"My King, there have been many reports of strange lights inside wolf skull cave. Also there have been many travelers disappearing along the road between here and Dragon's Bridge. The villagers are asking that you send someone to investigate the disturbances, they are terrified that something very wrong is happening in that cave, the air in the woods fills ones heart with dread. They wish for your protection."
Raynor listened to his father address the high king of Skyrim and Jarl of Haafingar about the problems of our village. He stood towards the back of the court, feeling very uncomfortable surrounded by all the dressed up advisors, thanes, and high born citizens of Solitude. The only individuals not dressed in finery was my father, a couple of housecarls, and myself. The room screamed wealth, he couldn't help but think that there were very few in the room who understood what it meant to struggle to survive. Of course, he thought, the feeling probably wasn't helped by the fact that he was wearing a simple grey tunic with brown breeches and boots with a sword on his waist. There were very few others that were armed, and most of them were guards.
Raynor happened to be watching the room at large as his father finished delivering his request to the King and so he noticed a young woman enter the room from the palace living quarters. She wore a simple yet elegant red dress, the color of the hold, and no her head she wore a copper circlet with three rubies fastened to it. Her long, mahogany hair was pulled back into a braid that fell past her shoulders, and her soft, grey eyes met his for just a moment before she walked over to the Queen and stood next to her. Raynor's eyes were glued to her the entire time. All he could think was how beautiful she was.
He mentally shook himself and refocused on the King, who was now addressing his father. "I am sorry captain but with the tension between the holds, I don't have the men to spare with searching the cave, I will do what I can to protect the citizens of Dragon's Bridge, I can increase the road patrols and I might be able to divert some more guards to the village."
"But your highness, my scrying would have revealed something, it's likely just superstitious nonsense." A hooded women who was obviously the court wizard interrupted.
"I have to agree with Sybille your highness." Faulk Firebeard, the king's steward, spoke up.
Before the king could respond, Raynor stepped forward "So send me. I can investigate the cave and return with my findings so if it is nothing, then you haven't wasted your own soldiers, but if there is something in the cave, who or what is in there won't be left to cause harm to your people." He stood in the center of the court, and the room went silent at his interruption. Je felt every eye in the room locked on him, and he fought to maintain his confidence so as not to falter in front of so many. He had finally found his chance to prove himself.
"And who is this captain?" Faulk asked, turning to my father.
"Sir, this is my son, Raynor." He answered, attempting to move in front.
"Do you feel he is capable to complete the task?" The king questioned, and all the eyes in the room darted between the four.
"Your Highness…." Captain Hall said, staring at his boots "I…. Yes, your majesty but I…."
The King waved his hand for Hall to be silent and the captain froze, refusing to look at the king. "So the matter is settled, Raynor shall investigate the cave. Speak to Faulk for your instructions." The king dismissed to issue and turned his attention to his thanes and his other captains, listening to various reports on troop strength and patrol plans.
Raynor began to let out a sigh of relief and stopped when his father turned to face him. Hall was livid. "What were you thinking?" He asked sternly. "Interrupting the king's court and do you have any idea what you just volunteered for?"
Before he could continue or Raynor could respond, the steward walked over to the pair. "That was a brave thing young man." He directed at Raynor "Before you leave, you should know the history of that cave. It was one Queen Potema's lairs were she performed he experiments in necromancy. That was five hundred years ago but there are still many who insist that the cave is haunted. If it wasn't for the tension between the holds, I would send at least a dozen guards with you." He sighed before continuing. "But what with events in Skyrim, I can't spare the men to chase down rumors so I have no choice but to send you alone."
As he finished, someone spoke behind him, "No Faulk, not alone." The three turned to see the young woman who Raynor had watched enter the room.
"Lady Bryna, King Toryyg would never…" Faulk's face paled and he started to say before being interrupted.
"If he didn't want me to rush off into danger, than he shouldn't have named me one of his thanes. He did, so I am making the choice to join, I'm sorry Raynor was it?"
"Yes M'lady, Raynor, son of Hall."
"Then I shall be accompanying you Raynor son of Hall to Wolf Skull. I will bring Jordis with me, so you know I will be adequately protected. Now if you will excuse me, I will need to see to provisions and gear." At that, the young woman turned and left, the three of them just stared after her, completely shocked by the conversation.
"Forgive me for asking, but who was that?" Raynor asked after a full minute of silence.
"That was Lady Bryna, daughter of the late thane Jormuunder and Ward of High King Toryyg." Faulk responded.
Bryna inwardly smiled as she entered the halls leading to her chambers, the expression on Faulk's face was priceless, as was the shock on the faces of Captain Hall and his rather handsome son. "Well that went well." She said to the empty hall and laughed.
As she made her way down the hall, she began to wonder at the young warrior Raynor, was he truly capable of fulfilling the task or was he just a rash and overconfident youth. Of course, she thought, they might be thinking the same thing about me. Regardless, this was her chance to prove her honor as a thane, to prove that she was worthy of the title. King Toryyg, who was close enough to her age to be an older brother, had taken her in when he was made High King, Bryna had been sixteen at the time. Her father, a thane, was killed by a group of bandits while on business for Toryyg. The young Jarl had felt personally responsible for her father's death and made her his ward. It was three years hence and Bryna was now a thane, one of the youngest in all of Skyrim.
"Your mother is not going to be happy when I tell her." Hall told his son.
"I know, and you and she both know it's high time I begin leading my own life. You raised me learning to fight since I was old enough to hold a blade, now I am finally putting those skills to more use than just dealing with the occasional low life near Dragon's Bridge." Raynor replied as they stepped out the doors of the palace and into the cold air. Raynor felt the hair on his bare fore arms stand up in the sea breeze. He could taste the salt in the air and could just barely make out the distant sound of waves crashing against the rocks. He took a deep breath before he followed his father over to their horses.
"However much I wish otherwise, you are correct." His father replied, turning back to him and holding out a small coin purse. "Take this, you are going to need supplies for the road. I will head back to Dragon's Bridge and tell your mother."
"I doubt she will be happy with me." Raynor chuckled and turned to his own horse to check his provisions.
"Raynor" his father caught his arm "I'm sorry for how I reacted in there, you just took me by surprise. Believe me when I say that I'm proud of you for stepping forward like that, it is a brave thing you are doing."
"You know me father, I'm just doing it for the ladies." Raynor joked turning back to his father and grinning.
Hall laughed "And I would join you in a heartbeat but I think your mother would be rather upset with me. It is well past my time for adventure. I have a responsibility to Dragon's Bridge, so part of me envies you." His father smiled faintly "Be careful in that cave, despite what Sybille says, my gut tells me that there is something going on."
"Of course father, but at least I won't be going alone. Do you know anything about Lady Bryna?" Raynor replied solemnly.
"Only rumors, but apparently she has a knack for sword play and from what happened in there, I would say she is almost as headstrong as you are." They both laughed before grasping each other's forearms. "Take care Raynor."
"You too father." He replied as his father climbed into his saddle and guided his horse out of the palace stable and off into the city. He stood there for a moment just watching the citizens of solitude go about their day to day lives so safe and protected inside the cities walls. He was so enthused with the ebb and flow of the crowds that he was startled by a voice behind him.
"Are you ready to head out Raynor son of Hall?" Bryna asked him and he turned to face her. He really was handsome, he couldn't have been more than a year or two older than herself. He had short cropped brown hair, and his eyes were a deep brown with just a hint of green.
"Almost M'Lady, I just need to purchase provisions for the road." Raynor replied, eyeing Bryna's armor. She wore a thin chain shirt with a red surcoat with the wolf of solitude emblazoned on the front.
"No need. My housecarl is currently in the kitchens getting provisions. Do you have armor?" she asked and glanced at his sword and the bow on his horse "You obviously don't need weapons." He replied that his gear was adequate and she nodded. "So we have a few minutes to get to know each other before Jordis will be here. Can you actually use that blade or is it just for show?" she asked with a smile.
"I've used it once or twice M'Lady." He replied returning the smile. "I have already heard of your skills with a blade."
"Yes from what I understand guards and their captains gossip almost as much as old women." She joked, hoping to get more of a response out of him.
"It would seem so M'Lady." He replied with barely a hint of a smile.
"You know it's really not necessary for you to say M'Lady every time you speak." She said.
"Of course M'Lady." Was his only response, he had a completely serious expression. Is he always like this or is he making fun of me, Bryna asked herself.
"So what route would you suggest we take?" she asked, deciding that she would try another approach to learning more about him.
He replied without hesitation "Normally I would say to take the road south to Dragon's Bridge until we hit the pass through the mountains M'Lady. With the recent snow however, we would be better off circling around the mountains and approaching from the west. It will take longer but we won't run the risk of our path being blocked by snow fall and having to double back."
She laughed inwardly, so that's what it took to get him to speak, talking about the task at hand, so maybe he was just always this formal. "So how long do you think it will take us?"
He watched some of the palace servants walk by before he replied "Not longer than three days, two if the roads are clear." What he didn't say was his misgivings that she wouldn't be used to life on the road and so it would take longer. He wondered if her decision to come was just on a whim or if she truly understood what she was getting herself into.
Well that's a start, at least he didn't say M'Lady this time she mused. Smiled before continuing "So how do I know that you actually know what you are doing?" she asked.
He frowned "I have been helping my father keep the peace in Dragon's Bridge since I was old enough to hold a blade M'Lady." She almost regretted the question when she saw the stern look in his eyes. They went from being warm and bright to being cold and almost angry.
"I'm sorry if I have offended you, I intended no disrespect, and I just need to be sure I can count on you." She said quickly hoping to prevent causing any kind of resentment, it worked. His gaze returned to normal and she almost got a faint smile from him.
"Of course M'Lady, I would be worried if you didn't think to ask." he replied, slipping back into his formal attitude. Before she could respond, he gestured past her and she turned to see Jordis exiting the castle with two servants following her bearing provisions.