I woke up first.
Fluffy was what greeted me.
One of Yasaka's tails was in my arms as I hugged her. On the other side, Raikou was hugging her too as she squeezed her between us.
I think I accidentally woke them up with moving because she shifted position, letting out a long sigh.
I leaned over and kissed Yasaka's forehead. "I'm going to get up and go do some things. Do you need me to stick around or be back?"
Yasaka let go of me and snuggled up to Raikou. "I'm fine; go do your stuff. You already helped me enough yesterday." She said with a yawn and pushed her head into the side of Raikou.
Raikou peeked an eye open, smiling at me before taking Yasaka into her arms, and they fell back into a comfortable spot.
I wouldn't disturb her rest any longer; she deserves this.
Instead, I grabbed my stuff, got dressed, and quietly walked out of the room and hopped over to my own house.
Scáthach was already up, sitting at the dining room table, drinking some morning coffee.
She looked at me, raising an eyebrow. Probably because I was enjoying the view.
Her robe was mostly open, and she wasn't wearing anything under it.
Alright, calm down, Wilhelm. You just had a long, a very long night.
"Come." She held her arms open after setting her mug down.
Well, I'd never reject a hug.
"You smell of the Fox and your servant. You had a fulfilling night." She released me, not really accusing me of anything. There was barely a hint of care towards it.
"Raikou and I spent the night with her. She's been stressed ever since the war had been declared, so it was a good moment for her to get some much-needed unwinding."
She smiled warmly. "Good, you have been fulfilling your duties properly, my student."
I don't think she means the sex part.
But Yasaka really needed it. Everything leading up to the war, the war itself, then the aftermath and having to deal with so many large egos because they want something from her.
She grabbed my collar, adjusting it. I didn't move, letting her fuss over me. "I heard you fought a foe yesterday. You appear to be well, so I won't scold you for finding out from someone else."
It was her way of saying she's happy I'm not hurt.
"A lot of things happened in quick succession." I barely had room to breathe before I was being pulled into something else.
"I hope you are not referring to yourself, because I know I taught you to have sufficient stamina." She quirked her lips a little, teasing me.
I moved in for another hug. "I missed you."
She chuckled softly, just patting my head. "You silly boy, are you going to act like this at your age? I suppose I can spoil you some despite it."
It may have only been a few days, but I missed everyone.
"I'm just appreciative of what I have after meeting the idiot I fought yesterday. It felt like looking in some weird, distorted mirror, except the mirror was incredibly stupid."
While I wasn't going to feel weird about my similarities to Rizevim, it did make me appreciate everyone in my life even more.
After the fact, I realized I sort of pity him. I don't think he has anyone in his life that actually cares about him.
She pinched my cheek. "Are you saying you did not appreciate us before?"
I knew she was teasing me still.
It's days like this that make life worth living.
"What are your plans for the day? Do you intend to stay and assist with the commotion?" She asked me.
"Yasaka said she doesn't need my help anymore. I was going to head over to Skyrim; the last part of my sword needs to be done there, and I can't forge it by myself."
I've been putting it off for a bit because things popped up, but now that I have downtime, I really do need to get it done.
Otherwise, the Eye is still on my mind, and what to do about that. But I'll wait until Odin is done with his stuff too before we talk about it more.
We may need to speed up our timeline on acquiring the Holy Relics.
But the Grail is going to be rather difficult to get our hands on.
"I will come with." She said firmly.
"Are you sure? It won't be very entertaining."
"Student." She looked at me pointedly. "Remind me, who forged the spear you care for and the sword that was made from its brethren? Who taught you various crafting techniques?"
I may have coughed a little awkwardly. "I didn't mean it like that…""
She pinched my cheek again. "I will come with you."
"I would be happy to have you help."
"It's good that you know." She nodded to herself. "Now, take a shower; you still smell of the Fox. And don't use magic; use a proper bathing."
"Why explicitly a real shower?" Because I did know magic to, well, clean myself.
"Because I will be joining you." She got up, her robe still swayed open. "Student, just because I am willing to share does not mean I do not wish to have you to myself as well. Continue to do your duties properly." She got up and walked, presumably, to the bathroom.
She was intentionally swaying her hips.
I really am lucky that I have such ridiculous stamina.
[Line Break]
"The air here is pleasant." Scáthach said softly as we stepped out into the Skyrim winter air. "Why did we not go greet your other lover first?" She asked as we headed down the cobblestone road.
"If I go over to see Meridia, I'll get sidetracked and won't want to leave. I'll probably stay with her all day and then some, maybe."
She just nodded. "You have the bad habit of getting sidetracked."
Tell me about it.
Oh well.
"It's why I have you and the others." I smiled.
She reached over and playfully pinched my cheek again. "Don't use us as a crutch to develop poor habits."
I stepped off the road and over a stone wall to press my hand against the soil.
Scáthach joined me, squatting down at my side.
"Is the dirt curious?"
"They're recovering from a dragon scorching their farmland not long ago. I just wanted to see if the soil was healthy or not at this point. I don't really have anything notable to measure dragon fire by when it comes to the health of farmland."
I glanced at her as she tucked some hair behind her ear. "It should be fine for the next season."
"You have experience in farming?"
"I have experience in many things, student. I ruled over my own lands of Skye when I was younger. Learning how farming works and how to assist my people and make sure their bellies were filled was one of my primary concerns."
She sounded nostalgic.
Of course, I could have guessed that.
"You can tell somewhat the health by the critters under the surface." She pushed her hand into the dirt, turning it over a bit. "See the various worms and insects. If the land were unhealthy, such things would not appear in these large numbers."
She wiped her hands off, smiling at me.
It was an oddly cute side of hers that I was seeing at the moment.
"I'll take your word for it." Because farming wasn't something I had much knowledge in beyond buzzwords like 'crop rotation' and such.
"There isn't anything to steal here for a quick fill, youngsters." A cart rolled up slowly, pulled by a cow. An elderly Nord sat in the driver's seat, giving us a weary eye.
I wiped my hands off. "I was just checking to see how the soil was doing after what happened with the Dragons."
"Aye, the land is looking right for next season. Should be done well, and we'll have a proper harvest, Divines willing."
Scáthach gave me a smug look, nudging me as if to say, 'Told you so.'
"Do you need a ride to town, youngsters?" He offered.
You know, despite the fact that he presumably believed we were trying to grab a few veggies or something for a snack, or whatever, he was now offering us a ride over to Whiterun.
I think that's why I kind of love Skyrim.
"If you wouldn't mind, sir." I said respectfully.
He grunted, jabbing his thumb to the back. "Well, get on, would you? Ain't got all day to dally."
I climbed up onto the back of his cart, offering my hand as I helped Scáthach up.
Did we need a ride? No.
Was it quaint and enjoyable? Absolutely.
I was feeling rather nostalgic myself at this point.
It reminded me of my first time coming to Skyrim.
The air was a bit colder than I remember, probably getting close to winter here. I mentally rummaged through my Ring to find a few things that I recalled I had in a corner of it somewhere.
I took out a fur coat and put it over Scathach's shoulder.
She rolled her eyes, but there was also a warm smile returned.
I put my own on too; it made us stick out less.
Neither of us technically needed it for temperature reasons, but it made things more comfortable.
We passed by several farms where they were tilling and preparing the land for the following planting in the following winter.
"Farming is not much different than fighting, student. Just as a warrior must train themselves and keep themselves sharp, so too must a farmer constantly tend to their fields. Neglecting it for even a short period can cause the farmland to become unusable until it's fixed."
"Is that your subtle way of saying I'm not training enough?"
"If I were telling you to train more, I would not be subtle." She responded bluntly.
That is very true.
She was many things; subtle was often not one of them.
"It's my job to bestow upon you wisdom regardless of the source."
"And what great wisdom do you have for me next, Great Immortal Witch?"
"Allow me to bestow upon you even greater wisdom, student. Sarcasm leads to a more thorough beating when we train later."
I probably deserve that.
"If I said I love you, how much less of a beating would I get?" I asked hopefully.
She held her fingers up, a miniscule amount of space between them. "About that much." She said with a humored tone. "One day, student. You will become wise enough not to invite additional beatings upon yourself."
That will probably be the day I die.
I eventually hopped off the wagon, grabbing Scathach's hand to help her out.
We waved goodbye to the kind man that gave us the ride as he dropped us off at the slope heading up towards the city gates, near the stables.
This oddly felt like a date.
"Red Dragon Emperor!" One of the guards called out, and several people turned to look at us.
I heard the whispers abound as the guards enthusiastically greeted me.
I was used to it at this point.
"Morning, everyone." I politely waved. "You wouldn't happen to know if Eorlund Gray-Mane is around, would you?"
"Aye, I think he's at the forge. I heard that some of his famous steel has been trading hands in town, so he should be up there, I reckon."
"Thank you." I responded still polite as they held the gates open for us.
They didn't even question who Scáthach was.
She looked at me in amusement. "They appear to be quite enthused with you."
"You save the town one time, and they call you a hero. What can I do?" I shrugged helplessly.
She playfully hit my shoulder. "Don't get a swollen head, student."
She looked around curiously at everything. She hadn't been to Skyrim really, compared to the others. A visit or two here or there, but she hadn't really explored like Artoria had.
Honestly, I think she did it to save herself some heartache, as it must be very close to how home was for her back in her time.
We strolled through the markets first; they were starting to bustle this early in the morning.
I sat a few gold coins down on one of the stalls and picked up a couple apples, offering one to her as I bit into mine.
I really did like the apples here; they tasted sweeter than the ones back home.
I never did use my idea to create a new Apple empire back home by pushing out all other apple brands with these ones.
A shame.
I could have been Apple King.
She grabbed my arm affectionately; we didn't look much different than a proper husband and wife amidst the growing crowds.
It has been a while since we've been on a date.
She's not usually the sort that goes for that sort of thing unless the whimsy strikes her.
Usually, her idea of spending time together involves training or practice.
I avoided the Jorrvaskr for now. Even if Thorum was awake, it's the same issue with Meridia; I knew that I would get sidetracked.
At least Meridia knew I was here, and I was coming to her after I was done with this.
I knew for a fact that she pinged me the moment I stepped into this world.
"It's up this cliff here." I gestured to the barred gate that normally locks the stone stairs.
It was unlocked, so I presumed the person we were looking for was up top. It wasn't a long climb, maybe a couple stories up.
While it's called the 'sky forge,' it's not very high.
Once we reached the top, I was relieved to see him stoking the flames.
He noticed us too.
"Lad." He nodded to me. "Come to get your sword looked over?"
"Not today." I shook my head. "Sword's still fine; I maintain it properly. I have another project I need your help with. And this is Scáthach; she's the one who taught me everything I know."
"Well met." He gave her the same curt nod, not even questioning the whole 'teacher' aspect. "What's this 'project' you want help with, son?"
I took out Greed in all its unholy glory.
The sheath on the blade had started to…change.
I don't know if I would call it rot; some kind of deterioration was apparent. Like it had been gradually withered down.
I pulled the blade out, and part of the sheath just collapsed without the sword to support it any longer.
What a shame; the sheath was well forged and rather beautiful.
"This is the most heinous weapon I've ever had a hand in." I held it up, letting the morning sun reflect against the blade. There was a faint green shimmer under the surface, like an image of a serpent crawling along its edge. "It was made for a very specific enemy in mind, but the sword itself can be called the ultimate mage killer."
"Poisoned." He stated bluntly.
"Every poison you've heard of and many—many more you haven't. The metal is a special sort; it can take in things that make it stronger. I started feeding it various poisons, venoms, or toxic substances. I've tested it on a troll; just a small scratch was enough to make it wish it was dead before completely killing it in the most vile way."
I felt weird about this sword.
On one hand, I was proud of my treasure; on the other, there was nothing to be proud of about a sword like this.
"What do you need my help with, lad? That magic stuff or poison—" he waved his hand. "-- isn't something you should ask for my help on. I forge steel, sometimes other metals, but I'm a smith."
I carefully moved over to the table, laying Greed down.
I then took out my other prize.
"This is Vibranium. A rare metal that can absorb physical energy and redirect it normally, making it nigh indestructible."
That got his attention.
Eorlund Gray-man was all over it before I could even finish the introduction.
Scáthach too; I don't think she's seen it yet.
She tapped it a few times. "Forging it will be difficult. And the heat needed will be astronomical."
Earlund paused, looking up at her. "You know what you're talking about, lass?" A question laced with a subtle accusation.
The pride of a smith wouldn't let him hear nonsense from someone who didn't know what they were talking about. Even though I did mention that it was her who made my sword in the first place when I met Earlund for the first time.
But, well, there are certain things demanded of a Smith in regards to his pride.
Scáthach raised an eyebrow; I think she felt her own pride flaring.
She was being questioned by a man centuries her junior.
"Student." She said sternly. "Show him my spear. And the sword."
Sometimes, she took a certain tone that made me not even think about refusing her, despite not wanting to in the first place.
I quickly took out Gae Bolg and my Whisper.
He took a single glance at him, and that was apparently all he needed. "Good spear!"
Scáthach nodded, and I felt an invisible tension disappear.
"The sword was made from a similar spear?"
"One of its sisters." Scáthach confirmed.
"Fixed the balance?"
"Of course." She scoffed.
"Good lass."
And just like that, I felt like they reached some sort of understanding. Maybe I just couldn't see it because I wasn't actually a smith. My knowledge of smithing was enough for me to forge a sword, albeit rigidly and probably with many errors.
I couldn't claim the loft title purposely around people like this.
"Student, you want this metal forged on top of your blade. I assume its mystical properties will allow it to be absorbed." She turned to me.
"That's about right. I learned that a normal forge can't smelt Vibranium, so…." I gestured to the forge behind them.
She turned to look at the Sky Forge, evaluating it herself. "I can feel the old magics on this place. It is a spot of ancient power."
"The Companions settled upon this spot because of the Sky Forge." Eorlund straightened up proudly. "My clan-fathers have worked it since the first Gray-Manes came to Whiterun."
"Well, I suppose the question is, can your forge handle Vibranium?" I asked.
Eorlund crossed his arms. "Son, I may be no magic user, but even I know the magics around this forge aren't something to scoff at. There isn't a metal wielded by any man that can't be smelted here at this forge."
Scáthach tossed her coat onto a nearby wall, and she pushed her sleeves up. "Let us get started. We will need to significantly increase the heat."
"Aye, I got the good burning wood in the back, nice and dry. It's the stuff I use when smelting something like ebony."
"Student, you're on grunt work. Get to work on the bellows; keep those embers as hot as possible. If needed, add some fire through magic."
"Yes, Ma'am." I knew I was being relegated to grunt work already.
But if it got my sword done, then I'd be happy to do so.
Though, based on how long Mirage took, I knew I was in for a long day.
[Line Break]
A/N
A nice wholesome chapter after the past couple ones. Combined with finally completing his Mage Killer Sword.
If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a boosty if you can't use the above under the same name