The wolf and the lioness - The Daughter of the Night (Patreon)

Jon Snow, the throat of the World, Skyrim

"Again," said the old man, barely a whisper, the icy wind from the throat of the world hit the monastery courtyard with force

Jon inhaled hard and prepared himself

“Wuld” and the universe obeyed

Jon only felt a strong breeze on his face and in just an instant, he had advanced about ten meters in the blink of an eye, without even moving his legs

This was a powerful magic, very useful to him

"Excellent work, your talent in the art of the Voice is simply impressive," said Arngeir, looking at Jon quite pleased

"With this, you possess all the tools to face the last challenge, to retrieve Jürgen Windcaller's horn, its location is in an old barrow near Haafingar, Ustengrav its name is, go and retrieve the horn, to make your initiation into the path of the Voice completely official," ordered the old man, now surrounded by the rest of Graybeards

Jon nodded respectfully, these men possessed truly incredible knowledge, they were an immense source of power and stories and he would make sure to learn absolutely everything

"I understand masters, I'll go into Ustengrav and retrieve the Horn," Jon promised

In response, the masters nodded and scattered around the monastery, each returning to their activities

Leaving Jon alone with his new companion

"That was impressive my Thane," said a young female voice, belonging to the young Lydia, his new housecarl

"Thank you Lydia" Jon said with a charming smile, enjoying how the young warrior, who was able to destroy bandits and beasts with alarming ease, blushed like a sweet and innocent maiden, while averting her gaze

Jon remembered how the beautiful young Shield Maiden had entered his service, just after discovering that he was a Dragonborn

Flashback

"You must report to High Hrothgar, the Graybeards have summoned you, it must be something really important" said Balgruff, as they walked through the castle calmly, everyone around looked at Jon with obvious interest, everyone muttering that fucking word

Dragonborn 

 As soon as the fight with the dragon was over, Jon ordered his legionnaires to begin processing the body, he had ordered all the bones and scales to be transported to his workshop in Solitude

Ciri was helping Aela collect her things from The Companions' headquarters, the red-haired huntress would leave the city, entering the service of Ciri and Jon permanently, an official member of his household  

In Aela's own words, following him and Ciri felt... Right, there was no other way to describe it

Jon shook his head and focused back on the Jarl

"I'll do my best, I have to talk to Tulius and Elisif, with Ulfric free, the war will rage on, now there will be no way to get him out of Windhelm, so it will have to be the long way," said the Winter Lord

Balgruff nodded, understanding Jon's words

"I understand, with Skald dead and Dawnstar under your control, you put considerable pressure on the Jarl of Windhelm, I guess your next target will be Winterhold and Riften, before delivering the coup de grace," the cunning Jarl deduced, to Jon's approval, who simply nodded

"Then I'm leaving," Jon said, arriving at the main hall and watching as a hooded female figure came out of the wizard's office, but he didn't give it too much importance

Balgruff nodded, however, he had something else to say

"What you have done for my city is exemplary service, I know you are the Jarl of Solitude, but it is my duty to bestow this upon you," said Balgruff, beckoning to his servant, who was carrying an axe, evidently enchanted

Upon receiving it, Jon thanked the man and began to inspect the weapon, being a pretty interesting one, it was made of steel, but... Stronger and lighter

"Made in the Sky Forge and enchanted so that each blow restores your vigor, a Norse blood enchantment, legacy of the ancient warriors of the first era," Balgruff said, watching proudly as Jon inspected the axe, quite impressed

After all, this was an enchantment he wasn't familiar with

"That's not all," said the Jarl, handing Jon now a cloak, it was black with Whiterun's horse embroidered in gold, a work of art, evidently ceremonial

"I know it's a title that pales in comparison to something scary like Winter Lord or Jarl Jon of Haafingar, but it's a great honor for me to bestow upon you the title of Thane, ally of Whiterun, you'll always be welcome on my walls," said the Jarl with a small smile, evidently grateful for Jon's service

The Winter Lord nodded elegantly, something good had come out of all this, after all, Jon having an official noble title in Whiterun was a pretty clear political message, that Balgruff supported the Jarl of Haafingar

And therefore, the empire

"I'll make sure Tulius reinforces the borders with Riften, if Ulfric tries anything we'll know and stop," Jon promised

Balgruff nodded, pleased that Jon had understood the message and without wasting time, he continued talking

"As usual, a housecarl will be assigned to your service, she is young and inexperienced, but she has the heart of a warrior, she will serve you well," said Balgruff, at the same time that a female voice was present

"Uncle Balgruff, I mean, My Jarl, I came as you requested," said a female voice, embarrassed by her slip apparently

Jon focused his gaze on the young warrior, she was fierce, with an athletic and strong body, the product of hours of training, although it was impossible to deny the femininity under that steel armor, with black hair and gray eyes, sheathed in simple steel armor with a sword of the same material at her waist and a simple shield

The young woman, seeing that Jon's attention was focused on her, couldn't help but blush a little, although she tried to keep a strong façade

"Lydia, he is Jarl Jon of Haafingar, and from now on, honorary Thane of Whiterun, I officially assign you as his housecarl" said Balgruff, as cunning as a fox

After all, there were hundreds of warriors better qualified than Lydia to serve Jon

However, Jon imagined that not many were beautiful young women at the right age to be betrothed

And even fewer were nieces of the Jarl

Jon looked at Balgruff raising an eyebrow, and the Jarl simply shrugged, the appointment had been official and there was no going back

"Say goodbye to your mother before you leave, Lydia," Balgruff ordered, then shook Jon's hand and returned to his duties

Leaving an amused Jon and a nervous Lydia alone, who began to stutter uncontrollably

“Jarl Jon! I mean, my Thane, I mean it's an honor to be able to serve someone of such high reputation, I... I mean...” The nervous young woman began to stutter, so Jon simply took her by the shoulder and spoke

"Don't worry, I understand, Balgruff wouldn't have assigned you as my housecarl if he didn't believe in your ability, our journey is long, say goodbye to your mother and meet me at the city gates at dawn, understand?" Jon ordered calmly

Lydia blushed at the touch, but nodded quickly

“As you command my Thane”

Flashback End

Lydia was his companion throughout the journey to the Graybeard monastery, while Aela accompanied Ciri on her exploration of that dangerous cave near Dawnstar, where reports of suspicious activity were becoming more and more common

Lydia was strong and stubborn with other people, capable of executing bandits without batting an eyelid, but with Jon, the warrior disappeared and a lustful and seductive Nord, similar to Aela, appeared, only for Jon's eyes

“Ready for a new adventure?” asked the warrior in question, looking at Jon with amusement, she was not wearing her characteristic armor, but a tight wool dress with a thick cloak that protected her from the cold, unlike Jon, who thanks to his magic was practically immune to the unforgiving mountain climate, Lydia needed all the protection she could need

"Yes, I see that you made a comfortable cloak with the remains of the troll" Jon said with amusement

Lydia's face flushed, but not with shame, but with fury

"That this putrid being fulfills a noble function, like keeping me warm, is the least he can do after giving me a horrible scar," Lydia snapped, to Jon's amusement

"I was reading the ancient Greybeard texts, and I was able to translate the whole Wall of the barrow near Riverwood," Jon said calmly, catching the young warrior's attention

“Oh? And what are the words of our ancestors?” Lydia asked curiously, one of her best attributes in Jon's opinion

"It's a poem," he answered, showing the translation to the haired woman, who began to read quickly

"Strength, Balance, Drive, it doesn't seem to make much sense" confessed Lydia looking at Jon with doubt in her eyes

"In the language of man, he does not have it, however...Fus Ro Dah, Relentless Force, is a powerful and dangerous shout, it was the technique that Ulfric treacherously used to assassinate King Torygg," Jon confessed while frowning

At those words, Lydia's face also gained a peculiar look

"I obtained Fus's mastery thanks to the dragon I killed, while the master gave me his understanding of Ro, but Dah... I know the word, but I don't understand it, at least not completely, it is... complicated to explain” confessed Jon

Lydia didn't quite understand Jon's words, but she just smiled showing her support

"I would be lying if I said that I understand your words my Thane, however, you are the most brilliant man I know, if anyone can do it, it is you" said Lydia with determination

Jon smiled and said

"Rest very well today, tomorrow we will visit Ustengrav, we will face the final test of the Graybeards together" said Jon, to the obvious excitement of Lydia, who, smiling, replied

"I'm ready my Thane," with determination in her voice, as they returned to the safety of the monastery

"Prepare a bath and one of the biggest beds for both of us, I'll make sure it's warm, don't keep me waiting" Jon ordered, giving a loud spanking to the surprised but pleased young woman

"As you command my Thane," she said with obvious emotion, before literally running to the monastery wing assigned to them, apparently, today would be the night Lydia had wanted since they left Whiterun

The night when the Winter Lord would officially make her his

Probably a lot of times along the night if she was lucky

Neither suspected that, at that very moment, two important events were taking place

A hooded woman infiltrated the ruins of Ustengrav, causing trouble and headaches for the future and the former princess of Cintra meddled in the secret affairs of an ancient and elusive clan of nightwalkers

What could go wrong?

Cirilla Fiona Ellen Rianon, Dimhollow cave, Skyrim

"AAAHG," was the only thing the creature could screech before Zireael rushed through it, slicing off its head in one slash, the runes of his trusty sword shining brightly, carved by her beloved husband

"Your skill with the sword is impressive sister-wife," Aela said approvingly, looking at the wreckage Ciri had done in the central hall, where the foul vampires lay dead

Ciri just nodded, still alert in this dangerous cave, vampires in broad daylight, even if they were different from the terrifying creatures of her home world, were not to be underestimated

"It is evident that they were looking for something, probably this sarcophagus" said the silver lioness as she cleaned and sheathed her sword

They were on a kind of stone platform, the construction was old, perhaps from the first era, the architecture supported that notion

"This place makes my instincts to go wild” Aela confessed, preparing her bow and looking around, having a bad feeling, when suddenly, the sarcophagus began to make strange noises, as if ancestral gears were moving for the first time in centuries, and little by little, the heavy lid began to descend

"Get ready," Ciri ordered, wielding Zireael with both hands, and channeling her magic through her blade, ready to fight whatever emerged

Ciri was expecting a terrifying beast, however, what she got was something... different

A beautiful and ethereal woman, evidently exhausted, who fell to the ground as soon as the heavy lid of the sarcophagus descended, causing a strange object to fly from her hands

Straight to Cirilla's feet

The power that such an artifact radiated was simply monstrous, there was no way to describe it, it was like a Nexus of all the magic in the multiverse, just looking at it made Lara Dorren's descendant shudder

"Open me" whispered a voice, it was soft and seductive, and without thinking, Cirilla obeyed, in a complete trance, something bigger than her giving the orders

And she, at least this moment, was a simple instrument

With trembling hands and ignoring everything around, Ciri opened the scroll

And everything...just change

She was no longer in Dimhollow, in the province of Skyrim, on the continent of Tamriel, no sir, she was somewhere else

In a place... that brought back stormy memories

She was at Cintra... But it was different

The city was rebuilt, more beautiful and huger than ever, it was in the throne room where she watched her grandmother rule for so long, now being occupied by two thrones

And in them, she saw herself, taking Jon's hand, they both looked older and more powerful, on a spear behind the thrones was a head, belonging to a bald man with a golden crown and at the foot of the throne...

Her father, Emhyr, the emperor of Nilfgaard, kneeling and subdued, totally defeated

“The Empire of Nilfgaard surrenders unconditionally to the Twin Thrones of the Draconium Empire”

Ciri saw herself, with Jon, ruling as equals, a glorious empire, however, before she could enjoy such a thought, everything around her changed again, dense blue clouds clouded her view now changing to another throne room, this one was much larger, with a monstrosity made of swords, at least ten meters high

At the foot of the throne, seven warriors dressed in white armor and cloaks guarded the colossal throne, where sat none other than her beloved husband

With Ciri sitting on his lap, she watched in amusement as several men, evidently noble, looked at both of them, begging for mercy

And by Jon's look, they wouldn't get it

"Your grace please, mercy, Mercy" begged a decrepit old man, humiliating himself before Jon and Ciri, however, the only answer they got was an attack of telekinesis from her husband

Focused on the throats of all Lords

Ciri couldn't help but shudder as she looked at her husband, he looked powerful, imposing

Ciri saw a Monarch

"I, Aegon Targaryen, King of Westeros, sentence you to Die," she blurted out the image of her husband and then broke the necks of all the Lords

And the image changed, the silver lioness was now in a kind of cloud, surrounded by light and clarity

And one by one, nine beings made an appearance, surrounding her and they all repeated the same thing

“Chose, Chose, Chose…”

The voices were getting louder and louder, to the point of being unbearable, Ciri screamed in agony, while covering her eyes that were shining like two emerald suns

And in an instant, the feeling ended

“Are you all right?” said a beautiful, harmonious voice, as soft as a breeze, with obvious concern on its face

Ciri opened her eyes with difficulty, blinking many times to ease the discomfort and headache

"Yes, it's just that it was an intense sensation," confessed the silver lioness

"It's an Elder Scroll, they tend to be dangerous, I'm Serana Volkihar" said the beautiful maiden softly, looking at Ciri with a tiny smile

Ciri returned it, now admiring more deeply the feminine perfection in front of her, trying to distract herself from what she had just seen

She had to talk to her husband and fast

Delphine, Riverwood, a couple of days later

The warrior was watching the horn, it was tiny and insignificant to her eyes, but it was the perfect bait to make the Dragonborn come

Suddenly, Delphine's thoughts were interrupted by a door slamming, someone had entered the inn

Someone important

Jarl Jon himself, looking around with a frown and his hand, with a soft gray glow guiding him

Straight to her

As he began to walk towards the counter, the Winter Lord lit his hand with an unknown spell, threads of blue magic appeared, at the same time everyone present simply dropped everything they were doing and just standing up and walked out of the place

Delphine, prepared to lie, began to speak

"Do you need anything?" he asked, ignoring the sense of danger in her mind 

Those gray eyes looked at her coldly, and her masculine voice commanded

"The horn, now" a fairly effective intimidation tactic, Delphine, a war veteran, shuddered at the mere hearing of it

"I don't know what you're talking about, I... AAAHG” Delphine shouted, feeling how a horrible pressure held her by the neck and lifted her a couple of meters into the air, while the Winter Lord's hand shone with an orange glow

"Don't tempt my patience, I'll let you go and you'll give me the horn, if you know what's good for your wellbeing" he threatened, evidently not being in the mood for Delphine's games

And the innkeeper could only feel two things, the first, terror, when she felt the overwhelming power of this breaker of armies, Jon Snow, the Winter Lord, The Storm Bringer, as he was called in the province

And the other... hope, hope that her decaying Order could rise from the ashes, in the service of someone worthy, someone powerful

In the service of a Dragonborn...

In the service of a King…