Rise of House Sigeweald Book One (Skyrim Fanfiction)

Chapter Six: Walk that Mile, Honeychild

Elspeth woke up slowly and peered up from the pillow.  The room was unfamiliar but she was so comfortable she couldn’t be bothered to feel anxious.  She pulled herself back under the covers and stretched as she recalled her arrival at Breezehome.  When she finally emerged, she looked up and from the position of the sun in the window she could tell it was quite early in the morning, which meant she hadn’t slept for long.   So she was surprised that she felt well rested—in fact, she couldn’t quite remember the last time she felt so rested.  On a chair next to the bed, Lydia had set out a dress, some wool socks, a washcloth, and soap.   She got up and put the clothes on—the dress was entirely too long—and grabbed the cloth and soap.  When she opened the door, she smelled sweet spices and heard people chatting.

Lydia and Idolaf were sitting at the table and Lydia smiled when she saw Elspeth at the bottom of the steps.  “Good morning!” she said, “I made porridge.  Would you like some?  And some tea?”

Elspeth felt famished again and said, “Yes, please.  I’m going to the tap first, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.  That dress is a little big, no?  We’ll get you something that fits better today.”

When she returned and sat down, Idolaf asked—cautiously, as if wasn’t sure if Elspeth would respond to him—“Did you sleep well?  You were dead asleep when we left the Mare.”

“Yes, I did.  Um, how did I get back here?” she asked as she slid onto the bench next to Idolaf.

“Idolaf carried you,” explained Lydia.  “We tried waking you, but you wouldn’t stir.”

“I feel better than I have in a long time.  I’m surprised I got up so early though.  I thought I’d sleep longer.”

Idolaf raised his eyebrows, “Longer?”

“Well yes,” said Elspeth, not sure why this was surprising.  “I mean…”

“Oh Elspeth,” Lydia interrupted her, laughing.  “You’ve been asleep for over a day and a half.”  She placed a large bowl of porridge and mug of tea down.

“Really? Well, okay then.”  She wasn’t really surprised; she hadn’t been that weary and injured in a long, long time.  She looked down at the porridge and started eating.  This was the breakfast of her childhood.  She looked back at Lydia, smiled and said quietly, “Just like Runa makes.”

“Yes,” interjected Idolaf, “and this is the only thing that Lydia can cook just like Runa.”

Elspeth frowned at Idolaf and looked at Lydia who agreed, “No, it’s true.  I can’t cook at all.  I eat a lot of cheese and bread.  And apples.”

“And at the Mare,” added Idolaf.  “And Dragonsreach.”

“Yes….”

“And at house Battle Born.”

“What’s your point?  The Battle Borns have been feeding me since I was small.  Since before you became a Battle Born.”

Elspeth giggled.  Idolaf didn’t make her feel anxious this morning and she rather enjoyed watching them squabble.

Idolaf had been uneasy about coming back to Breezehome to see Elspeth, not quite certain how she would receive him at this point.  With Lydia he knew what to expect; theirs was a friendship characterized by high levels of patience and she never got, much less stayed, angry with him.  But Elspeth was new and she had born the brunt of Legion stupidity—and that generally did not bode well for him or any Imperial supporter in Skyrim.  He was relieved to see her in good spirits and when she was finished eating he reached down to the floor and took something from his bag.  “I brought you something from my family,” he said as he handed her a large package wrapped in paper and twine.