Chapter Text
I sat on the boulder, letting the horses graze on the tundra grasses as I watched Loki conclude his conversation with Cicero. I suppose, if I didn’t know what I did, that he would be funny. A little man in a black and red jester’s costume, complete with curly-toed shoes and bell-bedecked hat.
Actually, that was a lie. The man was terrifying, even without knowing that he’d spent the last two decades as an assassin.
Although, given that Sheogorath, the Madgod, is also called a “Sithis-shaped hole in the world”, and that the Brotherhood served Sithis, Cicero more than the rest of the ones currently serving, I wondered if Cicero wouldn’t end up in the Shivering Isles when he finally kicked it.
It might be worth poking at, after everything. Sovngarde looked fairly dull.
I snorted. Gods, I was planning on shit to do after I died now. I had to admit, that was new.
“And what has sparked such mirth, my dear?”
I shook my head, accepting Loki’s hand as I slid off my perch. “Life. A month ago, I was trying to work up the nerve to try and kill myself again. Now, I’ve got a purpose, a destiny.” I rose up on my toes and kissed the end of his nose, “You.”
He looped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Good. As long as you tell me if you ever get that desire again.”
I relaxed into his embrace, resting my head against his chest. “I will. And I’ll tell you if that little niggling voice that tells me I’m worthless gets too loud, too. Conditionally.”
“Oh?”
I pulled back enough to study his face. “You tell me the same. I saw your memories. I saw you let go.”
He opened his mouth to argue, then sighed and rested his forehead against mine. “Agreed.”
“Good.” I pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth, then pulled away. “Korvanjund is just over that hill.”
Loki raised a brow, taking in the low hill, then turning to study the road.
“Yeah, I have no idea how the damn thing was considered ‘lost’ either. Although, I suppose everyone forgot which ancient Nord ruin just off the road housed it.”
“Perhaps,” Loki mused.
We led the horses towards a sheltered copse of trees, loosely tying them to a low branch. Loki studied the ruin from our vantage point while I leaned back against a tree.
“So, since neither the Imperials or the Stormcloaks are here before us, it should just be a few bandits and then draugr.”
“Surprisingly, I find draugr a more appealing opponent than the falmer.”
“Yes.”
We both looked up at the interruption. Quoth sat perched on a branch, cocking his head as he studied us.
“Well now, where have you been?” I asked.
“‘Yes’ is new, isn’t it?”
I shrugged, looking around. “Last time he said that, you were about to walk into the hall.” I pointed at a flash of crimson in the distance. “Looks like he brought us a friend.”
Loki turned to look, then swore, but I could see the smile on his face.
I waved cheerfully as Thor rode up. Briefly I wondered how the horse handled the Bifrost.
“You’re here! Wonderful!” I grinned up at him. “I need you to knock down a door.”
Loki snorted in amusement as Thor laughed.
“Point the way, then.”
Thor left his horse, a bay gelding, tied alongside Frost and Ejnar, and I led the way towards the sprawling ruin. One of the bandits saw us and shouted a warning, before being flung down the stairs by Mjolnir.
“Welp, so much for being sneaky,” I muttered.
I hung back while the Asgardians cleared the bandits, then trotted up the stairs to the main doors. I waited while Loki checked out the small chamber under the entrance, sending my amusement down the bond. I was rubbing off on him.
Thor joined me, every inch the excited puppy.
“So, what brings you back? Odin finally pull his head out of his ass?”
“Nay, I fear you and my brother are still forbidden from setting foot on Asgardian soil, but he has reversed his decree barring travel to Nirn.”
I raised my brow at that. “Wait, I’m banned too?”
“Well, dearest, you did antagonize him.” Loki replied, joining us.
I grinned. “Not as much as I wanted to.”
“Caitlin,” he said, tone disapproving.
“Anyway,” I said, turning to Thor, “You only dropped in to say hi?”
“And knock your door down, apparently,” he said with a laugh.
“What are you planning, dearest?”
I shrugged. “Well, for the immediate future, the hike back to Sky Haven. After that? Dealing with the Dark Brotherhood. I know you two will trust me about Babette, even if the Penitus Occulatus won’t.”
“Babette?”
I waved a hand as I opened the door into the ruin. “She’s a vampire, turned when she was ten. She’s a full member of the Brotherhood, so an assassin in her own right. But she looks like a child, and I don’t think they’d handle her appropriately.”
Thor shuddered. “I hate dealing with the undead.”
I stopped. “Oh. Well, there’s a bunch in here. Did you want to wait with the horses?”
Loki cackled, head thrown back in mirth as Thor shot me an offended look.
“My distaste for the undead does not mean I wish to avoid the fight,” Thor announced, marching past me into the ruin.
“Well, I mean, he did just kinda invite himself along. He doesn’t need to do this,” I muttered to Loki.
Loki caught his breath, grinning at me. “True. But no warrior wishes to admit that fear drove him from the battlefield.”
“So he’s going to do all of this just because I suggested he should leave. Great.”
Loki offered his arm, amusement still dancing in his eyes. “Shall we, then? I would hate for the oaf to get lost before he can demolish your door.”
Despite Loki’s concerns, Thor hadn’t gone too far ahead, waiting for us in the second chamber. I led the way further in, stopping at the bottom of the stairs that led to the exit door.
“Alright, so that door is barred from the other side, but will make this a very short trip.”
Loki looked up at the door, then at me. “It’s wood. It would have been a simple enough matter for me to handle it.”
“Don’t be pissy, I was going to ask you. But now we have him, and he’s more of a tank than you are.” I turned to Thor, a grin plastered on my face. “So, what do you say, big guy?
“Tank?” Thor asked, though they were both giving me blank looks.
I sighed, but there was a smile behind it. “In any type of role-playing game, a tank is your heavy-hitter, the one who gets the attention of the opponents. Also known as the fighter. Goes well with the mage and thief archetypes.”
Loki raised an eyebrow at that. “You are not considering joining that.”
I grinned. “Maybe.” His lips thinned and I laughed. “No, I wasn’t. I mean, I’m in favor of getting involved enough to deal with Mercer, but actually joining? Not really my thing.”
“Good.”
Thor was looking between us, bewildered. Finally, he shrugged and threw Mjolnir at the door.
“Yay!” I led the way up the stairs, ducking under Mjolnir’s return flight. “So, there’s only like... three draugr in here. High King Borgas and two others, I guess honor guard. Anyway, we need Borgas’s crown. He won’t be happy giving it up.”
“And what is the significance of this crown?” Thor asked.
“Well, it lends credibility to the holder’s claim to the throne, at the moment. The ongoing war complicates that, you see.”
Tor shot Loki a measured look. “I see.”
I swatted at his chest as he approached. “Stop that, we-“
“We had not yet planned on making any public claim,” Loki cut in smoothly.
I turned to him, incredulous. What was he doing?
I shook my head, raising my hands in defeat. “Whatever. Come on, it’s through here.”
I led the way down the passage, mentally cursing Loki through the bond. I know he wanted Asgard to think he was gunning for the throne, but why?
Idiot. And I was doing this in a way I wasn’t going to get the Ebony Claw, too. He’d better make it up to me later.
I shoved open the door at the end of the passage, pointing down into the chamber below.
“Right, there’s Borgas, and the two sarcophagi have draugr, too. I’m pretty sure Borgas was a Tongue, too, so expect some Shouts. Most likely Unrelenting Force and Disarm.”
“Lovely.” Loki turned to Thor, a pair of daggers appearing in his hands. “Shall we?”
I shook my head as the two headed down. Loki grabbed the Crown, jumping back as Borgas rose from his throne, the flanking sarcophagi slamming open to reveal his guards.
I left the boys to it, ducking behind the platform to loot the chest concealed there as the fight ended. It wasn’t that long, all things considered.
Funny, when you hit this ruin in the game, you are joined by a half-dozen soldiers from whatever side you join, and even then, it takes a great deal of effort to end it. Thor and Loki had practically ended it by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs.
Loki picked up the Crown, swiftly hiding it in his magical pocket before shooting Thor a bland look. “We were headed to Whiterun after this. Are you accompanying us?”
Thor looked between us. “That was all?”
“I mean, we could go through the whole thing to pick up the Ebony Claw, but I don’t really need it, as such. I just want to collect them. But other than that, yeah. Just here for the Crown.”
Thor hummed, seeming to consider things. “Very well. I shall remain with you, until I am summoned back to Asgard.”
As we headed out of the ruin, Loki summoned the Crown, idly turning it in his hands. “Hideous thing, really.”
I shrugged. “It’s made out of dragon teeth, what were you expecting?”
Loki banished it again with a sigh. “Is a little elegance so difficult to arrange?”
I laughed. “With Nords? Probably. You’d have to go to the elves for that, most likely.”
Loki harrumphed at that. “Why must I constantly be surrounded by barbarians?”
“You’re just lucky, I guess,” I replied, pecking him on the cheek.
Once we were mounted and headed back to the road, I turned to Thor. “So, why are you here? I mean, I’m happy you are, but I figured you would have headed to Midgard, and Jane, before joining us.”
He shrugged. “Heimdal could not see either of you, and Mother worried.”
“Ah. That’s fair.”
We lapsed into silence as we rode towards Whiterun. I could tell that Thor wanted to question what had happened, but I wanted to let Loki explain. At least until I could figure out what he was aiming for, anyway.
We stabled the horses with no issue, heading up the path towards Whiterun. Thor was looking around, studying the people and the architecture with a small frown.
“These walls need to be repaired,” he muttered.
I shrugged. “Between the Great War thirty-odd years back, and the civil war now, I don’t think the funds or the men have been easily available”
Thor grunted in acknowledgement, and I pointed to the Bannered Mare.
“Alright, pick up our stuff and close out our tab, or go bother the Jarl first?”
Thor had perked up a bit at the sight of the tavern, and Loki sighed. “Here, brother. We’ll catch up with you later.”
He tossed a small coin purse to Thor. I watched him leave with a small frown.
“Hey, Thor?”
He turned, eyebrow raised.
“If a man named Sam challenges you to a drinking contest for an enchanted staff, turn him down, okay?”
He beamed at me. “Worry not, Caitlin. I have no intention of losing a drinking challenge.”
“Not what I’m worried about, big guy.”
He turned before I could continue, and I huffed out annoyed breath.
“You know what? If he gets into it with Sanguine, I’m not helping.” I stomped off a few steps before turning to Loki. “You can keep an eye on him, right? He’s going by the name ‘Sam Guevenne.’”
Loki grinned, shaking his head. “It might be good for him.”
“Well, I mean, he won’t get hurt, as such... just engaged to a hagraven.”
Loki blinked once, then burst into laughter. “Oh, well, then I shan’t stop him.”
“Loki! He’s your brother!”
“And he is more than capable of getting himself out of trouble. He’ll be fine.”
I sighed. “Fine. But if he’s missing when we get back, I’m not hunting him down in Markarth.”
Loki shook his head, still amused at the thought.
No one bothered us as we made our way up to Dragonsreach, and I was pleased to see the sapling planted in the stump of the Gildergreen. It looked bigger than I remembered.
Granted, it went from a nut to a two-foot-tall sapling in a heartbeat, so maybe it was growing super fast. Or I’m really shit at remembering size. Who could say?
Heimskr was still standing in front of Jorrvaskr, screaming the word of Talos to the passersby, but no one really seemed to mark our presence until we reached the doors to Dragonsreach.
Loki nudged me through the doors first, bending down to whisper in my ear as we approached the steps to the main section of the hall.
“Time to announce yourself, Dragonborn. You only had the title as potential before, but now you must claim it.”
”You’re an asshole. You could have told me before we got here.”
I could hear the smug smile in his voice. “If I had, you would have spent the journey fretting. This way, you don’t have time to overthink it.”
“I have anxiety. Overthinking is the only kind of thinking I have.”
I squared my shoulders as Balgruuf noticed us. I almost laughed when I saw Nazeem, waiting by Hrongar. Seems he did occasionally make it to the Cloud District.
“My Jarl, Loki and I have things we need to discuss with you.” I shot Nazeem a pointed look. “Things best said without an audience.”
Balfruuf nodded. “Very well, Dragonborn. Come up to the porch.”
Balgruuf and his advisors headed up the stairs behind the throne, and I followed with Loki half a step behind me. Our little procession wound past the entrance to the Jarl’s private quarters and outside to the Great Porch of Dragonstreach. I looked up as we entered, scowling at the massive yoke that had been forged to capture Numinex, then sighed. Here went nothing.
Idly, I mused how much easier it was to face down dozens of dragons than to ask a mere mortal to do me a favor, but, well, anxiety was weird like that.
Balgruuf turned to face me when he reached the edge, raising an eyebrow. “If there’s anything we can do to help you defeat Alduin, you only need to ask, Dragonborn.”
Briefly, I considered asking to trap a dragon in his palace, just to see the look on his face, but bile rose in my throat at the thought. I couldn’t. Not even for a joke.
“Well, There’s two things I came to ask of you, and one we brought for you.” I held out a hand to Loki, and he handed me the Jagged Crown without a word. “Here. Ufric is an idiot, and I don’t trust him. Elisif is a pawn just waiting to be used. I don’t want it. But I do trust you, and your judgment.” Balgruuf took the Crown almost reverently. “Keep it for yourself, or use it to back your favorite. I don’t care.”
He looked up at me, almost awed. “You said you had two favors to ask, as well.”
I breathed a laugh. “I do, but you won’t like them. I know that you have Mephala’s Ebony Blade downstairs. It’s corrupting your kids, by the way. I want it away from people. I can make that happen, if you give it to me.” I raised a brow at his shocked expression. “I also want whatever remains you have of Numinex, including the skull above the throne.”
Balgruuf’s eyes narrowed. “I see.”
I shrugged and approached the edge of the balcony. “Take your time, talk it out. Alduin’s been dealt with, so time’s no longer an issue.”
“You’ve slain Alduin? Already?”
“Defeated, not slain. I don’t think he can be. But, yeah. For the time being, he’s not an issue. There are others that are going to crop up, but I’m aware of them, and we’re working on getting ahead of them.”
I leaned on the railing, looking up at the sky as the sun finally disappeared behind the mountain and the moons rose. I hadn’t really had a chance to take them in before. Masser was full, huge and vibrant red, while Secunda, the smaller white shadow, rose as a waxing crescent. As the daylight faded, the stars winked into view, breathtaking in their quantity compared to Earth.
“Beautiful,” Loki said, leaning on the wall beside me.
I didn’t look over, just gently elbowed him in the ribs.
“And what was that for?”
I grinned at his affront. “For doing that thing where you could be talking about the view, but you’re really looking at me. It’s so cliche. You could do better.”
Loki hummed and leaned on the wall next to me and we watched the arora dance in the sky in silence for a few minutes.
“Farengar left to get the sword, and Hrongar and Ireleth are collecting your bones.”
“Good.” I looked over to where Balgruuf was pacing, then back up to the sky. “Sahloknir! Vulthuryol!”
The whole palace shook at my Shout, and I grinned. It would really have sucked to fight one of the dov here.
I pushed away from the wall as Farengar trotted in, a cloth-wrapped bundle in hand. He was holding the thing at arm’s length, and I couldn’t really blame him. You could feel the malice radiating off of it. Irelth and Hrongar weren’t too far behind, leading four guards, and all six weighed down with massive loads.
“The items you requested, Dragonborn.”
I nodded thanks to Balgruuf. “We’ll be taking our leave in the morning. If you need me after then, send a message to Sky Haven Temple, in the Karthspire in the Reach. Or flag down the first dragon you see.”
The sound of beating wings approached, and I heard the guards swear as Sahloknir perched on the stone wall. Vulthuryol circled the sky above, for now.
“You called, Dovahkiin, and I answered. This had best be worth my time.”
I shrugged. “It isn’t, but you’ll do it anyway, because I command it. The mage here has Mephala’s blade. Carry it to Skuldafn and drop it there somewhere.”
Hie gave me a pointed look as the mortals muttered behind me. “That will not stop its influence.”
“No, but it will be an inconvenience for a couple of decades. I’ll settle for that.” I switched to English as I looked over my shoulder. “Farengar, give Sahloknir the sword.” I turned to Sahloknir. “Don’t eat him. That would be rude.”
Sahloknir snorted, but gently took the bundle between his teeth and launched himself off the wall. Vulthuryol made one last lazy circle, then took his place.
The difference in the size of the two was stark. Sahloknir was big, sure, but Vulthuryol dwarfed the porch. I doubt he could have made it into the covered section.
“What would you command of me, Dovahkiin?”
I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. “Dragonsreach was built to hold a dragon. Numinex spent his last days here. They have his remains. I want them taken to Sky Haven. He’s one of mine, too. I look after what’s mine.”
Vulthuryol dipped his head, low enough that his jaw was practically on the floor. “As you command, Thuri. It will be so.”
I turned to Ireleth. “Give him the remains.”
No one moved for a long moment. Finally, Loki sighed and grabbed the nearest sack. That shook everyone out of their shock, and they had quickly loaded Vulthuryol down. He bowed one final time, then took to the sky, bearing Numinex home.
After Vulthuryol was out of sight, Balgruuf turned to me, plainly nervous. “How many dragons obey you?”
“Right now?” I pursed my lips to hide my grin. “All of them.” I could see the blood drain from his face and the fear in his eyes, so I shrugged, trying to relax him. “Like I said, we’re leaving in the morning. Take care, and you might want to spend a little less time at the Bannered Mare and a little more with your children. I wasn’t kidding when I said Mephala had her hooks in them.”
I headed to the door, trying to ignore how the guards scrambled out of my way. It actually hurt.
Once the door closed behind us, I felt Loki gently grab my elbow. “Brace yourself, beloved. Rumors fly faster than ravens at times.”
I sighed, but kept my back straight and my head up as I left Dragonsreach. I managed to get most of the stiffness out by the time we reached the Gildergreen.
“I see your project is flourishing,” Loki commented.
“Mmhmm. And maybe something more, I think.” I jerked a chin towards the bench under the tree facing the temple. I could see someone in priest’s robes sitting very close to Maurice. I guess Danica and he got along better than expected.
Loki chuckled softly. “Well done.”
As we were descending the stairs to the market, a body was hurled out of the Bannered Mare. Thor was standing in the doorway, glowering at the smaller man scrabbling to his feet.
“Well, that’s not Sam,” I muttered. “Sam wears black robes.”
Loki hummed, laying a hand on my shoulder. “Hold a moment. My brother is rash, yes, but this is out of the common for him. There is something more here.”
“Well, the only people I can think worth pitching out of the tavern are Nazeem and Mikael. That looks like Mikael. He’s trying to ‘woo’ Carlotta, who is less than interested. Thor has an aura around him, makes people, women, want to trust him. It’s likely that Carlotta asked him to get Mikael to leave her alone.” I watched him confront Thor for a moment. “I do wish he’d hold back a bit. Mikael’s the bard here, and it would be far worse than he deserves to lose his ability to play.”
“Simply being thrown out shouldn’t affect that too much, but I should probably intervene.”
“Thank you. He’d probably mark me as his next ‘conquest’ otherwise.”
“Truly? Perhaps I should let Thor beat him a bit more…”
“Loki.”
He sighed, aggrieved. “Very well, since you ask it of me, I shall spare the bard.”
He sauntered the rest of the way to the inn, grabbing Mikael by the arm before he could throw a punch at Thor.
I rolled my eyes as I squeezed past Thor into the Inn. “Men.”
Hulda and Carlotta laughed at that, and I headed over to join them.
“I take it Thor there is helping you out?”
Carlotta smiled. “Yes. He saw Mikael wouldn’t leave me alone, and decided to get involved.”
Hulda smiled at her. “And is he more the type you’re looking for?”
I sat back as Carlotta denied it, glancing around the room.
No black robes.
I breathed out a sigh and turned back to the door. Loki and Thor had entered, frog-marching Mikael between them as they passed the bar, and Carlotta.
“Oh, Hulda? Loki and I will be moving out of our room tomorrow morning.”
Hulda nodded. “I hate to see you go, but I’m glad you are. I’ll fetch your balance.”
“Give it to Loki. I’m going to turn in.”
Some time later, I woke to hands gently skimming along my side, and lips were pressed to the back of my shoulder. I stretched with a moan, then rolled over.
“Good morning. You have everything you need for that spell yet?”
Loki hummed, kissing the side of my neck, then my nose, and finally my lips. “Not quite yet. It would seem that there is an herb I can only find on Asgard.” He pulled away with a sigh. “I suppose I could slip it into a list of reagents I would need Thor to bring back for me.”
"Mmhmm.” I shoved at his shoulder, but didn’t put any force into it. “Patience is a virtue. Come on, I want to wake Nahagliiv and get back to the Temple.”
Loki hummed, grabbing my hand and brushing a kiss over my knuckles. “You said you believe you know what is needed, yes?”
I frowned at him. “The herb thing?”
Loki laughed and sat up. “For the Towers. The source of power in the north.”
“Oh, yeah. That. I’m pretty sure it’s the Eye of Magnus, under Sarthaal. You won’t be able to get it without joining the College of Winterhold. Since I’d wager that you’re a far more competent mage than any of them, there shouldn’t be an issue.”
“So, I’ll head to Winterhold and see what I can learn of this Eye.”
“Cool beans. I’m going to res Nahagliiv, show Alduin I can, and see what all I can do. We can deal with Miraak whenever he shows up.”
Loki stepped closer, kissing me tenderly. “And once I can persuade my oaf of a brother to fetch the herb I need, I will have you.”
I kissed him back. “Down boy. Let’s just deal with what we can for now.”
Loki grinned, and we walked out the door, towards whatever the future would bring.