Eola's relief shrivelled and died as she realised Kaie was not only not dead, but right here. Forcing a smile, she got up to see her sister staring at her from across the room, wearing a set of leather armour rather than Forsworn, but the dark silver-grey hair shaved in a mohawk with one braid trailing down her cheek that was like their mother's had been once, the piercing silver-blue eyes that were their father's, and the cheekbones they shared hadn't changed a bit. Kaie was a bit older but still very much Kaie the Reach-Princess.
“Kaie,” Eola said, determined not to lose her temper or be baited into an argument. “Good to see you.”
Kaie was shaking her head in the firelight and all over the room, Forsworn were slinking off, possibly to give them privacy, possibly to take cover, Eola wasn't sure.
“After nine years, is that all you can say?” Kaie whispered, sounding like she was about to cry. “Eola, where have you been?”
Did it matter? “Here, there, everywhere,” Eola sighed. “Travelling. Cyrodiil, Morrowind, High Rock, anywhere in Tamriel that wasn't the damn Reach!”
Pain in Kaie's eyes as she made her way over.
“You stupid woman,” Kaie whispered. “I thought you were dead!” Before Eola could apologise for disappointing her yet again, Kaie had flung her arms around her, hugging her half to death.
“You came back,” Kaie wept softly, and now Eola had no idea how to react, other than hug her sister back. Of all the reactions, she'd never expected that. Kaie had missed her?
“You're alive, thank Anu, you're alive,” Kaie was saying. “Look at you, you're a warrior still, we can fight Nords together, you were always the best of us. It'll be like it should have been, we'll be a family again!”
“Kaie!” Eola gasped, trying to extricate herself from her sister's grip, feeling increasingly awkward. Namira, no, this wasn't why she'd come back!
“Kaie,” Nepos interrupted, his voice carrying over everything, with a quietly authoritative ring to it that had Kaie letting her go and listening. “Perhaps you should hear Eola out before you start recruiting her into the Forsworn?”
“Recruit?” Kaie laughed. “Don't be silly, Nepos, Eola's one of us and always was, isn't that right, Eola? Eola?”
“I didn't come back to join up, Kaie,” Eola said, hating the way Kaie's face fell as she said the words. “I need help. Two friends of mine just got arrested and one of them's not even guilty. They're called Maia and Cicero and I need you and Nepos to help rescue them...”
Kaie's face had shut up entirely, her eyes narrowing as she glared at her.
“Maia. And Cicero.” Kaie's eyes glimmered in the firelight, just like their father's but without the warmth he'd always had for them both. She was looking at Eola like Madanach had probably looked at his enemies. “The same Maia and Cicero who just wrecked Karthspire. Friends. Of yours. Eola, you... tell me you weren't involved in that.”
“I swear it, Kaie, I didn't know until after that had all gone down,” Eola pleaded. “Didn't even meet them until it had already happened. Please, Kaie, they're not enemies, at least they don't have to be. Please help?”
Kaie was staring at her bitterly, and Eola felt her hear sink as she realised what little leverage she had left was evaporating like the morning dew. Kaie was Forsworn to the core and not the forgiving type. Just like their mother then.
“You sound so like Da sometimes,” Kaie said quietly, shaking her head. “I swear you're both crazy. You're in luck anyway. Da's already spoken with Maia and pardoned her for Karthspire, in return for... well, I'll tell you later. So you're involved too, eh? I imagine that'll please Da at any rate. He missed you, gwaneth bach. You broke his heart when you left.”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 14.11
“Kaie,” Eola said, determined not to lose her temper or be baited into an argument. “Good to see you.”
Kaie was shaking her head in the firelight and all over the room, Forsworn were slinking off, possibly to give them privacy, possibly to take cover, Eola wasn't sure.
“After nine years, is that all you can say?” Kaie whispered, sounding like she was about to cry. “Eola, where have you been?”
Did it matter? “Here, there, everywhere,” Eola sighed. “Travelling. Cyrodiil, Morrowind, High Rock, anywhere in Tamriel that wasn't the damn Reach!”
Pain in Kaie's eyes as she made her way over.
“You stupid woman,” Kaie whispered. “I thought you were dead!” Before Eola could apologise for disappointing her yet again, Kaie had flung her arms around her, hugging her half to death.
“You came back,” Kaie wept softly, and now Eola had no idea how to react, other than hug her sister back. Of all the reactions, she'd never expected that. Kaie had missed her?
“You're alive, thank Anu, you're alive,” Kaie was saying. “Look at you, you're a warrior still, we can fight Nords together, you were always the best of us. It'll be like it should have been, we'll be a family again!”
“Kaie!” Eola gasped, trying to extricate herself from her sister's grip, feeling increasingly awkward. Namira, no, this wasn't why she'd come back!
“Kaie,” Nepos interrupted, his voice carrying over everything, with a quietly authoritative ring to it that had Kaie letting her go and listening. “Perhaps you should hear Eola out before you start recruiting her into the Forsworn?”
“Recruit?” Kaie laughed. “Don't be silly, Nepos, Eola's one of us and always was, isn't that right, Eola? Eola?”
“I didn't come back to join up, Kaie,” Eola said, hating the way Kaie's face fell as she said the words. “I need help. Two friends of mine just got arrested and one of them's not even guilty. They're called Maia and Cicero and I need you and Nepos to help rescue them...”
Kaie's face had shut up entirely, her eyes narrowing as she glared at her.
“Maia. And Cicero.” Kaie's eyes glimmered in the firelight, just like their father's but without the warmth he'd always had for them both. She was looking at Eola like Madanach had probably looked at his enemies. “The same Maia and Cicero who just wrecked Karthspire. Friends. Of yours. Eola, you... tell me you weren't involved in that.”
“I swear it, Kaie, I didn't know until after that had all gone down,” Eola pleaded. “Didn't even meet them until it had already happened. Please, Kaie, they're not enemies, at least they don't have to be. Please help?”
Kaie was staring at her bitterly, and Eola felt her hear sink as she realised what little leverage she had left was evaporating like the morning dew. Kaie was Forsworn to the core and not the forgiving type. Just like their mother then.
“You sound so like Da sometimes,” Kaie said quietly, shaking her head. “I swear you're both crazy. You're in luck anyway. Da's already spoken with Maia and pardoned her for Karthspire, in return for... well, I'll tell you later. So you're involved too, eh? I imagine that'll please Da at any rate. He missed you, gwaneth bach. You broke his heart when you left.”