Kaie's world ground to a halt as for one horrible moment she wondered if Mireen knew about Madanach's own secret jailbreak plan. The top secret scheme hatched between him, Kaie, Keirine of Hag's End and Nepos the Nose, in the works for the last six months and that had involved Kaie sneaking in and out of Markarth, running messages, setting up Druadach Redoubt as a secret base of operations for the entire Forsworn for when Cidhna stopped being theirs, leading the recent raid that had taken Kolskeggr gold mine over so they'd have a source of funds to replace the silver they'd been stealing from the Nords, sneaking in sufficient armour, weapons and supplies for six Forsworn prisoners at least, and spares for two extra in case anyone else ended up inside, and storing it all at Nepos's house, all ready for when her father finally decided the time was right to break free. All of it ready, all these carefully laid plans almost good to go, ready to spirit her father out from under the Nords' noses and off to Druadach Redoubt, and making sure her mother knew nothing, encouraging Mireen to focus on hiring the Dark Brotherhood when she already knew from her father's experiences that the Sacrament didn't work... and Mireen knew?
But Mireen was barely looking at her, and Kaie realised her mother knew nothing. Good, good, Kaie loved her mother, but she was never bringing her father back to her. If the two ever met in person again, it would be with Madanach returning with an army at his back, King to Matriarch, not husband to wife.
“What, to Markarth? You think he'll listen to me?” Kaie asked. Mireen nodded, actually patting her hand.
“Of course he will, he was always sentimental about you girls. Tell him everything about the dragons, tell him we need a united front against them. Tell him... oh, I don't know!” Mireen sighed. “Just tell him his people need help, and that if he could persuade Keirine to share her auguries, I'd appreciate it. She's supposed to be First Matriarch, she can fetching well act like it.”
Now that Kaie could do. Her father would certainly appreciate the warning that Mireen was after him, and Mireen did have a point – the dragons were ravaging their camps and Kaie wasn't sure how much longer they'd be able to hold out. They'd already had to send the mothers and children to refuge at Red Eagle Redoubt, and wasn't Drascua already holding that debt over them. They needed Madanach to sort the politics out before this descended into an even bigger mess.
Cold breeze and a shadow overhead – an even bigger shadow, the black dragon that heralded doom, hovering over its deceased comrade.
“Not again,” Mireen whispered, weariness finally showing. “Are they not even waiting until nightfall now?”
“Ma, do you want me to...?” Kaie said, reaching for her axe. Mireen shook her head, motioning for Kaie to go.
“No. Get to Markarth. Find your father, I know he's got agents in the guards sneaking you in. Tell him, get him to send help. And m'inyeen, if when you get back...”
“You'll hold out,” Kaie said fiercely. “You're Mireen ap Cordach, rightful leader of Karthspire, descendant of Faolan himself, you'll still be here when I get back.”
“I know,” Mireen said, half-smile on her face, and even a Hagraven could still love her last remaining child as claws nudged Kaie's arm and those black eyes turned a gentle look at Kaie. “But if we are not... go safely, my child. Old gods keep you.”
“And you. Don't stop dancing,” Kaie whispered, one last hug for a mother she didn't share affection with often, and then she was running, Forsworn shouts and screams echoing in her ears as a great Shout of “SLEN TIID VO!” echoed across the Karth river canyon and the dragon they'd just killed rose to life again. Kaie blinked back tears and kept running. She hoped her father would have answers, might answer the call and break out of jail at last, join up with Keirine who might just have invented some vast super-strong black soul gem that could trap even a dragon's soul, and then they might just stand a chance.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 11.3
But Mireen was barely looking at her, and Kaie realised her mother knew nothing. Good, good, Kaie loved her mother, but she was never bringing her father back to her. If the two ever met in person again, it would be with Madanach returning with an army at his back, King to Matriarch, not husband to wife.
“What, to Markarth? You think he'll listen to me?” Kaie asked. Mireen nodded, actually patting her hand.
“Of course he will, he was always sentimental about you girls. Tell him everything about the dragons, tell him we need a united front against them. Tell him... oh, I don't know!” Mireen sighed. “Just tell him his people need help, and that if he could persuade Keirine to share her auguries, I'd appreciate it. She's supposed to be First Matriarch, she can fetching well act like it.”
Now that Kaie could do. Her father would certainly appreciate the warning that Mireen was after him, and Mireen did have a point – the dragons were ravaging their camps and Kaie wasn't sure how much longer they'd be able to hold out. They'd already had to send the mothers and children to refuge at Red Eagle Redoubt, and wasn't Drascua already holding that debt over them. They needed Madanach to sort the politics out before this descended into an even bigger mess.
Cold breeze and a shadow overhead – an even bigger shadow, the black dragon that heralded doom, hovering over its deceased comrade.
“Not again,” Mireen whispered, weariness finally showing. “Are they not even waiting until nightfall now?”
“Ma, do you want me to...?” Kaie said, reaching for her axe. Mireen shook her head, motioning for Kaie to go.
“No. Get to Markarth. Find your father, I know he's got agents in the guards sneaking you in. Tell him, get him to send help. And m'inyeen, if when you get back...”
“You'll hold out,” Kaie said fiercely. “You're Mireen ap Cordach, rightful leader of Karthspire, descendant of Faolan himself, you'll still be here when I get back.”
“I know,” Mireen said, half-smile on her face, and even a Hagraven could still love her last remaining child as claws nudged Kaie's arm and those black eyes turned a gentle look at Kaie. “But if we are not... go safely, my child. Old gods keep you.”
“And you. Don't stop dancing,” Kaie whispered, one last hug for a mother she didn't share affection with often, and then she was running, Forsworn shouts and screams echoing in her ears as a great Shout of “SLEN TIID VO!” echoed across the Karth river canyon and the dragon they'd just killed rose to life again. Kaie blinked back tears and kept running. She hoped her father would have answers, might answer the call and break out of jail at last, join up with Keirine who might just have invented some vast super-strong black soul gem that could trap even a dragon's soul, and then they might just stand a chance.
It was a very slim hope, but it was all Kaie had.