SKYRIM

Return of the World Eater

Chapter 1

Fenris dashed through underbrush and pulled his crossbow from his back. He slid to a stop and crouched in the ferns. His eyes flicked back and forth and he breathed slowly in. He smelled it, the faint musty wet smell. He slowly picked up a rock from the ground and tossed to his left. It smacked into a tree with a soft whap. The elk burst from the brush at his right and darted across the clearing in front of him. He raised the crossbow and fired in one smooth motion. The bolt slammed into the elk and knocked it to the ground. He leapt up and reloaded his crossbow before walking quickly over to the elk. It lay twitching slightly on the ground, its big brown eyes staring up at him. Fenris knelt down and pulled his dagger from his belt. He laid his hand on the animals side and carefully stabbed the elk in the neck.

"Thank you," He whispered to it as the life faded from its eyes.

He quickly cleaned his knife and the bolt he shot and put his weapons away. He hoisted the elk onto his shoulder and strode swiftly through the ferns towards the road.

Fenris was tall like all nords and well built, especially for his age. He had shoulder length black hair and grey eyes like his father. And a faint stubble on his face.

Fenris or "Fen" was just out of his teens and had turn 20 the month prior. Fen broke out from the underbrush on to the road and turned left towards Falkreath. He whistled sharply and a minute later a brown horse came trotting down the road.

He slung the elk across the horses back and got on. He clicked his tongue and the horse trotted forward. As he rode through Falkreath a few of the townsfolk waved in greeting. He nodded toward them and kept riding onwards too Lake View manor. Fenris whistled as he rode, although giving off an air of indifference he was very aware off what was happening around him. Constant training from a young age by his father had seen to that.

A rustle in the underbrush snapped him to full alertness. He drew his crossbow with one hand and waited. A single wolf charged out of the ferns snarling as it ran. Fenris raised the crossbow and fired. The wolf crumpled without a sound and rolled to a stop at his horses feet. Three more wolves slinked out of the underbrush snarling. Fenris grimaced.

"Great," He growled, "Three of you flea bags."

He shouted a challenge and prepared to charge. But, before they met something happened that froze man and beast alike. A loud crack of thunder, a Shout echoed through the hills, a cry of rage and anguish. But, Fenris could understand the words, and his blood ran cold.

"OHDAVIIG, NO!"

"Father," Fenris said, and then kicking his heels into his horse's side galloped forward scattering the wolves, who fled in panic.

Fen leaned against the entrance to lake view manor and waited nervously, it was almost dusk and his father hadn't returned yet. He had gotten home and skinned the elk and then posted himself where he stood now.

"I'm sure he's okay," voice said behind him, and strong hand rested reassuringly on his shoulder. "Your father is the strongest warrior in all of skyrim."

"I know Lydia," He said, "But, I still worry."

Lydia smiled and walked into the house. Lydia had been his fathers steward since before Fenris had been born and his housecarl for even longer. She had also helped train him in sword and shield techniques.

Then he heard it, faint hoof beats on the trail toward the house. He stood up straight and peered into the gathering darkness. A horse appeared out of the gloom, a large man rode on its back. His shoulders slumped as if in grief or exhaustion.

"Father!" Fenris ran forward and took the horses rains and lead it toward the stables.

"Fenris" the man grunted, groggily.

Fen tied the horses reins to a post and waited as his father got down. The man stumbled as he dropped to the ground, and suddenly tipped forward with a crash.

"Dad!" Fenris knelt down and rolled him over. He was still alive but his face was black and cut, his once proud carved nordic armor was burnt and dented badly in places and the enchantments within glowed dully. But, worst of all was a huge rent in the armor at the midsection where blood trickled freely out.

Fenris cursed and called for Lydia. She burst out of the house and came running over.

"Help me carry him." He said.

Together they carried him inside and laid him on the center table. Fenris began taking off the damaged armor as his mother ran down the stairs. She took one look at his dad and ran back up the stairs. She came back shortly after with a large tall red bottle in her hands. She pried open the man's mouth as gently as possible and poured the liquid down his throat. Several of the wounds closed and the more severe faded slightly.

The man coughed and raised his head, he saw the worried faces looking down at him and sighed.

"Noric, what happened?" Fenris mother asked.

Noric coughed and said:

"Two dragons attacked me, big ones." He said slowly, "I called Ohdaviig to help but, they… killed him."

Fenris shoulders slumped, he'd met the dragon several times and rather liked him. But he knew he and his father were good friends.

"I finished off the dragons, and made my way here." Noric descended into a coughing fit and groaned. He saw the worried look on his wife's face and touched her cheek with his hand.

"I'll be fine, Serana" He said, "Just need to heal."

Then his head slumped backwards and he fell into a deep sleep.

Hello, hello so this my first try at publishing any of my work, so I hope you liked it. Please leave a review and send me a pm if you have any ideas or writing tips, thank you.

- ShadowedScribe