1 - I'm not a native english speaker, hope you can forgive me for any grammar error.
2 - This fanfiction is heavily, heavily, heavily based on dialogue.
3 - The artwork is from the Enderal mod.
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Here's the meaning of the words marked with *
(*Rain's Hand it's the second month of the Summer in the Elder Scrolls Series.)
(*K'sharraj, it's a Khajiit swear word for bad luck.)
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Skyrim, a *Rain's Hand afternoon, in an isolated corner of The Rift during a storm:
"*K'sharraj! All the lakes of Skyrim must have overflowed and are falling over our heads." Shouted the Khajiit with dark-grey fur, on his slightly Elsweyr accent.
"Shut up, K'annon! If you don't, the rain will also flood your stomach." The pale white Breton with long dark hair answered loudly, the storm was so strong that they could only hear each other by shouting.
"It's very likely, my stomach is empty since yesterday... You and your crazy ideas! We should had stop at that fort before continue." K'annon answered, adjusting the long leather overcoats they wore to protect themselves.
"I'm also hungry, if it wasn't by this storm we would arrive at Helgen tomorrow morning... I'll admit, I didn't anticipate that something like this would happen."
"And to make matters worse, the little food we had in the saddlebags must be soaked now." K'annon said in a tearful voice, while trying to hold the bow at his back.
"Shut up."
"Shut up?! I said that we should go to Falkreath by the Whiterun trail, but no... It was a too comfortable road for Mr. Shane." K'annon cursed, running the hand over his hair, arranged in a ponytail, to remove water.
"You know very well that along the Whiterun trail we would have to go around the Throat of the World... Coming by the Helgen trail we saved a day of trip, don't forget that we need to cross the Jerral Mountains before we can reach Bruma." Shane replied.
"Helgen's trail!? To me looks more like the flooded's trail... There's at least an inn in this forgotten place?" K'annon asked.
"Yes, the owner of that mill told me there's one before the mountains... We should get there soon." Shane replied, as he adjusted the silver greatsword on his back.
"With this storm, it will be a miracle if we find the inn standing up and... Hey Shane, look there!" K'annon didn't complete his sentence because he had seen what appeared to be a carriage a little further ahead, partly hidden by the terrain defects and the forest around.
"Nothing to do, dammit! Broken wheel ..." One of the man around said.
"You can't fix it?" Another man next to the first asked in a visibly angry voice.
"It's in pieces, Julien... And I don't have an extra one."
"You mean we're stuck here, Felyx?" Asked a woman.
"It seems like Mrs. Martha, unfortunately my carriage doesn't ride with three wheels." Felyx replied.
"And you still joke about it, Felyx? This is your fault! You looked like a madman driving this thing!" Julien said angrily.
"Nonsense, I've been working on this for fifteen years, i know my job!" Felyx replied.
Felyx was an imperial with black hair wearing a overcoat, Julien was a breton with brown hair and visibly high-class clothing, Martha was a nord with blond hair wearing light leather armor. There was another man, who had not said anything, it was a nord with brown hair wearing an armor similar to Martha's one, it seemed that he always stands close by the woman.
...
The rain continued strong, coming close to the crash site, both could see more clearly, it was a covered carriage used for passenger transport.
"Hello there! Need any help?" Shane shouted, everyone looked towards them, but it was the Imperial who replied:
"Thanks for the offer, but I believe there's nothing we can do right now..." Felyx said, looking at the wheel.
Both got down from their horses, approaching to take a look at the damage, K'annon came close to the wheel and took a look:
"Hmm... It's really bad, how did it happen?"
"You'll have to ask him that, Khajiit! It was a miracle he didn't throw us out of the carriage!" Julien said irritably, pointing at Felyx.
"Pay no attention to him... Nothing would happened if the wheel didn't hit a small rock at the bend." Responded the Imperial.
After a glance, Shane concluded that it was not possible to continue:
"Discussing will not help anything, I suggest you unleash the animals and follow us, we'll soon arrive at an inn nearby."
"You should know about this inn by the way..." K'annon commented, looking at Felyx.
"And I know... But I'd rather sleep out here in the rain than spending the night in that den of evil." The Imperial replied, curious and surprised looks soon appeared among the people around.
"What do you mean, friend?" Shane asked with a small smile, imagining that he was joking.
"Well... People talk about the inn... They say the place has a bad reputation..." Felyx answered, staring at the corners.
"Stop measuring words friend, what's with the place?"
"Well... Since we'll spend the night there, I don't want to impress you guys with my conversations..."
"I guarantee that my me and friend are not afraid of any conversations."
"You can bet! We're dawnguards... I'ts not a sinister conversation that will impress us." K'annon said, holding up his index finger.
"Well, you guys look like you're tough..." Felyx said with a hand on his chin.
"Then let's stop with this nonsense and continue the trail, get the horses. It will not stop raining soon, tomorrow you'll come back with a new wheel and continue the journey." Shane said, running a hand over his face to remove water excess.
A few minutes later, with the carriage hidden in the forest, the passengers sealed the horses and accompanied them.
"How long until the inn?" Shane said, looking at Felyx.
"Half an hour with this weather."
"What!? Half an hour at this storm? I have business to conclude tomorrow in Falkreath and if I don't get there in time, your boss will have to pay me back!" Julien said in an irritated voice.
"Okay friend, it's your right and probably they will-" Shane was interrupted by a furious Julien:
"And I will do more, I'll ask him to dismiss the man responsible for all this mess!"
"Are you referring to me, Julien?" Felyx asked with a visibly irritated face.
"And who else would it be? It's all your fault!"
"By the Gods!" Felyx shouted, stopping the horse and raising his hand, ready to punch Julien, but was stopped by Shane, who held his wrist:
"Felyx, don't you think we have enough trouble already?"
"Then tell him to shut up!"
"He's right, Julien. The wheel accident could happen to anyone." Shane said with a slightly threatening glance at Julien, who snorted and got quiet.
Meanwhile K'annon looked at the silent couple behind, and thought to himself: "K'sharraj! A rich guy that can't shut up and a couple who cannot speak a word, beautiful company..."
The group advanced in silence, now the trail cut through a dense forest, trees covered the sky and thunderous noises became more frequent, flashes of lightning crossed through leaves and illuminated the dense forest altogether.
...
"Felyx, what about we retake the conversation we were having before? Why does the inn have such a sinister reputation to the point you don't want to talk about it?" Shane asked, looking at the Imperial, who replied:
"It's a long story..."
"And we'll have time to listen before we get there." K'annon said.
"Well... It all started a few years ago when Hamlof, the former inn owner was brutally murdered..."
"Was the killer discovered?"
"No... At the crime's night there was only one client in the inn... First, people suspected that the Argonian employee who worked with him was responsible. Later it was believed that he had been killed by some client passing by... The fact is: everything ended without arousing interest of anyone." The Imperial said, taking a short pause and then continuing:
"The maid went back to Black Marsh and the inn put up for sale, and for two years found no buyers."
"Maybe it was not a good deal..." Shane commented.
"Indeed, it wasn't, the inn was not well frequented, travelers were few, and Hamlof was considered a bad host, but other facts discouraged purchase." Felyx explained as thunder echoed louder.
"What it was?" Asked the Khajiit.
"Well... rumors began to circulate... Nobody knew if it was a comment from the usual gossipers or if something had happened indeed... But it began to be said that, from time to time, Hamlof returned to the inn!" The Imperial said wide-eyed, at the same time a strong wind struck everyone, lifting up the overcoats worn by them, everyone looked towards Felyx.
"Who!? The dead guy?" K'annon asked, visibly astonished, as a long lightning illuminated the forest.
"Yes, someone... Someone claims to have seen the ghost wandering around the inn." Felyx said with a visible fear expression, the last part with his head down.
"I knew it... The usual ghost stories." Shane commented.
"You don't believe on them, Shane? Are not you from the dawnguard? From what i've heard, you guys hunt vampires and other sort of things..." Felyx asked, still wide-eyed, but not in the same proportion as before.
"Me and my friend have seen and fought all sorts of crazy things... Vampires, skeletons, werewolves... But we never found a ghost... Well, at least not the spectral ones people describe it." The Breton replied, looking at Felyx, who replied:
"Well... I believe! And there's a lot of people who think just like me."
"We know this, I know some people who don't have habit of lying that could swear they've seen one face to face... I never said I didn't believe on them... Undeads are ghosts after all! I've already consulted several undead hunters about ghosts, wraiths and wisps... I know they exist! But because they're rare, people create stories. I don't know if the story you described fits well with a ghost..." Shane explained, taking a pause and continuing:
"But continue your narrative about... The ghosts' inn! If I got it right, despite the spectral customer, someone decided to buy the inn... "
"Exactly."
"And who are the brave ones?"
"A nord family, came from Solitude two years ago... husband, wife and a couple of brothers, already grown."
"Seems like the ghost's history didn't impress the family." Commented K'annon.
"I don't know what to say... They must have some good reasons to settle down in this corner forgotten by the Gods... But the inn didn't bring luck to then..." Felyx said, as he gazed uncomfortable to the dense forest around.
"Don't tell me the old Hamlof tried to rent a room?" Shane joked.
"Don't joke with this, friend..." Said Felyx, with his eyes closed.
"Very well, continue... The conversation is getting more and more interesting, right K'annon?"
"At least it makes this trip less monotonous."
...
"After the family arrived, two other crimes took place there... Crimes of which nobody know who are the culprits... As if..." Felyx took a pause, now again with wide eyes of terror. Both now had a serious expression when listening to this part.
"As if...?"
"As if the murderer... It's not someone from this world! Some even say that the crimes are much more than two!" The Imperial said in terror, while a flash of lightning illuminated the dense forest, soon followed by a strong thunder, everyone looked perplexed at Felyx.
...
"To Oblivion!" Cursed K'annon, in a very different tone than usual.
"What's the problem K'annon? Don't tell me you're impressed by these conversations..." The Breton asked in a smile.
"Of course not, but certain conversations don't please me." The Khajiit defended himself.
"What do you think about, Julien?" Shane asked, looking back.
"Tales to frighten idiots and ignorant people! A crime is a crime, and there's always a culprit behind it, if he doesn't appear... That's another story." Julien replied in his usual convinced tone.
"Are you both of the same opinion?" K'annon asked the couple behind.
"We only take the facts in account, Khajiit." Martha said, without making eye contact.
...
"Unfriendly people, huh?" Shane commented.
"May they go to Oblivion!" Cursed the angry Khajiit.
"What about the current owners? They didn't think about getting out of here?"
"I never asked them... But if the inn is all what they have, it's hard to get rid of it... Especially considering they didn't made any profit."
"K'sharraj! I'd have been gone for a long time if i was in their place." The Khajiit grumbled.
...
"Fear?" Shane asked smiling.
"And if it was? I'd rather live in a fortress besieged by Orcs in fury than deal with such stories."
"If we assume that a real ghost exists there, the Hamlof guy must have been a really disturbed person, continue to haunt an inn years after his death, looking for his murderer... I really doubt that is the case because-" Shane was suddenly interrupted by Felyx:
"Look, there's the inn!" Pointed the Imperial, drawing the group's attention.
...
They were coming out of the forest. The trail went up to a rustic two floor cottage made of pine and two other smaller structures, probably one of them was the client's stable. The storm had darkened everything, but a long flash of lightning made it possible to see the menacing house figure, later followed by a loud thunder.
"What you think, K'annon?" Shane asked, looking analytically at the house figure. The Khajiit replied:
"Horrid place, but what can we do? I hope they serve good food."
Minutes later, getting closer made possible to see the house better, a single light source was passing under the entrance door, almost invisible. At the front there was a roof to protect the entrance of storms, a small stable at the right side and a improvised structure where the dog slept, the same one began to bark at the sight of the outsiders.
"If it wasn't the dog, I would say this place is abandoned." K'annon said, with a hand on his forehead to protect his eyes from the rain.
"Give the owners some time to put the noses out here." Shane replied.
...
Steps approached the door, impossible to hear because of the storm noise. When the door began to move seemed like seconds passed slower... When open, a lantern light illuminated the figures.
...
Two people, the left one held the lantern, a Nordic man, visibly older than the other one, had brown hair and a humble look. The right one was a blond haired lad, a much more serious look, both were dressed in simple farmer's clothes.
"It is you, Felyx? You didn't chose a good day to travel." Said the older man.
"Indeed, Nathon, a damn stone broke a wheel of my carriage, we had to leave it hidden in the forest before we came here... Anyway, can we rent some rooms?" Felyx asked, reaching the small roof.
"Of course, how many?" Nathon asked.
"Six, me, three passengers and two danwguards who joined us on the way here." Responded Felyx.
"What a gossiper! If there's really a ghost here, It was unwise of K'annon revealing about our guild to this guy..." Shane thought, looking analytically at the owners.
"We don't have any customers tonight, there's room for everyone... Son, open the stable and help put the horses inside." Nathon said to the lad. That went towards the small stable followed by everyone as the dog barked nonstop since they arrived.
After that, they went inside, Nathon closed the door and shouted for his wife, Hjarfi, at kitchen, to prepare guest's dinner. The inn was simple but well-organized and clean, wood was well polished and a pleasant food smell infested the air. As Nathon led them to a staircase, a young blond-haired woman wearing a simple dress came to tell him that dinner was already on the way, Nathon turned towards the outsiders with a smile and said:
"This is my daughter Anna, the other lad you saw is my son Erik." After the introductions, Nathon continued:
"Our rooms aren't luxurious, but are comfortable and cozy." He explained, going upstairs followed by everyone.
"Me and my friend would rather a room with two beds if possible." K'annon said.
"You know... He snores just like a bear in hibernation, I'm the only one capable to endure so much torment." Shane joked, followed by laughs from Nathon and Felyx, and curses from his friend.
"Anna, accompany these gentlemen to their rooms. You guys room is upstairs, It's a large room with two comfortable beds, the only problem will be the rain noise on the roof, I hope it don't bother so much." The Nord explained as he led both to a small staircase at the second's floor corridor.
"Not at all, the rain noise is pleasant, and tired as we are now, we wouldn't wake up even if the house started to burn and collapse." Said Shane, as K'annon looked around with his cat-like eyes.
Nathon opened a visibly simpler door than the others, probably fewer guests slept here, the room was very cozy, two beds by each side of the triangular-roof room, only one window and some simple furniture around the room. Nathon asked what they thought about the room, answered positively by Shane while K'annon continued looking around.
The Nord soon left the room to help his wife with the dinner.
...
"So?" Asked the Khajiit.
"So what?" Asked back the Breton, taking off his dark dawnguard armor, revealing normal clothes underneath.
"You didn't feel any strange sensation?"
"About who? The innkeeper? No... He looks like a good person." He replied, putting his sword at the right bed's corner.
"I was not talking about him..."
"Who then?"
"Well... From the house as a whole..."
"What's with the house? The beds seem comfortable, reception was kind and I'm sure dinner will be great..." The Breton said as he washed his face in a pot of water, located on a table nearby.
"You want to know the truth? You got carried away by Felyx's conversation... If you want an advice, forget about it and get ready for a great dinner and a comfortable night's sleep." The Breton said, leaving his friend thoughtful, but with a slightly more comfortable expression as he took of his brown dawnguard armor.
After some time everyone was called in for dinner, the kitchen was large and had several tables around, a lot of guests could eat there. The food smell was nice and everything was very humble and extremely cozy. Nathon also introduced them to his wife Hjarfi, a brown-haired woman wearing a simple farmer's robe, had around the same age of her husband.
The dinner was composed of typical Rift foods: Wild animal's meat and fish, the only inconvenience was the family cat trying to steal customers' food. Everything was going well... But while the dawnguards praised Nathon for the dinner offered by the family, in the table where Julien and Felyx sat:
"Give me one more sip Felyx... Come on! I think I acted wrong before and I want to apologize." Said the drunk Julien, asking for another mug of mead.
"Okay, Julien, okay... But take it easy with the drink." Felyx said, filling the mug Julien's had extended, the same continued:
"You deserve a rebuke, my friend... You described this place as a witch's nest and..." Felyx tried to stop him, to avoid embarrassment, but the drunken Julien continued:
"And instead, this is a paradise! There's even a goddess!" Julien said, staring at Anna:
"I'm talking to you, beauty! Be gentle and bring me another bottle."
"Huh?... Yes, sir..." Anna said in a timid voice, but the event had not gone unnoticed by Shane and K'annon, who observed discreetly.
"To Oblivion with all the drunks... If that idiot causes trouble to our hosts, I'll make him sleep outside in the rain." Shane through to himself, as he observed the scene.
Anna headed to kitchen and opened a door leading to the pantry, while Julien kept talking nonsense to Felyx, who tried to scold him unsuccessfully.
She soon came up with a bottle of mead and approached the table:
"Here it is, sir..." Anna said with a low headband, avoiding eye contact, while Julien continued to look at her.
...
When she would withdraw:
"Wait there, beauty... Where are you going?" The drunken Julien grabbed her arm as she tried to break free without success, Shane was about to get up, but someone spoke first:
"You didn't hear it?! TAKE YOUR HAND OFF HER!" Erik shouted with a kitchen knife in hand, soon attracting the eyes of everyone present.
"Well... The hero came to save his graceful sister... Come on then!" Julien teased, getting up from the table.
"STOP, JULIEN!" Shane shouted in a menacing voice, but the altered Julien didn't listen him and grabbed the wrist in which Erik held the knife, quickly punching the lad and knocking him on ground, taking the knife after. Anna immediately ran towards her brother. Her parents were at the other room, but soon came to the kitchen asking what had happened.
"Give me that knife now, Julien! You're drunk!" Shane said, looking menacingly at Julien.
"I am drunk? No, no... It takes a lot more to get me drunk... I've always found you unpleasant from the first moment... You want the dagger right? Take it from me!" Julien said, wielding the knife in a fighting position.
"You're going to have the lesson you asked for then..."
"Hmm... Smell of punches..." K'annon thought.
And indeed, Shane quickly kicked Julien's hand in which he held the knife, leaving him unarmed. Julien cursed and tried to hit him with a punch, easily deflected by the opponent, he tried to hit him with kicks and punches several times, but didn't hit any. When his opponent swerved down, Julien tried to hit him with a kick, but Shane swerved to the side and immediately hit him a strong punch in the jaw, leaving Julien stunned, followed by a devastating kick in the belly that made Julien fall back onto the table, breaking the furniture in pieces.
"What's the problem, you're already done?" Shane teased.
"Don't celebrate yet, bastard!" Julien cursed, taking a piece of wood from the broken table and using it as an improvised weapon. Although stunned, he was fast, but his opponent was much more faster, always deflecting from his attacks. When Julien breathed for a moment and tried to hit him again, Shane grabbed Julien's wrist and kicked him again in the belly, but much stronger than the previous one, causing Julien to hit the wall behind him and fall into moans of pain with the hand on his belly.
...
"Now, apologize." Shane said in a menacing voice.
"No! Go to Oblivion all of you!" Julien said with difficulty.
"I guess I was not convincing enough, friend..." Shane said, taking Julien by the collar of his neck, followed by a yell from the girl:
"No, stop! By the Gods, Stop!" Anna shouted, hands at her face, avoiding to see the scene.
"I'm still waiting Julien..."
"Sorry miss, sorry lad... Maybe I drank too much..." Said Julien, defeated.
...
"Hmm... Alright... The incident is over..." Erik said first, with a glare full of hatred. He soon called the frightened Anna and accompanied her to their bedrooms, observed by the other guests.
...
"Hmm... I'm sorry for scaring your daughter, Mr. Nathon..." Said Shane, who was soon interrupted by the Nord:
"No problem, my daughter is very sensitive... Violence terrifies her!"
Although the incident was over, the place's atmosphere still felt heavy. After getting up, Julien picked up a bottle of mead from one of the tables and went upstairs to his room, cursing in silence. Shane and K'annon soon waved goodbye to everyone and went upstairs aswell, they were very tired. Felyx and the silent couple stayed a little longer, but soon they've also went up, leaving only Nathon and Hjarfi, who stayed to clean up the dinner mess.
...
...
An hour later, the silence fell on the inn as the storm continued outside. After cleaning the mess, Nathon and Hjarfi went to their rooms at the ground floor. Meanwhile in the rooftop room:
"Are you sure you've locked the door, Shane?" K'annon asked, lying on the bed, he hadn't been able to sleep yet.
"Hmm... Can I know what you're afraid of?" Asked the sleepy Breton.
"Nothing special, dammit! But I don't like the way things are happening around here and I'm starting to believe there's something wrong with this house..."
"You're not exaggerating? Tamriel is full of villains like Julien and sensitive girls like Anna."
"What about Erik? I never saw eyes so full of hatred!"
"And what's the problem? Julien humiliated him and offended his sister... How should he look at him?"
"Yes, of course... Of course..."
...
"But you didn't feel anything strange when you entered here?" Asked the thoughtful Khajiit.
"The usual suspicion... By the way, It was unwise from you revealing to Felyx that we are Dawnguard, he wasted no time in informing the owner."
"You're right! And I'm starting to believe that imprudence can have serious consequences to us."
"Calm down, we have not seen any sign that this house is cursed or anything... Listen K'annon, don't let yourself fall for a fantasy and try to sleep... The beds are comfortable and the rain, as always, is pleasant." Shane said, turning his face to the pillow's other side. The Khajiit however, remained awake for a while, looking around the room.
...
"Pleasant... Bah! You come from a strange place you know... Mountains of perpetual mist and rain..."
...
...
"Is he already sleeping? Dammit!... ...Maybe i should imitate him..." K'annon thought, before laying on the pillow.
...
...
K'annon soon falls asleep, but not everyone in the inn slept...
...
A door opens quietly downstairs, specifically the door of Julien's bedroom, he didn't even take off his clothes before laid down, there was a empty bottle of mead on his bed, which indicated that he would not wake up anytime soon... He wouldn't even hear when a figure silently approached his bed.
...
...
If Julien were awake, perhaps he would see the reflection of a knife, wielded by a mysterious figure, illuminated by the lightning and soon followed by a thunder noise.
Next morning, the storm had ceased, but a strong wind still struck the inn. Some noises of a window slamming downstairs was what woke up K'annon:
"Seems like the spirit of the old Hamlof decided to let you sleep peacefully." Shane joked.
"Yeah... You're right... The talk of that gabby Felyx was able to impress me."
"Let's go down, the smell of breakfast is coming this far." Shane said, opening the door, followed by K'annon.
...
Again in the kitchen, everyone was ready for breakfast, only one host was missing, Julien had not shown up yet.
"Well, no wonder he's not here... Last night he went with a bottle to his room, he's probably still drunk right now!" Said K'annon, soon followed by Nathon:
"Do you want me to call him?"
"No father... I'll go, I want to show these gentlemen that the incident of yesterday is forgotten." Said Anna with a gracious smile, and went upstairs, in the direction of Julien's room.
She knock at the door and call for him twice, without any answer she opens the door...
...
Anna yelled, it was possible to hear perfectly from the kitchen, where everyone was startled and looked towards the noise origin, even Erik who was feeding the horses outside could hear perfectly, and look at the noise direction.
"If that bastard made something to Anna I will throw him out by the window!" Shane said angrily, running upstairs where he could see Anna in front of Julien's room, with hands on her face, in a shock state.
...
"What happened, Anna? Why you yelled?" The Breton asked worried, but the nord gal didn't say a word, only cried and sobbed, so he decided to enter Julien's room for an answer.
...
Some time later K'annon and Nathon reached him:
"Julien isn't here, and the bed is stained with blood." Shane pointed to the large blood spot at bed. He then looks to Nathon and says:
"Take your daughter away from here, Nathon..."
"It will never stop chasing us!" Anna said in sobs, as her father tried to calm her, but the woman continued even louder than before:
"He will kill MORE! MORE and MORE!"
Both looked to the young woman, with a mix of confusion and surprise.