AN: Hello, all! Lover of Video Games here. Recently, I've begun playing Skyrim, and the game is absolutely fantastic. The story, the quests, the ability to just get lost in this world... it's amazing. But one of the cuter things about Skyrim is how you can adopt up to two children, and my first, and likely only, adoptee was Lucia. I adopted her yesterday at the time of writing, and I liked her instantly. She's a small character, but she really changed my visits to Whiterun for the better, simply by existing. So I decided to write this. I know it's short, but his is just the introductory chapter; I have another one planned that will be worthy of the T rating. I'll share if you guys like this one, and if you really like my work, I'll attempt to keep going. Anyway, enjoy!
ESV
He was kind of scary when I first met him.
I was sitting by the big tree in Whiterun, because I had nothing better to do at the time, being an orphan and all. I didn't need to go work at the Bannered Mare yet, so I sat here, begging. As usual, people wouldn't say anything and just keep going, or causally fish a coin out and toss it at me, barely stopping to look at me. But him… I don't know. He just seemed different before I even got a good look at him.
Walking up to the keep, he was, his fancy gray armor clanking faintly as he did so. Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore a brown hood, pulled up, and he was facing to the side so I couldn't see his face. There was this nasty-looking mace strapped to his belt, all big and engraved and evil-looking… even sort of evil-feeling. Across his back was a well-made gray shield. Trailing a ways behind him was a woman in similar armor and gear, probably some sort of bodyguard. Looking at him, I knew he probably wouldn't even look at me, what with all the shiny gear and the sense of raw power radiating from him, but I just sort of felt that I had to at least try.
"Please, mister, can you spare a gold coin?" I asked in a hopeful voice. And he actually turned.
I regretted the decision at first. Under that hood was a mask of solid gold, intricately carved and fashioned to look like a face. I stumbled back, panic overtaking me for a moment. The man cocked his head to the side, and must have realized what the problem was, because he quickly pulled down his hood and removed the mask. Underneath was semi-light green skin and an unattractive face, though with him being an orc, I supposed it wasn't terrible. His face seemed to be stuck in a slight scowl, one of his tusks was chipped, and his eyes were both blood red. His right eye seemed a bit cloudy, as though something had happened to it. I guessed it was the result of some sort of blow to the head, leaving him slightly blind in that eye. Why hadn't he had it fixed with magic? He was completely bald and clean-shaven, though there was a slight bit of stubble on his skull.
Once I saw what he actually looked like, the panic subsided, replaced with caution. He saw this and immediately knelt down, giving me a smile. "Hey, now," he said in a low, slightly gruff voice, "don't panic, alright? I'm not going to hurt you. What was that you wanted? A gold coin? Here, have five." He reached into his coin purse and fished out five septims, all shiny and new, and gave them to me.
All nervousness instantly vanished as I reached for them, grinning ear to ear. His fist closed around them right before I could grab them myself, though. "But first," the man said, "why are you begging?" At this, I explained how I used to live on a farm, but then both my parents had died so my aunt took over. It wasn't long before she kicked me out, saying I wasn't good for nothing. As I went on, his eyes, kind but hard, softened. "What's your name, girl?" he asked me.
"Lucia."
He smiled. "Lucia. That's such a pretty name. Fitting for a pretty girl such as yourself. I don't think you should have to endure this." He paused for a moment. "Lucia… I have a house in town, right by Warmaiden's. Do you know where that is?" I nodded. "Well, I'm not there very often, and you seem like you can take care of yourself…. How would you like to live there, with me?"
My eyes widened. I knew I should be suspicious, but something told me to trust this person, stranger though he was. "Are you serious, mister?"
"Of course. What kind of monster would joke about this sort of thing?"
My grin returned in full. "Oh, thank you so much, Mister, uh…"
"Torbak. But you may call me whatever you wish."
"Papa, then. I'll call you Papa." At this, Torbak smiled as well. He gave me specific directions on where to go, as well as a key to the house, and promised me he'd meet up with me in about a half-hour, because he needed to speak with the jarl and the court mage about something. As soon as he said goodbye, I was sprinting through the streets towards my new home. I unlocked the door, opened it… and was greeted with paradise.
The old farmhouse was nothing compared to this. This place was so open, so clean… and beautiful. There were old weapons and armor pieces along the walls here and there, proving my belief that my new papa had seen some action, but it didn't dominate the place. There were comfy chairs, a bookshelf, and a table already covered in sweets. Something delicious was cooking over the fire, something I hoped I would be able to taste when he got home.
As soon as Torbak stepped through the door a while later, I threw myself at him, trapping his waist in a bear hug. "It's more than I ever could have hoped for!" I cried. "Thank you so much! I promise I'll be the best daughter ever!" He laughed and slowly untangled me from around his waist. "I'm glad you like it so much. I hoped you would. Now… how about some dinner?"
It was the best meal I'd ever had.
ESV
AN: So there you go! A small introduction to Lucia and my Dragonborn. If you like it, please tell me, and I'll keep going. Also, if you have any suggestions for future chapters or even entirely different stories, go right ahead. And feel free to check out my other few works.
But I've been rambling for long enough. I hope you enjoyed my first foray into ES fanfics. I bid you farewell until next time.