While Aela and Marcus were passing by Riverwood on their return to Whiterun, they spotted a Nord and Wood Elf animatedly arguing and screaming at each other. They were about to ignore them and continue on their way when the Nord pointed at Marcus, and angrily stomped towards him with the Wood Elf in tow.
"You are the one they say is Camilla's boyfriend?" The Nord pointed at him in anger. "Well, I'm gonna tell you right now, she is taken! She is mine, and you should know your place, scum!"
"She is not yours, Sven." The Elf rebuked before turning to Marcus. "But I have to agree with you on this one. Stay away from her! A brutish Nord like you doesn't deserve her."
"Shut up, Faendal. A scrawny Elf like you would never be able to please her." Sven snapped at the Wood Elf. "But right now, we are on the same side. This bastard thinks he is something special. Well, I'll let you know, you are nothing compared to a renown bard like me."
Marcus raised his eyebrow. He wasn't expecting something like this. He definitely didn't think Camilla was his, and he even felt bad for taking advantage of her. Or did she take advantage of him? He wasn't sure about that, but the way they spoke about her being an object, a trophy for one to be proud of, irked him.
"If this is how you speak about her, you don't have a chance with her." Marcus shook his head. He wasn't sure if what he said was true since this was a different world, but he liked to believe that it is.
"Like someone like you would know." Sven scoffed and noticed Aela standing next Marcus, looking at them with an amused smile. The Nord was mesmerized seeing the huntress, her face paint did little to hide her beauty. In a matter of seconds, he completely forgot about Camilla and focused on Aela.
"My fair lady. How about you come and have a drink with me so we can get to know each other. I promise you, you will enjoy my company way more, compared to his." Sven was about to walk up to her, but Marcus stood in his way. He was annoyed at how the Nord spoke about Camilla being hers, but it wasn't his place to deal with that. However, the moment he tried courting Aela in front of him, his Dragon thoughts flared. 'How dare that mortal speak like that your mate? Kill him! Kill him!'
"Don't. You. Dare." Marcus said through gnashed teeth. He was barely restraining himself from punching the Nord. Sven didn't like how Marcus got in his way and aggressively spoke to him, so he tried pushing him away. That was the last straw, and Marcus's anger erupted. Before Sven could even realize what's happening, he was punched in the face and sent tumbling on the ground.
"You hit me? You actually hit me? Do you even know who I am?" Sven asked while holding his bleeding nose. "Guards! Guards! I was attacked!" He started screaming at the top of his lungs. Shortly, about six guards came to check up what's happening.
"Guards, arrest that man! He attacked me! He broke my nose! Those two are my witnesses!" Sven yelled while trying to suppress his bleeding. "That's correct. I saw it happen in front of my eyes." Faendal added.
The guards looked towards Marcus and Aela, and their eyes widened as they recognized them. Every couple of days, one of the guards in Riverwood will travel back to Whiterun for supplies and to be informed on the current happenings. They were all notified that the young Nord, who had asked for guards to be sent to Riverwood, had not only become Thane of Whiterun, but he was also the Dragonborn. Aela was also easy to recognize as she is a famous Companion in Whiterun. They've also heard rumors that the two were in a relationship.
"Thane, Marcus Nord." The guards greeted him by hitting their chests and bowing their heads. "What happened here?" One of them asked. Even if Marcus was in the wrong, they would look the other way. He was too important not only for the hold but for the entire kingdom.
Sven and Faendal were feeling smug, thinking of how they easily managed to deal with Marcus, but the moment they heard the guards call him Thane, their faces paled. Did they shout at a Thane? How were they supposed to know that the Nord wearing charred armor was a Thane? Why was he dressed like an Adventure and not wearing the fancy clothes Thanes usually wore? Even if Marcus hit Sven, he could say that it was in self-defense, which was in a way true, and it would be their words against his. Attacking a Thane was a crime that would easily get you a room in the prison of Whiterun. Sven's only hope was if the beautiful woman speaks on his behalf.
Marcus put his hand around Aela and brought her closer to him. "He thought it's a good idea to try and court MY beloved in front of me. And when I stepped in front of him, he decided that pushing me away was the obvious thing to do."
"Lies! He is lying! That never happened!" Sven yelled and turned towards Faendal. "You saw what happened, tell them that isn't true."
"Actually." Faendal smirked evilly. "That's exactly what happened. What Thane Marcus said was the exact truth."
"Sven of Riverwood, you are arrested for attacking a Thane of Whiterun, and you will spend a week in prison." One of the guards addressed the Nord.
"No! This can't be happening! They are lying." Sven tried to escape, but the guards had already surrounded him. After a quick chop to the head, the Nord was knocked out. They bound him with a rope and took him away, while one guard turned towards Marcus.
"If we knew you would be passing here, we would have been on the lookout for anyone looking to cause trouble for you, Thane Marcus. We apologize for failing you." The guard bowed his head.
"That's not a problem. You don't have to treat me preferentially. Just make sure the people of Riverwood are safe." Marcus said, and the guard barely resisted groaning. How were they not supposed to treat him preferentially when the Jarl had specifically ordered them to do just that. As long as he wasn't wantonly killing people or committing crimes, they were told to look the other way. "I understand, Thane Marcus. If there is anything that you need, we will be happy to assist you."
"No, no. We are just passing by, and we will continue on our way." Marcus said, while already walking away. The longer he stayed in Riverwood, the bigger chance of meeting Camilla, and he wasn't sure how that meeting will go. If the Imperial woman tried to approach him the way she usually did, he didn't think he would be able to stop Aela from killing her.
"I understand. May the Divine keep you safe on your journey." The guard said as they walked away.
"May they keep you safe as well." Marcus wished them farewell while leaving Riverwood and urging the huntress to walk faster. When they were a distance away from the town, Aela turned towards him with a bit of an angered look on her face. "So, who is that Camilla they were speaking about?"
"Well..." Marcus wasn't a good liar, and he didn't want to lie to Aela. She was honest with him by telling him about her secret, so the least he could do was, to be honest with her.
"So, nothing is going on between you two?" Aela asked after hearing his story.
"No! She seems like a good person, but I have no feelings for her. You are the only one I care about in that way." He told her truthfully. Aela smiled at him, grabbed his hand, and quicked her pace towards Whiterun. She had a man to make happy, and happy she will make him.
When they returned to Whiterun, they first visited the Temple of Kynareth to inform Danica they were successful in acquiring the Nettlebane.
"Marcus! You've returned." The priestess greeted him when they entered the temple.
"Yeah, and we got the Nettlebane as well." Marcus offered her the dagger, and seeing the weapon made of black metal, she visibly flinched in disgust.
"I... don't want to even touch this foul thing." Danica spat out. "This disgusting thing goes against my beliefs. Could you please go to the Eldergleam Sanctuary and gather sap from the ancient tree?"
Marcus let out a sigh but relented. "I might as well finish what I started."
"Thank you so much, Marcus!" Danica grabbed a map and showed them the location of the Eldergleam Sanctuary. It was in a cave, located roughly in the middle between Windhelm and Riften. Two cities that he hadn't visited yet, but planned on doing so in the future.
They left the temple and went to the market to purchase some food from Carlotta. Her food was always fresh, and he was already used to buying from her. Before they reached her, they saw her yelling at a blond Nord, who walked away with a smirk.
"Hey, Carlotta. What was that about?" Marcus asked.
"Marcus?" Carlotta looked at him. "It's that bard, Mikael. He is begging for a dagger up against his throat, with the way he goes on about me. I've heard him boasting at the Bannered Mare, saying he'll 'conquer me as a true Nord conquers any harsh beast.' Hmph."
Carlotta let out a sigh. "Half the men in Whiterun have proposed to me, but he is the worst. At least the other stepped back when I refused them. He, on the other hand, keeps on pushing. He even slapped my a..." She stopped herself as she saw her little daughter running around her. "My behind just now."
"Are all bards pricks? I already had to deal with someone like that earlier today." Marcus shook his head. "Do you want me to go and talk to him for you? I can try getting him to stop bothering you."
"If you want to try, go right ahead. I don't think anything will get through that thick skull of his, though. But thank you, Marcus. I appreciate the gesture." Carlotta told him with a smile. She liked Marcus, he was always kind and never tried to flirt with her, unlike the other men of Whiterun. Seeing him walk side by side with Aela, she thought those two made a good pair.
Marcus entered the Bannered Mare and easily found where Mikael was. The bard was boasting loudly to an Imperial sitting next to him. "No doubt they still tell tales of Mikael and his sweet songs across Cyrodiil, where last I traveled. And just between you and me, I've been with half the women in Cyrodiil."
"Hey, Mikael." Marcus called out to him.
"What is it? If it's a lady you're looking for, you best look elsewhere. Once Mikael gets them, they're got." Mikael said before looking towards Aela, and his eyes turned lecherous. Before he could even say a word to her, Marcus grabbed him by the shirt. He was angry at how Mikael treated Carlotta, a kind woman who only wanted to take care of her daughter in this troubling times, but when he saw how he looked towards Aela, he couldn't restrain himself. The Dragon within him roared to kill the bard right there and then for looking at his mate like that.
"Listen here, Mikael. I'll keep it very simple. You better leave Carlotta alone, or else. And if you dare look at Aela like this again, I will make sure you never sing again." Marcus said with fury in his eyes. Mikael buckled under the pressure of his furious gaze. Not only was Marcus was a Thane of Whiterun, but he was also the Dragonborn.
"Did I make myself clear?" Marcus asked, and Mikale hurriedly responded. "Yes, yes! I didn't mean to make you upset. On my honor, Carlotta won't have to worry about me again, and I will never look at the Companion again. I promise! Please don't hurt me."
"If you bother her again, I will be back." Marcus said before leaving the Bannered Mare. Aela followed behind him while breathing hard. She was a strong warrior and didn't need to be defended, but she got turned on whenever Marcus acted like this. She already liked him when he was kind, but she loved him when he was fierce. 'I have to get him like this in bed!' She thought with a hungry look in her eyes.
"Mikael won't be bothering you anymore." Marcus told Carollota, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Really? You convinced that lute player to stop chasing me? I'd thank the gods, but I'll settle for thanking you." She ducked behind her stall, picked up a pouch with septims, and offered it to him.
"You don't need to pay me with gold. Spend that on getting something for Mila, I'm sure she will appreciate it." Marcus waved his hand and refused her reward.
"But... I have to reward you for this." Carlotta said in a low voice.
"Then, how about this?" He grabbed two apples from the stand and threw one to Aela.
"Just those two apples?" Carlotta asked with wide eyes.
"Your apples are divine! They are worth their weight in gold. I might even be taking advantage of you with this reward." Carlotta chuckled at his reply. If she didn't know Marcus, she might have assumed he was trying to flirt with her, but she knew he was messing with her.
"Now that we got this out of the way, why don't we get down to business? Could you pack us two loaves of bread and five of each vegetable you have?" Marcus asked her while already taking out his gold to pay her. He made sure to give her a tip, and even though she wanted to refuse his money, he left it on her stall. Aela grabbed all the food and brought it back to their house while Marcus visited Eorlund to give him his armor. The old blacksmith was more than happy to fix his armor for free. After that, he returned to Breezehome, and the moment he entered, Aela dragged him off to their bedroom.
After Marcus picked his armor from Eorlund, the two made their way towards the Eldergleam Sanctuary. They were a distance away from their destination when they spotted a herd of six Mammoths being led by three gargantuan humanoids with giant clubs in their hands. The Giants were leading their herd but stopped in place when they saw the two humans. With their weapons at the ready, they carefully watched the two Nords.
Aela raised her hands in the air, as a sign that they were friendly, and prompted Marcus to do the same. The Giants and the herd observed them for a while longer, before accepting that the two weren't hostile and continued on their way.
"That was dangerous." Marcus let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't dared to say a word, less he angers the massive creatures. Both the Giants and the Mammoths were opponents he didn't want to face, let alone when they were so many of them.
"Giants and Mammoths are generally gentle creatures. Unless you get too close to them or attack them, they won't bother with you. There are exceptions to that, and you can sometimes encounter a Giant or Mammoth that has an aggressive nature. They are hard to take down, but the aggressive ones are usually alone." Aela said.
"How do they survive? I mean, what do they eat to survive?" Marcus asked in interest.
"I've seen Giants hunt down skeevers, wolfs, bears, any animal they could get their hands on. They also milk their Mammoths and make high-quality cheese out of that. I've heard there a few merchants who even dared to trade with Giants for their products. I've never seen a Giant who was intelligent enough to communicate with people, but supposedly they do exist." Aela explained.
"They looked pretty intelligent to me, and they sound so as well if they know how to make cheese out of Mammoth milk." Marcus mused.
"That's not wrong... but they can't speak our language. They communicate with snorts and grunts. Giants are closer to animals than humans in that regard." Aela replied.
"Hmm. Maybe that's their language? Do you think someone could possibly learn it?" Marcus asked. The Giants were powerful, or at least they looked like they are. He was wondering if it's possible to ask for their help in dealing with the Dragon crisis.
"I don't know. It could be possible. Your best bet would be to ask a Wood Elf about this. They can communicate with wild creatures." Aela said.
"We could ask Forindir if he is still around Whiterun. He did say that he would be staying for about a month more and leave before the cold season starts." Marcus said, remembering about the Wood Elf selling bows outside of Whiterun. The one that Aela bought his current bow as a gift for him.
"You seem awfully interested in them." Aela casually remarked while looking at a map, making sure they are going the right way.
"Indeed, I am." Marcus admitted. "The Giants could be great allies to us if we can somehow become friends with them."
"I don't think many have thought of becoming friends with the Giants, but it does sound interesting." Aela said with an amused smile. Becoming friends with the Giants? That was the first time she had heard someone say that, but there was probably someone brave enough or stupid enough to attempt it in the past. "Either way, we can think of that later. Let's keep moving, we should reach the Sanctuary soon if we keep going this way."
They continued on their way, and after dealing with a pack of four wolves that attacked them, they shortly reached a cave entrance. They weren't sure if that was the correct place, but they entered inside. After following the cave tunnel for a few minutes, they reached a large cavern, that Marcus couldn't even put into words how stunning the place was. Large pine trees, diverse vegetation, a majestic waterfall flowing down into a river, an opening at the top, letting light in for the flora to grow, and finally, at the highest hill, a tree with beautiful pink leaves watched over them and completed the scene.
"Beautiful..." Aela whispered. Coming from her, that meant a lot, considering how little she cared about how something looked, but the place was truly something else.
Slowly, they walked on the path leading to the Eldergleam while enjoying the peaceful scene. When they neared the hill, Aela stopped in her tracks. "I can sense something at the top." They equipped their weapons before proceeding ahead. Aela had her bow in her hands while Marcus opted for his sword and shield.
The path leading to the top of the hill was blocked by large roots. They were about to try and climb over them, but the moment Marcus neared the roots, they opened up and allowed them to continue ahead unobstructed. The moment they passed them, the roots would return back to blocking the path.
"Wow, this is weird. Is the tree alive?" Marcus asked in awe.
"I don't know, but be on your guard." Aela replied.
The two encountered a few more roots that blocked the path, but the same thing happened. The roots would open the path for them, before blocking it once they passed. The moment they reached the top, four creatures made of branches and weakly glowing green, appeared. The Spriggans, defenders of nature, immediately went on the offensive and attacked them. Well, they attacked Aela since they were ignoring Marcus for some reason. The huntress managed to shoot one arrow and hit one in the head before all four of them cast a spell that shot green energy out of their hands. She dodged two of them but wasn't able to avoid the other two.
"Argh!" Hearing Aela yell in pain, Marcus was enraged. He lunged at the closest Spriggan and slashed at its head with his sword. The weapon dug deep, but not enough to chop the wooden appendage off. Not having any time to waste, he turned towards the other three and shouted "FUS!" before removing his blade, chopping once more, and removing the head of the Spriggan. That seemed to have provoked the other three since one of them cast the green energy spell at him. Marcus raised his shield and blocked the spell before sprinting towards the Spriggan with his shield in front of him.
The other two Spriggans were still focused on Aela, but since they were pushed away by Marcus's shout, the huntress had enough time to transform into her Warewolf form. Letting out a bestial roar, she lunged towards the wooden creatures. They hit her with their spell, but Aela pushed through the pain and reached the Spriggans. They swiped at her with their wooden claws but barely managed to damage her tough hide. Aela, on the other hand, destroyed large parts of their wooden bodies with each strike. It didn't take her long to reduce the Spriggans to a pile of broken branches. She then heard someone running towards her, and in her bloodthirsty state, she quickly turned around and lunged towards the aggressor.
After Marcus dealt with his second Spriggan, which for some reason, seemed like it was trying its best not to hurt him, he ran towards Aela to check up on her. He certainly didn't expect for her to quickly turn around and pin him down on the ground with her fangs around his neck. Before she could pierce his throat, Aela's yellow eyes widened in the realization that she was about to kill her mate. She transformed back into her human form, but the scared look in Marcus's eyes made her body shake in fear. Not only had she nearly killed him, but she thought that he now most likely hated her for what she had done. Aela was about to get up and run from there, not daring to stay close to him, but Marcus wrapped his hands around her and pulled her in for a hug.
"It's okay." He whispered in her ear.
"I'm so sorry... I..." Tears were about to form in her eyes. Aela had attacked and nearly killed the person she cared about the most. She didn't even dare look at him.
"It's fine. Everything is okay." Marcus whispered while rubbing her back.
Meanwhile, a mysterious woman was watching the scene unfold. She had a complicated look on her face as she watched the two lovers hug on the ground.
"Damn... Why did Akatosh's half-son help the child of Hircine? If he didn't make a move, the Spirggans could have killed her." The woman let out a sigh. "Now, it will take years before new Spriggans get born here. I will have to guide others to this place to protect it."
"This Dragonborn is weird, but at least his heart is warm. Since he came here to help restore the Gildergreen, I will help him out." She used the little amount of control she had over the world and whispered to the Eldergleam. The majestic tree was happy to help one of its own and used its roots to create a small sapling in front of it. She whispered her thanks to the Eldergleam before turning to Marcus and Aela.
"What?" The woman exclaimed as she saw that the two were now kissing. Aela was already naked due to her transformation and was now in the process of removing Marcus's clothes as well. "What are they doing?"
She received her answer when a battle of passion started between the two. "Noo! Stop it! This is a sacred place! Don't do it here!" No matter how much she pleaded, her voice never reached them.