Reborn ~an Alduin Love Story~

Drunken Ramblings

Sizaa left back up the steps to castle dour in a hurry. "Captain Aldis?" A soldier she had approached shook his head and pointed to a bearded man standing behind the archers. "Captain Aldis?"

The man turned to her, his dark eyes weathered with the weeriness of a long day but he managed a polite smile as she called to him. "Yes?"

"I'm here on behalf of Angeline Morrard. She wants to know what happened to her daughter, Fura." His smile faded.

"Generally posting information is need to know only." He grunted through grit teeth. Sizaa wasn't sure what about her questioning upset him but that wasn't an acceptable response for her.

"I think Angeline needs to know." The man sighed, searching for the right words to explain the situation.

"I...I've been trying to find the time and place to let her know. I suppose the time and place was twenty years ago...when it happened." 'Twenty years...' Sizaa couldnt imagine going two decades without knowing what happened to someone you loved. But then, it was her twentieth year, and she still had no idea who her real family was. "Her daughter was sent to Whiterun, the skirmishes there were violent. The whiterun legate, he needed to know the Stormcloak positions. He sent out a party to scout the area. They happened upon a large force... I'm told none of them made it back. Private Morrard...Angela's daughter was in that scouting party. She needs to be told."

Sizaa frowned. The news was surely tragic but, to wait twenty years to inform Angeline of her daughter's death? Wasn't it required they atleast send some sort of letter to the next of kin? There was guilt in his eyes as he told her this even as he refused to meet her gaze. Sizaa didn't enjoy lieing, and she certain didn't like liars. But something was off and her curiosity demanded she find out what no matter the methods.

"Do you know who I am, Captain?"

"No ma'am." Respectful, even if dishonest. Sizaa almost respected him for it.

"I am a legate, soldier." Biggest lie she'd told in quite a while. But everyone else had mistaken her for so, she only hoped her stern expression sold it. "Tell me the truth about her daughter. That's an order, Captain." He seemed hesitant but after a minute of studying her face he consented.

"Yes, Sir. Although I'm not sure you'll be happy to know." She nodded her head for him to continue and he glanced around them, weary of any prying ears. "Now, these are just the drunken ramblings of a soldier who finally earned leave so I wouldn't take them too much to heart. Apparently she didn't die in the field. According to him she died giving birth to what he described as...well...a monster. Something so dangerous the priests called for it to be offered to Kynareth as an abomination upon the world."

Her brows rose with interest. What could be so bad about a child? "Was it the offspring of daedra?" Even if so Sizaa didn't think they had a right to call for it to be made an offering.

Aldis shook his head. "No..."

"Did it have claws and scales?" She couldn't help the laugh that slipped through her words as she pictured the idea.

"No. According to him it was just...different..." She could feel herself frowning again. What could be so different about a child, it warrented being called an 'abomination'?

"What happened to the baby?"

"Well..."

"Yes, Captain?" She was being pushy but she didn't care. It had gotten too interesting for her to not know the ending.

"Apprently it was the Legate's as well. Legate Quentin Cipius. He wouldn't allow his child to be an offering so he and the soldier took the baby to High Hrothgar. I guess they hoped the monks would know how to help her."

The world around her froze as Sizaa's mind raced to come to any possible conclusion other than the truth. She couldn't be that baby. She wasn't. Her mother didn't die because of her. The Legate wasn't her father. She wasn't some monster temple priests would fear. Arngeir didn't hide this from her her entire life.

"A-and you're certain that...the baby was...a girl?" Maybe he was wrong. Maybe this was all some elaborate coincidence the god's had fabricated as a game to toy with her.

"That's how I heard." Sizaan knew the truth then, as much as she didn't want to face it. "Now if you'll excuse me I have soldiers to train." She nodded in dismissal and he returned to his archers. Just as she was going to walk away though he called out to her. "Oh and Legate...it's a mercy not telling the old woman the truth. I know I couldn't bring myself to do it. Let her believe her daughter died fightin'."

She hadn't even thought of Angeline. How would she possibly explain this to her?

'Fura was my mother...' 'I'm your granddaughter...' 'I killed your daughter simply by being born..' 'It's my fault you'll never see her again..' 'Please don't hate me you're the only piece of her I have to know..' Sizaa wanted so desperately to admit it all to Angeline as she stood before her in her shop. Something even told her Angeline...her grandmother...would forgive and accept her.

"Your daughter.." But did Sizaa have the courage? "Ms. Morrad...she...I'm.." Sizaa could feel her tears but she bit them back. She couldn't afford such a weakness in that moment. "I'm so sorry Ms. Morrad. Your daughter passed away fighting the Stormcloacks. I'm told she saved many lives before she was felled. She was a true hero."

Sizaa knew what Captain Aldis said:

"It's a mercy not telling the old woman the truth."

Was right. Angeline deserved to think her daughter died doing what she believed in. Not be stuck with second rate family she knew nothing about and probably didn't even want. Or maybe that was just the excuse Sizaa told herself so she wouldn't have to face the possibility of her rejection.

A/N: Back to the usual 800-1000 words count instead of 1500. Just to elaborate because I'm not sure if it was clear the war is over but it went on for more than twenty years, the incident with Fura was just twenty years prior hence Sizaa's age. Anways hope you guys enjoyed