In the foggy forests and soggy wetlands of Skyrim riding on horseback were three men. There leather hide armor covering animal hide garments. All three of them were clearly foreigners. Especially the Redguard who still had a maroon like cloak that went in and out of his strange armor. The other was an Imperial, wearing bits of steel armor but mostly just leather make. Lastly was the Nord who had iron and leather armor that went over his winter clothes.
"Curse this damned fog." The Redguard groaned as he squinted his eyes trying to see through the thick fog.
"Damn Skyrim and it's long winters." The Imperial uttered as he kept his horse behind the two riders in front of him.
"You fools think this is winter, you'd freeze to death before your third winter." The Nord explained. He looked along the path, stone made. With a rock wall formation along the side.
"Ruthgar, where are we going anyway?" The Redguard asked looking backwards to the Nord.
"Riften, if we're looking for a wanted man, it'd be best to stop in the city of crime." Ruthgar explained reaching into his pouch beside his iron war axe to grab a piece of baked chicken breast. Ruthgar was a blonde haired that went down to his shoulders. Some of it was braided to kept it tidy. A thick long grown beard engulfed his mouth making it hard to find his lips. He was a large man. Common for a Nord. His animal fur clothes made it clear he was use to the cold. A scar went along the side of his face. Merely one of the many scars he had. That one was particularly noticeable, making him look terrifyingly threatening.
"Riften, ew. Disgusting. Nothing but liars, cheaters, and thieves." Redguard spoke in a tone of poor horrid.
"Emphasis on thieves, but don't forget that your homeland has plenty of them as well Assar." The Imperial uttered too loudly. Assar looked over his shoulder. Assar skin was dark as wood. He was bald with hair barely growing on his chin with none above his lips. He was short man, but a mean looking fellow.
"Watch your tongue Lionel, your people aren't nothing but rich snobs who cannot protect their own nation let alone others." Assar shouted back to Lionel. Without a moment of hesitation, Lionel the Imperial knocked an arrow into his bow and drawn the string back. Lionel had long black hair that was parted in half that went over each side of his head covering the ears. A scraggly beard came from his chin that was thin to the point his pale skin could be seen through it. He was a thin man, which was hidden under his armor. Mostly.
"Perhaps you forget that I'm behind you and I don't miss."
"Enough! If you two could remember why we're here is to find someone. Someone who will keep our pockets fat for a year." Ruthgar explained throwing his scraps of chicken bone and pieces at Lionel. The three men were all silent, gazing at one another. Weighing the decisions of words.
Lionel loosened the tension of his bow and removed the arrow.
"Ay, very well." Lionel said returning his arrow to his quiver of arrows.
"Someone's ahead." Assar said bluntly.
Ahead in the thick gray fog that made it appears the clouds from the sky were among them. Through the mist was a darker moving object having the outline of a person. It appeared that the person was walking back and forth from something, as though pacing. Lionel thought nothing of it, but was weary. Skyrim was a very treacherous place. He would never trust being here alone. At least Ruthgar was familiar of these lands from being raised. From what he said, the people of Skyrim was truly in great turmoil. Always at the break of war, sometimes with themselves. Truly sad. If there was something he disliked more was the Orcs or Elves. Or worse, Algonians. He hated all those strange creatures that could be claimed as "people."
Assar stopped his horse and turned to Ruthgar. "What shall we do?"
"Take this slow. Keep an eye out. Hand on your weapons ready." Ruthgar said, he drew his axe and balanced it across his horse's saddle, holding it steady while keeping a hand on the reins. Lionel got an arrow ready against his finger that held his bow. Assar kept a hand on his lap, close to his strange curved that Lionel knew as a common blade for Redguards.
They proceeded forward, Lionel wished the horses huffs wouldn't clap so loudly against the stone made path trail they were using. The trio kept moving forward, getting closer to reveal a woman beside a ransacked carriage. The woman must have heard them coming and began pleading for help. As the men drew closer, Lionel could see she was covered in blood and was in better shape than the carriage. The carriage's axle holding the wheels was broken so one wheel was detached and making the cart lean over where two corpses lay, an older woman and man. A cheap sword was near the man, no blood upon it. The man was facedown so all Lionel could see was large puddle of blood. Including an arrow sticking from his back. He had dark black hair that was trimmed well. The woman had a large hole punctured from her back as though someone thrusted a sword through her chest. Her clear blonde hair was so long it was soaked on the tips from the blood. A somewhat quick death. Flies flew around the bodies, landing on their lips and eyes.
Finally, the woman approached Assar.
"By Talos himself, thank all the Divines. My prayers were answered." The woman cried, she had red hair and a beautiful face that Lionel could never deny. She appeared as a Nord. Her green dress revealed her smooth skinned chest while the white under part was short to show some of her legs.
"What happened here?" Assar asked nodding to the two dead bodies.
"We were attacked! Bandits I tell you. By the neigh you must help me!" The woman proclaimed looking between the three men.
"How long ago." Ruthgar said. It was so cold sounding that it didn't even appear to be a question. Almost a command.
"Couldn't have been more than an hourglass I tell you!" She cried grabbing onto the boot of Assar, "please I'll do anything for gold. I need the money. Anything."
Ruthgar stepped off his horse which made a thud from all the weight he is. The stones made his boots crunch. He stepped over to the carriage cart. He had his axe in hand and used it to lean into as he squatted down to the bodies. Lionel looked to the woman who was no longer looking like a mere damsel in distress. More of a brothel whore, staring into Assar's eyes, who was smiling surely enjoying the thought of being between her legs. Disgusting.
"Well my dear, surely I could finance yours needs however, it'd be my pleasure to bring you into the nearest town. Perhaps somewhere with some privacy." Assar explained with a smile across his face.
"Oh that'd be much better. Do you have the coin for an inn?" The woman said with a smile.
Lionel couldn't believe this, it was all too much. He should have known, all Nord women appeared nothing more than pretty farm girls who had never met anyone from outside their homes. This was why he hated such a wilderness land and missed the Citadel so much. Most imperials weren't peasants and farmers. We were educated, pushed ourselves into wealth. That was until the Oblivion crisis placed the economy into chaos. It was practically impossible to establish trading routes. Merchants wouldn't return from all the stories of the Daedra attacking cities across the land.
"You said the bandits attacked not too long ago." Ruthgar asked from beside the two corpses. The woman looked surprise for a moment. Glancing between Assar and Ruthgar before answering.
"Why yes! They struck Papa with an arrow before they charged in. I managed to run off before they slaughtered my parents!" The woman began to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. Her sobbing went deep down from inside.
"So, these are your mother and father then?" Ruthgar questioned stepping closer and towering over the woman. She began to shrink down inside.
"Y-yes. They are."
"Strange. They don't have red hair like yours."
The woman's face turned cold and pale. Eyes widened. Ruthgar then struck her in the face hard, sending the frail woman to the ground, shrieking in pain.
"Lying whore." Ruthgar then kicked the woman right in between her legs. She screamed in agony. The forest was filled with her yelp. Lionel finally realized what Ruthgar said was true. The woman's hair was red. The two dead corpses had only black and blonde. Ruthgar then turned, looking into the woods, filled with trees and bushes.
"Come out now before I kill the bitch." He shouted out. Lionel was confused with whom he was talking to. Before he could think much more. Five men appeared from the trees holding steel glistening blades. They were a mean looking bunch; two had swords, one with a hand axe, another carried an Warhammer, and a last one with a bow. Lionel reached behind him and pulled out an arrow in hand.
"No need for anyone to get hurt." Said one of the men. A Nord with long brown hair that went to his shoulder. His clothes were ragged animal hides with scare pieces of leather armor. Most of the them appeared the same way. The one talking, the leader it appeared, had a longsword around his back.
"Should have thought about that before you thought you could have fooled us." Ruthgar said placing both hands on his axe and stepping away from the woman who was crying, possibly a broken pelvis from how hard he kicked her.
"Are you telling us that we made a mistake? Could just hand over the gold and go on your own separate way." The bandit leader said holding out his hand.
"Don't work like that for me runt. Blood for blood." Ruthgar spit on the ground, grinding his teeth.
"Last time I thought, we didn't lay a finger on you." Another bandit from behind the leader spoke. This one an Orc with two teeth outside his mouth reaching over his top lip from the bottom.
"Explain the two couple in the cart then." Ruthgar demanded.
"First catch of the day. Good little trap for fools like you to help a damsel in distress." An Algonian in the back with the sword said.
"That worked well for you obviously, so now, you folks piss off and leave whatever valuables you took from them." Ruthgar explained. Assar finally stepped off his horse, still holding his scimitar. Lionel focused on the group of bandits. Picking out which one he'd go for.
"And why would we do that?" The bandit leader questioned. Realizing how threatening Ruthgar was being.
"Because I am someone not to fuck with. And neither are they. We're here for more important work," Ruthgar turned to Lionel and gave a nod. He wasn't sure what that meant but he knocked his arrow, "but I'm willing to kill a few cunts along the way." Ruthgar finished.
"Then to Oblivion with you!" The bandit leader shouted, reaching behind his back for his longsword. What he wasn't expecting was how fast Ruthgar was. He sprinted to the bandit leader and drew his axe back.
Once Ruthgar stopped, he let the axe go into momentum and plunged into the leader's chest. Lionel could've swore he watched the surprised look in the bandit's chest before he was slain. Without hesitation, Lionel drew his bow string back and sent an arrow into the throat of the bandit bowman. The three-remaining bandits charged in. The Orc went for Assar, swinging his hammer for Assar's face. Assar ducked beneath it and sliced his sword across the Orc's stomach. A bad cut, that was deep into his intestines. The Orc dropped his hammer and tried to hold his stomach but Assar reached behind his neck, bringing his scimitar into his chest. The curved blade stuck out the Orc's back, covered in blood. The bandit Orc grasped his large hand onto Assar's neck, trying to squeeze his breath from escaping. Assar then jammed his blade further into the bandit. The Orc gave off a loud groan, then a dying sigh, falling straight off Assar's sword.
The two remaining bandits had circled Ruthgar and tried to sneak some quick cuts into him. Ruthgar's armor however protected a blow from the Argonian. The other bandit tried to move in for the kill, bringing his sword over his head to bring the kill. But Ruthgar was seemingly ready and turned around to use his armored gauntlet to protect the strike, while bringing his axe full swing around under handed into the bandit's ribs. The bandit must have been skinny because the axe was lodged over halfway into his side.
The Argonian moved in behind Ruthgar to catch him from behind with the axe. Lionel however had managed to have reloaded his bow with another arrow and fired it into the Argonian's leg, right at below the knee. He collapsed to the ground, moaning with pain and hissing. Ruthgar turned around and started approaching the lizard. He turned around trying to run but the arrow had pierced into the something that prevent him from using the joint. So he began to crawl on his one leg.
"Wait, no! I didn't see a thing. I swear!"
Ruthgar kicked the Argonian to the ground and reached over him to grab it's jaw. One pair of fingers on the top, another on the bottom.
"You annoy me! Shut up!" Ruthgar then began to pull the upper jaw as he pushed the bottom jaw down. The Argonian tried to scream and fight back. But Ruthgar's strength was too much for the slimy lizard to fight back. Lionel watched and listened as the Argonian's jaw started to crack and finally snap. Ruthgar released his grip to show the Argonian's bottom jaw dandling off his face, tongue handing out, blood running down his gaping mouth. He tried to say something between his screams, holding his bottom jaw in pain. Ruthgar kicked him to the ground and began hammering the roof of his skull. The armored gloves started to crack his head. Then finally Ruthgar stomped on his head, flattening the Argonian's head, squishing blood from it's ears. Lionel could swear he saw one it's eyes pop out. Ruthgar groaned and stepped away from the body.
"May the Daedra rot your souls for eternity." Ruthgar said stepping over to the other bandit that still had his axe pinned in his body. Assar took a piece of cloth from a bandit and began cleaning his blade.
"How did you know it was a trap?" Assar asked to Ruthgar who had managed to free his axe.
"Because I did the same in Hammerfell, Valenwood, and here in Skyrim. The bodies however were too rotten to of been only an hourglass. And the bitch's hair was red…" Ruthgar stopped mid-sentence to turn to the woman still on the ground, sobbing in pain.
"Could use her as a warning, ensure no more bandits try to find us." Lionel offered the idea as he stepped off his horse and search the bodies for anything valuable. He had already found a pouch of gold coins. Eleven pieces. Ruthgar however didn't listen and proceeded moving to the woman.
"Please mercy! I beg of you! No! I'm sorr-!" Ruthgar then brought his axe crashing down into her chest. Killing her. Assar whistled and grabbed a pair of woolen socks inside one of the bandit's boots.
"Shame, I would have had fun with her." Assar said taking a Orcish dagger from the dead Orc.
"We didn't have to kill her." Lionel said flatly as he grabbed the arrows from the dead bowman's quiver. Nice arrowheads too. Three were elven. One glass make.
"Can't have anyone knowing we committed a crime here. We're foreigners. The less Skyrim knows of us, the better. Besides we don't know who these men are family too. I'd rather not take claim to killing some Thane's son or brother." Ruthgar explained, taking the bear hide cloak of the bandit leader, throwing it around his shoulders.
"They were trying to kill us?" Assar wondered in amazement. "These men were trying to kill us. Why would we be trialed for their deaths."
"Skyrim is of honor. If one of these men are some royal blood, we could be hung or our necks will be placed to the chopping block." Ruthgar explained as he grasped onto his horse's saddle and hopped on. "Let's get moving before someone sees what has taken place."
"Ay, damn Skyrim and it's long winters." Assar said, taking a seat on his horse. Lionel did the same, putting his boot into the horse's foot rest and throwing his leg over. Before long, they were riding again.
"This bounty had best be worth it." Lionel said as he put his fingers through his hair and sighed.
"6,000 gold coins. My my, not much longer now." Assar said with a smile.
"What could a Redguard want with so much gold?" Lionel asked.
"Wine, women, and the finest food for a king. Perhaps I'll buy some property in my homeland, start a business for the King. Trading. Yes, keeping ahead of all. What about you Imperial? I thought all of you were born with silver spoons in your mouth?"
"We are much richer than all of your kind. One of my families could purchase the land of your ancestors with a month's profit!" Lionel shouted.
"Imperials. Always about wealth." Ruthgar mumbled between the two.
"I'm getting the money to get a ship. Offer my services for the Empire. Transport troops, weapons, food, all for the right price of course." Lionel explained. Assar smirked with his yellow grin,
"Ay, ay. A business man. I like that. What of you Ruthgar? Any plans for so much wealth?"
"I'll make my own war party. Fight, fuck, and drink whenever I please so I don't ever deal with fools like you two ever again." Ruthgar said before remaining entirely silent.
"Marsalis Porthal." Lionel said breaking the silence.
"All we have is a name." Assar replied, eating an apple from his horse pouch.
"Either way, he's his head is coming back with us, and we're getting our reward." Ruthgar said. For the remainder of the time to Riften, nothing was spoken.
