Chapter 181 - Stirring The Muddy Waters

Days passed since Alina returned to her clan and she was always either in meditation or training her Magic and Sword.

The Training style of the Moonblades, as well as their martial tradition and sword dances, were things that were passed down through generations until it reached this age. These traditions hailed from a race that came to invade Tamriel once back during the First Era 2703, that race was known as the Tsaesci [AN: pronounced Say-es-see or Say-chee] that can be described as the Serpent Folk. After they got defeated at the hands of King Reman Cyrodiil I, some escaped and some stayed founding the 'Dragonguard', the modern-day 'Blades'. Some however fled and got mixed with the locals which led later to the appearance of the half Nords half Akavir, the modern day Moonblades.

The Moonblade possess some two very powerful innate abilities which are the 'Snake Blood' that gives them weird abilities regarding poisons which immunity is just the start of it, and the 'Moon Eyes' which is a very enhanced eyesight ability that can do wonders.

On top of all the Moonblades, Alina was the one with the strongest bloodline ability. Her eyes were crimson red and didn't only grant her sight but also 'Foresight'. She can tell lies, predict possibilities of the future, see other places, sometimes she can see places she was not in.

Her eye powers were always highwire and hard to deal with. The part of telling lies and truths was the easiest part and it made her life both easier and harder. She wasn't really happy with the powers that got her alienated by her peers in childhood and the accident from a month ago when she awakened her bloodline to its fullest.

Now, her eyes have a stronger power as she can put powerful people into a state of fear just by looking at her eyes. A power that made her life even more complicated.

Well, there was Jon.

Someone who she met and was a bit arrogant with, he also was cold to her, even though they could get along as Senior and Junior, she was ever so grateful for him when he could withstand her dreadful power and even shut it down.

The crazy thing is… he was not affected by a single strand of her power.

She couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or lying, she couldn't scry or predict him, or even intimidate him with her lately acquired eye power. More to that, when he saw her without a veil for the first time, he became head over heels for her.

Becoming ordinary in the eyes of someone after being seen as either a freak child or an untouchable genius was all good and fine to her. And to be surrounded with people whose power are equal and even stronger than her was a good experience in her opinion. Aside from Jon, Jullanar and Wulfur, as well as the black cat Nefertiti, can all be considered misfits in society for their talents alone. Adding her to the punch meant she won't be alone in this world.

The thing that was more terrifying was Jon when he uses the Thu'um. Alina gave up on competing with him in this part even though it hurt her pride a bit but she was completely outmatched. She can only shout two words for now and may faint afterward.

All in all, Alina was in a good mood now that she has some time to think about the past seven months. There were many experiences that changed the behavior of that seventeen years old lass.

Her behavior was a bit… daring! She would cross anyone and trade insults now unlike her old self when she was just a solemn girl who uses her power to prove right from wrong. The concept of 'having fun' while doing things were all things she picked up from Jon.

Finishing up her meditation, which was totally fruitless due to her mind being in Winterhold, Alina walked down from the backyard of the fort. It was a part from the old structure that was built in the Akaviri style, she would sit in one of those pavilions that oversaw the northern sea and the areas around it. She could clearly see the 'Haunted Tower' that was on the hill covering Dawnstar and she also could see Frostflow Lighthouse.

During her thoughtless staring into space, footsteps came from behind her.

"Our Alina is still lost in her thoughts, you have been here since the morning!"

Alina turned around and saw a familiar face.

"Brenda! Where have you been?"

"I was on a mission with Evan, come here let me have a look at you."

Alina and Brenda exchanged hugs.

Brenda Moonblade, and previously Brenda Firemane, is the eldest daughter of Forseti who got married to the Evan Moonblade. She is a fairly tall Nord woman with strong arms and loves to wear armors. Back in the day, she was fond of Hilda and can be considered an elder sister to Alina.

Alina talked to Brenda and started telling her about the long lost cousin of hers as well as all the events that happened. Jon's existence was revealed to the Firemanes main family and a small circle of the Moonblades. It made Brenda ecstatic to hear stories about her cousin.

"By the way, I heard some of the servants talking about you going head to head with Kaja, everything alright?"

"Humph! She is a hundred years too early to affront the most beautiful young lady in Tamriel." Alina started acting all haughty and indifferent which made Brenda lag for a second before falling into laughter.

"Pffft! What is all that about?"

"Haha! I don't know, somehow, that way works with those kinds of people."

"True, but beware of Elsa, from what I know, she wouldn't let you off after what you have done to Kaja."

"She is welcome anytime. I know she will never set still until she sees me getting away from her brother's path."

"I know, you have done a good job until now. It would be nice if yo…"

"I don't want to. Tell your husband to quit lazing around and step up for it, I am not going to become the matriarch."

"Here you go again." Brenda held her head from the headache this topic brings to her.

There were three candidates for the family leadership positions. The Elders picked Alina, Evan and Igor Moonblade as the most talented three which the family has to pick from.

The strongest candidate was Alina who managed to gain a strong popularity and has a lot of connection with the other clans, Evan Moonblade was a prodigy but he was too lazy to do anything, and finally Igor Moonblade, brother of Elsa and Kaja, is a talented person but he was never on the good side of Alina.

The hate that remained inside the Moonblades towards Alina was mainly because of Igor's faction.

Alina wasn't interested in being the matriarch but her late apprenticeship to Arch-Wizard Nurina and achievements in the rooting the Bloodsails outside of the hold as well as establishing a connection with Jon Dare, all of that made her position soar higher and higher. She would argue that none of these were anything worthy of being called achievements but they were really a major change to the big picture in front of the elders.

Brenda started stating these facts to Alina who was not accepting any of them.

"Anyway, I don't care but a lot of people don't want to see Igor in the seat of the patriarch. I will talk to Evan again but no promises."

"Please, I don't want to take part in any of this too. Either marrying in the Firemanes or living with my Master in Winterhold are far better options."

"I am doubting your reasons but something must have made marriage a good option for you, isn't it? I will have to look into that!"

"Bleh! I was just saying."

"Anyway, just watch out for Elsa these days, she might be brewing some troubles for you."

"Hmmm!"

"What are you thinking of, lass?"

"Senior Jon once said something about how to faint and make strange movements to force your enemies to halt back whatever they are planning."

"Enemies! You sure are going all out this time, huh?"

"Come on, I won't do anything harmful. Can I sent a messenger to Winterhold?"

"Not today, tomorrow will be fine. But you need to take permission first."

"Never mind, I will ask father to help me with it."

"In public?"

"Well, that's the point."

"And what will you do?"

"Hehe, just wait and see."

That evening in the dining hall of the clan, Alina requested to send a message to her friends in Winterhold to invite them to visit and form a good relationship with her clan. These friends were Jon, Jullanar and Wulfur.

The names were known to be the top three executives of the Dare Dragon Group which indeed caused a stir in the muddy waters in the Moonblades. It was a timely invitation to make some good bonds with the new rising force in Winterhold.

It indeed forced Elsa to halt her mischievous plan against Alina… but who knows for how long?