When Derkeethus closed his front door and approached the group near his porch, emotions were high as he had expected. Hrefna was dwarfed by the dragons by now, yet she still walked freely among them, planting a kiss on each nose as she said her goodbyes.
“When I'm big, I'm going to come and see you,” she promised, resting both hands on Gaafyahzin's head. “Be safe, okay? Don't eat anything you shouldn't.” The dragon clicked appreciatively, nuzzling the child's stomach.
“You as well,” he agreed. “Become strong enough to fly on my back when I see you next.” Hrefna beamed, and kissed the top of his head once more before hurrying over to Finn.
“You visit us too!” she commanded, throwing her arms around the Breton's waist. “You're not leaving Skyrim, you have to come back and see us!” Finn laughed, scooping the girl into her arms.
“Of course, Hrefna, you'll see me again soon,” she promised. The girl then looked up at Ulfric, tilting her head a little. She had always been suspicious of the leader of the rebellion, but in person, he wasn't nearly as frightening as she had imagined. He was shorter, too.
“Thanks for taking care of them, Jarl Ulfric,” she finally said, bowing her head before moving towards Derkeethus. The Argonian looked among the group, unsure what to say.
“Do you have everything you need? I can make you some more food, it's a long trip,” he began. Finn shook her head, smiling warmly.
“Please, don't trouble yourself. You've given us more than enough.” She grinned, taking her friend by the arms. “What do you think, Derkeethus? It'll be nice to have some quiet in the house again, don't you think?” Derkeethus huffed, looking down at where the dragons were stretching out their large wings. He hadn't had much experience with hatchlings, but they certainly looked strong enough to fly across the continent.
“It'll take some getting used to,” he replied, shaking his head. “I'll miss the little brats, now that you've gone and gotten me used to having them around.” The Breton threw her arms around him, giving him a comforting squeeze and resting her head on his shoulder.
“Thank you for everything, Derkeethus. I owe you more than I can even begin to think of,” she murmured. Her friend returned the embrace.
“You don't owe me a thing, Finn. Travel safely, will you? I want to see you again soon.” Finn nodded, pulled away, and wiped her eyes.
“You will,” she assured him, turning to her family. “Is everybody ready?” She was met with a noisy chattering from her children and a wordless nod from Ulfric, and smiled broadly. “Okay. We've got a lot of walking to do, so you three are free to fly--”
“Fly as well, monah,” Inkahlok interrupted her, tucking in his wings. Sulpaazov approached her father in the same vein, offering her back to him. Ulfric's eyes widened as he watched Finn swing her leg over the dragon's broad neck.
“Are you certain you can carry me?” he asked Sulpaazov lowly, looking at the girl as she adjusted to her new steed. “If you get tired, let me off.”
“Geh, bormah. I can do it,” the dragon assured him.
“Inkahlok's done it before, don't worry!” Finn called over in agreement, her voice mixing in with the beating of leathery wings as Inkahlok and Gaafyahzin lifted from the ground. “They're strong enough!” Ulfric nodded once and climbed onto the remaining dragon's back, gripping tightly as he was taken away from solid land. Derkeethus and Hrefna, calling their goodbyes, grew smaller and smaller, as did Darkwater Crossing, until the three dragons and their parents were cutting through the cold air, wings beating as they moved towards the Throat of the World.
"Something Like Parents" 30/31
“When I'm big, I'm going to come and see you,” she promised, resting both hands on Gaafyahzin's head. “Be safe, okay? Don't eat anything you shouldn't.” The dragon clicked appreciatively, nuzzling the child's stomach.
“You as well,” he agreed. “Become strong enough to fly on my back when I see you next.” Hrefna beamed, and kissed the top of his head once more before hurrying over to Finn.
“You visit us too!” she commanded, throwing her arms around the Breton's waist. “You're not leaving Skyrim, you have to come back and see us!” Finn laughed, scooping the girl into her arms.
“Of course, Hrefna, you'll see me again soon,” she promised. The girl then looked up at Ulfric, tilting her head a little. She had always been suspicious of the leader of the rebellion, but in person, he wasn't nearly as frightening as she had imagined. He was shorter, too.
“Thanks for taking care of them, Jarl Ulfric,” she finally said, bowing her head before moving towards Derkeethus. The Argonian looked among the group, unsure what to say.
“Do you have everything you need? I can make you some more food, it's a long trip,” he began. Finn shook her head, smiling warmly.
“Please, don't trouble yourself. You've given us more than enough.” She grinned, taking her friend by the arms. “What do you think, Derkeethus? It'll be nice to have some quiet in the house again, don't you think?” Derkeethus huffed, looking down at where the dragons were stretching out their large wings. He hadn't had much experience with hatchlings, but they certainly looked strong enough to fly across the continent.
“It'll take some getting used to,” he replied, shaking his head. “I'll miss the little brats, now that you've gone and gotten me used to having them around.” The Breton threw her arms around him, giving him a comforting squeeze and resting her head on his shoulder.
“Thank you for everything, Derkeethus. I owe you more than I can even begin to think of,” she murmured. Her friend returned the embrace.
“You don't owe me a thing, Finn. Travel safely, will you? I want to see you again soon.” Finn nodded, pulled away, and wiped her eyes.
“You will,” she assured him, turning to her family. “Is everybody ready?” She was met with a noisy chattering from her children and a wordless nod from Ulfric, and smiled broadly. “Okay. We've got a lot of walking to do, so you three are free to fly--”
“Fly as well, monah,” Inkahlok interrupted her, tucking in his wings. Sulpaazov approached her father in the same vein, offering her back to him. Ulfric's eyes widened as he watched Finn swing her leg over the dragon's broad neck.
“Are you certain you can carry me?” he asked Sulpaazov lowly, looking at the girl as she adjusted to her new steed. “If you get tired, let me off.”
“Geh, bormah. I can do it,” the dragon assured him.
“Inkahlok's done it before, don't worry!” Finn called over in agreement, her voice mixing in with the beating of leathery wings as Inkahlok and Gaafyahzin lifted from the ground. “They're strong enough!” Ulfric nodded once and climbed onto the remaining dragon's back, gripping tightly as he was taken away from solid land. Derkeethus and Hrefna, calling their goodbyes, grew smaller and smaller, as did Darkwater Crossing, until the three dragons and their parents were cutting through the cold air, wings beating as they moved towards the Throat of the World.