So hi readers! However many of you I have... Confirmed so far I only have two readers, so if you read this pretty please review! This is my first Skyrim fanfic, and I'm thinking about doing multiple stories with this main character, I put a lot more planning into this than I usually do... So, without further a do, presenting "As the Leaves Fall!" (might change that title later...)
Chapter 1: I Wake Up.
I wake up. The crisp Skyrim air flooding my lungs with life, I see sun streaming its way through the window, into my dusty little shack. The little dust particles illuminated by the soft morning light. I sit up in my simple bed with its linen coverings and rough pillow, and I take in my surroundings. On the nightstand by my bed sits a small washbasin. I get up and wash my face, the brisk water chilling my face, and instantly waking me up. I quickly reach for a towel to dry my face. The simple cloth material warms up my face a little. In the mirror, I see the somewhat familiar round face staring back at me with her forest looking green-brown eyes, and messy auburn hair. I brush my hair into a more presentable state, and put on my normal blue dress, feeling refreshed, and ready for a day of adventure. Of course, I can't expect too much from this small town of Riften, where the most exciting thing I'm allowed to do within the walls is swim in that tainted liquid they call water. If only I could go outside the walls, but that would be too dangerous for a fifteen year old. Instead I'm stuck inside this boring, corrupted excuse of a town. I shouldn't complain, after all, we have a beautiful house, well, they have a beautiful house. I live in a make-shift shack beside it, but it's not that bad, I do have my own space.
I walk out of my shack, and into our home, through the bitter morning air. When I get inside our log-cabin feeling house, the familiar sound of the crackling fire next to the doorway instantly makes it feel like home. My gold haired mother is talking to the twins. The little brown-haired trouble makers, but they make up for what problems they cause by being adorable. They notice me and continue with their usual morning conversation. I wonder what it is this time… taking Talen-Jei's favorite flagon, and filling it with skeever bait, or more likely that they found a mysterious dog, and are now trying to persuade Mother that they can take care of the poor fleabag. As I can now see a shaggy grey wolfhound lying on the floor next to the fire, where did they find it?
"But Ma! Can't we please keep it?" Alarik whines.
"Yeah! He could hunt for his own food outside the walls," begged Alan in an almost identical tone, "and he could clean up after himself, and bring back food for free! We wouldn't even have to buy it!"
"I can't answer yet; we have to wait until your father gets home. Your father and I have to make these decisions together." My mother explains sweetly.
"Well, what are we going to do with him until then?" asks Alarik.
"For now, he can stay outside." Mother replies coolly.
"When will Pa be home anyways?" I inquire curiously.
"Soon enough I expect, when was the last time he was here? About two weeks? I'm sure he wouldn't miss the special occasion that's coming up here in a few days. He'll be home soon…" She trails off, "For now, could you go visit Marise, and buy us some fresh meat, or fruit? Here, this should buy enough," she hands me about fifty coins, "if you have enough left over, you can buy something for yourself."
"Thanks!" I chirp, and head off to the marketplace. Pa has a rough job, one of the most physically demanding jobs I've ever heard of. Despite that, I would give just about anything to go with him… He is the Dragonborn, but he has many other titles, this being the most common. He's hardly ever home, and once he was away for so long, Mother thought he was dead. He came back though, he always does. This is why I'm never allowed to go outside of the walls, to explore, to have fun. Because Father has seen the dangers that can be out there, and never wants to risk us kids getting hurt. But I'm not a kid anymore! I'm almost sixteen, in fact that's the big event that Mother was talking about, my sixteenth birthday party. I was hoping for something fun, like an adventure, maybe dad would take me with him… Probably not, but a girl can hope can't she?
The marketplace is bustling with mid-morning merchants, and a few gullible gawkers, who would easily buy a gold necklace for ten coins. I go right around The Bee and Barb, to the little corner of the wall where Marise sells her fresh meats and produce. I stop by and start a little friendly conversation. The dark elf chats with me sweetly, and offers me some of her produce. I look through and find some nice goat legs for thirty-five coins, which leave me with fifteen coins, so I buy an apple for the last few septims, and head home, after thanking Marise. When I get back the dog is tied up outside the house on a stake, I can see that the job is very shabby, and straighten it up a little. I go back inside the house to find everything in perfect order, like it normally is. Ma is a great house-keeper; she always keeps everything in good shape. I put the goat legs in the cupboard, and go downstairs to the boy's room. I find them playing and practicing with the daggers dad gave them a long time ago. I clear my throat at the door. "Hey, do you guys know where Ma went?"
"Oh, hi, Autumn, when did you get here?" Alan asks.
"Just now," I reply, "did mom go out to tan some leather for selling?"
"Umm… I think she went to the meadery, to um, see if she could get her and dad some mead, for uh, your birthday… yeah!" Responds Alarik unsteadily.
"You'd better be telling me the truth…" I tease, "otherwise I'll have to take you to the tickle troll!" I come after them making silly noises, and trying to catch them. They run away shrieking with laughter. I catch Alarik and start tickling his stomach, and Alan comes up behind me and tackles me. Before I know it, I'm pinned to the ground by two small eleven-year-olds.
"Oh, no! What're you going to do to me?" I ask, in my best frightened voice.
"Well, I think we'll have to tie you up, and put you in the dungeon!" Alan smirked.
"Yeah! Where all the spiders live!" Alarik exclaimed with pleasure.
"Not the dungeon," I pleaded, "anywhere but the dungeon!"
"We have no choice prisoner. You tickled us, and now you must pay the price." Alarik says in a mock serious tone. Then they tie my hands up behind my back with some weak ropes, and take me downstairs to their room. One stands guard, and the other keeps making remarks like, "let me guess, someone stole your sweet roll." Or "I would be a lot warmer, and a lot happier with a belly full of mead." They mock the guard's silly accents, and ridiculous comments, and every once in a while, they trade off. Until I decide that it's time for me to break my bonds and escape. The rope was always weak enough to snap and fray with a little bit of struggling, and I loosen them just enough so that I can slip out of them unnoticeably. After I do that, I ask for a drink of water, while one goes to get it, I overtake the currently guarding Alan.
I shout, "Prison break!" and run past Alan, and up the stairs. Where I find Alarik's chocolate brown eyes set on me, cup of water in his hands. He sets it down and comes after me, but I hold him off with tickle hands, and walk towards the door.
He whispers, "You win this round prisoner," and tries to mysteriously walk down the stairs backwards. It doesn't end well, he trips on the second step, and falls the rest of the way down the stairs, with multiple thuds, and he shouts, "I'm okay!" This doesn't stop me from checking on him, he looks ok, a few bumps and bruises, but aside from that he looks fine.
"How do you feel? Really?" I ask tentatively.
"A little rough." He replies simply.
"Will you live, or do I need to kiss it?" I ask with a smirk.
"I'm fine! Totally good! Never better!" he responds hastily.
"Ok, you sure?" I tease, while poking him a little in his ticklish spots.
"Absolutely." Alarik giggles.
"Good, I'm going to go outside for a while. If Ma asks tell her I'm just out being responsible." I wink at them, and head back upstairs, and hear them whispering.
"Do you think she's going to the stables?" One of them asks.
"Most definitely. Probably to see Theodore." The other states.
"I heard that!" I called, and I hear them giggling like the little boys that I love.
So, was it good? Who is this mysterious Theodore? Will Autumn ever leave Riften? Will the twins do more guard impressions? All this and more, in further chapters... Just gonna have to see about that... Missfabulous09! Hold me accountable to making more chapters on this... Oh well, I should be on top of things here, I do really like this setting...