There was not much of a road between the college and the point on the map that the orc had marked, so they left their horses at the stable and set out on foot. It was about a two hour hike around a mountain before they reached the ice fields... the sea really, but it was frozen solid enough that some crazy scholar had apparently set up camp out there.
As they looked out at the little mound of ice that was supposedly the scholar's outpost, Farkas questioned how anyone could be living out here. The only way out there appeared to be crossing the floating ice...
Farkas didn't have a problem hiking across the ice fields... when it was all solid ice. He had good balance and was sure footed for someone as big as he was, but when they reached the areas where the ice got thinner and occasionally broke off in chunks, all the balance in the world wouldn't save him if he stepped somewhere too thin to hold his weight.
Duna was small and nimble and was able to hop across the floating chunks before skidding across the last patch to the outpost. Farkas had several close calls, and got splashed with the icy salt water more than once, but he managed to make it...
The outpost, as the orc at the college had called it, was what seemed to be a Dwemer artifact frozen in the glacier, and the ice cave that had by one way or another, formed around it. They found the mage the orc had sent them to find easily enough, but getting answers out of him was another matter altogether.
Farkas couldn't make sense of most of what the mage said, so he took to his usual business of letting Duna do the talking and focused his attention on looking around and smelling and listening for signs of trouble.
Farkas shortly decided he didn't like the crazy old man... at first glance he'd thought he was simply like Esbern, a bit eccentric and old, now gone senile from years of being alone... but the way this guy rambled and laughed and spoke in third person made Esbern look normal.
Farkas also didn't like the Dwemer contraption he seemed so fascinated with (Vilkas had told him Dwemer ruins were haunted or something), and he really didn't like the fact the crazy man was trying to open the contraption, he didn't trust the smell of whatever was inside...
...and then he said something about Blackreach... Farkas tried to remember where he'd heard of Blackreach before... the crazy man did at least tell her where to find it...
Something about the whole situation made his wolf spirit uneasy.
He was relieved when Duna had gotten the information they needed and they were able to set back off.
They were barely passed the particularly unstable floating chunks of the ice fields, still not where Farkas was comfortable to be walking, when they heard a sound that almost made Farkas sick... the not distant roar of a dragon.
"Divines, you got to be kidding me!" Duna complained as she summoned her bow. Farkas swore under his breath as well and pulled out his mace and staff... this was not where he wanted to be fighting a dragon. He was on a large, floating chunk of ice... fortunately large enough that he wasn't likely to break through, but it rocked with every step he took, and he could feel how easy it would be for it to completely dump him into the water. Unfortunately he didn't have time to get to a more stable footing before the dragon was on them.
The glowing, dark purple arrows flew from Duna's bow, Farkas threw fireballs from his staff, and the dragon retaliated with ice. Farkas was relieved it wasn't fire because he couldn't do much dodging. The flashy fireballs got the dragon's attention and after a few passes it's attention was all on Farkas. The dragon's icy breath hit like needles... he was actually feeling the cold... sharp pains that made him feel slow and sluggish as he tried to simply keep firing and outlast the dragon.
The dragon's breath thickened the layer of ice enough that Farkas was pretty sure he could safely get off the floating parts, but his legs were too numb by then to move quickly anyway.
He could hear Duna shouting fire at it as well but getting trapped in the buildup of ice he couldn't keep track of where she was. Then, suddenly, one of Duna's arrows struck it in the eye and it plummeted from the sky.
Farkas was relieved... for a moment... and then the dragon crashed into the ice nearly right on top of him. In its death throws it smashed straight through, and Farkas was tossed into the icy water right along with it.
Farkas managed to gasp a breath of mostly air in the split seconds before he went under.
This was freezing by a Nord's standards. The cold pressed in like knives from all sides and for several moments everything was dark as he thrashed about trying to see which way was up. The salty water burned his eyes and stung with cold and his lungs felt like fire from the small amount of water he'd already taken in. His body wanted to cough, but he knew that would be death... he could also feel himself starting to panic, but that would certainly be death too.
He was starting to think this was actually the end for him, but then the dragon soul rose from the depths, no doubt flying to Duna. It lit up his surroundings briefly, but long enough for Farkas to right himself and start swimming upward. He followed the path the dragon soul had taken only to find that that led him to a thick layer of ice. He pounded at it once with his mace before remembering the staff... the fireball underwater was much less effective than Farkas was hoping for... his lungs ached for air... he was out of time and out of strength... what a pitiful way to go...
But before he could completely give up he heard a distant and muffled, "YOL TOOR!" And the ice above him lit up with an intense heat. The thin layer left behind was easy to smash and the next thing Farkas knew he was being hauled up into the freezing air, with the golden light of a healing spell swirling around him. Duna was only able to drag him half out of the water, but even that was impressive honestly.
Farkas coughed and choked for several more moments, but Duna's spell gave him the strength to climb the rest of the way out of the water.
"Oh thank all the divines, you're alive," Duna sighed, panting for breath.
Farkas didn't reply, still trying to catch his breath... why was his whole body shaking? He wasn't drowning anymore, but he was soaked through... that wind was too cold for even a Nord... wait... cold... that was it, he was soaking wet and shivering... he was freezing...
Duna was saying something about needing to get him dried off, but he couldn't hear her that well over the sound of his own teeth chattering... she also said something about his mace and staff but needing to get off of the ice...
Farkas just nodded numbly as, slipping and cursing she tried to support him as they stumbled back to shore and into the snow.
The snow wasn't as bad as the ice... at least it was soft... he could just lie down and sleep in the snow... which honestly sounded like a lovely idea, but Duna wouldn't let him. She dragged him over to a large rock and Farkas was startled when she used her fire shout to clear the snow and ice.
"Alright... alright..." Duna was saying nervously as she made him sit on the now warm rock, "stay with me Farkas... I... I think I have an idea that might work..."
He was still shivering too much to make much sense of what she was talking about... but then he felt an almost burning warmth from her hand as she began to move it across his hands... then each arm... her other hand cast the healing spell again and Farkas slowly came back to his senses...
Farkas blinked. Steam was billowing up from his armor and clothes... Duna was concentrating very hard on a flame spell in her left hand, using the tiny controlled fire to dry and warm him.
"Thank you," he smiled. Duna's eyes darted to his for a brief moment and she gave him a small smile before she looked quickly back to her hands and her brow furrowed in concentration again.
"Don't distract me," she smirked, "I don't want to warm you too fast or set you on fire."
Farkas gave a slight chuckle in understanding and then kept quiet while she worked. He pulled his boots off and poured out the water, and then sat back trying not to laugh as Duna dried his ticklish feet.
It took several minutes, and his armor had to be taken off to dry him underneath, but she did finally get him dried off and comfortable enough. It occurred to Farkas how lucky it was that he had the dragon scale armor now and not the steel he'd been wearing... he wasn't sure he would have lasted long enough trying to swim in steel...
Finally, Duna finished drying his bearskin cloak and she slumped against him in exhaustion. Farkas wrapped his arms around her and held her gently.
"You ok?" He asked in concern.
"Yeah," Duna sighed, "that just took a lot of magic... you scared me," she added looking up at him with a scolding smile.
"Sorry," he chuckled. Then he saw Duna's eyes travel down to his chest. She looked confused for a moment, then she blinked in surprise and Farkas heard her pulse pick up... his own heart jumped as he followed her gaze to see the amulet of Mara was still around his neck.
"F-Farkas?" She whispered, nervously bringing a hand up to touch the amulet, "is this...?"
"Yeah," Farkas nodded, desperately hoping she wasn't about to panic, "I've had it for a while now, I'm just ready whenever you are." He could hear her heart racing. She blinked a few times looking from the amulet and back up into his eyes.
"S-so are... are you... going to be officially proposing t-to me?"
Farkas swallowed and took a deep breath... he hadn't had much of a plan, but 'official' was what he wanted... she sounded nervous, but not panicking... 'here goes,' he thought...
"I am," he nodded firmly... he heard her heart jump and he continued watching her expression hopefully...
She smiled and Farkas thought his heart might beat out of his chest... then her smile shifted into a smirk...
"Are you going to actually ask me anything?" She asked with a hint of a giggle.
Farkas blinked, cocking his head at her in confusion... he thought the amulet of Mara was supposed to get that point across...
"Uh..." but he guessed 'official' meant he had to ask the obvious question... "Duna..." he held her firmly with one arm and brought his other hand up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face, "my little rabbit..." he smiled, trying to think exactly how he should ask... he wished he'd thought this out ahead of time...
He'd never been one for particularly flowery language, and he didn't want to sound demanding like Ulfric had... simple and blunt had always been his way, he decided...
"Will you marry me?" He asked in a low, gentle voice, with a hopeful smile.
Duna's heart was racing, she sounded nervous, nearly frantic, but she looked up at him with a small smile and took a deep breath... "I..." she sounded like her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment Farkas was afraid she wasn't going to answer, but then she took a shaky breath and nodded. "I will," she breathed in a soft whisper.
Farkas was so happy and surprised, for a moment he wasn't sure he could breath. He wrapped his other arm around her, lifted her into a hug, jumped off the rock, and spun her around. Duna let out a choked giggle and hung on with her arms around his neck. Then Farkas's feet got caught in the snow, and he toppled onto his back. Duna landed on top of him, still giggling, and Farkas just laughed. To his surprise, instead of getting up, she kept her arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss his cheek. Farkas caught his breath and then pulled her closer to kiss her properly.
When they finally separated from that Duna sat up, smiling down at him with her knees straddling his stomach. Farkas had to suddenly try very hard to not imagine her in that position without their armor on...
"So... what now?" She asked... her tone of voice and the blush across her cheeks reminded Farkas of the first night he'd kissed her.
"Whatever you want," Farkas grinned, "we can go to Riften whenever you're ready... and we can wait as long as you want to get more physical, I just want to swear myself to you."
Duna nodded, nervously catching her breath for a moment, "a-alright," she nodded, "I... I think.... we can do that before we go searching for Blackreach..."
Farkas's heart jumped and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"The... I mean... the wedding... at least..." she clarified with her cheeks flushing a bit darker.
Farkas still grinned, "sounds good to me."
"Really?" Duna looked back to his face in surprise.
"Mmhmm," Farkas nodded. "I said the rest can still wait till you're ready. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
He listened to Duna's heart rate slowly calming down as she seemed to process his words... he could see in her face that she was still afraid of that next step.
Farkas thought back to the damn Thalmor who had made her so afraid of her own wedding night... trying to wrap his mind around what she was so afraid of... trying to think how he might calm her fears...
Then he noticed her shiver and sat up, gently wrapping his arms around her. He rested his chin on top of her head as she huddled against him comfortably. It was strange how she could seem so comfortable and so afraid at the same time. Farkas sighed. He really hated that damn elf...
"I'm not one of those bastards that just wants your body," he said quietly a few moments later.
"I-I know that," Duna whispered sounding a little sheepish.
"I don't want to take you," he said in a gentle voice, "I want you to give yourself to me... I want you to be happy to do it... I want you to want me as much as I want you..." Farkas took a deep breath, his wolf spirit was considerably angry about what he was about to say, but he continued anyway, "so... until you do, I can wait."
Duna pulled back to look up at him with a slightly surprised, appreciative smile. Then she reached up with both hands, gently cupping his face in both hands for a moment before sweeping several strands of hair out of his face. She looked into his eyes with an adoring expression that made Farkas's heart begin to race.
"Divines, how did I get so lucky?" She breathed, and then she pulled him back to her for another kiss.
Author's note:
So, this chapter and the timing of these events was entirely inspired by the way things actually went down in my game, which was also a large part of the overall inspiration for this story.
We were leaving Septimus Signus, and a dragon attacked. Farkas glitched or something and got stuck in the ice with the dragon just blasting away in his face (thank God I hadn't completed the Companions quest line yet because that means he's still 'essential'). I killed the dragon and collect the bones and all, and Farkas is off swimming through the ice.
Anyway, he finally got back to me and I went to give him a few things because I was over encumbered with the dragon bones... just giving him several things quickly I accidentally gave him the amulet of Mara, and he put it on... I didn't realize you could marry him without completing the Companions quest line... so I freaked out a little, took it back and put it on. Sure enough, marriage dialogue! I thought it was adorable. :)