4th of Last Seed, 4E 201*
A quiver of ferns made the elk glance up from grazing, ears flicking back and forth in nervousness. The sun high over head illuminated the tiny clearing north of Helgen, and with a beady eye the buck looked over at the does. He bleated before moving forward some, and loped off to a shady location to eat a thistle bush.
A few yards away, she sat crouched in the shadows, amber eyes wide with focus. The long bow was drawn, and her bare feet searched for more ground quietly as she progressed on the elk. She took in air delicately, and as the Khajiit inched forward the iron arrow was drawn back and waiting. She watched the animal glance up once more, before the arrow flew forward and caught it in the throat. The others shot their heads up in surprise before galloping away, leaving the buck alone on the forest floor.
As fast as the arrow has been dispatched, it had killed; and Rajo lunged forward from her shadowy hiding place to the carcass. She ripped the iron arrow away, wiping the blood off and returning it to its quiver she swiftly gutted the beast, taking any venison she could. She removed the large antlers and then left, retreating back into the shadows that flanked the path to Riverwood.
It isn't much, but at least I'll earn a few Septims, she thought as she crept along the pathway. The light brown woman examined the dead leaves around her, listening for danger as she skulked in the shadows. Determining all threats to be elsewhere, she straightened up and began a run to the small town she had heard about.
She followed the river until she heard the signs of civilization. A sawmill was grinding a tree in half, and as a breeze hit Rajo's nose, she could smell the saw dust. Rounding a bend she saw Riverwood's guard towers empty and the denizens milling about with jobs to do.
A blacksmith was hammering hot metal and as Rajo neared the village she waved a greeting.
"Hello!" she called as she neared. The smith looked up from his work and turned to the Khajiit, face smudged from smoke and dirt. A small smile graced his face and Rajo neared and emptied a satchel with various pelts and antlers.
"A hunter, hmm? How do you fair hunter?" Alvor asked, cleaning his smudged face with a rag and coming the the steps of the forge.
"Well sir, and you? I have pelts, if I may use your tanning rack." Rajo neared, the several hides tucked into her arms.
"You may. I have armor for sale as well, should you need any. Where do you hail from?" he asked, sidestepping so she could hang the pelts over the rack.
"South of Helgen, but east of Falkreath*. I've been traveling for a few days now." Rajo informed him lazily, drawing the knife over the skins rhythmically.
Alvor went back to the piece he was working on, listening to her story, "You're brave, the Imperials and Stormcloaks are fighting in this region fiercly. Have you come across any during your travels?"
"Yes, but I try to stay clear of them. Animals have bothered me more, bandits too. You...you wouldn't happen to have any work available in town?" Rajo added suddenly, blade hovering over the drying leather.
Alvor smiled faintly, "Yes, there's wood that could chopped in the mill, five pieces of good for a piece of wood. Plus I'm sure you could find somebody to run a favor for. People in Riverwood don't go out much with the war."
Rajo nodded and finished her work, then bid the blacksmith farewell before crossing the bridge to the small island in the White River.
She spotted a Bosmer* with a wood ax, and swiftly noted the hunting bow slung around his chest. She moved past him and found a spare ax and chopping block, setting up the wood and progressing with the work. He noticed her after she had a pile of seven slices, and with a grunt Rajo threw the ax down again, halving the wood. Her long bow on her back and unrefined, she put aside a small piece, before noticing the stare she was receiving from the wood elf.
"Ah, a traveler? We haven't seen many travelers lately. Your bow..." he inquired, pointing to the simple long bow on Rajo's back, "You should buy a new one if you have the gold, that one won't protect you as good."
Rajo turned to him with her piercing amber eyes, the black bridge of her nose dressed with three scars, "Yes, but it takes skill to wield a long bow*, a fancy bow like yours would slow me down on my way." her voice was emotionless, but the Bosmer could detect a faint irritation to it.
"Well, if you prefer it...Name's Faendal by the way." Faendal informed her as she went back to chopping wood.
"I didn't ask your name..." she said under her breath, "Rajo." she told him louder.
"I offer training in archery, if you have the coin." he told her, ignoring the brusque reply.
Rajo stayed silent for a bit, the wood accumulating, "I have no coin, that is why I am chopping wood."
"Ah, then perhaps you could help me. I'd offer pay. There is a girl that I'm sweet on, named Camilla Valerius. She lives in the Riverwood Trader with her brother, except there's this ass of a bard Nord named Sven that's also sweet on her. If you could give her this letter, I'd pay you." Faendal inched forward to the Khajiit, holding out the wax sealed letter. Rajo took it and shoved it into the pocket of her fur armor, bundling up the timber in her arms.
Faendal pointed her to a man who was talking to the blacksmith, "You want to talk to Hod, he'll buy that." Rajo nodded and moved away to talk the the burly Nord lumberjack.
She sold the pieces of wood for a hundred gold pieces, and then Rajo wafted through the chilly waters of the White River to clean her bare feet. She walked down the river in the shallows until she was a little ways away from the city, and then squatted and dipped her long off-black hair in the water, scrubbing it with her long claws while trying to avoid getting her armor wet. Shaking her hands free of water, she pulled out some lavender and rubbed it into her hair like fake soap. It gave her shivers and then she sloppily squeezed her hair and shook the remaining water out, leaving a nice scent. She washed her face and then walked towards the Riverwood Trader, drying from the frigid crisp air and the occasional breeze.
She stopped back by the forge and sat at the grindstone, using the spare piece of wood to reinforce her bow, and then purchase a few iron arrows from Alvor. She skirted across town and towards the Riverwood Trader, quietly opening the door to see a man and a woman. Inside the shop, she ignored the arguing of the two siblings and figured the only woman there to be Camilla. Handing her the letter Rajo briefly explained that it was from Faendal. Camilla smiled sweetly, chattering on about how poetic the elf could be. Rajo was silent as she left, Camilla's thanks ringing in her ears as she returned to Faendal.
"I gave her the letter, now...my reward." Rajo noted tiredly as she approached him.
The Bosmer grinned as he handed her a coin purse and then noted quickly, "I could accompany you if you needed help, where is your next stop traveler...no, Rajo?"
"Where ever the wind takes me. Probably near Whiterun. You're free to join me, if you want. I just need to stay the night at the local inn. I've come many miles and plan on traveling many more." Faendal nodded and watched her plod off to the Sleeping Giant Inn, before returning to his work in the evening light.
Rajo thought briefly about the road ahead, as she mechanically paid for the room and retreated to it. Sprawled on the mattress, she looked over her map and traced the White River with her finger, noting how it traveled near Whiterun. She sighed contently, and her belly ached, but she pulled out some venison to chew on, and dazed off contently. More travels and roads for tommarow, she thought tiredly.
~~~Well, there's the completed short story (or long if you guys want me to build on it) of Rajo. It may have errors in it, if a lot, I will re-upload fixed. Her name means something along the lines of 'high status wizard/scholar' and in Krii's (from Of Fur, Tails, and Scales) backstory, Rajo was the young Khajiit's mentor in Conjuration. This is a different Rajo, one that I originally planned on being a mage, but then changed to archery. She does, in fact, run around barefoot, and is poor.
Astericks meaning:
4th of Last Seed, 4E 201*-Equal to August 4th, this is before the events at Helgen, so Rajo is NOT the Dragonborn, she's just a nomad experiencing Skyrim.
Bosmer*-the Dutch word for wood is bos, and, *fun-fact*, is a prefix in my last name. =)
but east of Falkreath*-If you talk to Ralof (or Hadvar) at the end of the first mision: Unbound, he will tell you that you were crossing the boarder of Cyrodil to Skyrim when you get captured.
a long bow*-in reality I practice archery. Long bows are harder (in my opinion) than others (like my recurve bow (which is similar to the hunting bow in Skyrim for reference)) to shoot with. They are, in fact, long in reality. -.-
R&R