“Glad to hear it, my dear,” Keirine laughed. “Always make the most of your youth, I never really did and I still regret it a little. But old age has brought its own rewards.” She produced a letter, sealing it with her own rune-seal, a letter K on a raven wearing a torc, and handed it to Shevawna.
“There you are. A response for our friend. Shorter than I would have liked, but it will have to do for now. So, girl. It seems you're going to be acting as courier for us – well, for him anyway. I can make my own arrangements for getting in touch with him if I wish.”
“Matriarch?” Shevawna said, confused. “I thought you said I was working for you...”
“You are, girl, you are,” Keirine purred. “And I need you based at Jorrvaskr, living as a Companion and doing whatever Kodlak needs you to. And when he needs you to bring word to me, you'll do that. For now, that's all you need to know – it's possible he'll tell you more. Well, Shevawna, can you do this?”
Shevawna nodded, still not sure she understood all this, but you didn't say no to a Matriarch, and definitely not the First Matriarch. The Hag hierarchy was very loosely defined and individual Hags would rise or fall in power, but there was very definitely a First and Keirine was very definitely it.... and not just because of her brother either. In fact, there were those who said that Madanach owed a great chunk of his rise to power to his powerful Hag sister. Shevawna was far too young to know anything about that, but she knew enough to know Keirine was not a woman you argued with.
“Yes, Matriarch,” Shevawna whispered, and Keirine smiled, flashing jagged teeth at her.
“Good,” Keirine purred. “Now go. And don't worry. Just settle in at Jorrvaskr, do what they tell you and try not to kill anyone there. They're not complete monsters, you know, Nords. They're not very bright on the whole but most of them aren't so bad.”
Shevawna nodded, surprised to hear a Matriarch say something like that – but Keirine was clearly a good deal brighter than most Hagravens, and Shevawna had to agree that they weren't all bad. Kodlak had treated her well, Farkas had seemed nice, Eorlund didn't seem to care about anything other than his smithing, and as for Aela... Best not to think too long about that or she'd never get anything done. Best not to think too long on Vilkas either, because he was smart. Too smart. Reachman smart and not too much taller than she was and...
“Yes, Matriarch,” Shevawna said, hoping Keirine hadn't picked up on her distraction.
“You have no idea what I just said to you, do you?” Keirine said, shaking her head. “Was it that Kieran, by any chance? Of course it was, he will flirt with anyone. Never mind. Go on, child. Go back to Whiterun. I'll reach you when I have need of you.”
“I will. Thank you, Matriarch,” Shevawna promised, taking her leave. So here she was, still a Forsworn, in service to the fiercest Matriarch of them all, and now the first ever Forsworn Companion of Jorrvaskr.
Wonders would never cease.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The journey back to Whiterun went smoothly enough, apart from the inconvenience of having to change clothes and equip a steel sword before actually approaching the city. The guards barely looked twice at her, apart from one mentioning she'd been seen in the company of the Companions.
“That's a honourable path you're on, friend,” he said, nodding as she passed, and Shevawna had just smiled and grinned. Yes, let them continue thinking she was honourable. They didn't need to know that no Forsworn ever bothered with niceties like fighting fair.
Then back to Jorrvaskr, and that was when things went wrong. First Skjor glancing up, seeming to sniff her and then shaking his head, tutting. Then Farkas looking up, confused and then frowning at her. Ria seemed pleased to see her, greeting her cheerfully, while Torvar looked up, tried to focus, failed and just said “hey! You're that one I didn't kill! Welcome back!”
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Blood (Magic)'s Honour 3.4
Date: 2014-04-18 12:06 pm (UTC)“There you are. A response for our friend. Shorter than I would have liked, but it will have to do for now. So, girl. It seems you're going to be acting as courier for us – well, for him anyway. I can make my own arrangements for getting in touch with him if I wish.”
“Matriarch?” Shevawna said, confused. “I thought you said I was working for you...”
“You are, girl, you are,” Keirine purred. “And I need you based at Jorrvaskr, living as a Companion and doing whatever Kodlak needs you to. And when he needs you to bring word to me, you'll do that. For now, that's all you need to know – it's possible he'll tell you more. Well, Shevawna, can you do this?”
Shevawna nodded, still not sure she understood all this, but you didn't say no to a Matriarch, and definitely not the First Matriarch. The Hag hierarchy was very loosely defined and individual Hags would rise or fall in power, but there was very definitely a First and Keirine was very definitely it.... and not just because of her brother either. In fact, there were those who said that Madanach owed a great chunk of his rise to power to his powerful Hag sister. Shevawna was far too young to know anything about that, but she knew enough to know Keirine was not a woman you argued with.
“Yes, Matriarch,” Shevawna whispered, and Keirine smiled, flashing jagged teeth at her.
“Good,” Keirine purred. “Now go. And don't worry. Just settle in at Jorrvaskr, do what they tell you and try not to kill anyone there. They're not complete monsters, you know, Nords. They're not very bright on the whole but most of them aren't so bad.”
Shevawna nodded, surprised to hear a Matriarch say something like that – but Keirine was clearly a good deal brighter than most Hagravens, and Shevawna had to agree that they weren't all bad. Kodlak had treated her well, Farkas had seemed nice, Eorlund didn't seem to care about anything other than his smithing, and as for Aela... Best not to think too long about that or she'd never get anything done. Best not to think too long on Vilkas either, because he was smart. Too smart. Reachman smart and not too much taller than she was and...
“Yes, Matriarch,” Shevawna said, hoping Keirine hadn't picked up on her distraction.
“You have no idea what I just said to you, do you?” Keirine said, shaking her head. “Was it that Kieran, by any chance? Of course it was, he will flirt with anyone. Never mind. Go on, child. Go back to Whiterun. I'll reach you when I have need of you.”
“I will. Thank you, Matriarch,” Shevawna promised, taking her leave. So here she was, still a Forsworn, in service to the fiercest Matriarch of them all, and now the first ever Forsworn Companion of Jorrvaskr.
Wonders would never cease.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The journey back to Whiterun went smoothly enough, apart from the inconvenience of having to change clothes and equip a steel sword before actually approaching the city. The guards barely looked twice at her, apart from one mentioning she'd been seen in the company of the Companions.
“That's a honourable path you're on, friend,” he said, nodding as she passed, and Shevawna had just smiled and grinned. Yes, let them continue thinking she was honourable. They didn't need to know that no Forsworn ever bothered with niceties like fighting fair.
Then back to Jorrvaskr, and that was when things went wrong. First Skjor glancing up, seeming to sniff her and then shaking his head, tutting. Then Farkas looking up, confused and then frowning at her. Ria seemed pleased to see her, greeting her cheerfully, while Torvar looked up, tried to focus, failed and just said “hey! You're that one I didn't kill! Welcome back!”