Chapter 2: As Time Moves On

Sundas, 14th of Morning Star, 4E 192

My parents set off for Solitude about four months ago now, and ever since then, everything seems to have been going wrong. With my parents gone again; but for much longer this time, the only person I could rely on for constant company was Aela. Except not anymore. She's joined the Companions. Decided she didn't want to wait any longer, and her mother vouched for her. So with all the trouble going on in the west with the necromancers, I haven't seen her much either. Maybe three or four times since that night back in Heartfire.

A few weeks on from the morning after we escaped from Whiterun, and everybody practically gave up looking for the dark stranger that helped me and Aela get out of the city. Except me. I've asked pretty much everywhere around Whiterun and Riverwood, I even trekked down to Helgen to ask around. But the only thing that keeps cropping up is the word Riften.

Riften… Home to the Thieves Guild, crooks, villains, con artists and corruption. It's outlined on the far south-east of Skyrim, effectively out of the way from the rest. It wasn't originally intended to hold all these. It wasn't supposed to have any particular significance really. No wonder it ended up the way it did. The Empire is still trying to get some sort of authority there, but they aren't getting far. I suppose if they did, it wouldn't be referred to as the City of Thieves anymore. They'd soon see to that. But the Guild has a high influence, especially on the Jarl. Rumour has it they've got something on everyone, which doesn't exactly make it difficult for them to blackmail and get their own way.

I've been saving up to get a trip there by cart. It comes to roughly fifty septims if I take the cart from Whiterun. I've got enough gold to go and investigate the matter now, in fact I've got just over seventy septims saved up from trying to hunt. But I've had living expenses to pay as well for food and other essentials. The only thing stopping me from leaving from Riften right now is that I want to go up towards Solitude to see if my parents are still there. Solitude is on the complete opposite side of Skyrim, directed at the north-west. The capital city of Skyrim, owned by the Empire and swarming with soldiers. It's an absolutely beautiful city, and in my eyes one of the best. But that's mainly because it's got so much to climb and get around, whilst still keeping its natural look. Markarth has much more structure than Solitude; in fact it's got the most and the best buildings to climb around than any other city. But personally I have a slight distaste for how the dwarves made it into a city purely built around their so called 'Science' and destroying most of the nature there, with the exception of the great waterfall that flows down from the very top of Understone Keep to the bottom where the entrance is held.

"Look at it this way kid, if you go to Riften in search of this stranger, you could end up in all sorts of trouble. It would easily be best for you to go with somebody at least. Even if it was to be a hired mercenary."

I'd made my way from my tent setup in Riverwood on the bank by the mill, and over to the Honningbrew Meadery. Where I'd found myself engaged in conversation with Sabjorn, and steadily drinking on some of his mead.

"Hah!" I spit out my mead in laughter, "Me? Afford a merc? I've barely scraped up enough to travel there by cart. I'm not kidding Sabjorn, pretty low on septims at the moment and I don't exactly like the idea of travelling with someone whose only loyalty to me is because of the coin I carry."

"You know I'd have given you a job here any day if I had one going for someone of your age, but you know you still can't serve drinks 'til you're eighteen."

"Yeah thanks mate, but I was sixteen only a few days ago, which means I'm considered able to do a few more things, although not much I'll give you that. But it doesn't matter. I seriously can't go on in life selling pelts and meat, even if I'm not bad with a couple of throwing knives and a bow and arrow." In all honesty I'm much better with my throwing knives, and my bow and arrow is more of a second weapon choice. I prefer not to get up close and personal, and am by far not the best fighter out there. The only thing I pride myself on is my sneaking and climbing abilities. "They don't sell for quite the price they did a few months back."

"Aye I'll give you that lad, so like I said I would probably go towards Solitude to try and find your mum and pa, and I'd advise travelling with them for a while. At least that way you'll be supported, until the need for hunters or something crops up again at any rate."

"Yeah… I guess so." I sigh, knowing he's right. I can't support myself at the moment with my skills not bringing in enough gold. So there's no chance of me surviving in Riften for long if I went in search for this stranger. Knowing my luck? I'd probably end up with a knife in my back on the first day.

"C'mon kid, drink up and I'll set you up here for the night, and then you can set off tomorrow morning. I'll walk you up to the stables so you can get your ride up to Solitude."

I drink up as instructed, almost robotic. Too lost in my mind to answer anything in response, attempting to put all the pieces together. Afterwards I headed upstairs, climbing the wooden staircase and onto the upper floor. My feet taking me to the room I'd stayed in so much beforehand, accustomed to the route I had to take to get there. Drawing back the sheets of the bed and climbing in, not bothering to get changed. It's getting too late now and I'm absolutely exhausted, not to mention a little dizzy from the few bottles of mead I had earlier. And on that note I drift off.

I wake up and it's still dark. There isn't a stretch of light streaming through the curtains to my left. But I can hear footsteps just outside my rooms' door. Then I notice it. A small envelope on the bedside table on my left. I'd seen it when I looked over at the curtains, but hadn't instantly noticed it. I pick it up and tear the seal open, bringing out my claws and using them to do so quickly. Opening the folded letter, I spot four words written clearly in the middle of the page.

'Not Riften. Not yet.'

I figure this could only be Sabjorn. I haven't told anybody else about this, and the only other person who could possibly have a clue is Aela's father, from when he was trying to help me out. But he gave up on that a long time ago, and went straight back to hunting again to help fund his life. I rush to the door, and swing it open. Only to find nobody there.

Strange…

I could've sworn I heard somebody right outside only seconds ago. I jump over the bannister, landing right on the wooden floorboards fifteen feet under, but they don't even shake under my weight. They support my landing with ease, and then I spin around, a full one-hundred and eighty degrees. My eyes seeing yet again, more than your average Skyrim citizen even in this dim light, where only one lamp is lit. Sabjorn's holding it in his left hand, using it to see himself lock the front door to shut down for the night. Well… The morning really, I assume by the way the sky is out the front window that it is probably about three in the morning.

"Sabjorn." I speak up, but clearly frightening him.

"Kre'ja!" He jumps round and backs himself into the wall behind him, raising his lantern and drawing his small dagger. "Talos kid! You scared me! Where did you come from? And what are you doing up anyway?"

"You mean you didn't hear me jump down?" I ask, raising my voice slightly.

"Of course I didn't, you cats are completely silent all the time, and you should know that."

"I'm a Khajiit Sabjorn." I scowl at him; he should know I hate that reference to my kind. "I'm no more a cat than you are an ape."

"Of course Kre'ja, I do apologise. Really." He reaches behind the bar and throws me another bottle of mead. Then he lays down his lantern on the end of one of the tables, and opening a bottle himself. But of course by the time he's got one from under the bar, mine's already open and I've taken a fair few swigs from it. Then I go to sit down at a stool, whilst he stands on the other side, leaning his arms over and taking sips from the top of his own bottle.

"Yeah well… First of all I expected you to have a better opinion of my race as a whole anyway, and secondly." I pause, then pull out the letter from my back pocket, and place it on the table. "What's this doing on my bedside table?"

Sabjorn picks it up and reads it, then looks up at me, and looks into my eyes. Noticing the accusing glare that I'm giving him.

"Not Riften not yet. What does that mean?" He says the whole phrase without pausing, as if he's trying to rush through it.

"I was hoping you could tell me. After all I'm assuming it was you who put it there. I already told you I was going to Solitude first, why are you posting this in my room? Are you trying to scare me in case I change my mind?!" I almost let it out as a shout. My tone definitely raises and picks up in volume, but it's not so much an angry tone as you might expect. Sabjorn is an old friend, but right now I could really do without this shit.

"Me?" He goes into his defensive mode, as I'd predicted. "Kre'ja I haven't been upstairs all night, I've been busy downstairs serving the customers. I've literally only just dismissed them all. Nobody else is staying the night, so I haven't let anyone else upstairs either."

"Then how did it get there? I suppose you're going to tell me Rajhin put it there? Or even your God Talos?"

"Who the bloody hell is Rajhin? And no that's not what I'm suggesting at all…"

"Rajhin is the great Khajiit from ancient times back in Elsweyr, the province from where our race originated from, who was famous for his burglaries and was accepted to become the thief God of the Khajiit after his death."

"I won't comment on that Kre'ja, each race have their own beliefs. For example us Nords strongly worship Talos, but of course the Aldmeri Dominion, or the Altmer, the High Elf. Whatever you want to call them, they've forbidden the worship of Talos in any Empire controlled province. This is why there's talk of a rebellion starting in Skyrim. Although that's still just rumour at the moment."

"Yeah whatever, well back to the matter in hand Sabjorn. You're honestly telling me this note had nothing to do with you?"

"I swear on my Inn kid."

This makes me chuckle. Even if it is just slightly, I do love Sabjorn. Second to Aela of course, this guy is the best friend I've ever had. And this Inn means the world to him. He loves running it, he loves the banter he gets from customers of a night time, and likes the lack of adventure he gets in his life. Not exactly one for travel and glory ol' Sabjorn. His lived in Whiterun most of his life.

I doubt I'd get back to sleep now; I'm too concerned that if it wasn't Sabjorn who put the note there, that somebody else must've gotten in and out some other way, which means they can do it again. I don't particularly want my throat sliced open in the middle of my sleep. So I stay up with Sabjorn, just chatting. But I make this drink my last, and then start taking water so that I'm not too tipsy for tomorrows' journey over to Solitude.

A/N:

I realise this is a shorter chapter than the first, but I intend to make the following one's longer than this one. Chapter 2 was mainly to point out what had happened between when Kre'ja still had no worries, and when he starts to enter the world as an adult.

Also I know this may not have come out as quickly as some of you may have liked following the first chapter, but I've found it hard to concentrate on the story recently, so I'll expect that the next chapter should be out approximately in about 4-5 days.

I welcome all reviews and actually would like to ask for them, it keeps me going and writing, and definitely gives me ideas for how to improve future chapters. So please write one if you've got the time, constructive criticism also appreciated. Please follow the story or me to receive updates on the upcoming chapters of the story. :)

Ben.

Disclaimer:

I do not own any of the characters except Kre'ja who is my own, although the themes and settings surrounding him and everything else, including the characters belong to the creators of The Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim.