The Adventures of Vinr the blacksmith – book one
Chapter 1
Do not mistake this collection of stories as a demand for fame across tamriel. It is also not a hope for my trade as a blacksmith to increase. It is intended to share my stories and my travels, perceive them as you want. It all started with the coming forth of the dragon born. After defeating the great alduin and helping the people of Skyrim, he seeked nothing but an average life with his wife and children. I was an argonian from black marsh, my father was a great warrior and my mother stayed home. I had two egg- brothers, which both died during battles. I guess I was the odd one out in my family and decided that a change of scenery would help me. In my travels, around the age of 19 I had found the bards college. After three years and hard work, I realized my true calling, smithing. I traveled to the great town of whiterun and learned my trade at skyforge.
10 years, making me 32 years of age, I started my own shop in whiterun, by this time dovahkiin had already turned to retirement. Little did I know my future, and how he would come into it so abruptly. My life was comfortable, I made good coin and produced fine weapons and armor, I was even the only blacksmith that knew how to forge daedric wares. One day, I believe the morndas of morning star. I had finished my days work and decided to get a pint of mead from the bannered mare. I sat at the bar and demanded a drink from hulda. She tossed me my pint and I proceeded to toss her what coin I had in my hand. From out of the corner of my eye I saw a lass, a beautiful armored lass that made my heart pound with excitement.
I finished my drink and slammed it down with great force onto the wood counter. I stood up and walked to the women and proceeded to sit down, edginess taking over my body.
"Hello… may I buy you… a drink… perhaps" I said.
"Perhaps, you look like a man with conviction, tell me about yourself" she said.
"My name is bah-ju endo-… my name is vinr, I own the blacksmith shop here in whiterun".
"Ah, I've heard of you, make great wares according to the towns folk".
"Why thank you".
"yes, name's uthgerd".
She shifts her body if as she is actually interested in me. We talk for an hour or two, we talk of our lives before skyrim, our trade, and our adventures. We laughed and we were hardy and merry with drink and coin. The sun had started to set and darkness was soon to dawn.
"I must be off uthgerd, but if you have the time I wish you to come to my forge and talk some more" I say.
"So be it, I will be sure to do so, and it was nice to meet another smiling and hardy face".
I bid her farewell and push the door open to walk back to my house. On my way I back I spot a messenger running my way, which leads up to him stopping in front of me.
"hello, it seems here that I have a note for you, something very secretive".
"Well give it here then".
"Yes sir, that's it sir". And with that he ran himself out of the doors of whiterun and back to his schedule.
I take the note, and analyze it thoroughly finding that a red seal covers the opening. There is a symbol pressed into this seal bearing the symbol: d. I decide not to read until I'm into the confines of my own home. Walking home I find the guards stare at me with suspicion. I look back to them and they quickly glance away once again.
The door to my house creeks and moans as I open it and close it. I begin to light my candles and lanterns which light up my living section. I sit on the foot of my bed and pull out my note, which I decide to leave alone for a second as I start my nightly reading of spells. The latest of my books was on the spell: Greater ward. I practice this on myself knowing it will not harm me, rather help me, and finally I get it right, this being indicated by a light glow around me. Tossing the book down I walk to my work stand and pull out a daedric dagger I had been working on. Sharpening and wrapping the weapon, I finish it and decide to open my note finally. I decide to use the dagger to open the seal, and I grab the letter. Raising the dagger to the red seal, the symbol starts to break out in light. Shocked I bring it closer, causing this emanating light to glow brighter and brighter. The dagger blade runs itself through the seal and the light burst out of the bounds of the symbol and explodes, blinding me and filling my house.
When my eyes regain sight I look to see in my hands a letter with golden writing. This letter entails:
They know who you are. You may not but they do. Escape whiterun before it is to late.
-d
Who had sent this? Why had they done so and who am I? I was just a measly blacksmith trying to get by! I had started a fire in my fireplace and proceeded to toss it into the dancing, hot flames. Putting out my lights, I lay in my bed and cover myself with my thin, stained sheets. I drift off to sleep, trying to block out and forget my strange day, except for my talk with uthgerd. I love her determination and I for one am not afraid to say she holds a special place in my heart. I think of her as my vision fades to that familiar darkness that we relate to a peaceful nights rest.
Chapter 2
I am abruptly awakened by a shaking movement of my body. As my vision recovers I see that a whiterun guard has grasped me by my arms and proceeds to toss me out of my bed. He then picks me back up from off the ground.
"Hello, Argonian! You have been arrested for treason and will be brought to the jarl!"
"I have no idea what you are talking about! What treason, I have done nothing but work for the good people of whiterun!"
"Your words won't fool me lizard! Now come with me!"
They bound my hands with rope and threw a potato sack over my head. One of the guards kicked me in my rear and launched me out the door. I was dragged through the streets, and I could tell people were staring, I could feel their eyes burn through the sack and into my soul. I was tossed into the castle and kneeled down in front of what I assumed was the jarl. The sack was ripped off my head, revealing to me a great sight. Tables surrounded me and a giant hearth filled with great fire was behind me. In front was a golden throne, which inside its confinements sat jarl balgruuf.
"So, this is the traitor we were warned of, and what have you to say for yourself?" he says.
"I have nothing to say because I have done nothing, to you or your people!"
"you are the blacksmith, no?"
"yes I am the blacksmith!"
"A note we received said that a traitor under the disguise of a petty blacksmith would be in whiterun!"
"I have received a letter as well, saying that I should have left tonight!"
"And why would I believe this?! I had my guards search your house and they found nothing!"
"I burned it, you have to believe me!"
"How could I!"
"Yet you believe a note given to you on a whim!?"
"Guards, give him to me! I think a personal touch will show him we mean business."
The guards roughly pull me up and toss me to the jarl who catches me by the collar. He drags me up the stairs which makes me trip once or twice. He pulls me up each time with greater force, showing his anger. Finally reaching the top he almost about throws me into his living quarters where he slams the door and locks it.
"Thank god, we may now speak alone." The Jarl says.
"What!?"
"I was the one who sent you the note, or my un-named associate was, I just assisted."
"well then do you mind cutting these binds?" I present my hands towards him which he proceeds to take out his own personal dagger and slices the ropes.
"There, now please we don't have long."
"I'm not doing anything until you tell me what is happening!"
"I can't, you have to find out for yourself, now please! In that chest are all the materials you need. A map, armor, weapon, and another note by our mutual friend."
I look inside the chest to find what he has described, I grab and put on a basic iron armor set and I also sheath a steel sword. I unroll my map and find that in red a path along skyrim to a certain point is mapped out. I also take my note and notice the same imprint on the seal. I start to open it and am stopped by Balgruuf.
"No! Specific instruction says you open that before you enter your destination."
"Do I have time to shut down my forge, lock my house, say goodbye?"
"Yes, I will sentence you to permanent isolation away from whiterun. The guards will escort you to your house to get things in order and you will have some time to say goodbye to acquaintances."
I straighten myself out and face the door, not knowing what would come next. Facing the great unknown of my adventure, I fasten my helmet to my head and take a deep breath in, and take my first step out of the room.