ESV—For Want of a "B"
By VStarTraveler
Summary: Young Hoenreid Battle-worn, distant but disgraced and unclaimed cousin to the famous clan, wants nothing more than to earn atonement for his father's misdeeds and win back the "B" in his name. Events in the town of Helgen lead to an unexpected opportunity to do just that...if he can keep up. Fantasy/Adventure/Humor.
Disclaimer: This story is a slightly AU work of fiction, written totally for fun and not for profit. The various characters, places, and events mentioned remain the property of their respective owners.
Author's Note: "Arc 2-When Darkness Falls" of my current Skyrim story, "ESV-A Face in the Crowd," is nearing completion but still lacks a little cleanup before the next chapter is ready for release. Therefore, since this one's ready, I'm releasing this chapter earlier than originally planned. Please read and let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Chapter 1: A Quiet Sundas Morning
4E 201 — Sundas, 17th of Last Seed
Drawing to a stop, young Hoenreid decided that this was a good spot for his flock to graze. The little valley was open to the sky and wide enough that he'd have a moment to prepare if any beasts were to come out of the surrounding forest to make a run at his sheep. The last of the morning mists were burning off, so the sun would be overhead shortly to warm him and the sheep.
"Okay, guys and gals, munch away!" he called. Planting his staff in front of him, he leaned against it and counted. "...eight, nine, ten. And little Alvie."
Hoenreid didn't want to be a shepherd, but circumstances dictated that would be his task for the foreseeable future, so he stood, watching, as his eyes scanned his surroundings. His father, the Coward of Rensan, had abandoned him over two years before, so the boy had made do with what he could, using his skills (as few as they were), his wit, and his speech to survive. Few would offer such a young lad a job, but after finally stumbling into that first job as a shepherd, he'd gained a coin and something far more valuable that he would be able to use for years to come: experience.
Thus, for nearly two years, Hoenreid had been able to truthfully claim experience as a shepherd to prospective employers while actually gaining more experience each time in doing it. He was quite fortunate to have a good record, too; he'd never lost a single sheep while he was on duty. He'd driven off wolves on several occasions, and had even seen a bear in the distance on two others. He wasn't sure if his little knife or staff would be effective against such beasts if they ever tried to approach, but he would do his best to defend his charges. He was still practicing with his sling and hoped that, someday, he'd be good enough to use it to drive away creatures before they could get close.
With all secure, he pulled the sling and a stone out of his pouch, and then picked out a boulder in the distance. That, he decided, would be Hogrid Battle-worn, the Great Coward, his father, whose actions had led to him being kicked out of Clan Battle-born, with his birthright and all familial honors stripped away. That boulder would be where young Hoenreid could take out his aggressions about his father's misdeeds and his own luck at being known as Battle-worn rather than Battle-born as he so desperately wanted.
With the sling spinning rapidly, the boy launched the stone, with his index finger pointing directly at the target as he released it. The stone sailed, quickly, right past the boulder, landing some yards beyond. One of the sheep bleeted at the sound, causing several others to look up. When nothing was noted, they all resumed their eating.
For the next fifteen minutes, the boy practiced, landing glancing glows on the boulder on a couple of occasions, but missing far more often than not. He watched his flock carefully, too, and had to go grab Alvie, who was wandering too far away from his mother and the others.
"Time out again, Alvie. Someday soon, you'll learn." Hoenreid slipped a loop over the lamb's head and tied it to his belt to keep him from wandering away again. Hoenreid counted his sheep again and then lined up again for another shot at the Coward rock.
His sling was spinning again when a cloud suddenly passed overhead, casting darkness below for a second, before the sunshine returned. Hoenreid wound the sling to a stop to look up in the sky but no cloud was visible. Thinking it strange, he looked around again, and then turned to count his sheep once more.
He was on "five" when the darkness returned from behind him, but this time when he looked up, he was shocked to see a gigantic form sailing past to land amidst his flock. With horns, immense wings, and scales, it could only be a dragon of legend. Hoenreid was frightened, not knowing what to do against such a large opponent, when the beast's head shot into the milling flock. Several sheep were tossed by the beast's horns, and several more were trapped in its huge maw.
The sound of the cracking bones of his charges was enough to shake Hoenreid from his fright. He picked up his staff and ran, screaming, toward the dragon. He'd made it only a step when he realized he was entangled; little Alvie was being dragged along behind him and Hoenreid had the little creature's leash wrapped around his leg. He reached down to untie the string, but that was when the dragon looked his way.
Craning its neck toward Hoenreid, the dragon sent a gout of flame came sailing toward him.
The boy threw himself to the side, yanking Alvie along to avoid roasted lamblet. Hoenreid rolled and rolled to an upright position facing the dragon, but the dragon was no longer concerned about him. Instead, it turned to feast on the remaining sheep.
The young shepherd reached for his knife to cut Alvie's string, but it, along with his staff, had been lost when he escaped the dragon's breath. Seeing his last sheep, other than little Alvie, being devoured by the beast, he realized that he no longer had any reason to remain but the ensuing look from the dragon froze him in his tracks.
Almost shaking in his boots, the boy saw the dragon's focus change from him toward little Alvie, who was now several feet away nibbling on some unburned grass as if nothing had happened. The massive beast's head cocked to the side and it was about to take a step toward the little lamb when Hoenreid shouted, "Hey! Dragon! You leave him alone!"
If a dragon can actually look surprised, that must have been the gaze that Hoenreid received when the eyes refocused on him. With his sling spinning, Hoenreid took that moment to launch his rock, his finger pointing directly between the dragon's eyes as he released it.
The dragon watched the rock sail in its direction and then fly several feet over its head, landing well beyond and bouncing to a stop in the meadow. When the beast turned back toward the stupid boy, it was even more surprised to see the boy running into the woods with little Alvie draped around his neck on his shoulders.
The sound the dragon made may be some strange noise only known to dragons, or it could well have been a laugh, but whichever it was, it lasted for only a few seconds. Having no time to deal with such an inconsequential pest, the beast launched itself into the air and headed south to the little town of Helgen.
Follow-up Note: Thanks for reading! Your views and any comments, reviews, follows, or favorites are greatly appreciated.