Feyin had never particularly enjoyed the cold, and that day was no different- even in the southern reaches of Skyrim, there was a sense of chill that he couldn't escape. It was this, along with a few other factors, that brought about his foul mood on the otherwise fine Middas morning. The few passerbys on the road north seemed to notice his frustration, and completely avoided him as the rather slim bosmer made his way through the small dips and hills of Falkreath hold. It was a rugged terrain, and though he had left the small capital early morning, it was close to midday when he finally passed the large lake that rest north of it.
The walking had done his temper some good, and despite the weather, he managed to push his negative thoughts about the rather rude innkeeper and her rowdy customers. Taking a deep breath, he loosed out his anger in a small puff. He never had been one to remain upset long, at any rate. Soon enough his pace was more vigorous, and the stones that rested on the path no longer bothered him. There was no reason to let them, after all- the hunter had made out with a fine catch while he visited the small town, and it landed him with a fine coin purse that would allow him to repair his bow and buy some more arrows. It occurred to him that getting better armor would also be a good idea, soon enough- what with the impending war, and the rumors of dragons- but it would have to wait until he saved a bit more.
Feyin was far from rich, and it was his lack of money that caused him to be on the road at that particular time, which- as all seemingly innocent things do- lead to a far more impactful fate, little did he know.
His thoughts distracted him for a few more moments before he turned his attention back to the road, squinting to see if he could yet see Whiterun's walls- which, considering the fact that he hadn't even quite arrived at Riverwood yet, wasn't much more than a futile attempt. He snorted, disappointed but unsurprised. Not nearly enough time had passed to get him there- he would be lucky if he made it by sundown. Glancing at the sky, he mentally wondered at how long he had taken to get to the White River- Helgen had passed perhaps an hour ago, and he could only just see Riverwood in the distance. Naturally, with his luck, it would start pouring in the stretch between there and his destination. He had about as much luck as a fish caught in a net, to be perfectly honest, and there was little doubt that it wouldn't change too much in the future.
The thought lead to a deep sigh, bringing his mood down again, although in a less dramatic manner than previously- Feyin had never had a defined temperment, and his mood swings were a sight to behold. Trudging through the dusk and past the small, slow town of Riverwood, he picked off a lone wolf before approaching the hill that overlooked the city. From there, it took him just under a couple hours to meander to the stables, at which point the sky held little light left in it. Hopefully the inn would still have a couple rooms in it- and equally hopefully, there were no troublemakers about to annoy him.
Continuing his slow trot up the path to Whiterun's gates, he nodded to the guards standing at either side of them and pushed through. He doubted they recognized him, even with his often visits to the city- his face wasn't a particularly memorable one. Few in the city actually remembered him, no matter how often he hung around- not even the other hunters, whom he typically bought his supplies from. With that thought in mind, Feyin questioned whether or not he should buy what he needed then; of course, with the time, most everyone there would likely be asleep or uncooperative. No, it was better to continue to the Bannered Mare, and that was what he did. His speed increased slightly at the prospect of a warm fire and maybe some mead, and the hunter reached the marketplace quickly.
It was just as he was about to enter the inn that the commotion broke out. Starting with a low hiss, a pale faced creature that didn't seem quite human began an attack on him and the other stragglers in the marketplace- most equipped weapons and fought back, but not Feyin. Perhaps he normally would of, but he was distracted by an, what in his mind was, elegant dual-wielder taking on the head of the group. She quickly dispatched of it, and with a somewhat bored expression on her darkly toned face, moved on to the next.
Perhaps, if he had been paying attention, one of the thralls that had accompanied the small group wouldn't have crept up on him and stabbed him through the gut. Mentally piping on about what horrible luck he had, Feyin's vision soon faded to a peaceful black.
Damn if these vampire attacks weren't getting annoying. I stayed in town for a day, and what am I gifted? A fight, naturally- although, with most of the jobs I would normally take going to the Companions, the excitement was welcome. Even at that time of night, I was up and ready as soon as the noises reached my ears. For that matter, I was always up at that time of night. Sleeping hadn't exactly been a habit, as of late.
Unsurprisingly, by the time I reached the scene, a couple of their thralls were dead. Most of the vampires themselves were occupied, but the master- well, he turned towards me, probably assuming me an easy target. To no ones surprise but his own, he died in a matter of moments. I stopped to take a quick peek through his pockets- nothing of interest- before moving on to the next brute. Out of the corner of my eye, I realized that one bystander who had yet to do anything of use was about to be stabbed in the back, but by the time I had finished off the fledgling, he was far gone. I took another moment to dispose of the last threat before viewing him with what I will admit was disdain. Fool should have fought instead of staring- he had a bow on his back, so it wasn't as if he was unarmed.
Shaking my head, I knelt over to snatch up his coin purse. It was disappointingly light, but I pocketed it anyways- every coin counts. Straightening, I glanced around to realize that most of the townsfolk had returned to their homes, or the inn- I couldn't say that I blamed them. One of the guards gave my actions a glance before turning away. I suppose one could say that we had a silent agreement- I had helped the jarl, after all. I would leave Dragonsreach, the two feuding families, and the stables well alone, and they wouldn't confront me unless absolutely necessary. Most of them, I think, thought I was in the thieves guild. I wasn't of course- having been to their hideout, however, I can definitely confirm that they were a bit under the weather, and joining them would be a waste of my talents.
Of course, with the lack of action since my initial arrival in Skyrim, I was beginning to wonder whether it would be a decent idea, if only to pass the time.
It had been about a year, and although there was initially some work for me, most of the jobs that a sell-sword type like me were usurped by my main hold's faction, the Companions. I would have joined them for the coin, if it were not for their dislike for women of my… disposition.
"Hey, Raven!" The sound of my alias woke me from my thought state. "I think the jarl is looking for you. I would head up to Dragonsreach."
The voice belonged to one of the acquaintances I had made during my travels- a young nord by the name of Veylod Rigg. He was overexcitable, and I assumed that whatever business Jarl Bulgruuf had for me could wait until morning.
"Its rather late, Rigg. I'll get some sleep first." Turning back towards the tavern, I made to make my leave.
"No, no- its important." He sighed, likely thinking back to the amount of false alarms he had given me- it was no small number. "Honest, this time. Really, you should go- I'll come with you."
"Ah. Well, that's alright. If its so important, I can travel on my own. " I think the hastiness in my voice was more obvious than I meant it to be, as a distinct look of disappointment fell across his face as he nodded. Waving a quick goodbye, he began walking slowly towards the lower section of the district, probably thinking that my overwhelming guilt would cause me to call him back to join me. Unfortunately for him, this guilt was nonexistent, and I had no more qualms about leaving him behind than I did picking an enchanted ring from the pockets of a rich traveler on the roads.
With the last bit of no remorse leaving my mind, I began a steady jog up the steps to the middle district, and then to that which housed Dragonsreach, Whiterun's keep. Rumor was that it was named due to the capture of an ancient dragon within its walls- I really didn't care. Dragons were the least of my concern. I received a quick nod at the door, which I promptly ignored as I entered the hall. The dunmer housecarl Irileth was pacing impatiently in front of the thrones, at least until she noticed my presence.
"Finally. Come on, the jarl has been waiting for you to join us." Her voice was weary, and the tone surprised me- whatever this was, it most certainly had been important. A small part of me wished I had ran faster, although as I stepped up more stone steps into the back of the main room, I got the feeling that I would need all the energy I had.
"Excellent. You're here." The jarl's voice held little tolerance, as it always lacked, and his prompt greeting to me was cut short when he turned to an exhausted looking guard. "Report."
"Right. I ran here as fast as I could-"
"Tell him what you told me! About the dragon." Irileth's interruption obviously irritated the guard, but he did as she commanded and relayed the information to those of us who were poorly misinformed.
"Er, that's right. It was circling the watchtower when I left. Don't think I ever ran that fast in my life."
"Alright, soldier. Go to the barracks to have some food and rest- you've earned it." It hadn't been as much information as I would have liked, but the jarl seemed satisfied with it. The guard turned to leave, leaving me with the official and his bodyguard. "Irileth, take some men down to the tower."
"I've already had my men muster at the gate, sir."
"Excellent." Now he turned to me- little old me, with my arms crossed and my usual frown tugging down on my lips. "Go with Irileth. Find out more about this dragon- kill it, if its still there."
"Yes, sir." The orders were short and sweet, and without the detail I assumed I would be permitted to gear up first. I had tactfully left my bow and arrows at the inn- if this really was a dragon, I assumed I would need them.
Hello. Yes. Welcome to my first Elder Scrolls fanfic. I hope you don't hate it as much as I think you will.
Just as a future warning, I have a habit of changing from first person to third person a lot- I'll make sure it doesn't get too confusing.