The pair of adventurers were awake before the sun the next morning, seated on a carriage and looking out at the river they were rolling by.
“What do we need from Solitude?” Erandur asked, leaning back sleepily and looking up at the slowly brightening sky.
“I just want to drop off some things,” Nandita replied. “I’ve been carrying around a lot of things I don’t need, but some of them are sentimental. I can’t just sell them.” She paused, frowning a bit. “Plus, I haven’t seen my dog in a while. I miss him.”
“A fair point,” the Dunmer remarked, slightly affectionately. The thought of the battle-ready Nandita hugging a dog was incredibly endearing to him, and it had been quite a while since he had seen a dog himself. He was looking forward to it.
Sure enough, Meeko was dashing towards the door the moment Nandita unlocked it. The Redguard beamed, dropping to her knees and petting the hound enthusiastically.
“That’s a good boy!” she cooed. “Did you miss me? I missed you!” Erandur stepped out of the reach of the dog’s wagging tail, only to become abruptly aware of a sweet smell wafting from the kitchen. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to find a Nord placing several hot plates on the table, and raised a hand in greeting.
“Hello,” he called, approaching the table while Nandita and Meeko continued their reunion. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
“I don’t think we have,” the housecarl agreed, holding out her hand. “I’m Thane Nandita’s housecarl, Jordis. It’s a pleasure to have you in our home. I was just in the middle of making some sweets, if you’d like to try some.”
“Oh, you have to,” Nandita agreed, finally making her way to the kitchen. “Jordis is just as good at the oven as she is with a sword. The sweetrolls she makes are a gift from the Divines!”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Jordis added shyly, handing the Dunmer a sweetroll all the same. After a bite, even the priest was inclined to agree with Nandita.
“It’s wonderful, Jordis. Do you mind if I take some more?” he asked, gesturing at the treat-laden table in front of them. The housecarl beamed, proud to be cooking for someone besides Meeko for a change.
“Go right ahead,” she replied.
It wasn’t long before the priest was seated with Nandita on the porch, a stack of sweets in front of them and Meeko curled up at his feet. The two had befriended one another almost instantly, to Nandita’s delight, and she was enamored with the sight of the dog so comfortable around a stranger.
“He likes you,” she pointed out, reaching down to ruffle his fur. “He’s not mean, but he doesn’t get comfortable around anyone except me and Jordis.” Erandur beamed, his face much brighter than it usually was, and Nandita felt her heart leap.
“I like him, too,” he replied. “We should take him with us.”
“I used to take him with me,” Nandita began, embarrassed, “but he doesn’t really understand the concept of…well, sneaking. It’s hard to be stealthy when you have a dog at your side.” Erandur laughed, nodding his agreement.
“I understand.” He sighed, looking back out at the view below them. “I had forgotten how beautiful Solitude is. You chose a good place to live.” Nandita leaned forward, picking up a slice of pie and biting into it before she spoke again.
“You could come and live here, too. I’d set up a room for your shrine and everything,” she offered. This time, Erandur didn’t shut down the idea so quickly, though he did roll his eyes.
“Perhaps,” he said vaguely. “You know, from the way you discussed your travels with me, I expected to run into much more trouble. We’ve fought a few bears, but it seems like we’ve been avoiding combat. Am I wrong?” Nandita softened, looking up at her friend. The light from the sunset looked wonderful on his face, she noticed.
“There hasn’t been any combat to avoid,” she replied insistently. “It’s my job to go out looking for fights, but when I’m not doing that…well, there’s plenty of good in Skyrim. Considering the way you’ve holed yourself up in that temple, I’m glad that I’ve gotten the chance to share some of it with you.” Erandur smiled, moving his chair closer so that he could take the Redguard’s hands.
“I appreciate the opportunity,” he said gently. Nandita felt her face grow hot as he continued. “I’m glad we can see it together.”
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timeasmymeasure
F!DB/Erandur: "Scenery" 5/?
Date: 2015-07-30 11:20 pm (UTC)“What do we need from Solitude?” Erandur asked, leaning back sleepily and looking up at the slowly brightening sky.
“I just want to drop off some things,” Nandita replied. “I’ve been carrying around a lot of things I don’t need, but some of them are sentimental. I can’t just sell them.” She paused, frowning a bit. “Plus, I haven’t seen my dog in a while. I miss him.”
“A fair point,” the Dunmer remarked, slightly affectionately. The thought of the battle-ready Nandita hugging a dog was incredibly endearing to him, and it had been quite a while since he had seen a dog himself. He was looking forward to it.
Sure enough, Meeko was dashing towards the door the moment Nandita unlocked it. The Redguard beamed, dropping to her knees and petting the hound enthusiastically.
“That’s a good boy!” she cooed. “Did you miss me? I missed you!” Erandur stepped out of the reach of the dog’s wagging tail, only to become abruptly aware of a sweet smell wafting from the kitchen. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to find a Nord placing several hot plates on the table, and raised a hand in greeting.
“Hello,” he called, approaching the table while Nandita and Meeko continued their reunion. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
“I don’t think we have,” the housecarl agreed, holding out her hand. “I’m Thane Nandita’s housecarl, Jordis. It’s a pleasure to have you in our home. I was just in the middle of making some sweets, if you’d like to try some.”
“Oh, you have to,” Nandita agreed, finally making her way to the kitchen. “Jordis is just as good at the oven as she is with a sword. The sweetrolls she makes are a gift from the Divines!”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Jordis added shyly, handing the Dunmer a sweetroll all the same. After a bite, even the priest was inclined to agree with Nandita.
“It’s wonderful, Jordis. Do you mind if I take some more?” he asked, gesturing at the treat-laden table in front of them. The housecarl beamed, proud to be cooking for someone besides Meeko for a change.
“Go right ahead,” she replied.
It wasn’t long before the priest was seated with Nandita on the porch, a stack of sweets in front of them and Meeko curled up at his feet. The two had befriended one another almost instantly, to Nandita’s delight, and she was enamored with the sight of the dog so comfortable around a stranger.
“He likes you,” she pointed out, reaching down to ruffle his fur. “He’s not mean, but he doesn’t get comfortable around anyone except me and Jordis.” Erandur beamed, his face much brighter than it usually was, and Nandita felt her heart leap.
“I like him, too,” he replied. “We should take him with us.”
“I used to take him with me,” Nandita began, embarrassed, “but he doesn’t really understand the concept of…well, sneaking. It’s hard to be stealthy when you have a dog at your side.” Erandur laughed, nodding his agreement.
“I understand.” He sighed, looking back out at the view below them. “I had forgotten how beautiful Solitude is. You chose a good place to live.” Nandita leaned forward, picking up a slice of pie and biting into it before she spoke again.
“You could come and live here, too. I’d set up a room for your shrine and everything,” she offered. This time, Erandur didn’t shut down the idea so quickly, though he did roll his eyes.
“Perhaps,” he said vaguely. “You know, from the way you discussed your travels with me, I expected to run into much more trouble. We’ve fought a few bears, but it seems like we’ve been avoiding combat. Am I wrong?” Nandita softened, looking up at her friend. The light from the sunset looked wonderful on his face, she noticed.
“There hasn’t been any combat to avoid,” she replied insistently. “It’s my job to go out looking for fights, but when I’m not doing that…well, there’s plenty of good in Skyrim. Considering the way you’ve holed yourself up in that temple, I’m glad that I’ve gotten the chance to share some of it with you.” Erandur smiled, moving his chair closer so that he could take the Redguard’s hands.
“I appreciate the opportunity,” he said gently. Nandita felt her face grow hot as he continued. “I’m glad we can see it together.”