"Hello? My Thane, are you there?" Lydia called, searching for her charge. The sound of a hammer against an anvil was her only answer. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Lydia walked towards the cellar.
Opening the hatch and climbing down the reinforced ladder into the cellar, Lydia made her way towards the forge. On her way across the humid mossy cobblestone room she passed numerous stands of masterfully crafted armor, ranging from the polished grays of Steel to the dark, foreboding, and wicked black of Daedric. Each one bearing her masters signature mark of a red hammer and chisel on the back.
Stopping at the doorway, she could see her charge working the forge as he was known to do. Standing at 6'6 and wearing a custom set of Daedric armor, was the Dovahkiin, saviour of Skyrim and master of the forge. Of course, others preferred to call him the Black Statue due to his silence and large build, but she just called him Black or Thane.
It was a little discouraging when she had asked him for his real name, only to receive the usual silence. She had been with him for so long, yet the most she had gotten out of him were hand signs and grunts. It seemed he was intent on staying silent no matter what.
Lydia jumped as she felt a tap on her shoulder, and looked up to see her Thane staring down at her through his visor. She shook her head and regained her composure.
"Your new Enchanting Table has arrived from Whiterun, it's in the hall," Lydia explained. He nodded and made his way out of the room and up the ladder, Lydia following close behind. Within seconds, the two arrived at the front door where they found a large crate waiting for them.
Black walked over to the crate, picked it up and walked back down the hall. Lydia sighed again as she followed him down the hall and up the stairs to the enchanting room. She wished he would just talk to her for once, even if it was a single word. But she knew that would never happen, he was intent on being quiet, that's just how he was.
Black kicked the door to the enchanting room open and walked in, Lydia trailing behind him. Without missing a beat, he placed the crate on the ground and smashed it open with his armoured fist. Lydia let out another sigh, earning her a look from Black.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it. You just worry about the table, I'm going to check on the livestock." She said as she walked out and closed the door. He stared at the door for a short while before shrugging and removing the remaining parts of the crate, constantly throwing pieces into the corner of the room. When he was done, a chalk white enchanting table with a golden orb, candles, and yellow runes stood before him.
He ogled it for a while, admiring the craftsmanship before getting down to business. This new table was said to make enchantments twice as powerful no matter what gem was used, and he was going to test that. Black pulled an Ebony mace from a plaque above the door and placed it in the middle of the table along with a grand soul gem.
The runes glowed brightly, humming with energy as Black watched. He placed his hand on the rune for Destruction, and used a simple Flames spell on it. The orb glowed white in response and immediately started to suck the magicka from the soul gem. 'Good, everything seems to be working.' Sadly, things were about to go downhill, fast. When the orb had finished sucking the magicka from the gem, it cracked.
Before Black could respond, it shot the magicka straight at him instead of the mace, and his whole world immediately faded to darkness.
Black woke up to a splitting headache and dizziness. He grunted as he pulled himself up off the floor and immediately noticed something wrong. 'This isn't my floor...' he thought. He looked up. 'These aren't my walls...' Indeed, they were not. The floor and walls had changed from wood to marble, and the walls had ornate stained glass windows depicting different scenes.
Black was about to try to get his bearings and look around, but a gold tipped spear to his face stopped him. He blinked and looked down to see two large, blue eyes staring up at him. Slowly, he raised a hand and moved the tip out of his face, only to have it moved back. He blinked again. 'What in Oblivion?' he thought to himself.
A series of whinnies caught his attention.
Black looked to his left and saw something that would make even Sheogorath say 'the hell?' For there, in front of him was a white horse at least two feet shorter than him with large, lavender eyes, wings, a horn, and a gold tiara and necklace. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it had a tattoo of a sun on it's flank. Black tilted his head slightly. 'What in Oblivion is going on here?'
Another set of whinnies coming from the horse interrupted his thoughts.
Black blinked again and shook his head. 'For a moment there it almost seemed like it was trying to communicate...' A brief yellow flash from his left caught his attention again. When the light faded, Black was left feeling like something in his brain had been tweaked, like it had been manipulated.
"There we go, can you understand me now?" A motherly voice spoke.
Black swiveled his head around, trying to find the source of the voice. A hoof with strange, gold shoes waved in front of him.
"Right here," the voice spoke again, and Black was surprised to see that it was coming from the white horse on his left. He stared for a moment, trying to comprehend how she (the voice was definitely feminine) was talking.
The mare stared right back at him and smiled. "Hello, I'm Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria." She extended a hoof. "And you are?"
Black's eyes widened when he heard the word Princess and immediately kneeled before her.
Celestia giggled. "No need to be so formal, my friend." She smiled down at him. "Now, what was your name?"
One of the guards piped up, "Your majesty, maybe it can't speak."
Celestia shook her head. "They can obviously understand me now, I imagine they can speak." She turned back to Black. "Am I right?"
Black stood up and was about to respond, but a purple rift opened up to his right before he could. On the other side was a well-dressed man in fine, tan clothing made of silk with black skin, red face paint, and small horns. He stepped through the portal and smiled even when four spears pointed at him.
"My lord is commonly known as The Black Statue, or simply Black. Oh, and he's mute." he informed.
Celestia blinked. It seemed that her throne room was a magnet for strange beings. "And you are...?" she asked.
The horned man bowed, gracefully avoiding getting stabbed by the spears around him. "I am Sven, servant of the Dovahkiin."
Celestia blinked again. "Dovahkiin? As in Dragonborn?"
Sven nodded. "Exactly."
Celestia looked to the large, black man standing before her. "I see..." she lied. "Is there anything else I should know?"
"That would depend on what you wish to know." Sven replied.
"Where are you two from?" Celestia asked.
"I am from Oblivion, to put it simply. And this one here, hails from Skyrim." Sven answered.
"And where might that be?"
"If you would be so kind as to lend me a map, I could show you."
Celestia nodded and instructed one of her guards to fetch a map. A few minutes of awkward silence later, the guard returned with one. Celestia thanked the guard and handed the map to Sven.
Sven's eyes widened as he unraveled the map. "Oh dear..."
"Is something wrong?" Celestia asked.
Sven looked up from the weathered scroll of paper. "It would appear that...we are not on the map."
"But that's a map of the world, you must be on it!" one of the guards declared.
Sven shook his head. "I'm afraid that's just not so. But if this map is correct...then we aren't even near Tamriel!"
Celestia stared at the two dark men incredulously. "...Are you telling me that your not of this world?"
Sven nodded slowly. "I know I'm not, but I thought that we might just be somewhere uncharted!" he scowled. "Should have known that there was something wrong when I felt that surge of power!" Sven turned to Celestia. "What realm is this?"
"Equus. Why?"
Sven let out a sigh of frustration and turned to Black. "I am sorry my lord, but it seems you are stranded."
Black sighed and shook his head.
"Shall I ask them for a place to stay? You may be here for a while."
Black nodded.
"As you wish." Sven turned back to Celestia. "Is it possible for my lord to stay here for a while? He's quite useful, I'm sure he could make up for it."
"Make up for it how?" Celestia asked, curious.
"My lord is highly skilled in the arts of battle and smithing."
"Battle, you say? Out of aggression or defense?" She asked, suspicion clear in her voice.
"Defense, both of self and others."
Celestia let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed. "That is good to hear. One last question, what are you two?"
"My lord here is a Nord, a human, if you will. Whilst I, am a Dremora, a Daedra." Sven answered.
"I cannot say that I have heard of either, but I suppose that is to be expected. Now, is there anything else I should know?"
"No, your Majesty."
"Would you care for a tour then?"
"I would love to your Highness, but I must return to Oblivion and rest. Traveling to other realms can be quite tiring. I'm sure my lord would love to join you though."
"I see...do take care then."
"I will your Majesty, farewell." Sven bowed before another purple rift opened and swallowed him whole before disappearing again.
Celestia stared at the spot Sven had been before finally turning to Black. "Shall we?"
Black nodded and kept pace with her. They walked for some time before stopping in front of a grand doorway. The sound of metal clanging against metal emanated from the large, steel double doors. The smell of fire was faint, but it was there. The doors were sturdy, yet no where near simple. Etched into the steel were large carvings of flames around an anvil. Black watched in silent awe as Celestia slowly pushed the massive doors open. The doors opened to reveal a long staircase lined with steel and even more carvings of hammers and anvils.
Celestia went ahead, Black following behind her while taking in the sight. The sound of metal clanging against metal grew louder and louder as they neared the bottom. When they finally made it down the steps, Black could scarcely believe his eyes. Numerous sets of both blue armor and golden armor lined both sides of the walls, along with numerous weapons in their racks ranging from maces and axes to greatswords and spears. Shields rested on plaques against the far wall, and a red carpet lined with gold cut the room in half, leading to three large smelters at the end of the room in front of the shields. Molds lined either side of the walls next to the smelters, and numerous forges lay across either side of the long room. Ponies of various sizes and colors stopped working at the forge to look at the new arrival.
Black could barely contain himself, and immediately started to inspect every piece of equipment. Celestia giggled at the man's reaction, he was acting like a foal in Candyland. An old pony with a gray coat of fur, a short white beard and a white mane with a scar across his brown left eye approached. He was wearing a blacksmith's apron that covered his cutie mark , a number of the other blacksmith ponies were behind him.
"What's the meaning of this Princess? What's that black giant of metal doing here?" the old pony asked.
"He's a new blacksmith, Hammer Strike. He's...not from around here. From what I've heard, he's very skilled." Celestia answered.
"I'll be the judge of that." Hammer Strike responded with a snort.
Everypony watched in curiousity and slight fear as Black tested the weight of an indigo greatsword, giving a few experimental swings before taking one glove off and revealing a seemingly soft, yet actually rough, pale hand. He touched the cool surface of the blade, and while it should have been much colder, it was not. It was a pleasant cool that greeted his fingertips as he brushed them softly against the blade. 'Interesting, it does not seem to be very tough, but it's light and seemingly very flexible.'
"That's a Hectinite blade. Made it myself." Hammer Strike stated with a small amount of pride, having approached the man from behind.
Black nodded in approval of the masterful craft, and held up a similar, golden yellow greatsword that was warm to the touch and slightly heavy, the complete opposite of the other blade.
"Another one of my blades. Not bad, eh? It's made of Solarium." Hammer Strike informed.
Black nodded his approval again.
"Not much of a talker, eh?" he asked.
Black shrugged.
"Sorry to interupt, but we must be moving on with the tour." Celestia interupted.
"I see. I won't keep ye then. I have a piece I'm working on anyway." Hammer Strike waved them off. "Off ya go then, go on now!" he urged.
"We'll be back soon, Hammer Strike. Farewell for now." Celestia said, smiling as she walked with her two guards back outside, Black reluctantly following behind.
Lydia woke with a start. 'Where am I?' she thought. Looking around, she noticed that she was in a room that looked fit for a upper class noble. She was laying on a soft, silk, double bed with silky red sheets and gold trim. The floor had a lush green carpet, and the walls were made of fine marble. There was a door to her left leading to what she assumed was a bathroom, and across the room ahead of her were double doors leading to what was probably the outside.
How did she get here? She remembered falling asleep while watching the livestock and then...nothing. She was about to ponder this more, but the double doors opened up to reveal her Thane and a...white horse with a wavy Rainbow mane and tail? What? Black froze for a moment, the horse following suit.
"My Thane? What is going on?" Lydia asked, utterly confused.
"You know him?" the horse asked, confused.
Lydia's eyes widened as she heard the voice come from the horse, before she sighed and simply accepted it. She had seen talking dogs before, what difference was a talking horse?
"I'll take your silence as a yes. I am Princess Celestia, might I know your name?" Celestia asked.
Lydia gasped at the word princess and immediately got off the bed and kneeled before Celestia.
"Lydia, housecarl of the Dovahkiin, at your service." said Lydia.
"Rise, Lydia. You don't need to be so formal around me." Celestia said, smiling.
"Yes, your highness." Lydia said, standing up. "May I ask where I am?"
"You're in Canterlot Castle, Equestria, to be exact. I take it your also from Skyrim?" Celestia asked.
Lydia nodded. "How did you know?"
"Just an educated guess. Pray tell, what is a Thane?"
"A Thane is someone recognized by a Jarl, his guards, and the people as a person of great importance in a particular city, often a hero. The title is given to someone who has contributed to a Hold significant deeds that have helped the Jarl of the Hold and its people. Newly-titled Thanes receive housecarls, sworn bodyguards who protect the Thane, their spouses, and their property. As a houscarl, I am sworn to protect my Thane and all he owns with my life." Lydia answered.
"So you're like a personal bodygard then?" Celestia asked.
"That's one way of putting it, yes."
"I see. Well, I'm afraid I must take my leave of you. I hope to learn more about you in the morning, Lydia." Celestia smiled as she walked down the hall and closed the doors behind her.
Lydia smiled as well, before turning back to her Thane, who was staring at her silently. Lydia fidgeted a bit under his gaze, before he yawned and walked over to the bed, placing his glowing, frosty blue sword that looked similar to a Xiphos beside it. Lydia blushed lightly as she realized that there was only one bed, and that she would have to share it with her Thane, something she had never done. She shook her head. She needed to stop acting like a little girl around him! She needed to act like a woman and face things head on! Feeling the lull of sleep, she went into the bathroom and stripped down to her undergarments. Placing her steel plated armor on the side of the wall, she made her way slowly to the bed with a blush adorning her face.
Black watched from the floor, his pale skin refelecting moonlight perfectly. His body was riddled with scars, covering his torso and limbs. There were two scars larger than the rest. One was a burn on his chest from Alduin, the other a large gash on the back from Miraak. His short, raven black hair was messy and unkempt, and his yellow eyes shone in the dim light of the room. Lydia blushed heavily as she made her way towards the bed, Black watching her silently.
Finally, she made it to the bed and pulled the covers over herself. Black followed suite, and drifted off to sleep. Lydia resisted the urge to hold him, as she knew how awkward that situation would be. Still, she couldn't get her mind off those scars, she'd never seen so many on one man before. Eventually, sleep found her and embraced her fully. There was a full day ahead for the duo.
