This cute little story request came from AbigailRose345. I hope everyone enjoys!

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5th of Mid Year, 4E 209

"I'm going to catch you, Embla!" cried Jergen as he chased his sister all through the training yard behind Jorrvaskr. The children shrieked with laughter as they played their game, neither willing to yield.

"You can't catch me! You're too slow!" said Embla back as she hitched her skirts up higher and picked up her pace. She ducked around one of the porch's pillars, running right past me, and jumped back down the stairs to the yard.

I shook my head and chuckled at their antics. Oh, to be young and innocent. Watching them play reminded me of what it was like to be their age. When I was that young, I had little time to play games with the other children. I had no city walls to keep me safe at night, but I never felt afraid. My hands were rough from holding tools and weeding gardens. All my dresses were stained by mud or grass. My youth had been hard, with little break in the labor. I never wanted that for my children.

Vilkas and I strived to make our children's lives easier than either of our lives. We worked hard to afford what we could, and we did all we could to protect them from the evils of the world beyond the walls. I prayed to the gods every night that my children would never have to work as hard as I had just to survive.

"Hmm, I know that look," said Vilkas as he took a seat next to me on the porch. "That's the look of someone who has a lot on her mind."

I glanced at him, finding myself staring into his icy eyes. He gave me a little grin, then turned his attention towards the children. "What's troubling you, Ylva?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking."

"About?"

"My childhood, and how it varied from theirs." I gestured to the children, watching as they continued to chase each other. Bria had, at some point in my brooding, joined the twins, and now three separate shrieks of laughter filled the training yard. "I couldn't play with the other children often because my parents and I had to tend to our crops. Even when I had the chance to play, the other children didn't want to. Most of them were from well-to-do families, and had never worked a day in their lives. They didn't take too kindly to the farm girl asking if they wanted to play tag."

"Farkas and I had the opposite of that problem. There were plenty of other children who wouldn't mind playing with us, but Jergen didn't allow us to wander around by ourselves. We were warriors, after all. We had to train, become strong, so we could take our place as Companions one day."

I smiled a little. "There were days when we would go into the city to sell our vegetables, and Ulfric himself would be walking through the square. Any child in the vicinity would gape in awe, and I was no exception. I always thought he paid me the most attention, but I think that I was just imagining that. If he was looking at me, I'm sure it was at my ratty dress or my grubby face."

Laughing under his breath, Vilkas leaned his seat back and sighed. "I'm trying to imagine you in a ratty dress. That image doesn't suit you well, love."

I scoffed. "Cheeky."

"Mama, Papa, come play with us!" called the twins, waving their arms over their heads.

I looked at Vilkas. "Shall we?"

Vilkas nodded. "Yes, I think we shall."

As one, we stood from our seats and joined the children in the training yard. As soon as we were ready, they scattered, screaming, "Papa is it!" as they dashed.

Vilkas gave me a cheeky grin. "Not for long."

"Vilkas!" I shrieked as I bolted under his arm, narrowly dodging his attack. He ran after me, laughing the whole way.

Around and around Vilkas chased me. Time and again I jumped and ducked just out of his reach. From their hiding places, the children watched and laughed. I was sure Vilkas and I were a sight, playing tag like a pair of children.

"Oh, the one day I decided to wear a dress!" I grabbed my skirts and pulled them up higher. As clumsy as I was in dresses, I was surprised I had not tripped before now.

After a time, Farkas and Tyra came out of Jorrvaskr, probably to see what all the fuss was about. Vilkas and I stopped running around as they stared at us in confusion.

"What on Nirn...?" asked Tyra, her head swiveling between Vilkas and me, and the three children still giggling at the silly adults.

"We're playing tag with Uncle Vilkas and Aunt Ylva, Mama!" said Bria, running to her parents. "Come play with us!"

Farkas and Tyra shared a look. Farkas shrugged his massive shoulders, then grabbed Tyra's hand and led her out to the yard with us. All the children starts clapping and cheering, and Vilkas and I shared a look of relief.

"Last one standing here is it!" screamed Embla, and the children split up across the yard.

Turned out that Farkas was the last one standing in the middle of the yard, thus making him "it." We all, adults and children alike, raced away and laughed as we avoided him. He grumbled at us, saying it was not fair, but he had a smile on his face as he said it.

I had forgotten what it was like to be young and innocent. I had my innocence stripped from me when my parents were killed. I ceased being a little girl that day and became a woman. But as I ran and chased and laughed along with my family, I found myself remembering those long lost days of innocence, and a great swell of happiness filled my chest.

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So as of right now, I only have one more pending request to write, so anyone feel free to request stories! I would love to hear your ideas and possibly write them down!

Hope you enjoyed! Love and sweetrolls!
~ WG 💙