A/N: So it turns out I've been spelling Alesan's name wrong this whole time. Poor boy.
The giant dropped to the ground with a mighty crash. While the adults milled around it, Alesan looked down at the reins in his hands and wondered whether he could steer the horse down the slope to the stable on his own. He didn't have much time to wonder. A red-haired woman was climbing the hill in his direction. This was not the same woman that his new mother had assigned to bring him home. She was taller and older, and he recognized her as the one he'd first seen attacking the giant, if only by the size of the axe strapped to her back.
"Hello, boy," said the strange woman. "Iona tells me you've come to live here."
He nodded once.
"Good," she said, nodding back. "My name is Uthgerd. I'm the steward here at Heljarchen Hall. Let me take care of the horse. You go on inside and get warm. Someone will be along to show you around."
She reached up and pulled him off the horse before he had the chance to protest that he could do it himself.
"Go on, now," said Uthgerd.
Alesan didn't need to be told twice. It was cold out, and the wind was icy. He was used to the warmth of Windpeak Inn's hearth, or the stifling heat inside the mines. He ran down the slope, rubbing his hands together to thaw them, while Uthgerd called out a warning after him. He wasn't worried. He'd always been a good runner and he could easily dodge any rocks in his path. He didn't slow down until he got close to the body of the dead giant.
A man and a woman were standing over the remains, talking. When the man noticed him, he nudged the woman and gestured towards him with his chin.
The woman raised her voice. "I'm sure you can take care of disposing of this alone, Gregor. I'll let the boy in the house."
She held out her hand to him. "What's your name, boy?"
"Alesan," he said.
"Do you want to see your new room?"
He nodded emphatically and grabbed her hand.
The manor she walked him into was huge. It was the biggest house he'd ever seen. He even thought it might be bigger than the ship his pa worked on, but that was a long time ago, and he couldn't remember it very well. She walked him through a front hall into a much larger, brightly lit room and he looked around at all the stairs and doors, wondering where they led to and how many people lived here. Just then one of the doors opened and another man came through it, followed by the rich intoxicating smell of fresh-baked... something.
"Mjoll! Is the giant dea-- oh." He blinked and stared at him. "Who's this little man?"
He let go of her -- Mjoll's -- hand and walked over, offering his hand to the man. "My name is Alesan. I've come to live here."
The man gravely took his hand and shook it. "Pleased to meet you, Alesan. Have you met your new sister yet?"
"There's a question," said Mjoll. "I hope she stayed inside like I told her to, and didn't run off to play outside with that dog of hers."
"She's in the bedroom," said the man, pointing his spoon across the room at a closed door. "Go say hello."
Alesan turned around and headed towards the bedroom door, trying to count how many new people he'd already met today. He was starting to get a little dizzy, and hoped there weren't very many more of them. It was such a big house. He was sure that anther ten people could sleep in it, probably. For a moment he hesitated with his hand on the door's handle, but there was nothing to be anxious about. Everyone had bee so nice to him, and it would be nice to have a sister. Probably. He pressed down the latch and opened the door.
"Hyaaaa!
Alesan stumbled back and almost tripped. A tiny girl with wild brown hair was waving a wooden sword at him.
"Surrender, brigand! You will never breach Fort Heljarchen!"
"Aaargh!"
He tried stepping backwards carefully until his back hit the big table at the center of the room. The point of her sword was right in his face. True, it was only a wooden practice sword, but for some reason it looked very sharp. He wiped a drop of sweat off his brow.
There was a clattering of pots and pans in the other room before the kitchen door opened again.
"Erith," said the man with the spoon, "are you playing nice?"
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timeasmymeasure
Hearth and Home (2.1/?) - f!DB/Mjoll and others
Date: 2015-03-13 11:24 am (UTC)The giant dropped to the ground with a mighty crash. While the adults milled around it, Alesan looked down at the reins in his hands and wondered whether he could steer the horse down the slope to the stable on his own. He didn't have much time to wonder. A red-haired woman was climbing the hill in his direction. This was not the same woman that his new mother had assigned to bring him home. She was taller and older, and he recognized her as the one he'd first seen attacking the giant, if only by the size of the axe strapped to her back.
"Hello, boy," said the strange woman. "Iona tells me you've come to live here."
He nodded once.
"Good," she said, nodding back. "My name is Uthgerd. I'm the steward here at Heljarchen Hall. Let me take care of the horse. You go on inside and get warm. Someone will be along to show you around."
She reached up and pulled him off the horse before he had the chance to protest that he could do it himself.
"Go on, now," said Uthgerd.
Alesan didn't need to be told twice. It was cold out, and the wind was icy. He was used to the warmth of Windpeak Inn's hearth, or the stifling heat inside the mines. He ran down the slope, rubbing his hands together to thaw them, while Uthgerd called out a warning after him. He wasn't worried. He'd always been a good runner and he could easily dodge any rocks in his path. He didn't slow down until he got close to the body of the dead giant.
A man and a woman were standing over the remains, talking. When the man noticed him, he nudged the woman and gestured towards him with his chin.
The woman raised her voice. "I'm sure you can take care of disposing of this alone, Gregor. I'll let the boy in the house."
She held out her hand to him. "What's your name, boy?"
"Alesan," he said.
"Do you want to see your new room?"
He nodded emphatically and grabbed her hand.
The manor she walked him into was huge. It was the biggest house he'd ever seen. He even thought it might be bigger than the ship his pa worked on, but that was a long time ago, and he couldn't remember it very well. She walked him through a front hall into a much larger, brightly lit room and he looked around at all the stairs and doors, wondering where they led to and how many people lived here. Just then one of the doors opened and another man came through it, followed by the rich intoxicating smell of fresh-baked... something.
"Mjoll! Is the giant dea-- oh." He blinked and stared at him. "Who's this little man?"
He let go of her -- Mjoll's -- hand and walked over, offering his hand to the man. "My name is Alesan. I've come to live here."
The man gravely took his hand and shook it. "Pleased to meet you, Alesan. Have you met your new sister yet?"
"There's a question," said Mjoll. "I hope she stayed inside like I told her to, and didn't run off to play outside with that dog of hers."
"She's in the bedroom," said the man, pointing his spoon across the room at a closed door. "Go say hello."
Alesan turned around and headed towards the bedroom door, trying to count how many new people he'd already met today. He was starting to get a little dizzy, and hoped there weren't very many more of them. It was such a big house. He was sure that anther ten people could sleep in it, probably. For a moment he hesitated with his hand on the door's handle, but there was nothing to be anxious about. Everyone had bee so nice to him, and it would be nice to have a sister. Probably. He pressed down the latch and opened the door.
"Hyaaaa!
Alesan stumbled back and almost tripped. A tiny girl with wild brown hair was waving a wooden sword at him.
"Surrender, brigand! You will never breach Fort Heljarchen!"
"Aaargh!"
He tried stepping backwards carefully until his back hit the big table at the center of the room. The point of her sword was right in his face. True, it was only a wooden practice sword, but for some reason it looked very sharp. He wiped a drop of sweat off his brow.
There was a clattering of pots and pans in the other room before the kitchen door opened again.
"Erith," said the man with the spoon, "are you playing nice?"