red with some sort of enchantment. "Have you learned anything yet?" 

Juniper looked up, glancing between the wall and him, thinking. "According to this journal, this place is called Bloodskal Barrow. It apparently belonged to the Bloodskal clan. However, no such clan has existed in any external records." Pushing herself off of the rock, she began slowly pacing in front of the wall, Teldryn following behind.

"Gratian said he believed that the entrance to the rest of the barrow is through here and the key" She paused, looking pointedly at the sword in his hands. "is that blade." 

She stepped farther back and looked at the wall as a whole, noticing two horizontal lines glowing a soft red on each side. Gesturing excitedly with her finger she said. "Oh! I think I figured it out!" She pulled Teldryn by the arm over to stand centered about 30 feet in front of the wall. "You need to… just…" she made a swinging motion with her arms, looking slightly silly as she pantomimed what she was trying to put in words. "Swing the sword parallel to the markings there, aiming for the glowing lines."

Teldryn shrugged, hefted the blade, and swung it horizontally towards the wall. A shimmering wave of red sliced the air in front of the blade, hitting the right side of the wall in front of them. A low rumble filled the cavern as the stones on the right side of the wall began to move upwards, leaving another glowing line higher up on the wall. Teldryn swung the blade again, aiming for the line on the left, getting the same movement from the stones on that side.

"Huh." He murmured, swinging again for the higher up lines. They each opened, turning the stones at upper corners of the wall. Finally, the center of the wall glowed with a long red line. One final vertical swing was all it took for the wall to part with a rumble that shook the room, sending dust cascading down on them. They looked down the hall, then at each other. Teldryn considered the blade in his hands, head tilting as he examined it again. 

Juniper held out her bag with the top open. "Here, let's put it away for now."

Teldryn looked at the bag, then at her, then at the sword, and finally back to her. "Did you hit your head jumping down here? If you expect this to fit in there, I have questions about your past lovers."

Juniper turned redder than an ash yam as she yanked the sword from his hands. He was shocked when she stuffed the sword, which was as long as she was tall, in her small bag before hoisting it back over her shoulders. She strode through the doorway, too distracted by embarrassment to worry about what was on the other side of the door. Jogging forward, Teldryn caught up to her. "You seem to be full of little surprises." He said as they stopped in front of another trap.

"Swinging axe blades?" Juniper asked, ignoring his comment. "Is there any trick to navigating these?"

"Of course. The trick is to be faster than the blades."

Juniper rolled her eyes and huffed. "Ah, yes. Very helpful. Thank you."

"I aim to please, sera." Teldryn said dryly. She swore she could hear him grinning under his face cover.

When the blades passed to one side, Teldryn dove across, rolling gracefully back to his feet. He turned around and called out. "Wait until they just swing past you and throw yourself over." Juniper nodded, preparing to launch herself when he spoke up again. "Also, be sure you go far enough. I knew a man who didn't quite make it, landed in the middle, and was sliced in half… but I'm sure YOU will be fine."

Luckily for Teldryn, looks couldn't kill. If they could, Juniper's glare would turn him into a smouldering pile of rubble. She watched the blades go past her, feinting towards them a couple times while trying to build the nerve. After a few swings, she finally threw herself across the blade's path, hitting the ground with a small grunt. Her hands flew over her head and she scrunched her eyes shut, bracing herself. The sound of the blades continued but she was still intact. Peeking her eyes open she saw Teldryn staring down at her.

"Congratulations, you survived!" He said dramatically. "Only two more to go!"

Juniper scurried to her feet, dusted herself off, and followed him sheepishly past the next two swinging axes. Once they made it across the traps, Teldryn pulled a lever that opened the door ahead.

Chapter Text

The two of them cautiously made their way into a massive chamber illuminated by enchanted torches. There was a stone ledge with an old chest on it that jut out into a body of water. A walkway hedged both sides of the water, leading to a landing across the water where there was a familiar sight. Juniper pointed and whispered, "That's a word wall. It's likely inscribed with knowledge dating back to the days of the dragons."

"There is no chance a place like this isn't guarded in some way." Teldryn said softly as they crept their way out to the ledge where the chest was, closer to the center of the chamber. 

They gazed out past the ledge, examining the area when a shadow rose from the still water with a dry, echoing scream. A flutter of robes swirled around an armoured skeletal figure who levitated over the water. It slowly turned towards them, revealing a ridged mask over its face, appearing as a twisted caricature of a man. Static filled the air as lightning gathered at the figures fingertips, making Juniper's stray hairs stand on end.

Teldryn hissed. "Some sort of Lich?"

"Worse," Juniper said shakily. "I think that's a Dragon Priest. "

With an ear-piercing screech, the creature shot a massive lightning bolt towards the duo. Juniper barely had her ward up before the force of the bolt hit her. While her wards were strong, the force of the concentrated magic was too much. She was launched backwards, slamming into the stone and knocking the breath out of her. In an instant, Teldryn's flame atronach had been summoned. The flaming lady spun through the air around the priest, providing enough distraction for Teldryn to run towards his patron. Juniper dragged herself to her feet, shaking with fear, pain, and adrenaline. She held up a hand as he approached, shaking her head. Pulling her prized bow from her shoulder, she nocked an arrow and readied her aim. 

Teldryn moved away from her and sent a fireball soaring into the creature. It whipped its smoking head around to turn on Teldryn but didn't have a chance to attack before an arrow ripped into its shoulder. Screeching, it spun around to launch itself at Juniper with hands crackling and glowing. She dashed madly out of the way, gasping for air while her side still burned from hitting the stone. Her hair came loose from its bun, flying wildly as she skidded to a stop behind a pillar.

The atronach and Teldryn were sending ball after ball of flame at the Dragon Priest, who fought back with shock spells. With its back turned, Juniper had an opening to run back towards Teldryn so she wasn't cornered alone. She drew another arrow, stopping for barely a second to let it loose into the priest's back before continuing her frantic dash towards her mercenary. The Dragon Priest began to gather a large amount of magicka, the static in the chamber increasing so much that Juniper's long hair lifted off of her back and floated around her head. She reached Teldryn and grabbed his arm.

"You have a magicka potion?" Juniper cried over the ringing in her ears and the intense rumble of gathering thunder. Teldryn fished the potion from his pocket and handed it to her, which she downed in two swallows. The potion left the taste of elves' ears in her mouth and a tingle from her tongue to her fingertips. Summoning her own magicka, she raised a ward around the two of them, screwing her eyes shut. Seconds later the Dragon Priest exploded with an electric storm that whipped through the room. Juniper and Teldryn were buffeted around by the force of the magic, trying to stay on their feet. 

Juniper's hand shook with exertion as she tried to keep the ward up. After a few moments, the shimmering gold barrier began to falter, leaving them more vulnerable to the Dragon Priest's attack. The shocks licked over her skin, burning into her cheek and arms. After nearly half a minute, she couldn't maintain the flow of magicka and dropped the ward completely, sending her and Teldryn stumbling backwards, both of their bodies twitching from the last of the shocks as the lightning storm died down. Teldryn recovered quickly, hauling a disoriented Juniper up to her feet, looking for his atronach that apparently was destroyed in the onslaught of lightning.

"His magicka will be low!" Teldryn roared. "This is our best chance!"

Juniper stumbled forward, weak from using all of her magica, cramps in her legs from the shocks. She drew her bow with fumbling fingers, sending an arrow flying in the general direction of her undead foe. Her eyes were too foggy to see if her arrow hit, but the thud and subsequent screech told her it made contact. Orange and red explosions pummeled the Dragon Priest from Juniper's right as Teldryn sent out a barrage of fireballs. Juniper did her best to send out a half dozen more arrows, missing twice.

The Dragon Priest began to falter, its spells sputtered as they lacked the magicka to fully form. Teldryn charged forward, expertly flinging his dagger at the monster, which embedded into the side of its head. With a burst of wind and a howl, the Dragon Priest dissolved into ash on the ground, leaving behind a pile of robes and armor. Juniper fell down in relief, putting her head between her knees. The injury to her side burned, making her gasp for air, hands trembling from the exertion. There was a shuffle to her left as Teldryn sat down near her, waiting patiently for her to collect herself.

After a few minutes, her breathing slowed and she uncurled herself, whimpering from the pain. Her skin had shock burns in multiple places across her unarmoured arms, neck, and face. The throbbing in her side blossomed across her chest. Carefully she rose to her feet, walked to where the Dragon Priest had dissolved, and gingerly picked through the dust. Under the robes, she found the mask that the priest had worn. It looked a little different than the ones from the Dragon Priests she had seen sketched in a book. 

Flipping it over, she found an inscription across the inside. Teldryn peered over her shoulder, asking "What language is that?"

"It's Dovahzul, the language of dragons." She then read aloud, "Zahkriisos." The mask gave a small shimmer at the name being uttered. "It's heavily enchanted but I can't tell what kind." 

She stuffed the mask in her bag. Walking the perimeter of the room, she did her best to avoid the water as she approached the word wall. The familiar drums pounded in her ears in time with her heartbeat, the wall glowing blue in her own vision as she got within arms reach of the stone. She ran her fingers over the carvings, her mind filling with a new Word of Power. 'Mul .'

"What does this say?" Teldryn said.

Juniper mused over the words. "I can't understand all of it but I can read it." She stood back and read, "'All werid glorious Miraak. Most suleykaar of all Dragon Priests whose strength bolaav the fahluaan of mankind.'"

"Does that make any sense to you?"

Juniper stepped back, shaking her head. "I haven't the foggiest idea."

They made their way to the other side of the room, across from where they entered, where another room was located. Upon entering, they found stairs, shelves, a chest, and a pedestal with a book set upon it. They browsed the shelves, picking things up and putting them in their bags. Teldryn hefted open the chest, letting out a low whistle when he saw the contents. Peering inside, Juniper's jaw dropped. There were multiple bags of gold, an ebony sword in its hilt, gems, rings, necklaces, and a beautiful, delicate diadem.

"You're going to share, I hope." Teldryn laughed.

"I wouldn't even know what to do with all of it." She gasped, excitedly putting all of their loot in her bag. Taking another look around, she set her eyes upon the book on the pedestal in the center of the room. It was bound in black, with an eerie swirling design worked into the leather of the front cover. When she reached out and touched it, she immediately felt a shiver down her spine. The hair on her arms raised up, feeling the sensation of someone whispering in her ear. She jerked her hand back as if she had been burned, letting out a small gasp. Teldryn reached out to pick it up but Juniper smacked his hand away. Judging by his body language, if he didn't have his face covered his face would have been mockingly scandalized.

"Don't touch it!" She demanded. "Whatever that book is, it's not good." Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a rolled piece of linen, using it to carefully wrap and tie up the book before putting it away.

"If the book is so bad, why are you taking it?"

"Someone with a lot more knowledge than I may know what it is." Juniper started to ascend the stairs, slowly, gripping the half-rotten wooden rail for support. "It may have academic value."

"I didn't realise you were the scholarly type."

"When your mother was an accomplished and powerful mage, it comes with the territory. The preservation of knowledge, both good and bad, was instilled in me early on."

The door at the top of the stairs was wrenched open by Teldryn, leading them into a corridor with a one-way door. Another part of the crypt, illuminated in the distance by candles and torches, was on the other side. They both moved as silently as they could, Juniper shuffling a little more loudly due to her injuries. The sound of gruff voices echoed in the room as a group of men animatedly told a story about a woman they killed. Crouching behind the large carved stones, Teldryn and Juniper peeked between the gaps. There were three men in furs laughing and drinking around a small fire.

Teldryn leaned in, whispering, "Reavers."

Juniper nocked an arrow, lining it up with a hole between the stones while Teldryn moved around the side to prepare to jump out. One man stood up to refill his drink but before he could even grab the bottle an arrow embedded itself in his head. He dropped to the ground, twitching. The other two men didn't have a chance to react before Teldryn slit the throat of another. The last man standing bolted to where his sword lay. He fell to the ground as another arrow flew through the air, striking him in the side. Wheezing as his lung collapsed and with one final attempt to fight, he crawled to his blade which was just barely out of reach. A boot on his back slammed him into the ground with a grunt. There was a weakly exhaled "No..." from the reaver then Teldryn ran his sword through the back of the man's neck. Juniper tried to bend to check the other reaver's pockets, but hissed and stood back up as the pain in her side intensified. 

Teldryn took over the looting and said softly, "Careful, you may have broken a rib or two when you hit the stone." After pocketing all of the valuables in the room, the two of them made their way out the door.

The frosty late-Autumn air whipped around their heads as they stepped outside. A bridge stretched from the door to a tower on the Solstheim coast. Teldryn glanced around, spying a couple of reavers on the ground below. "I know where this is." Teldryn said, looking to the south. "We're slightly north of Raven Rock."

Juniper counted her leftover arrows, all 8 of them, picking one out and sending it flying. It soared down to its mark, one of the reavers who stood on the ground. Teldryn summoned his atronach again, with some difficulty due to his depleted magicka reserves, directing her to lead the way down through the towers. The few leftover reavers were easy pickings for them, much to Juniper's relief because the more she walked, the more she hurt. All she wanted to do was get back to town. Making their way along the coast for about half an hour, the large stone outside of the settlement came into view, telling them they were nearly back.

------

 Crecious paced through his house, laughing. "They all said I was crazy, but we've proved them all wrong now!" Aphia sat at the dining table, watching his mirth with a soft expression. "This is everything I could have hoped for! The mines aren't dry and there's hope for Raven Rock yet!"

The old man clasped Teldryn's hand with both of his own, shaking it vigorously. "I can't begin to thank you enough, both of you." Crecious smiled at Juniper, a tear traveling down the deep lines on his face. She returned the smile with a weary one of her own. Aphia walked over with a pouch of coin, holding it out.

Juniper shook her head. "Keep it, please." Teldryn turned his head to stare at her, but his expressions were inscrutable behind his helmet. 

Aphia tried to insist but Juniper stood firm in her refusal. Instead, Aphia turned back and rummaged around in a crate, pulling out a large bottle. She brought it back over to Juniper. "It's a healing potion. At least let me take care of your wounds." She placed it in Juniper's hands, her fingers warm and soft against Juniper's chilled skin.

They waved her and Teldryn off as they made their way through the town to get back to the cornerclub. It was late, the town quiet and the streets empty.

Teldryn spoke, pulling down his mouth cover. "Why didn't you take their money?"

"Does it matter?" Juniper groaned softly, limping along next to him. "You got paid and we found more than enough extra in the barrow."

He didn't speak, just tilted his head up at the shining night sky that was unusually clear and bright as they walked in silence.

Chapter Text

The bed, piled high with furs and straw bedding, was too soft for Juniper to justify getting up in the morning. She could already hear the muffled sound of the growing bustle inside The Retching Netch as the recently arrived miners chattered over their morning meals. With a flick of her fingers, she lit a candle to softly illuminate the room then reluctantly dragged herself out of bed.

Her favourite seat at the bar was swarmed with recently arrived workers so she shuffled past them up the stairs to where Teldryn sat. The mines reopened within days of her and Teldryn clearing the ruins. It's nearly a month later and now miners have flocked back to the small town to work. Pulling a chair over, she sat opposite of her mercenary, taking a gander over his pile of food. She plucked a piece of bread and a spoonful of candied ash yam from his plate.

Teldryn frowned. "You're a tiny menace. It's a miracle you still have both of your hands."

"Technically speaking, I bought this food!" She dodged a piece of bread crust he flung at her head, laughing. "I'm not mad enough to try and nick food from someone who would retaliate."

"Oh, so you take food but only from the mouths of your employees." He cried with dramatic flair. "I might have to submit a formal complaint."

"You can submit that complaint directly to my arse."

"That can be arranged."

Teldryn guffawed as Juniper turned bright red and sputtered, getting exactly the response he intended. They fell into a companionable silence as she continued to pick pieces of food off his plate, him sliding it over to her for easier access.

"Teldryn?" He hummed in response. "Would you teach me to use a sword?"

That got his attention, him turning to look at her, leaning his elbows on the table. "Why?"

"Arrows and magicka are finite. I realize that if I lose both, I'm quite literally helpless at close range." She looked down at her bread, picking at it. "When we were fetching Cindiri's folio from that ship and the reavers were coming at us, me running out of both magicka and arrows nearly got both of us in a dire situation. I don't want to be left vulnerable again by my lack of martial skills." Meeting Teldryn's eyes, or the space where his eyes would be behind the mask, "I also don't want to cause you undue burden by my own weakness."

Teldryn considered her, thinking hard. Leaning back in his chair, he sighed. "I'll do it at half my current monthly fee." Juniper beamed at him. "However, if you want to learn from me, you will listen to me. I don't tolerate whining."

Juniper nodded, relieved he accepted. "When do we start?"

"Now."

Teldryn stood up, beckoning her to follow him down the stairs. Trailing closely behind him, she was led to his quarters across the hall from hers. Unlocking the door, he walked in with her. There were shelves, stacks, and strewn piles of books across his room. 'I know he is well read, but Gods, he practically has a small library.' Staying in the middle of the room to not appear nosy, she said. "How long have you lived here?"

"About a decade." Teldryn said as he picked through the shelves, slowly gathering a stack in his arms as he moved through the room. Once he seemed satisfied with his selections, he stopped in front of Juniper and deposited the entire collection in her arms. "You need to read one of these a week for the next ten weeks, starting with 'The Book of Circles: Forging Maxims '."

Juniper was dumbfounded, examining the stack. "How will these books teach me anything about martial skills?"

"If you want to learn from me, you'll learn not just how, but why ." Ushering her out of his room, he locked it behind them. "Meet me outside tomorrow morning. Eat a light breakfast." With those final words, he made his way up the stairs, leaving Juniper alone to organize and put the books away in her room.

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The sun had been up for barely an hour when Juniper stepped outside the next morning. Despite the sun being obstructed by the ash clouds, Juniper still squinted, the ash making her eyes itchy and dry.

"Oy!"

Juniper jumped, head whipping around to see who called out. Something was tossed through the air towards her, which she awkwardly fumbled to catch. Looking down, she saw it was a wooden training sword. Teldryn strode past her, leading her towards the mine. She marched behind him as they turned off the path, walking up until they were atop the hill overlooking Raven Rock. "Have you ever watched a professional swordsman fight, other than myself of course?"

"I've seen fights at the arena in the Imperial City and watched duels of honour between noblemen." Testing out the wooden sword, she spun and flipped it, nearly dropping it. "Other than that, I've really only seen vagabonds and brawlers."

Teldryn gave an amused snort, beginning to pace leisurely around her as she stood playing with her weapon. "Noblemen and their duels are about pomp and flourish. They care only about the appearance of skill." He flicked his practice word against her arm with a small smack, causing Juniper to yelp and spin to face him. "A skilled swordsman takes very little movement to do the most damage. Every moment you waste twirling your weapon is a moment your enemy can use against you."

He flicked his sword at her again, this time she jumped out of the way. There wasn't any time for her to recover before he leaped forward, knocking her over into the ash. While moving through the ash was more challenging, the landing was much softer than if it had been the hard ground. Scrambling to her feet, Juniper readied her sword, panting from the moment of panic. "Relax." Teldryn chuckled, stepping over towards her. He reached out to adjust her stance but she flinched and shied away when his hand touched her shoulder.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, giving him an uncomfortable look. There was an awkward pause, then Teldryn shifted himself to a neutral stance.

"Mimic what I do." He said, shifting his weight. "You want to be balanced and able to move easily in any direction. Too much weight in the front," he leaned forward. "and you can't move backwards. Too much weight in the back," He shifted back. "you'll topple over again."

Juniper followed his movements, watching him shift his feet as he moved in each direction. Imitating the shuffle he did to move around. "It's like dancing." She said after a few minutes of practicing the basic footwork.

"Indeed it is." Teldryn readied his sword, motioning for her to do the same. "But if you miss a step, you'll have more than just some sore toes." Leaning forward, he smacked Juniper's right arm again, hard. She yelped and hopped to the side but Teldryn swung the other way, making contact with her left hip. She hissed and stepped back, once again getting knocked to the ground when Teldryn charged forward. The ash burst up in a cloud around her, causing her to cough and sputter.

"Up." He demanded. She scrambled to her feet, panting and flustered. When he flicked his wrist again, she tried to dodge but was thrown off by him changing direction and getting hit atop her head.

"Gods, I'm just learning, can't you go a little easy on me?" She groaned, rubbing her forehead. 

"I am going easy. Your enemies won't show mercy, better to learn the right way than be dead."

Juniper spent the greater part of the next two hours being tapped, smacked, and tripped into the ash. Groaning, she laid on the ground, dirty and dusty all the way down to her smalls. She pressed her ashy palms into her eyes, trying to hide the frustrated tears that were threatening to spill over. Teldryn sauntered over to her, looking as composed and effortless as he did before the training session.

"So, the mighty Dragonborn lays on the ground and cries because she can't use a sword the first time she picks it up." There was no malice or bite in his voice, but they still left Juniper with hot shame in the pit of her stomach. He picked up her wooden sword, pointing the handle at her. "Go clean yourself up and eat, we'll continue tomorrow."

Juniper dragged herself up out of the ash, taking the sword from him. As she wordlessly turned to make her way back to town he called out.

"Oy, look at me." Juniper turned and begrudgingly met his eyes. "No potions or healing. The aches and bruises will remind you to do better." There was a little hesitation, as if he wanted to say something else, but he shook his head and waved her off.

The door to her room creaked open as she entered, sounding an awful lot like the small croaks of pain she let out under her breath. Peeling off her tunic and leathers uncovered fresh bruises on her arms, slowly turning purple. Removing her breeches exposed a long bruise that was blooming across her thigh. Her forearms protested as she prepared a bath, every little movement took what felt like a massive effort.

----------------

"'Anger is a crack in the hull that sinks the ship.'" Teldryn quoted, staring impassively at a sweating, panting Juniper across from him. "I know you read all of the Maxims so you should recognize it. Do you understand what it means? Letting yourself be ruled by your emotions will make you sloppy, slow, blinded."

Juniper glared at him, stubborn as ever. Her lip, now tender and swollen, had been split open when Teldryn struck her with his elbow. The training sessions over the past few weeks had steadily increased in intensity. Juniper was getting faster and stronger, but the constant pain made her slightly bitter towards Teldryn. Merciless in his methods, he didn't hesitate to hurt or push her. She'd been brought to tears, screamed, and once even threw her wooden sword away from her in a tantrum.

Juniper sobbed in frustration, throwing her weapon to the ground. 

"PICK UP YOUR SWORD!" Teldryn bellowed, startling Juniper out of her tears. Until that moment, he had only been calm, cool, and collected. To hear him raise his voice in anger was a shock to her. He stormed towards her, hissing. "Pick. It. Up." Juniper's hands shook as she retrieved her sword.

Teldryn stomped up to Juniper, who took several steps back until she bumped into a tree. He towered over Juniper's shaking form, speaking low. "Your sword is your lifeline! It is your arm, your heart, and your connection to Mundus. Do not disrespect your own life by casting your weapon aside!"

"What do you want, Juniper?" Teldryn called, the two of them circling each other.

"I want to learn to fight!" Juniper seethed back through clenched teeth and a bloodied mouth.

"Liar!" Teldryn lunged at her. She dodged, swinging her sword towards his side. He deflected the blow, slamming his open hand into her chest and sending her back a few steps.  "What do you want?"

Juniper spit blood from her mouth then charged, ducking under his swing and rounding on his back. Teldryn caught her arm, using it to fling her to the ground with a thud and grunt from Juniper. She rolled away then stood, her hair flying madly around her head. 

"Wuld!" 

With a Shout, she launched herself towards Teldryn, him sidestepping effortlessly. She overshot her aim, skidding to a halt a few feet past him. There wasn't a chance for her to recover before Teldryn grabbed her by the back of the collar, sending her face down on the ground.

Juniper attempted to get up but a knee shoved her back down, pinning her into the dirt. She scrambled for purchase, hands clawing uselessly at the dirt and ash below her, coughing as she breathed in the rising dust. Panic and bile rose in her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut.

A hand was buried in her hair, dragging her across the chamber while her screams and pleading echoed for anyone to hear. Her small hands grasping at the man's wrist, trying to free herself.

She started shaking and gasping for air, desperate sobs blubbering out. Teldryn was silent above her, weight still crushing her down between her shoulder blades.

A man's gloved hand roughly grabbed her jaw, smearing the blood from the cut she received when they slammed her face into the wooden table. Twisting her head, she viciously bit down into the hand, earning herself a howl of agony. Her victory was short lived as the hand returned to strike her across the face.

Juniper was crying in earnest now, sobbing so hard she nearly vomited. Teldryn's voice called above her.

The face of multiple Thalmor justiciars flashed in front of her face, each of them with an expression of derision as if they were looking at vermin. Juniper could feel the leather of the robes brush the backs of her thighs. "She's so tiny, surprised you fit, Estormo." The voice in front of her laughed.  

"What do you want, Juniper?!"

The voice behind her sneered, grunting. "Ah, yes, Rulindil. Little Bosmers have little cunts, but her ass can stretch much better."

"I want…" Juniper hiccuped.

Blood dripped between her bare legs as she lay in the cell, folded up in pain, unable to heal herself. 

She wailed and cried under Teldryn's knee. "I want to not be afraid anymore!" The pressure on her back disappeared immediately. Juniper didn't rise but instead curled up into a ball, where she continued to bawl hysterically. Strings of words and bits of memories spilled from her mouth. There was a shuffling next to her that she didn't even register over the pounding of her heart in her ears. Warm, ungloved hands touched the hand that was still gripping the hilt of her practice sword. With gentle tugging, the sword was parted from her fingers and replaced by a large hand. Juniper squeezed the hand as if she were drowning and it was a lifeline. With a gentle tug, the hand pulled her closer to them, leaning her against a chitin breastplate.

Another hand touched the top of her head, causing her to flinch instinctively. The fingers gently stroked through Juniper's hair over and over for a long time until her sobs subsided into sniffles and coughs, her finally falling limp against the body next to her. When she opened her eyes, Juniper saw Teldryn's helmet and gloves sitting on the ground nearby. As she slowly sat up, the hand on her head moved to her shoulder. The face she was met with was completely new, but the voice was familiar.

"You all right?" Teldryn asked. Juniper swallowed and nodded, momentarily distracted by finally seeing his face. Teldryn had classical Dunmer features; grey skin, red eyes, high cheekbones set, and long tapered ears. Despite the weathered lines on his face that gave away his age, he was still a striking man. Her gaze followed his swirling face tattoos up to his worried eyes. "I'm so sorry, Juniper." He said solemnly. "I shouldn't have pushed you that hard."

Juniper's lip quivered, her eyes dropping down to the hand Teldryn still held. "I'm weak."

"You survived. That is proof enough that you aren't weak." He gave her hand a squeeze.

"How do you know?" Juniper sniffled.

"I've seen enough terrible things to make a good guess about what you've been through." He sighed, running his thumb gently over the top of her knuckles. "Do you know how many people wash out of this kind of training? Most. They give up after a week or two of being hit, thrown, and kicked." Tugging on her hand, he helped Juniper get on her feet but didn't release her, choosing instead to look at the blisters and calluses on her fingers. "I thought you would give up after a few days. Instead, it's been a few weeks. You wake up six mornings a week and get your arse kicked yet you still come back and try."

Letting go of her, he collected their swords, his helmet, and his gloves before nodding towards the path to town. Waiting for her to catch up, he continued. "The more you learn, the smarter you'll be. As you practice, you'll get stronger. The more often you work through your pain, the better you'll get at casting it away. As for the rest..." They stopped before reaching the town square, him turning to look at her. "'To shed the mantle of fear…'" he started. 

"'is to cast it upon your enemy.'" Juniper finished, giving him a tearful smile. He returned it with a proud smirk before placing his helmet back upon his head. He then tousled her ash-covered hair, which she swatted away, giggling in earnest as they made their way back to the cornerclub.

Chapter Text

Ash and dust settled on the stone of Fort Frostmoth as General Falx Carius' form fell still upon the cold ground. The only sounds in the silent hall were Juniper’s soft panting and the thud of Teldryn’s boots as he carefully investigated the centuries-old Imperial man. Blank, pupil-less eyes set in a pale and gaunt face stared at the ceiling beyond Teldryn. Carius’s armor sported a large opening through which a heartstone could be seen embedded in his chest. Behind them, Juniper peered around but no other ash spawn appeared from amongst the rubble. By all appearances, the onslaught of ash spawn that had been terrorizing Raven Rock had stopped.

“He didn’t feel like typical necromancy.” Juniper said softly, brows furrowed in confusion. “How does a human who was born in the Third Era still live?”

Teldryn straightened with a groan. “I don’t know, but Master Neloth might. Let’s first bring the news of Carius’s defeat back to Captain Veleth then head to Tel Mithryn." 

-------------

“That damned Drovas!” Master Neloth scowled as he took another sip of canis root tea. “Can’t even make a cup of tea correctly.” With a derisive huff, the wizard strode to a stack of scrolls with his apprentice, Talvas, following closely behind. Neloth sent a flurry of parchment flying across the floor as he shuffled through the mess of scrolls, leaving Talvas to rush around gathering them up and putting them away. “Have you heard of Briarhearts?” Neloth asked. “They're fierce Forsworn warriors. They actually remove their own hearts and replace them with large briar seeds. I want to study their methods, therefore I need you to investigate for me.” Finally finding the scroll he was searching for, he spun around, laid the parchment out and began to furiously scribble notes around the diagram on the page.

Juniper, who had been examining the large collection of vials on the wizards shelves, made her way back across the room. “Where can we find a Briarheart?” she inquired as she picked up a rogue scroll that had rolled away.

Master Neloth continued, “The Forsworn live in the hills on the Western edge of Skyrim.” Juniper immediately tensed up, a reaction that did not go unnoticed by Teldryn. Neloth kept talking in the background, droning on and on about heart stones and resurrection research but Juniper was once again lost in her own head. “Do you think you could manage something that simple?” Neloth’s question brought her back to the present and she nodded. The wizard stared her down for a moment before turning back to his notes. “I cast a memory trace spell on this pendant, as I’m sure your notes would be less than…” his scowl deepened “... satisfactory.”

Juniper ignored Neloth’s jab, giving a small wave to Talvas before levitating down the tower to the door. The smell of soot and charred wood met her nose as she stepped out into the afternoon air, the lonely cry of a silt strider calling across the distant hills ahead of her. Situating herself on a large rock under the shade of a towering mushroom, Juniper stared at the lines in the dirt as she considered her next move. ‘I left Skyrim 8 months ago.’ The toe of her boot swirling patterns in the dust below her had drawn out little runes. ‘I’m not sure if I’m ready to go back now, if ever.’ Cold shame swirled in her stomach as she remembered leaving everyone else waiting for her. She hadn’t sent any letters or told anyone she was alive, not even to Faendal. 

There was a swirl of ash and a soft thud as Teldryn settled next to her and pulled down his face cover. He shuffled around in his pack before pulling out his pipe and a satchel. The two sat in a companionable silence as he carefully packed his pipe with tobacco. With a flick on his finger, Teldryn lit the bundle and took a puff, smoke pouring from his nose and mouth as he exhaled. With his voice slightly muffled by the pipe between his teeth, Teldryn spoke up.

“If you’re ready to return to Skyrim, I’m right behind you.” He paused to take the pipe from his mouth, sighing as he looked at the sun shining high over the water. “I’ve seen enough of Solstheim to last a lifetime.”

“I don’t know.” Juniper admitted. Silence fell between them again as they watched the netches frolic along the shore.

After a short while Teldryn rose to his feet, dumping the ashes from his pipe to the ground before stowing it back in his pack. He nodded his head northwest and began to make the way back towards Raven Rock. The walk was relatively peaceful, as peaceful as Solstheim can be, as they followed the sinking sun with the shore on their left. Occasionally, Teldryn would glance at his companion whose mood had turned quiet and somber, a complete change from her typically chatty nature.

-----------------

Night had fallen for about an hour when they finally made it into the safety of Raven Rock. The cornerclub was filled with its usual bustle when they walked in, many of the patrons turning to raise a glass or wave at the exhausted duo. Teldryn led the way across the crowded room to reach the bar in an attempt to procure himself some supper. When he turned around to ask Juniper what she wanted, she wasn’t behind him anymore. His eyes caught the edge of her cloak retreating into her room, the thud of the door inaudible above the cacophony.

Juniper slowly undressed and washed her face, carefully placing every item in a pile with much more consideration than usual, finding that moment of calm in her mind when she focused on caring for her things. Once she sat on the bed without anything else to occupy her, her mind ran in circles around itself over and over until her brain was dizzy and the candle burned low. Her head finally rested on the pillow when the weight of her thoughts finally became too heavy for her to keep it up any longer. Staring at the wall with blurry eyes, the only thought left spinning around in her head was ‘How much longer will I be able to keep running?’ before she finally succumbed to exhaustion.

-------------------

Everything was dark, Juniper felt nothing and heard nothing but a slither of a voice in the back of her mind. ‘That world will cease to be.’ More darkness, then ‘Dovahkiin’

“JUNIPER!”

Teldryn’s voice bellowed above the roaring winds. Juniper’s mind snapped to focus as she blinked at the blinding sun and snow swirling around her. Her eyes met the familiar sight of Teldryn’s face covering and goggles. He was gripping her shoulders, breathing ragged and strained. She shook in the cold, hands numb and lips cracked as she squinted through the ice that had gathered on her eyelashes. The clang of metal on stone rang sharply in her ears as Juniper took in the sights around her. They stood on the rim of a giant stone colosseum ringed by pillars. Scattered around the structure were various people mindlessly chiseling and muttering to themselves.

“Tel?” she croaked hoarsely at him. “Where are we?”

Teldryn’s shoulders slumped, his hands sliding off her shoulders to lean on his knees. “The old temple…” he panted “on the side of the mountain.” He unfastened his fur cloak and wrapped it around Juniper’s trembling body. Juniper weakly looked down to see that she was still in her sleeping shift, barely covered in the cold of the mountainside. “Geldis saw you wander out of The Retching Netch barely clothed and speaking nonsense.” Her legs shook as she tried to walk. Teldryn turned around and hoisted her on his back with a grunt, making sure she was covered by the cloak. “He woke me up and I set off after you.” he continued “I tracked you for hours through the snow and found you here, just standing with a chisel in your hand.”

Jumper weakly tried to cast a healing spell to warm herself, but she could barely cast it in the best conditions, she had little hope of working a restoration spell in her state. Teldryn stomped his way through the temple, past all of the pillars and mindless people scattered about. He was glancing around wildly, visibly on edge as he rushed them out. “What’s wrong?” Juniper mumbled in his ear.

Teldryn continued looking over his shoulder and scanning the area as he descended the steps and brought them down the mountain as quickly as he safely could. He finally spoke up. “It feels wrong here, like we’re being watched. Seeing the other people acting strangely, whatever brought you here can’t be anything good.” Juniper didn’t respond, she didn't have the energy to. She just laid her head on Teldryn’s shoulder, slipping in and out of a daze while Teldryn brought them back to town.

The next time she was conscious, Teldryn was dashing down the steps inside The Retching Netch. He was barking orders at Geldis and Glover, both of whom sprung to action and began retrieving hot water and a tub, respectively. The walls were a blur as Teldryn rushed her into her room, Glover and Geldis right behind them. Juniper felt the cloak being pulled from around her, body shaking uncontrollably in the rush of air. She was half-delirious and began to weakly shove at the hands peeling the wet cloak and shift off of her with a soft “No…” Teldryn’s voice was somewhere above her, ushering the other men out and asking them to fetch Aphia.

Strong arms lifted her and gently lowered her into the warm bath. Instantly, her body erupted in pain and she screamed, unintentionally Shouting and rattling the shelves, sending a stack of books flying. Calloused hands touched her forehead, brushing the damp strands of mahogany hair from her face. Both of her hands were then grasped between Teldryns’ as he warmed them with as much magic as he could muster. Juniper’s head lolled as she once again fell out of consciousness, everything going dull and dark once again.

Juniper’s world eventually came back into view slowly, her eyes barely opening. She was warm, dressed in dry clothes, and tucked into her furs. Blinking away her exhaustion, her eyes managed to focus on a large figure slumped in the chair next to her bed. Teldryn was asleep, clad in cotton Dunmeri garb rather than his usual chitin armor and his head resting against her bed frame. The lines on his face looked deeper with exhaustion and worry. Juniper was satisfied with watching him sleep, she hadn’t the energy to leave her bed yet anyway. Listening to the even sound of Teldryn’s breathing, she closed her eyes once again and let the sound lull her back into a doze. Time didn’t seem to exist below the ground, so Juniper had nothing by which to judge its passage. A hitch in his breath was enough to wake Juniper once again, eyes opening to see him stretching slowly with a sigh. As he turned, Teldryn’s eyes met hers and he leaned in to press a hand to her forehead. “How do you feel?” he asked gently, once again pushing her long hair out of her face.

Juniper wheezed a little when she tried to speak so Teldryn reached over and grabbed a tankard of water off of the bedside table. After the water brought a little life back into her, she cleared her throat and said “Probably better than you look.” with a weak smirk.

Rolling his eyes, Teldryn got up and shuffled to the door, obviously very sore. “I wouldn’t look like this if you weren’t as heavy as a damned cave bear.” he said as he left the room. Minutes later, he returned with a pot of stew and a potion, setting them both on the bedside table then helping her into a sitting position.

Juniper ate slowly and carefully, Teldryn uncorking the bottle of mystery potion. He measured out a small amount and handed her the little cup. "Aphia sent this, it'll help you recover more quickly."

The liquid had a minty taste and it sent warmth tingling through her hands and feet. Juniper passed the empty cup and her empty bowl of stew to Teldryn then settled back into the bed. The mood had turned somber once again as Juniper laid there watching the shadows flicker across the ceiling.

"I think…" she started, turning her head to look at Teldryn. "I think I need to go back."

"To Skyrim?"

Juniper nodded. "Whatever is out there waiting for me, it just keeps following. For how long am I simply delaying the inevitable?" She pressed her palms to her tired eyes and sighed. "I still don't know if I can do this." She whispered.

There was the creak of the chair as Teldryn leaned back. "Well, like I said before, I'm right behind you." Juniper didn't respond, but she swallowed a lump in her throat and willed herself to not cry. The quiet settled between them again while Juniper slowly drifted back off to sleep, Teldryn opening a book and getting comfortable next to her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Manners

Summer was starting to wane over the Reach, the leaves just beginning to threaten to change their colours. The days were still long and the nights still warm but Autumn was looking over their shoulders. Regardless of the season, the winds of Markarth always seemed to echo off the stone, whipping between columns and swirling around those who move through the stonework maze. Ondolemar gripped his robes as they flew wildly around his body, grimacing at the evening skyline of the city below.

Over a decade in Markarth and he still scrunched his nose at the smell of the mines. On a bad day, the soot would blow towards the Keep and anyone unlucky enough to be in its way would find themselves gritty and disgusting. The locals didn't seem to care, it was always a part of life to them, but Ondolemar was a touch too fastidious to find it comfortable.

The door shut with a deep clunk behind him as Ondolemar entered Understone Keep. Staring straight ahead, he refused to meet the gaze of anyone he passed, which few would attempt anyway. The moment his towering figure and flutter of robes caught someone's eye, they would quickly scurry away or skirt around him with a wide berth. Ondolemar preferred it that way, the fewer people he interacted with, the better. His stationing in Markarth was not for the purpose of friendship, he was a figurehead to remind the Jarl that the Dominion was present and watching. Ambassador Elenwen kept him somewhat occupied with reports and coordinating some of the Thalmor efforts of West Skyrim but it hardly broke the tedium of his daily life. The same faces, the same old stone, the same scornful looks, and the same untrained hounds howling outside his quarters at all hours.

He strode past the sad excuse for a throne room and made his way back to the wing where he and his soldiers were housed. Standing guard outside the door was Elariel, the most green and young of the soldiers who worked directly under him. She straightened further when she saw her commander, giving a small bow as he passed through the doorway. The other soldiers, Atherin and Faralan, were sitting at the table, a pile of cards and a small stack of coins on the table between them. The two stood in alarm as Ondolemar entered with a scowl on his face. With a stuttered, meek, apology the two gathered their things and bowed as their commander strode past and into his own quarters.

With a slam of his door, Ondolemar continued to scowl at the dreary quarters he was forced to reside in. Stone desk, stone bed, Ondolemar wouldn't have been shocked if the residents ate stone for dinner. A Dominion flag and a tapestry of The Crest of Alinor adorned the walls. He had attempted to make the space livable with soft down and straw bedding and pretend his silk sheets and luxurious furs would cover the desolate excuse for a bed. With a sigh, he sat on the foot of his bed and rubbed his temple as his head once again began to throb. 'By the Eight, I hate this wretched place.'

Berries rained down on her head as Juniper jerked on the branch of a juniper tree. As she tugged, Teldryn deftly cut the sprig at its base, separating it from the tree and sending Juniper flying backwards. Holding the bundle of leaves and berries high like some great trophy, Juniper grinned like a madwoman. She then proceeded to weave the bundle into the hair she had twisted atop her head. Teldryn watched her impassively, or so one would think unless they saw the eye roll beneath his mask. Juniper patted Teldryn on the shoulder in thanks as she passed him, making her way down one of the Reach's many hills. 

As they neared the bottom, a Khajiit who sat on a nearby rock hopped to his feet to greet them. The dusky grey male sniffed the air as they approached, his little whiskers twitching as his nose shuffled. "Juniper berries?" He inquired.

"Of course, Kharjo." Juniper flicked a leaf gently, "it's tradition for women in my family to be named after plants, particularly those that have a strong quality." The three scouted the hilly path ahead of them while Juniper continued. 

"My mother, Aveena, would weave a crown of oat cuttings to wear to festivals. My grandmother, Camellia, would have beautiful tea flowers in her hair. I love anything with juniper berries or motifs of the plants. It's my connection to my family." She smiled at Kharjo. "I suppose we are a sentimental bunch."

"Kharjo cannot judge," the cat shrugged "you traveled through Skyrim and retrieved my amulet from a group of bandits in the name of sentimentality."

Juniper laughed at that. "A bunch of sad saps, aren't we?" Trekking back to the road where their horses waited.

"Oy, speak for yourselves." Teldryn called out from behind them.

Smoothing the forelock of her chestnut gelding, Juniper turned back to the Dunmer, grinning. "You're the worst of us all, you old coot."

Kharjo snickered from atop his mount and Teldryn grumbled good-naturedly as he effortlessly mounted up on his own horse. The two men waited for Juniper, amused by her struggle to reach her own stirrups. One tall log and a great heave later, the mismatched group began to make their way back to Markarth with their bounty ready to present to the Jarl's steward.

'Another dull, mind-deadening day at the illustrious court of Markarth.' Ondolemar thought dimly as he "listened" to the Jarl and his advisors going back and forth about Forsworn attacks on local trade routes. His face had fallen into an emotionless stare with practiced ease as the droll of daily life continued on.

"I'll send the request for additional Legionaries to protect trade to the other Imperial holds. Hopefully, Solitude can spare more men." Jarl Ignmund conceded.

His steward, Raerek, seemingly placated for now, settled back into his chair and looked towards the doorway. With a hand raised, he leaned forward expectantly. "Ah, you've returned." He said, beckoning towards himself. Ondolemar turned around where he stood to see a trio making their way respectfully towards the throne and the steward.

The first to reach was, judging by their shape and stature, a woman. She was clad in a combination of leather and cloth fit for an archer or mage, most likely the former if the quiver still strapped to her hip was anything to go by. Her head was covered by a cloak, her face hidden behind a mask. The mask vaguely reminded him of the visages from some of the old ruins and shrines within Skyrim. Behind her was a man easily assumed a Dunmer by his distinctive red chitin armor, his face also covered by the cloth and googles favoured by those who lived in the Ashlands. Bringing up the rear was a dark grey tabby Khajiit male, who was apparently more intrigued by the inside of the keep than the business his group was conducting. The cat's ears flicked around as he stared at the ceiling as if he were admiring a work of art rather than a mess of dust and cobwebs. The latter two stood out amongst the human majority in Markarth, Ondolemar was surprised the guards had allowed the Khajiit inside the city with them to begin with. 'The cost to bribe the guards to let him in would not have been insignificant.' he mused.

Presenting a satchel and a bundle of papers to Raerek, the woman spoke. "Yes, sir. We have taken care of the Forsworn in Dragon Bridge Redoubt. I also collected these documents containing information about some of their movements about the hold. I assume the Jarl will find these most useful."

Ondolemars' brows shot up as the woman spoke. The accent sounded almost Cyrodilic but had something else he couldn't place. There was no doubt this woman was well-educated, she spoke well with clear, proper enunciation and with great respect to Raerek. 'Quite unusual for a mercenary or adventurer.' He mused, eyes flicking back to the curious companions behind her. The Jarl, Ondolemar noticed, was also watching the interaction with interest but made no comment.

"Very well," the steward said, waving to one of the errand boys. "We will fetch your reward. The Jarl has another bounty, if you're interested?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, thank you." She said as she took the slip of paper and a coin pouch from him before passing it back to the Dunmer behind her. With a small bow from all three, the companions left the throne room where the conversation once again turned to more dull matters. Ondolemars' eyes followed the group down the hall until they were out of sight.

The humdrum of life continued on over the next few weeks. Meetings with the Jarl, letters and reports from Elenwen, and a few more visits to the Jarl from the odd mercenaries were the only things of mild interest. Ondolemar walked to the top of the stairs in the main hall of the keep, scrutinizing a shipping manifest from Summerset. 'Damn Nords can't even transport a case of whiskey properly.' He thought sourly. Said thoughts were interrupted by fast footsteps followed by someone slamming into him and a loud gasp. Whipping around, Ondolemar found himself face to face with a Bosmeri woman who stared back at him with a panicked expression.

She had long, mahogany brown hair that was left loose to fall in waves over her shoulders and a fair complexion. Freckles adorned her cheeks and nose, highlighting her white and golden eyes. The Bosmer stepped back, smoothing her blue dress nervously while she quickly and emphatically apologized. Ondolemar made no secret of it as he looked her up and down. Mer were rare in Markarth, pretty ones even more so, so she immediately piqued his interest.

Straightening his back and his robes, Ondolemar cleared his throat "What is your name?"

The woman hesitated. "My name is Juniper, sir." She finally said. Her right hand flexed nervously, gripping the side of her skirts.

"Well, Juniper," he let her name linger in the air for a moment. "you have the honour of addressing Ondolemar, the Commander of the Thalmor here in Western Skyrim." Maybe his mind had deceived him, but he may have seen her face twitch slightly at that. It was of no concern to him, as he was distracted by her golden eyes, which were unusual for one of her kind.

"Is that so? You're not from Markarth, I take it?" She said neutrally, not offering anything else in either her face or tone.

Ondolemar scoffed, "As if this craggy, wretch of a city could give birth to a superiorly-bred Mer such as myself." Juniper just stared back at him, not speaking. "... No, I'm not from Markarth." He finished. There was silence again as they continued to stare at each other. Not one to be easily deterred, Ondolemar took a few steps towards her, too focused on the lines of her collarbones and the amulet of Auriel around her neck to see her tense up as he leaned in close. The tips of his fingers rose to ghost across her arm, causing her to bristle like a cat. "I'd be happy to show you the extent of that superiority." He said suggestively, inches away from her cheek, out of earshot of any onlookers.

The shift in Juniper's face was immediate, a look of disdain colouring her features. Before Ondolemar had a chance to speak, Juniper loudly exclaimed "I beg your pardon?"

Ondolemar froze in surprise, noticing a couple of heads turning in their direction. "Excu-" he began quietly but was interrupted. 

"That sort of behavior is quite unacceptable." Juniper said loudly, taking a step back. "If you were as well-bred as you claim to be, you would know that no respectable Altmeri man would make such an unwarranted and indecent suggestion." Ondolemar's jaw had now dropped a bit in shock, staring at Juniper as she continued her scolding. "It appears that when you left Summerset, you forgot to bring your manners!" 

She turned, flashing one more look of offense in direction, before quickly making her way down the steps. As she passed the Silver-Bloods, the men turned to look at Ondolemar, snickering openly at him. Jaw clenched, stomach hot with embarrassment and anger, Ondolemar strode to his quarters. He wanted to slam the door in frustration but took a deep breath and closed it gently behind himself. His hands slid down the door, feeling every groove in the metal under his fingers before pushing away to sit at his desk. A bottle of red wine sat on the desk in front of him, staring him down. Twitching fingers itched to grab the bottle, to drink until he stopped feeling the shame.

Shame.

When was the last time he felt anything, much less shame?

Shoving the bottle away, Ondolemar put his head in his hands and just sighed.

Juniper burst into the Silver Blood Inn, looking around for her friends. She saw them sitting by the fire, both had turned to see who entered with such a ruckus. Rushing over to them, breathing hard, she had to stand there and pant for a moment. Juniper had practically sprinted to the tavern as soon as she had gotten down the steps to the keep. 

Once she was able to speak, she gasped out "I did something very stupid!"

Teldryn reclined in a chair, sipping ale as if nothing was amiss, just typical behavior from Juniper. "Oh?" He said.

Next to them, the local sellsword, Vorstag and bard, Ogmund listened in. Juniper, with a slightly panicked expression said. "I insulted the Thalmor Commander…" Silence from the men. "To his face."

Ogmund and Vorstag erupted in laughter, Ogmund nearly spitting out his brew. Kharjo was speechless and Teldryn threw his hands in the air. "Well, you're right!" Teldryn hissed, "You ARE stupid!"

"How are you alive?" Vorstag exclaimed between laughs.

"I don't know!" Juniper squeaked. "I think he was too shocked to do anything."

Her companions and their new drinking buddies immediately began asking for the details of the encounter while Juniper did her best to stop her hands from shaking. Teldryn leaned in close. "Are you insane? Are you trying to get us all sent to the mines?" This time, he truly looked furious.

Juniper didn't speak, she looked down at her lap, feeling like a scolded child. She tried to mutter something but Teldryn didn't let her speak. Swiping up a bottle of mead, he stomped out of the inn, slamming the door behind him.

The other three men were still laughing as they brought over a large bottle of cheap whiskey. Vorstag slid a small shot glass to her, filled to the brim with amber liquid. Juniper grimaced, she hated the burn of cheap booze, but tossed the swill back as fast as she could. Cheers from the men and a clap on the back from Kharjo drowned out the intrusive thoughts she'd been having for a moment. She looked down at the empty glass, knots forming in her stomach. Another shot was set down on the table in front of her with another round of cheers. Three shots of whiskey later and she was also giggling at her boldness, Teldryn's anger pushed to the back of her mind. Three shots after that and she could barely recall the way to her room, much less her tale of Thalmor superiority.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: A Game At Dinner

There was chatter in the court of Markarth, whispers in the halls of the group of mercenaries and their deeds to the Jarl. There were even rumors of their leader, the woman, being offered the title of Thane.

"Apparently, they were able to bring back the lost shield of the late Jarl Hrolfdir and won Jarl Igmund's favour." One of the kitchen staff said excitedly

"Quiet yourself, boy!" Anton Virane, the chef, snapped. "The walls have ears and we don't have time for you to jabber on about nonsense!"

Around the corner, Ondolemar listened impassively, attempting to break the tedium with a little court gossip. Green eyes scanned the Keep hoping, as he had done every day, that he would see that little Bosmer again. He'd briefly in his anger contemplated having her punished for insolence, but the very thought left a sour taste in his mouth. If this were Summerset, her response would have been appropriate and well-deserved. Simply touching a woman he wasn't involved with without permission was a social faux pas there. It would be absurd to think punishing a lady for his bruised ego was in any way acceptable.

It was gnawing at him, like his stomach was chewing on itself, while he was pacing his room for so long he expected to see a groove worn in the stone from his boots. Summerset was far away, both literally and in his memories. How easily now he fell into the rough ways of a soldier and the crude excuse for courtship that Skyrim had. If his mother had seen his actions, Ondolemar wasn't sure if she would be more upset by his lack of etiquette or the fact that he pursued a woman so far beneath him. Much to his dismay, that particular train of thought often turned to him thinking about Juniper being quite literally beneath him.

The circles in his mind came to a halt when a courier spotted Ondolemar and made a beeline towards him. With a tense bow, the boy presented a letter. "The Jarl invites you to a banquet this weekend to thank his new Thane for her assistance." The boy's voice cracked and squacked. Ondolemar took the letter and waved the boy off, eager to be rid of the interruption.

"Well, it seems we shall finally see who this mercenary is." He mumbled to himself, reading the invitation slowly.

The fire crackled in the hearth, warming the cool stone around it. Juniper sat on the floor nearby, chin resting on her knees as she looked around Vlindrel Hall. 'There must have been better places to buy a home.' She had thought in the back of her mind when she acquired the deed. The thought of having somewhere to call her own, a place no one else could eject her from, was something she couldn't resist. Never in her life had she been able to truly call a place home. Her mother was where home was and without her Juniper had nothing to return to. The knowledge that she could be cast away by her mother's husband at any time was enough to ensure that she could never return to Cyrodiil.

A clattering and the smell of roasting garlic coming from the kitchen meant that Teldryn was cooking something. Juniper could make out the sounds of Kharjo moving furniture around. She felt guilty that there weren't enough rooms for everyone to have their own but the men assured her that sharing was no issue. They had been settling in after a week in the house and Juniper had finally unpacked some of her belongings. Living out of her bag was exhausting. She was constantly rifling through piles of things, trying to find what she needed in the ever-growing mess.

"Oy, revered Thane of the Reach," Teldryn's voice called across the parlor "come get your dinner!"

Groaning, Juniper got up and stomped her way into the dining room. Kharjo rushed forward to make a big show of pulling out her chair. "Only the best for the Thane!" Kharjo laughed, giving an exaggerated bow. Teldryn cackled as he set the food on the table.

Rolling her eyes, Juniper grabbed her chair from Kharjo and settled herself in. When she reached for the serving spoon, both men jumped up as Teldryn exclaimed "No, a Lady mustn't serve herself!"

Juniper threw her hands in the air. "Are you ever going to get tired of this?!" She cried as the men laughed themselves half to death once again. "This city must be truly dull if this is what amuses you." Slapping some of the pot-roasted goat and potatoes into her bowl, she did her best to ignore them and eat. They had barely settled into mostly silent meal, bar the occasional chuckle, when there was a knock at the door. Kharjo motioned for the other two to stay seated and went to answer the door.

The sound of voices could be heard but Juniper couldn't make out any words. A few moments later, Kharjo returned with a letter in his hand, passing it to Juniper. She quickly broke the seal and began to read, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Oh," she said, "I've been invited to a dinner banquet by the Jarl this Loredas." Looking up at them, she chewed her lip. "I haven't attended an event like that in years."

"This is a big honour, no?" Kharjo said. "This one heard that the chef is one of the best in Skyrim."

Juniper hummed in response, "I wonder who will be attending, likely the Silver-Bloods, the Steward, and the court Wizard."

"Probably the Thalmor Commander, as well." Teldryn said, giving her a pointed look. "Try not to cause any trouble this time."

"I didn't cause any trouble. He was inappropriate and I responded. What would you have me do?"

"Learn to handle a situation a little more delicately." He snapped back, stabbing his potato with his fork. "If you run your mouth to the wrong person, you're going to get a dagger to the back!"

Juniper slapped the letter onto the table and huffed. Glaring down at her food, she stayed silent and just pushed her meat around. 'I'm plenty capable of handling myself in social situations.' She boiled in her own thoughts as Teldryn kept eating. Kharjo looked uneasy as he glanced between the two but made no move to interject so the rest of the meal was eaten in tense silence.

The sunset on Loredas evening cast long shadows from the stairways, arches, and towers over the stone. It was like a giant lattice work of light and dark throughout the city. Ondolemar watched from the balcony in the Wizard's Tower above the museum. The banquet would start soon, he would need to return to the museum, where Calcelmo had allowed the Jarl to host the gathering. Guests had slowly been filtering in, some who had traveled from other towns to visit the Jarl. Another figure was ascending the steps, nearly fashionably late as he was going to be if he did not return soon. With a sigh, Ondolemar straightened his regalia and strode back inside.

Juniper couldn't deny that she was nervous as she walked to the museum doors. There was a guard ahead of her checking their invitations and names off a list. 'This is nowhere near as daunting as sneaking into the Embassy.' She reassured herself as she handed her invitation to the guard. He stared at the invitation, blue eyes shrouded by thick brown eyebrows, then he looked up at her. She could tell he was scrutinizing her as she didn't look the part of the hardened mercenary as people thought she would be.

"Aye, Thane. Welcome." He nodded, stepping aside to let her pass, watching her closely.

Juniper had not entered the museum before, though she had been invited to visit by Calcelmo, the court Wizard. As expected, Calcelmo himself stood to the side quietly coaching his nephew, Aicantar. Juniper carefully removed her velvet cloak, leaving her in her dress and a rabbit fur stole as she approached the Wizard.

"Good evening, Calcelmo." Juniper said cheerily as the old Mer turned to look at her with brows furrowed. Aicantar stuttered and stared at her with the look of a cornered deer. "Oh, I suppose you don't recognize me without my mask." She said, giving him a warm smile.

Recognition flashed on Calcelmo's face. "Ah, yes! Welcome, Juniper. Have you had the chance to peruse the collections here?"

The two of them chatted amicably for a few minutes until a familiar face caught her attention and she glanced over Calcelmo's shoulder. Green eyes were locked onto her gold eyes as the Thalmor Commander strode over to the trio. Instead of the usual Thalmor robes, Ondolemar wore a deep blue jacket adorned with delicate silver stitching and embroidered foliage along the cuffs and hem. The high neckline dipped elegantly to expose his throat and the top of a fine white tunic underneath. Well-fitted trousers and polished tall boots completed his look and Juniper couldn't keep herself from admiring him. 'Perhaps of he wasn't such a prick...' She thought, abdomen clenching a little. 'Just nerves' she reassured herself.

His approach was enough to pull the Wizard out of his monologue. "Ah! Commander Ondolemar. How fare you?" He said brightly. "Have you met Juniper, the Jarl's new Thane?" Juniper saw the Commander give a very subtle double take, blinking in surprise.

"Yes. We met briefly." Ondolemar said pleasantly. Turning to Juniper, he gave a bow. "My Lady, it is a pleasure to see you again."

Juniper offered a small curtsy, not breaking eye contact as she spoke. "Good evening, Commander." The bell was rung for dinner before anyone else had the chance to exchange further pleasantries. Ondolemar bowed slightly again, gesturing with his arm to invite Juniper to proceed ahead of him.

'Not this smarmy bastard again.' Ondolemar sighed inwardly as Erikur, Thane to Jarl Elisif the Queen Regent of Solitude, seated himself at the foot of the table nearest to himself, directly across from the Jarl. The banquet hosted only a small number of important people of Western Skyrim. Aquillius Aeresius of the East Empire Company was a notable and rare visitor as well as the arse-kissing, degenerate Thane of Solitude. Ondolemar snickered to himself. 'He made the mistake of seating himself next to Calcelmo. At least that shall keep him from badgering the rest of us.' To his immense pleasure, the final seat available to Juniper happened to be the one directly across from himself, between Aquillius and Aicantar.

"About time we had some beauty at the long table." Aquillius said, taking a sip of Blackbriar Reserve while giving Juniper a sideways glance. Thonar Silver-Blood's wife, Betrid, shot a dirty look at the Imperial from across the table.

Juniper smiled politely, looking down into her glass. "You flatter me."

"I hope that doesn't bother you."

At that she laughed a little. "Not at all!" She replied, nearly smiling in earnest now. "I was becoming concerned that I have been far too hardened by life here in Skyrim."

"Regardless of appearances," Jarl Igmund piped up, "we are glad to have you here amongst us."

Across from her, Ondolemar spoke "Indeed, we are.". Juniper's eyes flicked over to him, dropping her smile and regarding him with a deadpan expression for half a second before moving past him to speak to Calcelmo. Ondolemar huffed subtly, his fingers twitching at the sight of her ignoring him. Despite all of his proposed charm, this woman was proving to easily be the most vexing one he had yet encountered in Skyrim. To his left, he heard Calcelmo ask Juniper questions about her new home, which she chattered on about quite excitedly.

A pleasant hum of chatter buzzed around Ondolemar, none of it directed at himself. He was accustomed to this, either the forced politeness or pretending they didn't notice him. Very few people openly interacted with him and he didn't bother trying in return. Every so often, he would flick his eyes across the table to glance at Juniper. 

Perhaps he had been so distracted by her fairness that he underestimated her. There was no shortage of praise for her deeds to the Jarl. None of the tasks she accomplished, with or without the help of her companions, were for the faint of heart. There was no doubt that she must have some level of ability. 

Yet, she spoke lightly and kindly to the humans, seemingly unbothered by the present company. The dress she wore was very traditional, very Altmer in style with deep blue silk, intricate details, and exposed shoulders shown off with her hair pulled back and woven. Silks and exposed skin were often cast away for thicker, warmer fabrics in the cold of Skyrim. It was a bold choice and he appreciated it. Ondolemar saw it as declaring herself as truly Mer, unwilling to compromise herself rather than fully assimilate. 'What an interesting juxtaposition she is.' He pondered.

A sneer from down the table got their attention as Thongvor Silver-Blood practically snarled at the mer, him leaning forward in his seat adjacent to the Jarl. The vitriol that he spat could curdle cream. Ondolemar initially couldn't tell if it was his own presence that had the Nord so heated until he caught the end of the hissing rant "-glorified errand-girl." The conversation at the table quickly fizzled out as the other guests looked to the new Thane for a reaction.

Across from Ondolemar, Juniper plastered on that polite little smile once again and regarded Thongvor. "And yet," she paused to raise her glass in mock salute, "here we both are, sitting at the same table." She took a sip, raising an eyebrow.

Ondolemar watched the scene unfold with increasing amusement, choosing to stay quiet and enjoy the rare entertainment provided to him. Watching Thongvor turn purple in suppressed rage was one of the Commander's favourite ways to pass the time. Poking a hungry bear wasn't usually the most intelligent way to create excitement, but one had to make their own fun in this rocky cesspool of a city. 

Knowing his mere presence would drive the man mad gave Ondolemar a twisted satisfaction. His previous frustration with Juniper's dismissive attitude was quickly being replaced with appreciation for her boldness. The attraction wasn't all that surprising to Ondolemar, as he always had a preference for feisty, witty women. The conversation at the table continued as Juniper turned to speak.

"Are you from Cyrodiil, Aquillius?" Juniper inquired.

"I am." Aquillius smiled. "I came here eight years ago from the Imperial City."

A genuine smile, the first that Ondolemar had seen from her all evening, lit up Juniper's face. "I am also from the Imperial City, I lived in the Market District most of my life."

"You were raised in Cyrodiil, but you don't speak quite like an Imperial." Ondolemar interjected, earning a glance from Juniper.

"That is correct." Juniper said. "My mother had a Northern Valenwood accent and my tutor was from Sunhold. It is only to be expected that I would speak in a similar fashion to them."

"How did you find yourself in Skyrim?" Aquillius inquired, ignoring Ondolemar. While the dismissive attitude was annoying, Ondolemar ignored him in return and looked to Juniper again. She had fallen silent, looking down at her plate, then glanced at Ondolemar. When their eyes met across the table, she quickly looked away.

Juniper knew it would come up eventually, she was already prepared to answer should anyone question her.

"My mother wanted to come here and I followed. She did not survive the journey here." She said matter-of-factly. 

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry to hear that." Aquillius said genuinely. "How do you like Skyrim?"

"I like it quite well." Juniper smiled again. "It's… cold and rugged but the spirit of the Nords is warm and their hearts like fire." Her eyes flicked to the Jarl, who was listening in. "I have found much kindness in the people of Skyrim, more than I could dare to ask for."

Juniper's eyes met Ondolemar's again, but his expression was unreadable. Willing herself not to shrink under his gaze, she stared him down until he finally glanced away to turn his attention to his food. Unable to help herself, Juniper smirked a little at the small win. 'Maybe once he knows I don't subscribe to Dominion ideology, he will find someone else to bother.' She thought back to what Teldryn said. 'Or perhaps I have put a target on my back.'

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Understanding

"Margaret!" Juniper urged in a hushed voice, barely audible above the noise in the Silver-Blood Inn. "The man who tried to kill you in the marketplace clearly targeted you. There must be a reason and I believe you know what it is."

The Nord woman glanced down the hall towards the main room, chewing the inside of her cheek and wringing her hands. "I must be losing my touch if it's that obvious." Wiping her sweaty hands on her dress, she leaned in. "I'm an agent for General Tullius. I've been sent here to investigate the Silver-Blood family and the Treasury House and attempt to acquire the deed to Cidhna Mine…" She trailed off as someone walked through the doors and sat down at the bar. "There is something going on here and I think Thonar Silver-Blood is who is behind my attempted murder in the market."

With a sigh, Juniper sat upon the bed next to Margaret, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. 'This is going to get messy, getting involved in this business.' Her eyes flicked up to Margaret's wide, bloodshot eyes. 'She's so frightened…'

"Let me look into it for you." Juniper rubbed the woman's shoulder. "I'll see if I can help in some way. Let's look at what you gathered and go from there."

"This whole city is a mess, isn't it?" Juniper mused aloud as she perused the alchemy ingredients, occasionally plucking an item off of a shelf to inspect it.

"We'd be better off without the Silver-Bloods." Bothela, the owner of the shop said. The old Breton woman coughed, silver hair and tattooed face obscured by clouds of smoke as she produced a particularly volatile mixture. "They send their brute, Yngvar, to shake some coins from me every few days. And that Betrid Silver-Blood! She is always asking for more potions to fuel Thonar's… ambitions. Gives him a temper fiercer than any bear."

Juniper scrunched her nose, shaking her head. Placing a bundle of whitecap and dried jazbay grapes to the counter, she went to retrieve her coin pouch from her pockets.

"You can have those if you do me a favor." Bothela shuffled over with a large nondescript potion bottle in her hands, setting it on the counter with a thud. "Run this up to the steward for me. I'm sick of taking the damn steps to Keep." With a beaming smile, Juniper plucked the bottle from the counter.

"Absolutely!"

Waving goodbye to Bothela, potion tucked away in her pockets, Juniper stepped out of The Hag's Cure and immediately came face-to-face with the one person she would want to see even less than Thonar Silver-Blood.

'Wretched, disgusting city.' A cloud of smoke from the smelter wafted in Ondolemar's direction. His guard hacked and coughed but silenced himself with a choked wheeze when the Commander shot him a look of disapproval. A creak ahead caught his attention, turning his head to the remaining stairs towards the apothecary just in time to see Juniper also notice him. She froze, tensing like a doe ready to leap away at a moment's notice. ‘She looks lovely.’ he mused. Her hair had been tied up by a silver hair stick adorned with a delicate filigree orb at the top. Strands fell around her face, drifting softly in the wind. The tunic and breeches she wore were simple but finely made, clearly the work of a quality tailor. It had been made to fit her form, delicate swirling patterns danced along the hems and neckline. A deep burgundy vest was laced snugly atop it, accentuating her figure.

“Good afternoon, Commander.” She said tersely. Taking a couple of steps towards the stone stairs leading to the keep. “I'm afraid I must run an errand so if you will excuse me…” she trailed off.

“I am retiring to the Keep for the day so it seems we are to be traveling the same direction.” Ondolemar did his best to keep his tone light, even as his stomach churned uncomfortably at the unease in her stature. “Please allow me to accompany you.”

Juniper hesitated, but conceded. “If you wish.” Stopping on the first step up to wait.

Waving off his soldiers, effectively releasing them from duty for the evening, Ondolemar clasped his hands behind his back and nodded for her to continue. The first flight of stairs was taken in silence, him flicking his eyes towards her impassive face. He caught her glancing at him, then quickly looking away and clearing her throat. The sounds of the city floated up to them, distant behind the sounds of their footsteps. He slowed his pace until he was a few steps behind her, causing her to turn with a confused look a few feet before the final set of stairs leading to the keep.

Ondolemar cleared his throat, hands clenching behind his back. “I believe I owe you an apology.”

Whatever Juniper must have expected him to say, that must definitely not have been it. Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

“You were right, about my lack of manners.” His hands came forward, fingers interlacing to play with his ring on his right middle finger, spinning around and around. “It was uncouth and unacceptable. I make no excuse for my lack of etiquette and I deeply apologize for putting you in such an uncomfortable situation.” A deep breath. “It was unbecoming of someone of my station.” He finished, meeting her eyes again.

Juniper blinked. “Are you apologizing because you truly regret acting in such a way or because your behavior could cause others to perceive you negatively?” She kept her expression neutral even though her heart was fluttering madly in her chest.

It was Ondolemar's turn to be surprised, his brows lifting and creasing his forehead. He sighed and shifted his weight, but his posture straightened and his gaze was unwavering. “Both.” He replied bluntly.

Juniper stared him down, searching his eyes for any hint of a lie. For all appearances, he seemed earnest in his apology. Her hand traced the wind-polished stone at her right, index finger following the grooves worn over the centuries. Her eyes darted along the path her hand took, thinking. ‘What does he seek to gain by this? I've met few Altmeri men who responded to their pride being wounded with such a measured response, much less taking honest accountability.’ Juniper's eye once again found his.

“I suppose,” she started, taking a step towards him and mirroring his posture with her back straight and fingers laced in front of her. “I suppose that is an adequate apology. Why, it would be quite discourteous of me to not accept it when you offered it so frankly.” Juniper couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips, once again surprising them both. Ondolemar's shoulders seemed to relax an inch, the crease in his forehead smoothing.

He bowed his head in thanks, taking a few tentative steps towards her. She did not shrink from his closeness, instead raising her chin to maintain eye contact, unwilling to make herself smaller. With a sweep of a hand, Ondolemar wordlessly invited her to continue up the steps ahead of him, stepping forward to open the door to the Keep for her when they had reached the top.

Before the opening to the throne room, he spoke again “This is where I leave you.” Bowing slightly, he reached out his hand, palm facing up. She begged her fingers to not tremble as she slid her hand in his, fingers so small in comparison. The calluses on his thumb were unexpected, the hands of a soldier, as he gently ran it over her knuckles before slowly pressing them to his lips. It was a struggle for Juniper to swallow past the lump in her throat as she gave a small curtsy in return. “Enjoy your evening.” he said softly before releasing her hand and walking away towards his private quarters with one last lingering look at her.

Nothing could be heard over the hammering of Juniper's heartbeat in her ears. She lifted her hand to her lips. “What?” Whispering to herself before realizing that the hand that touched her lips was the same hand that hand touched his. She flung her hands to her sides, wringing them out as if she could wring out the feelings. She stomped her feet to bring herself back to focus and shakily strode to the steward to deliver his tonic.

Delphine and Esbern led the way through the ruins towards Sky Haven Temple with Juniper, Teldryn, and Kharjo bringing up the rear. While the Blades had managed to gain access to the ruins and clear the area of Forsworn, they'd been unable to pass the barriers leading into the temple itself without Juniper's assistance. A tangible tension lingered in the air between the parties. Esbern appeared outwardly neutral towards Juniper, Delphine made no effort to hide her ire towards the Dragonborn.

The pathway opened up into a large chamber with a dais in the center and walls adorned with depictions of warriors and great battles, weathered with age and covered with moss and algae. On the far wall of the room beyond the dias stood a massive carving of a man's head. Juniper followed Esbern to the dias and studied the carvings that swirled across it.

"Another one of the lost Akaviri arts, the blood seal." Esbern spoke up next to her, also inspecting the words that were carved along the edge." The way forward can only be accessed by presenting the seal with blood, your blood specifically."

Juniper recoiled. 'Blood?' Hands on her hips, she grimaced at the stone head ahead of her, which stared back impassively. Esbern cleared his throat.

"You'll need to-"

"Yes, I'm aware."

Delphine stomped towards her, "Well, what are you waiting for?" She said, grabbing Juniper's forearm. Kharjo hissed behind them as Teldryn's hand lit up with flames in warning. 

"Forgive me for being a little hesitant to self- mutilate." Juniper gritted out, wrenching her arm away from Delphine. With one last look of disdain, Juniper pulled her glove off of her hand and retrieved her dagger from her boot. She paused with the tip of the blade pressed against her palm, trying to take a steadying breath.

Juniper squeezed her eyes shut and quickly sliced along her hand, gasping from the burn as the warm liquid trickled down the side of her hand onto the stone below. Immediately the seal began to glow and the stone head recessed into the wall, exposing a hallway. Juniper's hand throbbed as she wrapped the wound in a piece of cloth while Delphine and Esbern, the latter of whom gave her an sympathetic look, moved forward to make their way into the temple, leaving the other three alone in the chamber. Teldryn offered her a small healing potion, enough to stop the bleeding, lines of his mouth creased. She patted his arm as she followed the humans through the now open corridor and up the steps, cradling her injured hand.

By the time they had made it to the top of the steps, Esbern had already lit a couple torches and placed them throughout the room. The room was large with many long rows of stone tables. It appeared to be some sort of common room or dining hall judging by the metal cutlery and bowls still scattered around. Across one wall was a mural carved in stone where Esbern himself stood, studying the carvings. Moving closer, she could hear him clearly speaking to Delphine.

"Shor's bones, Alduin's Wall! I've never seen a finer example of early second era Akaviri sculptural relief."

Delphine sighed, "We are here to get some answers, not for an art history lesson."

"Yes, yes." Esbern waved her off. "Look, here is Alduin!" He gestured towards a large carving of a dragon. "This panel goes back to when Alduin and the Dragon Cult ruled over Skyrim." Moving along the wall, his one hand illuminated the engravings and the other ran fingers along the ancient stone. "The humans rebelled against their dragon overlords. Here is Alduin falling from the Sky, felled by the Voices of the Nords who rallied against him."

The rest of the group was waiting in silence save for Delphine, who paced behind the man, huffing impatiently. "So they defeated Alduin with a Shout?" She asked.

"Yes, but what Shout, we do not know." Esbern pondered. "Here, on the third panel. The prophecy which brought the Akaviri to Tamriel in the first place, in search of the Dragonborn."

"The Greybeards may be able to help." Juniper finally spoke, sitting on the edge of a nearby table with her legs swinging above the ground.

Face curling, Delphine huffed yet again. "As much as I hate to ask them for anything, you may be right."

"Are we done here, then?" Teldryn crossed his arms, head tilting. " If we leave soon, we can make it back to Markarth before sundown. I would prefer to not have to travel through the Reach in the dark"

Delphine opened her mouth to speak but Juniper interjected before she could. "We know what we must do so I don't see any reason to dawdle." Hopping off the table, she ushered her companions back towards the doors.

"Make sure to come back this time."

Juniper paused mid stride, eyes boring into Delphine's for a few seconds, then turned back around and left without another word.