Those Whom the Gods Forsake - Chapter 9

• Posted by Accursed August 30, 2015 - 974 views

  Chapter 9: A Family Realized
  

  I spent the next days recuperating from my experiences. Erissa fussed over me with great concern and Colette grudgingly helped the healing process along. When I could finally walk well enough to return to a normal schedule, I returned to my education. For a week I learned about preventing, identifying, and treating illness and disease until Erissa and I found time alone in her dorm.

  “Caranthir, what do you think of children?”

  “Children? Well, I don’t enjoy their tantrums but I might desire offspring in a decade or two. Why?”

  “Well, I’m afraid you won’t be waiting that long. I am with a child.”

  She grinned. My jaw dropped.

  “A child?! Are you positive?”

  “I'm sure of it.”

  She was obviously excited, but I was concerned. For one, this child was out of wedlock, and Father would certainly not approve. Another concern was our future. What would happen between us? What would happen to the child?

  “Um… Well I… This child needs a proper family, no? Should we not… marry?” Marriage. I dreaded the word.

  “I suppose it would be so.”

  I sighed. It wasn't that I wasn't glad, it was just too soon. I hadn't panned on marriage for another decade or more, let alone children.

  “Very well.”

  I walked to Tolfdir’s office and asked him where the nearest Temple of Mara resided.

  I left his office, going through a list of things to do.

  First I’d need to write to my father and invite him to our wedding. Then there was the problem of travel, clothing, décor, and finding the traditional incense. Father would insist on an Altmeri wedding. We'd be lucky if he didn't make us go back to Summerset to be married.

  I wrote a basic letter, explaining our decision to marry and extending our “most warm welcome”, as well as informing him of how to contact me while I went to Riften and where Riften is. As far as clothing, I had the raiment and Erissa had the dress from Ancano’s party. The decoration would certainly be provided by the Temple, so all that was needed still was the incense.

  I wasn't exactly sure how we would obtain the incense this far North and I didn't know how well our pledges to Altmeri gods would go over with the priests here in Skyrim. At the very least, they would be offended. At worst, it'd start a battle in the middle of a city.

  The Temple promptly responded to our inquiry of a proper time and we set a date. In two weeks, I would have a family to be responsible for.

  In the end I had to write to my father to bring some incense with him. The plants required to make it couldn't grow this North and he would never forgive me if I didn't follow our people’s traditions.

  Father and Viranirn could only find a ship to Solitude and spent two days traveling to Winterhold, and then we spent a day together in Winterhold. After, we spent three days traveling south. Valund and Tolfdir decided to attend as well as some other students.

  We took two days of hiking to arrive at the gates of Riften, the guards looking us over. As we approached one stood at attention.

  “Halt! An entrance toll is required to enter the city!”

  My father stepped right up to him.

  “Bah! You expect us to believe that? Stop with your damn scams and open the gate.”

  “Keep it down! I'll open the gate, just don't spread word of this.”

  “Hmph.”

  We entered the city and were greeted by a powerful stench. A guard to our left smirked.

  “The smell is the canal. You'll get used to it.”

  “Ahem. I see.” I responded.

  Our travel party walked across a bridge spanning the filthy water and to the door of an inn. We entered and came upon the priest of Mara. He had been preaching the evils of the drink sold in the inn.

  “Ah, you must be here for the wedding. The barkeep will have the guest’s rooms ready and those to be married may sleep in the Temple.”

  We briefly mingled and followed the priest to the Temple of Mara. We went through the market, a bustling place filled with shouting and people, smoke and dirt. Many people drank or were abusing Skooma as well as other substances I didn't recognize. Merchants shouted about their wares and many people haggled vigorously. Beggars dressed in rags begged for coin and even grabbed passerby. Braziers burned brightly and illuminated the stalls in the twilight darkness.

  The Temple was a large building with a courtyard, city off from the city rabble by a large iron gate. The priest opened the gate and ushered us in.

  “So you will be having an Altmeri wedding? I trust you have planned out the required ceremony in addition to ours, correct?”

  “Correct.”

  “Perfect. Your accommodations are downstairs, the groom to the right, bride to the left.”

  “Not together?” Erissa asked.

  “No. After all, this is not a temple of Dibella.”

  I was not familiar with Dibella, and his humor was lost on me. The others inside the main hall all laughed, so I did so as a formality.

  We headed to our rooms and, as it was late, I went to bed after reading a book on Mara’s commands. I had heard it all decades prior, yet it was nice to read it.

  I woke up, but I didn't know what time it was. Judging by the lack of noise above me it had to have been early. I heard footsteps coming down the staircase.

  An acolyte knocked and stepped in.

  “The ceremony will begin now. Please proceed upstairs to the Altar. The guests will soon be seated.”

  I sighed. The bitter-sweet final moments of freedom had come.

  As I walked up the rickety stairs I could smell the incense I had given the priests. It was a glorious smell, representing all the sophistication of the Altmer.

  I took my place kneeling before the statue of Mara as the guests seated themselves behind me. I attempted to clear my mind but it continued to race like a frightened horse.

  As I knelt the priest stood on the opposite side of the Altar. Simultaneously, I could hear Erissa’s door creak open. The footsteps began up the stairs. There would be no going back.

  She seated herself on the cushion to my right.

  The priest addressed the guests and proceeded reciting the rites of Mara. He asked her blessing. A lump formed in my throat.

  “Erissa, do you willfully take Caranthir as your husband?”

  “I do.”

  “And Caranthir, do you take Erissa as your wife?”

  “Yes. I do.”

  The priest blessed a cup of tea and handed it to me. I raised it to the heavens and gave the traditional pledges to our ancestral Gods. I drank half of the tea and passed it to Erissa. She repeated the rites and drank the last of tea. I was now a married Mer.

  We rose and I wrapped my arms around her. Now was the feast.

  The feast was held in a room just off the main hall. A large table ran the length of it with two chairs at the head. Platters of roast goat, venison, rabbit, and pheasant were lined up in the middle. Erissa and I took our spots at the head, my father to my left and Tolfdir to Erissa’s right. We ate, and drank, too much of both. By the end of the feast we had all become slightly intoxicated.

  With the ceremony completed we were no longer able to use the Temple’s accommodations, so Erissa and I rented the last room in the inn. We fell asleep soon although it was early evening.

  I woke up in the morning, Erissa still in my arms. Getting up would wake her anyway, so I gently shook her from her sleep.

  “Hm?”

  “It's morning, my love.”

  “Oh.”

  We lay in bed, awake, for a while in silence. Feeling each other’s heat. I began to think about our child. The College was certainly no place to raise one. We’d have to leave.

  “So, my love, I've been thinking. The College isn't exactly an appropriate place to raise a family. I think we should move, perhaps to Whiterun?”

  “Move? We can't leave Winterhold! I haven't finished learning about Destruction magic and you haven't finished learning about healing!”

  “What is more important; magic or our family?”

  “I don't see why we can’t have both.”

  “Because we’d be sharing a room between the two of us and a child. We need a real house, and Winterhold is exactly booming with architecture.”

  “But...”

  “We are moving. That is final.”

  She got out of bed and stormed out the door.

  I got up and began to follow her but decided against it. She would come back; it would be best to let her calm down. That had been out first real argument, and it wasn't even that long. We had had small disagreements before, but she was heavily resistant to leaving Winterhold. I was sure she’d come to accept it.

  I changed into very casual garb and left the inn, intent on exploring the city. It was a warm day already, though this only aided the smell of the canal. The entire waterway was simply one big incubator of disease. I was surprised that plagues didn't ravage the area more often.

  To the right of the Temple stood a very large brick building surrounded by a wall. Judging by its apparent wealth compared to the rest of the populace, I decided it was the Jarl’s palace. Other than that and the market, I didn’t have much to see.

  Rain began to fall lightly, so I pulled my hood over my head. I went back to the inn, hungry for a warm meal.

  I went in a side entrance and went upstairs to our room to clean up. As I entered the water in boots sloshed around and the rain faded to a soft pattering on the roof and windows. I took off my boots and hood, changing into softer shoes.

  I walked to the barkeep and paid for some pheasant and leeks, sitting down at a table. I helped myself to a mug of ale, settling in as the storm grew stronger. Thunder cracked like a whip in the heavens.

  I thank the innkeeper and returned to my room, preparing for a nap. I found Erissa reading in the corner.

  “Hello, darling.”

  No response.

  I exhaled heavily and lay down, falling asleep to the sound of rain pounding on the walls.

  I woke in the early evening, Erissa gone again. I shrugged and went downstairs, Ancano smiling at me from across the room.

  Looking back at my actions all those years ago, as I write this for you, my son, I must wonder if all the pain of my life would have been avoided if I had just agreed to stay.

  “What in Oblivion have you done with her?”

  He merely laughed in response.