Viola grazed her fingers across her bow as she waited. She had been sitting there for hours, feet in the brook, waiting, watching for anything to appear. She had no home yet, for she had just arrived in Skyrim again after years of traveling around Tamriel. She hadn't yet seen her home town. Making a living off of the hunt and her wit would not last forever, and would not get her to Riften.
As she was thinking, something moved, and she jumped up. She was nearly numb from being still so long. Yet still, in an instant, her fingers were on the string of the bow, arrow knocked. The deer was far away, nearly 100 feet, and had not spotted her. She held her breath, as she inched forward to get the right angle for the shot. It looked up, startled. It had sensed her. Effortlessly, she released her fingers and let the air leave her. Just as the deer began to run, it dropped. Viola ran over to it, and took its hide to sell in Rorikstead, where she was headed next.
She was not to far away from the village when she had started that morning, so it was not to far of a walk. Right after selling the pelt, and the few alchemical ingredients she had picked up and had no use for, she would go out again until nightfall, where she would rent a room at the inn, and maybe charm some food, or a drink out of the innkeeper, which was a typical, and simple task for Viola. She was beautiful. Her skin fair, her features were smooth for an elf, which was explained in her nordic ancestry. Her hair was long, in waves that never seemed to sit right, so she wore it up. Yes she was beautiful, not in the normal way, but beautiful all the same.
She walked into the village and didn't see much. To the right there was a small farm, run by a middle aged Altmer. To the left was a young nord tending to a garden. There were two children running, playing tag, and old men sitting and talking. At the end of all of it was a general goods store.
As soon as she walked in, an older man greeted her warmly, and she smiled back. The room was warm, and smelled of burning wood, which was something Viola had always noticed, and loved, about buildings in Skyrim. After her fair share of bartering, she got the items to be sold for a total of 25 septims. A decent amount, but she needed more. After leaving the store she sighed, and took off running. It was midday on Turdas, and she wanted to make it back to Whiterun by Fredas night. There would be no time to hunt, and 25 gold was not enough to last 2 days. Going back the way she came, something appeared in the sky. It was just a distant form, yet she had a guess at what it was right away. Dragon. Only once had she seen one, in the day that she failed the job. Her last job. The dragon saved her life. She could rarely recall the events of that day, it was all a haze.
She looked forward only to see the Nord she saw earlier two feet in front of her, looking in the opposite direction. She could not stop herself in time, knocking them both, and the firewood he was carrying to the ground.
Landing ever so slightly on top of him, Viola promptly rolled away, and sat for a second to catch her breath. "I am so sorry, I got distracted and..." She trailed off, and started to pick up the firewood she had knocked down.
"It's alright really, I'd bet we were both looking at the same thing." He said laughing. "Do you have any idea what that was?"
"I have a guess." She finished stacking the wood, and he stood up, and offered her a hand.
"I'm Erik." He said, helping her to stand.
"Viola." Was her response. He was tall. Red hair that was braided better than she had ever learned how to do. "I'm so sorry again, I'll make it up to you if you need anything."
"It's alright, I'm not hurt, the logs are just a bit too damp now to use, but I don't mind cutting more. Even just holding an axe is more exciting than standing in that garden all day." He started to walk to the side of an inn, and throw the logs off a small cliff.
"I can work in the garden, for you, if you'd like. I'd enjoy some down time from all the walking." She kept up with him, and he smiled at her.
"Okay, just use the mill over there, I'll join you once I'm done with this." She followed to where he was pointing. She knew this was a bad idea, to stay here farming for free was the same as going a day without food. With no one looking, she took a few things. Cabbage, or a few pints of ale. Running the mill was a change at least since her arrive in Skyrim, she hadn't had a day off from hunting. She had a bit of money saved up, and had no intentions on spending it until she had at least enough for a bedroll, those, were not easy to steal.
Erik finished up chopping wood, and walked over to the farm, grabbing a hoe leaned up against the fence. "So where were you going today?" He asked , beginning to tend to the garden.
She stopped her work for a moment. "I'm not exactly sure." She paused to think. "I'd stay in the Whiterun hold, or near to it, and sleep where I can. Then i'd be off to the city to sell whatever I had acquired over the day."
He smiled a bit. " So that's what it's like, getting to go where you want, do what you want. It sounds... Wonderful."
"It's different. I grew up on a farm, I worked, but I was interested in other things. I learned to use a bow, and then no one could stop me. As soon as I turned 18, I left, and never went back." She thought, five years, she hadn't visited her mother or father, or Frea. The family that had taken her in, she hadn't seen in five years.
"It sounds glamorous. I've never left Rorikstead. I'm nearly 24 years old, and haven't even seen a bit of the world." He paused and looked out. "What's it like?"
And they talked about Viola's adventures, all to which Erik listened wide eyed. It was clear that he wanted more than anything to leave the town, and become something more. Even the smallest of things, he got excited about. She talked of boring nights at inns in Cyrodiil, and freezing at night since her journey to Skyrim, he wanted all of it, but could not leave.
"I've only been so far to that hill over there," he nodded east, towards a high mountain like hill. "I go nearly every night, unless my father needs me at the inn. I think we can be done at the farm, would you like to come with me?" Viola knew she would have to spend the little money she obtained today on a bed at the inn, but the sun was setting, and she could not find a room elsewhere anyway. So she agreed. They hiked up the hill, and watch the sun set. Skyrim was freezing, but the view was beautiful. They sat in silence until the sun was set, and the night colors were out. Then it was Erik's turn to speak.
"Thank you, the stories you told, were more adventure just listening to than I could ever even hope for." Although he could not see her, Viola smiled anyway. They said nothing else, until it was very late, and time to go in.
Arriving, Viola went to pay for her room, but Erik interrupted her, and told his father of her work she had done, and to give her the room for free. He agreed to this, and Erik retired for the night. Viola lingered to speak with his father.
She ordered an ale, and began to speak. "Your son is quite the help around here, isn't he?" He nodded and smiled. Proud. "You know, as we were working, I spoke to him of my adventures. He wants nothing more than to go out there and experience the world... But his father is holding him back." His face fell dark.
"He has always wanted to go. He's got quite a bit of his mother in him, and I would let him, I want to let him, but we just don't have the extra money for supplies." Viola was surprised. She did not suspect one bit that there was a lack of money causing him to stay. She pulled out and touched the 15 septims she had left over from the ale, then set them on the bar.
"I can help with that." His father looked shocked. "It's not much, but it is what I have. I will return with more." She began to walk out of the room.
"If anyone is willing to put forth money for my son, out of the kindness of their own heart, I would never make him stay. I will travel to the city and buy armor as soon as I have enough."
"Don't tell him just yet." Viola said. "I will leave early, but return soon. Thank you for the drink." She then went to bed until waking up at five, before anyone else. Although Erik's father was not at the counter, and those who were in the room were passed out drunk, she took nothing. She left the village with the same amount she had when she arrived. Nothing.