The Lioness

The ringing of metal picks striking stone echoed down the hill from the mine as Annekke stared off in the distance. She was a proud daughter of Skyrim, and like most Nord women she was tall and well-built, fair-haired, and blue eyed. Annekke's coarse white miner's tunic was dusty and dirty, but the fabric was tight across her impressive bosom and she earned a few appreciative glances from the other laborers in the camp.

Annekke could see across the steaming sulfurous pools, misty geysers, and roiling hot springs of Eastmarch's volcanic tundra, the Aalto valley in the shadow of the great mountain that her people called the Throat of the World. Over towards the forests of Kynesgrove, a great rocky crest strewn with sun-bleached mammoth bones rose up to the sky. The ancestors had built some sort of structure upon it, the ruins of their strangely carved walls and pillars enduring the test of time. Annekke could almost make out a great bird circling the peak overhead.

"Head in the clouds again?" grumbled a deep voice behind her. Annekke's piercing blue eyes came into focus and she turned to see her husband, dirty and sweaty from breaking rocks down in the mine.

Verner was a burly Nord man, strong enough to earn the completely accurate sobriquet of "Rock-Chucker". In Skyrim, it was common for Nords to earn such nicknames after performing some impressive or notable feat. In her younger days as a scout, Annekke was called "Crag-Jumper" for her ability to cover difficult rocky terrain with the speed and agility of a ram.

"Verner, you should have come out with me yesterday" Annekke said with a smile, her eyes shining with delight. "I found the most amazing thing, a beautiful tree growing right out of a cave!" she continued, pointing off to the north. The great tree had been a marvel, something that could have been blessed by the Divines. The tree reminded her of the blessed tree decorating the Temple of Kynareth in in Whiterun.

Verner just looked at her without expression for a moment. "And I found a new deposit of amber. Would have been nice to have some help pulling it out."

Annekke's smile faded. She was the one who originally found the goldenrock mine that Dakwater Crossing was built around. Annekke had been exploring the waterfalls of the Darkwater River when she nearly stumbled over a sizable piece of corundum ore, a mineral that was useful in the creation of good old-fashioned Nord steel. Oh, it was certainly some good fortune to praise Talos for; the young couple had a nest egg that would grow into a profitable business, and a stable home to raise their young daughter Sylgja. More than a lot of people have, to be sure.

But Sylgja had grown up and moved a few miles up the trail to another mining town called Shor's Stone. To Annekke's dismay, settling down and raising a family had cost Verner that spark of wanderlust they had both shared and bonded over in their youth. Even though there was no baby to care for anymore, Verner was still content to stay home, and Goldenrock Mine had became a prison in the eyes of his wife.

"You used to love finding new places..." Annekke said in a quiet, hurt voice.

"I still do. I just like to have food waiting for me when I come home," came the gruff reply.

Annekke just stared at his back as he stormed back down towards Darkwater Crossing. All marriages have troubles and disagreements from time to time, but this one had grown a little too sharp with each passing year. He thought she was a bounder, and she thought he was a milk-drinker.

*************

As the shadows grew longer in the evening, Annekke watched as Tormir, one of the few other women at the mining camp, showed her young daughter Hrefna how to properly remove the scales from a slaughterfish. Nearby was Sondas, a grey-skinned Dark Elf that looked after Hrefna when her mother was away, and Derkeethus, an Argonian lizard-man from the Black Marsh.

"So this is Darkwater Crossing?" a musical voice remarked. "Sylgja was right. Terrible name for such a beautiful place."

Annekke nearly jumped out of her skin. In her depression, she had barely noticed a tall and brawny Nord woman trudging up the hill into the camp, the sunshine flashing off of her armor's metal plates. The stranger's face was painted with some blue woad, and she carried a hefty steel battleaxe with ease.

The woman studied Annekke for a moment, her eyes seeming to drift down towards Annekke's amble busom for more than a brief moment, and kept her hands in plain view. "Well met, friend. I am Mjoll the Lioness, Champion of the Rift. I have a delivery for Verner Stone-Chucker from his daughter Sylgja."

"Sylgja?" Annekke blurted out, and waved her husband over. Their daughter had not visited Darkwater Crossing in quite some time, and Verner was beginning to worry about her. "I'm her mother. Is she okay?"

"Yes!" Mjoll started to nod, but then shrugged, "Well, actually she rolled her ankle bringing some food to the men in the mine. Can't really walk too far on it, but a Priest from Riften's temple of Mara had a look at it, gods be praised, so it should heal up in due time."

Mjoll handed off the satchel of letters to a concerned looking Verner.

"It's a shame Sylgja couldn't make the journey herself," Verner said, clutching the letters like they were a piece of precious ore, "I would have loved to see and talk to her. But at least she still thinks of us." Verner smiled and inclined his head to Mjoll. "Thank you for making the rough trip out here. Feel free to spend the night here, we have plenty of food and drink and good company."

As dinner time rolled around, Mjoll sat next to Verner and Annekke, an honored guest at their table, with the other miners gathered around eating Tormir's baked slaughterfish. Verner brought out his stash of fine Riften mead in Mjoll's honor. Whenever a cask of really good mead is opened, the Nords made sure to gather round because they know that cask won't last long.

Mjoll raised a toast to the miners and tossed back the first cup, and the revelry began in earnest. "Those Black-Briars might be a sordid bunch, but I can't deny they make the best honey-wine in Skyrim," she said aside to Annekke.

Annekke took a sip from their shared bottle, impressed by Mjoll's bold statement. It was well known that Maven Black-Briar had a lot of influence in the Empire. The Imperials cared more about gold than honor, so any story about the Black-Briars being connected to the Thieves Guild or the Dark Brotherhood of Assassins was ignored so long as it was her brew that was kept on tap in every tavern from Solitude to Bruma.

"We don't get many travelers in Eastmarch. What brings you all the way out here?"

Mjoll chuckled. "Oh, this particular journey started simple enough. I was in the Riften market, down in Elgrim's alchemy shop on the water. He sells healing potions and the like, you see. Useful for my ventures, I can tell you that much!" Mjoll chuckled, and Annekke found her soothing laughter infectious.

"Unfortunately, his apprentice Ingun was there." Mjoll made a disgusted look, as if she remembered smelling something unpleasant. "Strange girl. Always playing with poisons and dead things in the corner of Elgrim's shop." Mjoll shrugged. "I was keeping my distance from her, talking with Elgrim's wife. They had received a courier from Shor's Stone that morning. The miners found something odd and wanted the old alchemist to look at a sample of it."

Mjoll paused in her story to take another long pull of mead. Vener was paying polite attention, but Annekke was transfixed. The miners found something strange enough to consult with an alchemist? Annekke could barely resist the urge to run up to Shor's Stone herself and take a look at it!

"Since I've made Riften my home, I've made it a point to do my best to help the city. Mostly, I protect the people from thieves and bandits. But I've really missed traveling like this. Walking the breadth of Skyrim has always filled my heart with excitement. I love the cold air... it's exhilarating. Perhaps it's because of my Nord blood, but there's something about it that makes me feel alive."

Annekke was transfixed. What Mjoll was saying, it spoke to some yearning deep inside her. All Nords are descended from Ysgramor, the Harbinger of Mankind, and his 500 companions. The 500 arrived on the shores of Skyrim from old Atmora, and that pioneer spirit, the compulsion to explore the path less traveled and discover sights unseen, still lived in the heart of true children of the north.

"Anyways, when I arrived at Shor's Stone, I found all the miners outside. Not to spoil the surprise in some of the letters that your daughter sent you, but it turns out that some of those nasty oversized spiders came down from the mountains and made a nest in the mine. So I had a fun time helping them clean up that mess!"

Verner nodded. "That's the way it always is, I think. No matter where you go in Skyrim, there's always coin for a good sword arm."

Mjoll shrugged. "I've never been much of a sellsword. I've always adventured on my own terms."

"A fellow adventurer?" Between the mead and Mjoll's good company, Annekke was feeling a thrill that she had not felt in years. She leaned close, placing her hand on Mjoll's leg and smiling. "I'll bet you've seen some sights. We should swap more tales sometime!"

"You should have seen me at the height of my adventuring career... I was fearless and took too many risks." the war-maiden shrugged. "But that's what it was all about."

"Where else have you traveled?"

Mjoll the Lioness flashed her a grin, placing her own palm on top of Annekke's hand. "I've been adventuring across Tamriel since I was a fresh-faced young woman barely able to swing a blade. My travels have taken me from High Rock to Valenwood, Elsweyr to Morrowind and all points in between."

Sondas the Dark Elf muttered to himself, "I've lived in Skyrim my whole life. I keep hearing stories about Morrowind." Annekke knew that the Dark Elves, or Dunmer, were originally natives of Morrowind, but many like Sondas had been born and raised outside the province. Even more had to flee their homeland as refugees due to natural disasters.

"Sondas, I've heard about Morrowind!" young Hrefna piped up.

"Oh? What have you heard?" Sondas smiled at the young Nord girl. Though Dark Elves were ill-regarded in some parts of Skyrim, particularly Windhelm, the Nords in Darkwater Crossing all trusted Sondas as caretaker to the children.

"That it was black and gross and nobody wanted to live there anymore," the little girl responded with the innocent honesty of a child.

Sondas didn't even blink. "I'll have to take your word on that one, my dear," he said in a dry voice while Tormir shushed her daughter. "Oh, it's no trouble. She's a smart little girl. Might talk your ear off, but she's fun."

Mjoll reached across and clapped her hand on the Dark Elf's shoulder. "When I was young, I'd journey with my father on hunting expeditions into Morrowind. The cliff racers made for excellent sport. Perhaps one day you will see your ancestral homeland with your own eyes and find it all the more beautiful for its struggles."

"Sounds like a wretched place." Sondas sniffed. "I think I like the lake here just a little more."

After the laughter continued for a while, smaller pockets of conversations picked up around the mining camp. The traditional Nordic respect those who can endure adversity led Verner away from the table to have a "hit-me-hard-in-the-face" contest with another drunken miner.

Annekke slid closer to Mjoll, enjoying her company immensely.

"You choose to spend your time with me? You humble me."

"I've heard about the crime in Riften. Fighting the Thieves Guild...that's fighting greed itself. I would expect one of the dragons of old to be an easier foe to bring down!"

Mjoll's head was swaying slightly from the mead she had guzzled down. She let the bottle rest for the moment, instead keeping her hand on Annekke's thigh, her fingertips tracing in absent-minded circles. "It has been difficult. I've taken the burdens of the city's problems upon myself...and I keep running into impossible obstacles. Sometimes I'm not certain that the people of Riften even want to be helped. Corruption, lies, and deceit are the order of the day there." Annekke took a deeper draught of mead, the sweet nectar of Shor invigorating her. "Perhaps Riften is my great beast to be slain, and my fortune comes from gratitude and trust."

"How did you end up in such a wretched place?" Annekke wrinkled her nose at the thought of a brave Nord hero wasting her time in such a slum.

"Dwemer ruins are the most dangerous places to explore, but often the most profitable. The dwarves were masters at subterranean construction... those ruins show only a fraction of their capabilities. They must have been a prosperous race." Mjoll was silent for a minute after that. "Many years ago I lost my blade, 'Grimsever,' within such a ruin... Mzinchaleft." The Lioness shook her head to banish the memory, her face turning pale. "I took it as a sign that I was wasting my days in search of treasure."

Across the table, the Argonian shuddered. "I dislike lurking near dwarven cities," Derkeethus rasped, his dark reptilian tongue nervously darting in the air past his needle sharp fangs and scaly lips. "It's like their ghosts are watching us."

They were interrupted when one of the miners jumped up and started singing a raunchy song. Sondas quickly covered Hrefna's ears. Annekke thought the party was a little too loud, and a little too crowded, so she took Mjoll by the hand and the two disappeared without notice while the feasting and boasting continued behind them.

***********

Mjoll's arms slide around Annekke's waist, giving her a clumsy sloppy kiss. The two women giggled like maidens as they pulled each other's clothing off.

Annekke ran her hands up Mjoll's brawny shoulders, her fingertips tracing Mjoll's faded scars. Annekke gently leaned down and kissed the badge of honor and valor that marred her lover's skin.

The Lioness was not so sensual. She grabbed Annekke's rounded hips in a firm grasp and pulled the busty Nord against herself possessively. Her hands slide up Annekke's ribs to cup her wonderfully full breasts. They had been jiggling in such a tempting way all night long! Her hands squeezed so that plenty of soft flesh slipped through her fingers. Mjoll started suckling each hard pink nipple with a loud popping noise, she circled her tongue around each one again.

The warrior-woman's mouth went back to Annekke's lips, and Mjoll plunged her tongue back into the adventurous scout's mouth.

Annekke wrapped her arms around Mjoll's neck, leaning up to kiss the powerful Nord warrior even more deeply. One of Mjoll's hands slide back down Annekke's flat stomach, sliding down between her smooth thighs.

"Mmmm" Annekke hummed as Mjoll's fingers eagerly explored the warm folds. Then Mjoll slide her fingers inside the wet inviting pussy, playing with it, quickly running her thumb across her clit. Annekke's knees went weak and she trembled as Mjoll started thrusting her fingers up inside her, again and again.

"Oh, oh, oh..." Annekke cried out with each thrust. Mjoll just smiled, her tongue running up from Annekke's breast to her collar bone. She kissed and nibbled at the skin.

The powerful Lioness lifted Annekke up and carried her over to the bed that was heavily layered with furs -- the nights in Skyrim can get rather cold and lonely, after all. After laying the busty scout down on the soft padding, naked across the bed, Mjoll pushed her legs open wide.

"You've some experience with this?" Annekke laughed and slurred. Mjoll gave her another one of those wonderfully mischievous grins.

"Oh yes, I've practiced the Dibellan arts many a night in the Bunkhouse. A True Nord knows how to conquer a feisty woman just as well as any savage beast!" she boasted, and the two women giggled with each other again.

Mjoll ran her tongue from the inside of Annekke's knee all the way up her inner thigh, and when the tip of her tongue reached her dripping wet pussy, Annekke arched her back, lifting her hips off the bed. Mjoll greedily buried her face between Annekke's thighs, pressing her mouth against that scrumptious pink slit.

Mjoll held Annekke's waist and hips in her firm grasp, holding her in position as she began to skillfully work her tongue around the other woman's sex, eating her out rather noisily. Then she started sucking on Annekke's clit, her fingers continuing their assault from before, fingerfucking the busty blonde woman as she moaned helplessly.

Annekke's orgasm was sudden and violent, her fists gripping handfuls of the fur blankets, her hips bucking, her head arching back with her eyes closed and her toes pointing straight. Mjoll looked up at her beautiful lover, grinning wickedly with her mouth smeared with pussy juice. She licked her lips, enjoying the taste as she crawled on top of the other woman.

As Mjoll interlocked her legs between Annekke's, the other woman was confused.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh. Just let me guide you."

She watched as Mjoll kneeled over her, lifting one of Annekke's legs up and holding it along her body, and twisted her hips so that both women were pressing their pussies together. She began slowly grinding her hips, and Annekke found the sensation pleasurable. Annekke began moving her own hips, matching the timing and the rhythm while laying underneath her lover.

"By Ysmir!" Annekke cried.

"Yeah?" Mjoll asked her in a breathless voice, grinding her hips down faster. "You like this?"

"Oh yes! Oh yes!"

Mjoll's musical laughter filled the room, but it soon gave way to moaning as her own orgasm began to build in her lower tummy. Annekke felt another wave crashing over her.

The two women fell on the bed together, limbs intertwined, both gasping for air. The sweet fog of mead swirled in their heads, and they drifted off the sleep spooning and kissing each other tenderly.