Chapter 1
A Prisoner tuned Grand Champion
Return to Frozen lands.
Its cold and damp in the Blue Blood works as the new Grand Champion enters threw the arena gate a Gladiator waiting in the training area for the winner with a grim look on his face as he saw Martin entering the Blood works. "So… its you… you killed my friend and are Grand Champion… I hope it was worth it" with that he went back to practicing his archery as Martin got his own Raiment of Valor then went to his cell in the Blood works and stared out at the night sky 'I wonder when they'll release me' he thought as he looked and sighed it was still early on in the night but he felt so very tiered he soon fell asleep on the meagre cot thinking 'Grand Champion my ass if they Knew who I really am they would not be so welcoming'
Martin awoke the next cold winters day to a young Nord women in white wolf skin armor holding a scroll "so your Brom of Bruma fancy this the leader of the Skaal a prisoner forced to fight for his freedom" she said with a grin "and why are you hear from my Village Ilsey?" Martin was relived to here his true Skaal name spoken at last and not his Imperial given slave name "yes Chief Brom I was sent to find you and get you released from slavery but then you were arrested for murder and all those other minor charges now finally I have the proper release papers filed in triplicate with the Morrowind and imperial head offices and your copy is right here you are a free Skaal once more" she handed him the papers and pulled off the lock opening the door. Brom walked out with out a word and told the Matron and the Blade master he was leaving.
As they walked threw the city Ilsey looked around at the sights of the busy temple district on there way to the docks. She was taken by all the people in one place a sight she never saw other than a war party, taking notice Brom said I suppose you'd like to look around first before we go home to Solsthim?" he asked "yes I would Chief" she stated with excitement "fine I suppose we could though I'd rather get home but I'll stay at least its winter now" with that they toured the city Ilsey gawking at the buildings and the statues they spent the day looking at the various districts even getting in a Drunken brawl at the Bloated Float on the water front. Their fun had, Brom and Ilsey boarded an out bound ship headed for Solsthim leaving the city behind and with the Grand Champion title and the Raiment of Valor with the name Brom of the Skaal carved in over the filled inscription Martin of Red Wall.
Two days into the two week journey Ilsey asked the question "so Brom how did you become Martin of Red Wall?" curiosity was evident in her voice as Brom was using the anvil he found in the ships hold to smash the lock on his magic binding bracer. As he pounded "it's a long story Ilsey you sure you want to hear it?" he was noticing headway and pounded harder with the hammer "we've nothing but time and mead to pass the voyage Chief" she said smugly while drinking a Tankard of mead. With a loud crash and a smash followed by a loud roar of success Brom came back into the state room rubbing his now bear wrist "finally I'm truly free by Hircine its good to finally have that off" flopping down at the table and grabbing a Tankard himself he says "so Ilsey you want to hear my story eh? Well here it goes" he takes a long drink as Ilsey leans in to listen "it all started back in the time of Tharsten Heart-Fang and the last Bloodmoon. I was younger then only about sixteen when this old man came to the village his name was Ruffio and he accompanied the Nerevarine whom you know saved the Skaal and all of Tamriel from Hircine's werewolves and prevented the destruction of Solsthim but and you know I challenged and won against the Ruffio for leadership of the Skaal after Nerevar Indoril II put him in charge of our people" Brom stopped again to drink "yes Chief I know that but why tell me what is written in the history books of the Village?" she questioned again "because that is why they put that binding bracer on me I was "infected" by a werewolf and that bracer was pure silver it was to prevent me from transforming after they captured me for killing an imperial slaver and freeing this Skaal family"
Ilsey looked down saddened "so it was my fault you were enslaved instead" she muttered. Brom looked at her yes but don't look so sad every Skaal is more important than myself and thanks to there attempts to "cure" me I've become harder to kill and I'm immortal now as will be all Skaal when I return home" Ilsey looked better but still sad as Brom continued his tail of slave labor at the Abby of Red Wall and of how one night came around of a full moon and his transformation into a great werewolf and slaying the whole Abby and of how the bracer was put on as he slept and he was arrested for multiple murders then tortured over the years trying to cure his condition and finally after a little taste of freedom he was forced into the Arena as a Paladin and not an Axe Raider as he was and as punishment he was named Martin of Red Wall and forced to use rings enchanted with fire and healing magic to simulate the powers of a holy warrior. The tale continued on into the evening and as the candles burned down they both fell to sleep in the rooms one bed.
The ship sailed gently rocking on the seas gradually getting closer to Solsthim and Brom's homeland the night crew went about their work setting the sails and guiding the rudder unknown to them within the ships hold a rather seductive stowaway lay in wait for her chance. a loan sailor passes by the door to the food storage looking for anything out of place from the door a pale blue skinned hand covers his mouth "Scream as loud as you like meat... no one will hear you" to the sailors horror he looked down and saw a dagger in his lungs placed low and under his ribcage but there was no blood, he felt weaker faint and now noticed a deep pain in his neck he was in the grasp of a vampire. the sailor struggled trying to free himself but all in vain he screams but there is no sound the dagger is ripped out and the air in his chest hisses from the dry wound his assailant releases him and he falls to the floor panting slowly dying he looks up at the lantern light and see's his attacker a slender yet full Dunmer women's face stares back at him she chuckles as she wipes her mouth of blood her tight black leather hugging her form "you'd have made a fine 'slave' form my quarters too bad we're at sea and my target is on this ship" she then picked him up and drug him down into the hold she then held a black gem to him in horror the sailor found himself looking at himself from within a black soul gem. Then his world like it had for so many others went black. the assassin then crept to Brom's door and peaked inside and whispered "sleep well Martin of Red Wall we'll meet soon" and with that the assassin returned to her room changed into her dress and finery with no obvious signs of being a vampire she slept unlike her kind should in the night.
Morning arrives on the seas as Brom exits the room Ilsey still under the covers he Saunders up to the deck and is greeted by the cold chill of an arctic morning but instead of shuddering he embraces the chill walking out to the bow of the ship and throwing his arms out wide taking in a deep breath of cold air and releasing it with a hearty laugh then stares out over the sea as if looking at a long lost lover. The Dunmer walks up behind him on the sunlit deck "so you're awake Martin" she coos to him. He abruptly spins and sneers at the name "I'm Brom Chieftain of the Skaal tribe of Solsthim island Martin was my Imperial Slave name you'll do well to forget THAT name if you wish to speak to me" his fists clench and he spits as if trying to clear the name from his mouth a typically Nord custom. The Dunmer not losing her composure studies him carefully for a moment "no disrespects Brom but I had to be sure it was you, I am Mina it's a Pleasure to meet face to face with the one who killed Agronak Gro-Malog the Gray Prince in honorable combat" she coos her words trying to seduce Brom. "I'm no fan of what I did to him he was a Friend but my freedom lie threw him" Brom coldly says as he walks back below deck to his room.
Finally the ship arrives at Solsthim's Raven Rock Settlement Brom and Ilsey depart the ship and make their way out of the now walled village and start down the road to the Skaal village. Back on the ship the Dunmer women departs in her elegant dress and heads for the inn. As the day progressed the ship was restocked and the remaining crew searched the ship for any sign of their four missing crewmen when the captain discovers an open crate in the hold he looks inside it to find the four rotting husks of his former crewmen and races off to find the imperial watch captain to hurry and lock down the town before the murderer can escape into the wilderness of Solsthim. As he races threw the town he feels great pain and believes to be stumbling only to realize he is now looking up at his own body his head was severed in mid run but no one saw what happened.
Watching from the window of the inn the Dunmer women breaths a sigh of relief as she watched the Captain die from her Razor wire Trap and orders a steak rare with a bottle of red wine and sides of wedge cut potatoes and corn. As she eats a child walks past her and stops cold and stares at her then screams "VAMPIRE!" and runs off only to be cut down by a glass thrown star The women straightens up and looks in a mirror to see her full starvation form staring back at her. As she continues to race threw the main room of the inn slaughtering the inhabitants in there futile attempts to escape or fight as to what caused her to revert so fast. As a bar maid runs into the kitchen she realized what happened it was Garlic her food was loaded with it there were garlic braids everywhere. It was so over powering she hissed and leapt backward out the door and took out several small pieces of paper attached them to thrown Knives held her breath stepped into the kitchen and threw them to each corner then ran out the inn as fast as she could as the papers exploded leveling the inn and causing enough distraction for her to grab a hapless Bosmer regain her youthful form and walk out of the town as the towns folk scrambled to put out the many small scattered fires Spread out from the inn.
