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tomjopson · 7 years ago

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Iron Hands, Iron Skin Ch. 1

rating: t-m

fandom: the elder scrolls V / skyrim

characters: original character, Male Bosmer Dovakhiin, Ghorbash gro-Dushnikh

relationships: Male Dovakhiin/Ghorbash gro-Dushnikh

summary: A retired Orcish legionnaire and a Bosmer in self-exile were an unlikely pair to find themselves wandering the roads of Skyrim, always in search of adventure and gold, but mostly gold. Ghorbash the Iron Hand left his stronghold to join ranks with a mage who was talented but far too cocky for Ghorbash's taste. Theirs was a companionship that worked well, however, with one providing brawn and the other providing wit--or at the very least, successful distractions. What started as an uneasy balance turned to friendship and an even stronger bond as the two found common ground and constant danger. At least life was exciting outside of the stronghold.

notes: multi-chaptered snippets of life on the road for my Bosmer dovakhiin named Kaj and his trusty companion Ghorbash. I’m posting as I write it.

[Next Chapter]

[Read on Ao3]

Chapter 1: Rabbits

Dawn was breaking over the horizon, the sun’s rose glow casting warmth and light on the mountains in the distance. The swamp—with its nesting mudcrabs, gnarled trees, and bushes of deathbell—lit up with an ethereal mist, the beams of early day reflecting off dust motes and snow flurries in the air. A bird wailed softly in the distance, a crooning prayer to Azura. Everything was calm and beautiful, the swamp isolated from any nearby villages.

It was also fucking freezing.

Ghorbash was used to the chill of mountain air and certainly prided himself as a man who never complained. But why in Malacath’s name his companion wished to leave the warmth and safety of the tavern room—leaving behind a soft bed and good ale—all to be knee deep in murky creekwater digging up mushrooms, Ghorbash could not begin to fathom. He flexed his fingers in his gloves, fighting off the numbness tingling in his knuckles. He sat on a fallen log, damp but sturdy, near the water. He kept his warhammer beside him but otherwise had his arms crossed tight to keep his body heat checked. How Kaj had not frozen his feet off yet was a mystery to the orc.

He stared at Kaj, with his thin tunic and rolled up britches. Kaj’s shoes and cloak lay abandoned by the log Ghorbash claimed, and all that he carried with him was a rucksack tied across his chest and a thin dagger to cut out the plants that he deemed so necessary for his alchemy to wake up in the dark hours of early morning and hike an hour's tromp away from Morthal. Kaj was blessedly silent as he worked. His blonde hair was pushed up over his high forehead, revealing his sharp brow and dark red eyes, narrowed in concentration as his fingers cleanly plucked the plants, roots and all.

Ghorbash appreciated the reprieve from conversation. For all Kaj’s bluster, he talked only to fill the air with noise which annoyed Ghorbash, but—as the orc reminded his companion time and time again—it was also a dangerous habit to have on roads infested with thieves and monsters alike.

Countless times, Ghorbash reprimanded Kaj. You’re going to get us killed. Ambushes miles away can hear us.

Kaj would snort and shake his head. He would throw up a hand, conjuring a small orb of light, declaring how he needn’t worry about ambushes.

For someone who could barely hit a straw dummy with a sword, Kaj certainly liked to throw himself into danger.

You’re a precocious shit.

Precocious? My, what a word.

Ghorbash never bothered to remind Kaj that he had been an Imperial officer. Kaj did not seem the type to care. Once Kaj had convinced Ghorbash to leave his clan at Dushnikh Yal with promises of adventure and coin, Kaj was professional. No prying questions of life in the stronghold or about his brother the chieftain. No wistful musings about past loves or bawdy jokes about nights with whores. No regaling tales about fighting thieves and exploring cursed temple ruins. For as much as he loved to talk, Kaj never lent explanation about his life, why he was so far from Valenwood, or why his magic would occasionally sputter and fail him. He was a mystery, and Ghorbash swore to leave it alone. They had a mutually beneficial system that worked. They found bounties and odd jobs that gave them enough gold to keep food in their bellies while Kaj supplemented whatever meager earnings they had by cozying up to the local alchemist and selling his dubiously marked bottles of potions. They had been traveling together for months now with little to no plans for the future, but it was…pleasant. Ghorbash grew accustomed to life on the road, enjoying the sights and the pulse of bloodlust every time they encountered a troll or ne’er-do-well.

Ghorbash flinched when he heard a loud splash, followed by cursing in a foreign tongue. His good eye snapped up, scanning the waters, a hand quickly curling around the haft of his weapon. Kaj was a distance away, his hand clutching the branch of a tree close to the water as he pulled himself onto the muddy bank. He looked up, noticed Ghorbash ready in his stance, and had enough self-awareness to look embarrassed, the tips of his ears turning pink.

Kaj laughed, sounding shrill before calling out, “I slipped on a rock. I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Ghorbash stared for a moment before he sat back on the log and shook his head. He watched Kaj peel off his soaked tunic to wring out as many drops of water as he could. Kaj shivered noticeably as he readjusted the strap of his rucksack before he jogged over to Ghorbash—an impressive if not embarrassing sight as he needed to jump over logs and splash through several shallow puddles.

Standing before Ghorbash, Kaj happily produced a nirnroot from the bag, holding it up. “I heard it humming before I saw it.”

Ghorbash grunted. “Is that what you risked breaking your neck for?”

“Of course.” Kaj said it like it was obvious. “I never pass up one of these beauties.”

“How many more plants do you need?” Ghorbash asked, fully meaning how much longer they needed to be out there.

Kaj kneeled on the ground and removed everything from the bag, lining the plants out by type. He pursed his lips as he examined each of the piles.

“I need more lichen,” he said, “but I can get those on the way back.”

Kaj stood to hang his shirt from a tree branch before plopping back onto the ground. His shoulders were quaking from shivers, and Ghorbash could see the gooseflesh all up Kaj’s back and arms. He was far too skinny, Ghorbash thought. He could see Kaj’s ribs and the knobs of his spine. Again, Ghorbash could not imagine how Kaj could tolerate the cold. He watched Kaj rub his hands together, from what Ghorbash assumed was an attempt to warm them. Ghorbash blinked, in surprised fascination, when Kaj’s palms started to glow a faint orange. Kaj took one of his feet in hand, pressing his palm flat against the sole before slowly wrapping his fingers around his toes and then sliding his hand up his foot to his calf. He repeated the same motion on his other foot.

Kaj’s carefree use of the arcane was foreign to Ghorbash who was used to the practicality of the wise women of his tribes—shamans who limited themselves to simple alchemy and divination. With Kaj, he treated nature as a plaything, twisting and pulling elements to his fancy. Ghorbash stopped watching once Kaj began the ministrations on his thighs through his pant legs. Ghorbash shrugged the furs off his shoulders, leaving his arms bare save for his chest armor and gloves. He stood and dropped the furs onto Kaj who promptly spluttered, shoving them off to glare at Ghorbash.

“You need them more than I do,” Ghorbash stated. “I’m starting a fire. I want breakfast.”

Kaj frowned, despite pulling the furs tighter around his shoulders. “I can always give you a spark.”

“The last time I let you start the fire, you singed off your eyebrows.”

Kaj scoffed. “Hair grows back.”

Ghorbash pointedly did not look at Kaj as he retrieved the tinder box from his own satchel. He found a clear spot near the mud of the river where pushed aside debris. As he broke sticks off loose limbs lying on the ground—feeling for older wood that wasn’t too damp—he watched Kaj from the corner of his eye. Kaj was taking thin strips of leather, too thin to be salvageable for anything else, and tied them around the bundles of flowers, grass pods, and even around the bulbous mushrooms. Kaj made quick work of it, looping the leather around his fingers and pulling them tight with the grace of an embroiderer.

Ghorbash built a small pyramid of sticks, and with the help of dried leaves and the flint, the bundle began to smoke. Ghorbash waited until the tips of the flames ate through the top of the bundle before leaning back and digging out some of the dried chunks of venison that he and Kaj had been eating for the past fortnight. He noticed the supply was getting low.

“Food,” he grunted at Kaj, not bothering to look before tossing a piece at Kaj.

Kaj caught the meat but not without biting out a curse in that guttural language of his. Ghorbash allowed himself to smile slightly. He was beginning to know all of Kaj’s words even if Kaj refused to translate them for him.

“I wish we had rabbit,” Kaj muttered through a mouthful of the jerky.

“We would have to hunt for that.”

“Hunting would be faster if you would let me paralyze them.”

“I’m not eating anything that you’ve hexed.”

“’Hexed’ isn’t what I would call it—“

“I don’t care. It’s unnatural.”

“Fine. You can keep wasting hours—“

“We wouldn’t be eating right now if I didn’t hunt for us—“

“—sneaking up on elk over and over—“

“You can’t even shoot an arrow straight.”

“—and I will be cooking up a nice rabbit, laughing at you.”

Ghorbash didn't retaliate, focusing instead on chewing the jerky. It was too salty, but the flavor was still rich, melting into his tongue. Rabbit was too pale for his tastes. He watched as Kaj scooted closer to the fire, the color of the flame casting his yellow skin to an even deeper shade. Kaj ate his jerky slowly, breaking small pieces off with his hands before popping them in his mouth and chewing a ridiculous amount of times. His eyes were distant as he stared into the fire—his shivering finally gone. Instead, he kept tapping one of his feet rapidly in the dirt. Kaj’s myriad habits confused Ghorbash, but at least the fool was familiar. He was predictable, despite all his quirks.

Ghorbash mused to himself, thinking back to Dushnikh Yal. Familial ties had drawn him home, but he had found himself missing the companionship of his fellow soldiers in the Imperial army. Oddly, he had felt safer with his brethren-in-arms on the battlefield than he did sleeping in the walls of his tribe’s stronghold. Being the brother of the chief, Ghorbash knew that the members of the clan expected insurgence at any moment especially from the likes of a retired fighter. Neither his brother nor the clan were too stupid to let their guard down completely. All the same, Ghorbash enjoyed being out, no longer feeling eyes on his back at all times.

Things were simpler with Kaj. Things were safer.

His thoughts were interrupted by Kaj belching. Ghorbash closed his eyes, running his tongue across his teeth. Simpler. Yes, simpler. He heard Kaj rustling, and he opened his eyes in time to find Kaj sprawled on his back, his chest bare to the sky and one hand resting on his flat stomach.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Ghorbash said.

“Wasn’t planning to,” Kaj countered. “I just… I just need a breather.”

From what, Ghorbash didn’t bother to ask. They needed to get back on the road soon, he decided. The sun had climbed high into the sky, and they were wasting precious daylight hours. They would have to spend another night in Morthal. No time for hunting, they would just have to buy their food from the tavern. Maybe they would have rabbit.

#ghorbash the iron hand #ghorbash #bosmer dovakhiin #bosmer oc #skyrim fanfiction #skyrim #the elder scrolls #my writing #ghorbash gro dushnikh #mage bosmer #male dovakhiin #mage dovakhiin #orc #bosmer #orc romance #orsimer

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tooweirdforyou · 3 years ago

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if you win » south park!dovakhiin x reader

"Dovah! You're such a cheater."

The quiet male gives a quiet chuckle at the your complaints, quickly typing on his phone to show you. "I'm not cheating, you just need to work harder."

The two of you were currently playing a game together, and for the last hour, Dovakhiin has endlessly won.

"Work harder? I've been practicing like you told me."

Again, he types. "Against lower level players. You have to try some higher level ones to challenge yourself and become stronger."

His non-verbal words makes you pout, huffing out. "That's too hard though.. What if I lose?"

"Then try again."

Dovah’s smile makes your eyes widen before you offer your own small smile.

"Fine, but you’re buying me cookies to comfort my sadness, when I lose."

"And if you aren't sad because you lost?"

"Then buy me ice cream for my victory!" You cheer with a cheeky closed-eyed grin.

Your grin causes Dovahkhiin to smile warmly at how cute you were, making him lean close and place a soft kiss to your temple, nodding lightly. By your ear, he whispers out in a low and deep voice.

"Fine. Ice cream, only if you win."

—

a/n : I know dovah isn’t an actual character of South Park, only in the games but I love LOVE him and how this author portrays him in the Quotev South Park x Reader, “Not so Boring” so yeah, check it out! I reread it every month, haha.

PLUS I COULDNT DECIDE BETWEEN DAMIEN, DOVAH, KYLE, STAN OR ETC.

anyways just a quick blurb as I continue working on my next two fics + my Quotev stories.

my next fic is either a cute fireworks confession or Tokyo rev boys as sugar daddies ;)

hope you enjoyed! <3

this isn’t great but it’s something and I would’ve made this Tokyo rev or smth but I HAD to write for South Park because I’m reading that book again. ^^

#tooweirdforyou #south park x reader #south park #sp x reader #dovakhiin x reader #South Park dovakhiin

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ao3feed-barduil · 5 years ago

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Aan Vaaz Ko Lein

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/379ZJlP

by SnakeyElf

Aan Vaaz Ko Lein, A tear in the world ======================= "And, as you told me once, the next world will have to take care of itself. Ful nii los. Even I cannot see past Time's ending."

The next world did take care of itself. But the Dragonborn was not quite free of his destiny yet. He was sent back by Tsun, and took control of the Dovah, but the crack on the Throat Of The World opened once more and stole him away from Skyrim.

To Middle Earth! He is called into a council at Imladris, by Elrond, where they are attacked by an old enemy, and whisked away to Skyrim once again ======================= "Dii krein, kolos drey hi bo?"

"Zu'u daal, dii vulon."

Words: 840, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: Karliah (Elder Scrolls), Brynjolf (Elder Scrolls), Lydia (Elder Scrolls), Odahviing (Elder Scrolls), Paarthurnax (Elder Scrolls), Jarl(s) (Elder Scrolls), Frost (Elder Scrolls), Thranduil (Tolkien), Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf | Mithrandir, Bard the Bowman, Elrond Peredhel, Legolas Greenleaf (mentioned)

Relationships: Brynjolf/Karliah (Elder Scrolls), Karliah/Lydia (Elder Scrolls), Brynjolf/Lydia (Elder Scrolls), Brynjolf/Lydia (Elder Scrolls)/Karliah, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Lydia, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Karliah, Brynjolf/Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Brynjolf/Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Karliah/Lydia, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Bard the Bowman/Thranduil

Additional Tags: The dragonborn isn't who you think, Between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, BAMF Thranduil, Parent Thranduil, Caring Thranduil, Draconic/dragon-like Dovakhiin | Dragonborn, Dragonborn with wings, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Young Thranduil, Temporary Character Death, universe hopping, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Skyrim Spoilers, Thranduil Not Being An Asshole, Protective Thranduil, Sassy Lydia, POV Third Person, Unreliable Narrator, Dovahzhul as "secret" language between lovers

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/379ZJlP

#the hobbit #barduil #fic #ao3 #bardxthranduil #thranduilxbard

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ao3feed-mcufemslash · 6 years ago

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The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance - Saga 1: Northern Dominance of the Old Kingdom

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

by sandkings321

Smut with Plot. Dragon and Daemon had the instinctive inborn desires for conquering and lust for powers. Rasmus Shadewalker half-daemon and half-dragon were no different than them as he set out on his quest for making his name burn across history as set out to conquer and subjugate the worlds under the new banners of the Dawn Dragon Empire. Dark-Grey/Powerful/Intelligent/Dragonborn.

Words: 11056, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance

Fandoms: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Elder Scrolls, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, League of Legends, Justice League - All Media Types, DC Extended Universe, DCU (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Dragon Age - All Media Types, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Dragon's Crown (Video Game), Defense of the Ancients | Dota, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra, Disney - All Media Types, Fire Emblem Series, Soul Calibur, Legend of Queen Opala (Video Games), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, Drag-On Dragoon | Drakengard, 光神話 | Kid Icarus (Video Games), Japanese Mythology, Celtic Mythology, Greek and Roman Mythology, Arthurian Mythology & Related Fandoms, Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft, SMITE (Video Game), Warcraft - All Media Types, Red Sonja (Comics), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series, Vampirella (Comics), Lady Death (Comics), DragonFable (Video Games), Final Fantasy - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Guilty Gear, Persona Series, Queen's Blade, Darkstalkers (Video Games), Prototype (Video Games), Dead Space (Video Games), Samurai Spirits | Samurai Shodown (Video Games), Odin Sphere, 朧村正 | Muramasa: the Demon Blade, Grim Tales (Webcomic), GrimGrimoire, 黄金の太陽 | Golden Sun Series, Magic: The Gathering

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage

Categories: F/F, F/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Serana (Elder Scrolls), Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Lydia (Elder Scrolls), Farkas (Elder Scrolls), Various Skyrim Characters, Lamae Bal, The Hero (DragonFable), Heroes of Olympus Character(s), Harry Potter Characters, Various Legend of Zelda Characters, Various Percy Jackson Character(s)

Relationships: Male Dovahkiin/Everyone, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Aela the Huntress/Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Lydia, Male Dovahkiin/Lamae Bal, Azula (Avatar)/Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Azura/Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Azura/Meridia/Nocturnal (Elder Scrolls), Male Dovahkiin/Female Dremora

Additional Tags: Dark Comedy, Drama & Romance, Horror, Action/Adventure, Porn With Plot, Harems, Vampires, Were-Creatures, Demons, Goddesses, Draconic/dragon-like Dovakhiin | Dragonborn, Planeswalker, Demonic/demon-like Dovahkiin, Cannibalism, Cannibalistic Thoughts, Sex Magic, Emperor Dovahkiin, Warrior King Dovahkiin, Master/Slave, master manipulator, Manipulation, Sexual Fantasy, Steampunk, Magitek, Dungeonpunk, Genius Dovahkiin, Mental Instability, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Mental Health Issues, Erotica

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #mcu

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ao3feed-mythology · 6 years ago

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The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance - Saga 1: Northern Dominance of the Old Kingdom

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

by sandkings321

Words: 11056, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage

Categories: F/F, F/M, Multi, Other

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

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ao3feed-btvs · 6 years ago

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The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance - Saga 1: Northern Dominance of the Old Kingdom

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

by sandkings321

Words: 11056, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage

Categories: F/F, F/M, Multi, Other

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

#buffy the vampire slayer #btvs

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ao3feed-tolkien · 6 years ago

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The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance - Saga 1: Northern Dominance of the Old Kingdom

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

by sandkings321

Words: 11056, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of The Conquering Chronicle of Dragon Supremacy & Infernal Dominance

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage

Categories: F/F, F/M, Multi, Other

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2QYmyAq

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #Tolkien #JRR Tolkien #Tolkien works #ao3 #fan fiction

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nautseverywhere · 6 years ago

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I changed up Christians hair......this is my new Christian I made a few months ago as I fucked up AGAIN. Pre-blind betrayal so lots of heart eyes at each other. Danse looks swag as fuck. I finally installed Ellies Armor mod....holy hell there's a lot.

Got a new sexy BoS pistol.

Made a wood elf husband for Vilkas.....Terran his name is and......he is cute as fuck.

#paladin danse #fallout 4 #oc christian #skyrim #male dovakhiin

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tomjopson · 6 years ago

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Iron Hands, Iron Skin Ch. 3

Rating: T-M

Fandom: The Elder Scrolls V / Skyrim

Characters: Original character, Male bosmer dovakhiin, Ghorbash gro-Dushnikh, various minor characters in Windhelm

Relationships: Male Dovakhiin / Ghorbash gro-Dushnikh

Summary: A retired Orcish legionnaire and a Bosmer in self-exile were an unlikely pair to find themselves wandering the roads of Skyrim, always in search of adventure and gold, but mostly gold. Ghorbash the Iron Hand left his stronghold to join ranks with a mage who was talented but far too cocky for Ghorbash's taste. Theirs was a companionship that worked well, however, with one providing brawn and the other providing wit--or at the very least, successful distractions. What started as an uneasy balance turned to friendship and an even stronger bond as the two found common ground and constant danger. At least life was exciting outside of the stronghold.

A collection of tales, following the misadventures of Ghorbash and Kaj--two idiots who make memories, discover love, and wreak havoc along the way.

Notes: The chapters aren’t in any order and don’t have to be read in order to make sense.

[Previous Chapter]

[Read on Ao3]

Chapter 3: A Rare Thing, Compassion

Kaj’s voice rose higher and louder as he argued with the shopkeeper about the prices. The dark elf behind the counter of Sadri’s Used Wares refused to budge. Ghorbash watched from the doorway with his arms folded over his chest.

“Thirty gold for an amethyst?” Kaj nearly shouted. “I could get over a hundred in Solitude for this!”

“Well, you’re not in Solitude,” Sadri said, his own voice rising to match Kaj’s.

“It’s near the size of my fist.” Kaj slammed his palm on the counter. “You’re trying to cheat me!”

Sadri leaned dangerously close to Kaj, jabbing a finger at his shoulder. “I don’t know where you got it. Could’ve been from a tomb for all I know. I’m not a fucking fence for your filched goods, bosmer.” He spat the word out like he tasted something foul in the air. “I get enough trouble from the city guard as it is. I don’t want to be dragged to prison for your rubbish.”

Ghorbash remembered the scene that took place when he and Kaj first entered Windhelm that evening, when they arrived right before nightfall. A dunmer woman was being harassed by a large group of town folk who were quick to accuse her of every catastrophe that had befallen Skyrim in the past few years. There were a couple guardsmen up the stairs by the tavern who watched all of this without intervening. The men only dispersed when Ghorbash got between them and the woman, telling them to back off.

The men had grumbled to themselves and skulked away, but Ghorbash knew in his gut that he had made some enemies that night. He would sleep better the sooner he and Kaj left Windhelm behind them.

At first, the dunmer woman had snapped at him and Kaj, demanding to know if they hated all her kind as well. Kaj had scoffed before lowering his hood. Seeing his ears, the woman relaxed. She realized that she was among friends. Kaj stepped close to her, asking if this was normal, and she shrugged. Windhelm was not a kind city to outsiders, especially the dark elves in the Gray Quarter and the Argonians on the docks. She suggested that Kaj keep his hood up if he didn’t want trouble.

Ghorbash had offered to walk her home, a good excuse to have a native show them around. He and Kaj had no food and almost no money on them, and they desperately needed to find someone with whom to trade their goods. Well. Their scavenged items, more like.

Legally obtained.

Most of them.

“The name of your shop is used wares! Do you undersell all your patrons? How do you have any customers?” Kaj’s fists clenched at his side started to glow dangerously.

Ghorbash stepped forward. “Kaj. Calm down.”

Kaj whipped his head around to glare at Ghorbash, but when Sadri pulled a knife from under his counter to place between them, he controlled himself enough to make the orange glow in his knuckles dim.

“Better listen to your friend. Smart man, him.”

Ghorbash placed a hand on Kaj’s shoulders, squeezed, and pulled him back. “Look. We can trade for more than gold. We’ll take your price for the gems if you throw in something else. I, for one, am running low on arrows.”

Sadri’s lip curled, but he stopped himself from making a smart remark. He shook his head, placing his knife back in a cabinet under the counter. “Very well. Maybe then you two will leave me in peace, Azura willing. I’ve got a quiver with different makings in the back. Let me fetch it.”

Sadri disappeared behind a curtained door. Kaj was breathing harshly through his nose, and Ghorbash was still pressing his hand hard on the elf’s shoulder.

“Don’t fight my battles for me,” Kaj muttered.

“That’s why you hired me.”

“Not what I meant.”

“I know. But we don’t need you burning down any buildings. Gray Quarter or not, I don’t want happened in Riften to happen again.”

Kaj snorted. “If I recall, you’re the one who started throwing punches in Riften.”

“Doesn’t matter. The man’s right. We don’t want issue with the guards here.” Ghorbash thought of his sword, with the Imperial crest on it. It would be dangerous to end up in prison with Imperial paraphernalia in a city run by Stormcloaks.

Some of the tension in Kaj’s back loosened. Ghorbash let his hand slide from his shoulder down his back, and—upon realizing the intimacy of the gesture—he gave a Kaj a perfunctory pat before withdrawing his hand. Kaj grabbed his pack from where he had dropped it on the floor at his feet. He rifled through it until he found his meager pouch of gold. He pulled a couple of coins out of the pouch and left them on the counter.

“Here,” he said, waving his fingers at the coins before replacing the pouch in his bag and hoisting the strap around his torso. “You get whatever else you want from him, but make sure he fucking pays what he offered. If I have to look at his face again, I will summon an atronach to shove its flaming arm up his arse, guards be damned.”

Ghorbash raised an eyebrow, not believing the threat at all but letting Kaj make his bluff without comment. “And where are you headed?” he asked.

“To get us food at the tavern.” Kaj rubbed a hand against his cheek, scratching. “I’ll feel better with some food in me. Preferably in a rented room.”

With that, Kaj ducked out of the general goods store. It was dark outside, the braziers were lit along the wall, and snow was falling heavily. Ghorbash seconded the elf’s sentiments about a warm, dry room.

When Sadri returned with the arrows, Ghorbash selected a bundle of dwarven ones. They were the only ones worth taking, though he kept his observation about the rusty points to himself. Sadri parted with some coins for the amethyst and other gemstones with a mutter under his breath, but he seemed far less willing to argue with Ghorbash than he had with Kaj. Ghorbash pocketed the tiny profit and put the new arrows in his own quiver. Pulling his hood up and tightening his cloak around his shoulders, he braced himself for the cold and left the store. The Gray Quarter was dark with the imposing high walls making the alleyways foreboding and claustrophobic. There was some shrieks and laughter coming from the bar, but Ghorbash assumed Kaj had headed to the tavern in the center of town. More likely for them to get a private bunk in the larger inn—for more money, unfortunately, but the two of them preferred their privacy in the cities.

The falling snow hit Ghorbash in the face, making him squint as he trudged up the stairs leading to the town square. He was careful to not slip on the slick rock, worn from centuries of ice freezing on it and feet wearing down its surface. The night was eerily bright as the fresh snow reflected the light of the braziers, and the clouds above were a dusty gray. Nevertheless, the snow blurred his vision, and when he passed the gate for the docks, he bumped into a little girl. She was a strange sight given the part of town. She was neither dunmer nor argonian, but human. She was bundled up for the weather, but her upturned, pink nose poked from above a threadbare scarf, and her eyes were red and watering from the cold. In her gloveless hands, she clutched a basket full of winter greenery and hardy, northern flowers.

She squeaked, hunching her shoulders. “Excuse me! I didn’t see you.”

Ghorbash instinctively put his hands out to push her away but stopped realizing that the girl could not be more than ten years old. He frowned thinking of the lateness of the hour and the increasingly bad storm. He also remembered hearing the rumors of a killer lurking in Windhelm’s streets. It was hardly a safe place for a little girl.

“Are you headed home?” he asked her.

She peeked up at him, but when she saw his shadowy, hooded face, her eyes widened. She dipped her head again. “Soon enough. I was hoping to sell more.”

He looked at the basket, assuming she meant those. “Where are your parents?”

“Dead. I live with Shahvee down by the docks. She’s nice.”

Ghorbash nodded, unsure how to respond to the girl’s candidness. “Well. Get yourself home soon. It’s not safe at night.”

“I can take care of myself.” She defiantly raised her head, though the snotty pink nose took away some of the effectiveness of her bravado. “Say, mister, would you like to buy one of my flowers?”

She held out the basket for him to see the small wreaths of snowberries and the wildflowers. He hesitated. The only gold he had on him was the small amount he had earned for the gems.

“How much?”

Likely used to being ignored like a beggar, the girl perked up, the scarf sliding down her face enough to reveal a gap toothed smile and chapped lips. “Just a copper per flower!”

It was an impulsive decision, and Ghorbash knew in the back of his mind that Kaj would throw a tantrum. But Ghorbash pulled out his coin purse and took a handful of the coins without counting them. To his credit, he didn’t grab the entire contents, but judging by the girl’s clothes, she had probably never held a single gold coin in her life.

Ghorbash held the small fortune in his large palm before her. “I’ll take all you got.”

The girl was stunned into silence before she whooped and jumped on her feet. She thrust her whole basket toward him. With the gold coins filling her small hands, she laughed loudly and jubilantly.

“Thank you, mister! Shahvee will be so happy! Thank you!”

Ghorbash slid the handle of the basket over his arm. “Good. Now go home. You’ll be safer there.”

“I will!” She grinned up at him before running toward the docks gate, pushing open the wicket door with her shoulder.

Ghorbash sighed. He looked into his coin purse, counting what was left. He pocketed it and continued toward the tavern. No guardsmen in sight this time. He opened one of the tavern’s doors, and the warm air wafted over him, the sudden temperature shift making his nostrils sting. Thankfully, the common room was up the stairs, so he was able to approach the bar with no harassment. He asked the owner if a bosmer had been through yet. Without looking up from the mug she was wiping, she said in her nasal voice that the wood elf was in the second room to the left.

“Let yourself in. You’re already paid for.”

Feeling embarrassed, not entirely sure why, Ghorbash grunted a thank you before heading down the hall. He pushed open the door to the room without knocking, and he found Kaj stripped to his trousers and socks sitting cross legged on the rug in the middle of the room. It was a tiny room—one bed, a dresser, and chair—but large enough that Ghorbash figured they could comfortably share the bed. They had slept in worse places.

Kaj was digging through his potions, sorting through the vials and setting aside the ones that had cracked or were missing cork stops.

“So were you successful in not killing our beloved Sir Sedri’s Used Wares?” he asked without looking up.

Ghorbash placed the basket of flowers on the dresser. He took off his cloak and hood, draping them on the lone chair in the corner. He locked the door out of habit before sitting on the bed and removing his shoes.

“He was civil with me. You, on the other hand, enjoy starting arguments.”

“Or,” Kaj said, raising his eyebrows and smirking up at Ghorbash, “people don’t argue with you because you’re terrifying. Have you looked in a mirror recently?”

“Not all of us are as vain as you, Kaj.”

The quip earned Ghorbash a delighted laugh, as though Kaj were always a little surprised when Ghorbash joked with him. With Kaj’s attention back to his potions, Ghorbash let himself smile.

Kaj took the abandoned vials and dumped them into one of the dresser drawers for the poor innkeep to find later. He paused when he saw the basket.

“What’s this?” he asked, picking up one of the bundles of flowers.

Ghorbash shrugged. “Found it by the docks. Figured you could use them for your potions.” He conveniently did not mention the gold. Kaj was in a good mood, and he didn’t want to sour it first thing before bed.

Kaj had a strange look in his eyes, confused, almost worried. He tucked the flower back into the basket, but his eyes lingered on it for a few seconds more as if no one had given him something without reason before. He shook his head a little before slyly smiling at Ghorbash.

“Thoughtful,” he said. “You’re full of surprises.”

Ghorbash tossed his boots to the other side of the room before scooting back on the bed until his back hit the wall.

“What did you get for food?”

“Oh.” Kaj stooped to pick up a couple plates that he had lain beside his bag. “Salmon. The meat looked old, but it’s warm.”

He handed Ghorbash one of the plates and joined him on the bed, their shoulders pressed together as they ate. Ghorbash felt the warmth in his chest, and his skin tingled where their bare shoulders touched. He ignored it by eating faster.

Once he finished and wiped the plate clean with a piece of bread torn off the dark loaf Kaj had also bought for them, Ghorbash leaned his head back against the wall.

“Where do you want to go come morning?”

Kaj blinked at him. “In the morning?”

Ghorbash thought of the Gray Quarter, the townspeople harassing the dunmer woman, of the sequestered Argonians, of the dead woman found in the cemetery, and of the little girl selling flowers in the dark.

“What? You love this city enough to stay? Maybe there’s a house for sale, and we can move right in.”

Kaj chuckled, but it withered in his mouth. He was quiet for a few seconds, hesitating before he asked. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I don’t want to stay here longer than we need to.” Ghorbash bent over to dig his flask out of his bag. “It stinks of the war here.”

Kaj didn’t answer to that, and instead put a fraction more of his weight against Ghorbash’s shoulder. Ghorbash took a swig from his flask before offering it to Kaj. Kaj accepted it, smelling it curiously before sipping. The two of them shared the silence, passing the flask back and forth as the noise from the patrons upstairs filtered through the crooked floorboards. They could hear laughing, singing. A couple men got into a tussle and had to be broken up by the nasally innkeep before she kicked them out.

Ghorbash sighed, and when he held out the flask for Kaj to take, he realized that the elf had fallen asleep against the wall and against Ghorbash’s shoulder. Ghorbash moved slowly, putting the flask on the dresser before sliding Kaj flat onto the bed and covering him with the furs.

As Ghorbash extinguished the lanterns in the room, he moved the basket to sit by Kaj’s bag. In his mind, he was rehearsing his excuse for when Kaj realized that there was less money than there should be. It was a small comfort that the little girl and Shahvee would have plenty to eat for the next week while he and Kaj would have to pilfer from strangers’ gardens.

But as he carefully slid onto the bed beside Kaj, letting Kaj’s body heat and breaths lull him closer to sleep, he remembered the little girl’s laugh. He remembered Kaj’s sad eyes as he looked at the flowers.

He would deal with it in the morning.

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