Woohoo! Chapter 2! R&R when you're done, if you want.
Oh, and I don't own Skyrim, only my Khazura. Hope you like it!
Chapter 2: A New Life
Khazura inhaled the pure, clean air and smiled. She stretched and inspected her cuts, when she heard Ralof tramp out into the open.
"Feels good to be free, right?" Khazura grinned.
"Get down! That thing is still here!" Ralof shouted.
She crouched, and dove behind a rock, alongside Ralof. Khazura shuddered as the dragon roared and flew with strong wing beats away from them.
" By Talos! I wonder where that devil beast came from!" Ralof stated, amazed.
" I don't know and I don't wanna know… For I all I care it can rot in Oblivion." Khazura muttered.
"Well, we should get a move on. My sister lives nearby in a town called Riverwood. She should help us with supplies and a good bed." Ralof said.
"Fine. But I want to get there soon. My foot aches." She whined.
The two set out, and soon Khazura heard a rushing river. There were three strange stones jutting out of the ground, up above the river on a hill by the road. The stones had carvings in them, and a hole in their center.
"What are those? Why do they have holes in them?" Khazura questioned Ralof.
He replied, "The stones? Those are called standing stones, but these ones are called the Guardian stones. Each gives you a power. The warrior grants you better skill at melee skills, the mage over magic skills, and thief over stealth skills. I chose warrior when I was about your age. Go ahead, pick one."
Khazura walked over to the stones, and pondered her choices. Fighting would be useful; magic I don't excel at so that's a definite no, but the thief… I think that would benefit me most. She thought.
"What do I do to activate it?" Khazura asked.
"I don't know. Just walk to the one you want and place your hand on it, I guess. That's what I did."
She placed her hand on the Thief, and suddenly a pale blue light shot into the sky. The hole in the center lit up with a glow, and the carving of the constellation shone brightly.
"What the hell?" She shrieked trying to pull her hand away, but found it was stuck.
After the stone went out, she felt strangely the same. She looked around and grumbled, thinking it had no affect on her.
"Why didn't it do anything? I don't feel any different." She complained.
"Oh, it worked. If it hadn't the stone wouldn't have lit up. But the Thief? Why that one? And I know it's not just because you are a Khajiit."
"It will help me with sneaking around. I just picked it, that's all."
He shrugged and continued walking down the path. Khazura scurried off after him, and had to walk fast to keep up with his long strides. The grass was extremely green, thick and luscious, she noticed, and that there was an abundance of vegetation everywhere. Yipping with glee she jumped to catch an overhead butterfly. The creature flitted out of her reach and she scowled.
"Stupid insect. It's not like I was going to kill it…" She muttered.
"It's not stupid. And-"
"Shut up! There are three wolves over there…" Khazura interjected, while motioning towards a cluster of pines.
"How do you know? Oh, right you have better hearing and smell."
Ralof readied his axe, while Khazura bared her claws and yowled as a wolf burst out of a shrub. Ralof swung his axe, cutting the wolf's jugular and it lay on the ground, lifeblood pouring out of its neck. Khazura kicked her enemy and scratched its ear, missing her intended target of its eye. The wolf snarled, and she showed her teeth to it, and leapt again, this time snapping its spine.
"Hold on, Khazura!" Ralof shouted as he finished off the third wolf.
"It's alright! I got it already." She explained.
"You have some wicked claws. But you should consider a sword, or at least a dagger." He said.
"Alright. Maybe when we get to this Riverwood, I can make myself one."
They ran down the path, and Khazura caught sight of a small village. She sprinted past Ralof, and slipped on a rock.
"Did you just fall? On a rock? And I thought you could take on that dragon…" Ralof joked as he caught up with her.
"No, I attacked the ground. Of course I fell, idiot!" Khazura snapped.
"Well, this is Riverwood. Over there is my sister." Ralof said, completely unfazed by her rude remark. " Hey, Gerdur! We need to talk!"
"Ralof? Brother! Mara's mercy, it's good to see you!" a middle-aged woman, bearing a strong resemblance to Ralof, said.
"But is it safe for you to be here? We heard that Ulfric had been captured…" Gerdur asked.
"Wait… Are you hurt? What happened? Tell me, Ralof."
"Gerdur… Gerdur, I'm fine. At least now I am. You wouldn't believe me If I told you." Ralof answered.
"And who's this child? One of your… comrades? She's too young to be a Stormcloak." Gerdur prodded.
"Not a comrade, but a friend. I owe her my life, in fact. Is there somewhere we can talk? There's no telling when news about Helgen will reach the Imperials…"
"What? Helgen? But you're right. Follow me."
Gerdur walked past the wood mill to a spot by the river. She stood by a tree and Ralof sat on a tree stump. Exhausted, Khazura followed Ralof's lead and sat cross-legged on the tree stump right beside him.
Gerdur called out to a man, presumably her husband, " Hod! Come here a minute. I need your help with something."
Hod replied, "What is it, woman? Sven drunk on the job again?"
"Hod! Just get down here!" Gerdur yelled.
"Ralof? What are you doing here? Ah… I'll be right down!"
A kid, about eight, ran up to Ralof and exclaimed, " Uncle Ralof! Can I see your axe? How many Imperials have you killed? Do you really know Ulfric Stormcloak?"
"Hush, Frodnar. This is no time for games. Go watch the south road. Come and get us if you see any Imperial scum coming." Gerdur ordered.
"Aw, Mama. I just wanted to talk with Uncle Ralof!"
"Look at you, almost a grown man! Won't be long before you'll be joining the fight yourself." Ralof grinned.
"That's right! Don't worry, Uncle! I won't let soldiers sneak up on you!" Frodnar beamed.
Hod strode toward, crossed his thickly muscled arms and asked, " Now, Ralof, what's going on? You two look pretty well done in."
Ralof wearily sighed, " I can't remember when I last slept. Where to start? Well k the news you heard about Ulfric was true. The Imperials ambushed us outside Darkwater Crossing. Like they knew exactly where we'd be… That was… two days ago, now. We stopped in Helgen this morning, and I thought it was all over. Had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping. In fact, little gray cat over here was next."
"The cowards! And to kill such a youngster!" Gerdur gasped.
"They wouldn't dare give Ulfric a fair trial. Treason, for fighting for your own people! All of Skyrim would have seen the truth then. But then… out of nowhere… a dragon attacked!" Ralof exclaimed.
"You don't mean… a real live…" Gerdur whispered.
"I can hardly believe it myself, and I was there. As strange as it sounds, we'd be dead if not for that dragon. In the confusion, we managed to slip away. Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?"
"No one else has been here, as far as I can tell." Gerdur told.
"Good. Maybe we can lay up for a while. I hate to put your family in danger, but…" Ralof started.
"Nonsense. You and your friend are welcome to stay. Let me worry about the Imperials."
"Thanks, sister." Ralof cheerily spoke.
Khazura grimaced and stood. She stalked over the bridge and practically flew to the forge. She had roughly skinned the wolves they had fought, and began tanning the leather. After she was finished she began working on a set of small armor. Khazura worked like a madman, but she needed to have a good fit of armor, not an irritating set that rubbed her fur the wrong way.
Hours later, she had created a pair of boots, gauntlets, and a cuirass. She had ducked behind the house that was connected to the forge and pulled on the armor. Her face broke into a grin for her armor had fit just fine.
"Hey, what will you take for these?" Khazura spoke to Alvor, holding up the Stormcloak gear.
Gruffly, he looked them over. "I'll give you 50 Septims for the whole. And I'll give you some leather and ingots to make a helmet and dagger."
"Deal. But not leather for a helmet." Khazura explained, pointing to her ears.
She worked fast, making a crude iron dagger, but she didn't care. It would be a backup for her, using claws as a first resort.
Khazura went and talked a bit with Gerdur, getting supplies since she wasn't staying the night.
"There is one thing you could do for me. The Jarl at the top of the hill needs to know if there is a dragon on the loose." Gerdur said, rubbing her chin.
"Okay. And can I have some potions, just in case?" Khazura queried.
"Sure. You sure you don't want to stay for the night?"
"Positive."
"Alright. You should say bye to Ralof, girl. He did help you." Gerdur sternly said.
Khazura turned and swiftly made her way over to Ralof. She really didn't see why she needed to say farewell, after all she wasn't friends with him, only acquaintances. Khazura snorted and thought I don't have any friends. They only end up hurting you.
"Goodbye, Ralof." Khazura muttered, and spun around to leave.
Ralof grabbed her shoulder and she turned and bit his hand. "Ow, girl! I helped you. Gods! Just go cat! Maybe I'll see you around."
" I was already leaving!" she spat.
Khazura turned and sprinted off, past the bridge and only stopped to kill a wolf quickly. She stopped after that, breathing hard. The sky was beginning to darken. She decided that she needed to get to town before the sun went down, and she would be left all alone, cold and hungry. Khazura started off towards a farm when she heard sounds of commotion and she saw a giant. A real giant! I'd be squashed in an instant! She thought. Khazura whipped out her bow and shot an arrow and it hit the giant in the leg. Damn, I only just made it mad! However, there were three warriors there, and they quickly cut the giant down.
"You handle yourself well. You could make for a decent Shield-Sister." A large Nord woman with green striped war paint stated.
"A Shield-Sister?" Khazura asked.
"An outsider, eh? Never heard of the Companions? An order of warriors. We are brothers and sisters in honor. And we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough. And my name is Aela." The woman said.
"Can I join you?"
"Not for me to say. Kodlak Whitemane is in Jorrvaskr, who can tell you. Hope to see you around."
Khazura nodded, and started off. She walked past a stable, and continued up the road and crossed a drawbridge. She mused, that the drawbridge was supposed to be brought up, but the wear on the thing spoke otherwise.
"Halt. No one is allowed inside for fear of dragons." A guard commanded.
She snorted and spoke, " Riverwood calls for aid."
"Riverwood's in danger, too? All right, you can come in." the guard sighed.
She slipped in-between the two doors, and gazed at the town. A woman, a blacksmith by the amount of soot on her was bickering with a haughty looking Imperial-supporting Nord.
"Wow. How am I supposed to find anything here? It's so complex." Khazura breathed.
She walked over to a guard and asked, "Where is Jorrvaskr?"
"Jorrvaskr? Like a slip of a girl like you will get in. It's up by the Gildergreen tree. Oh, and the tree is huge and dead. You'll know it."
"Thanks, I suppose." She muttered.
Khazura walked past the market stalls, ignoring all of the merchant's hawking off their goods. She saw the Gildergreen and noticed a strange upturned boat building. She sighed, and thought, maybe that is Jorrvaskr. Khazura stopped once she reached the building, and then pushed the door open.
"Are those two at it again?" a stern looking man growled.
Startled, she pressed against the wall and flattened her ears. Hissing she crept around until she found stairs leading downwards. It's worth a try… she thought.
Khazura continued downstairs and wandered around looking for someone, but everyone was upstairs. She concentrated on listening for some sign of humans talking, and there! Two men speaking, well, more like arguing. Khazura scampered towards the voices, and stopped in front of the doorway.
"I still feel the call of the blood." The first man said.
"We all do. It's our burden to bear." The second lumbered.
She chose to walk in and speak to the older man.
"A stranger comes to our hall." He spoke.
"I assume you are Kodlak Whitemane, and I wish to join the Companions." Khazura chirped.
"Hmm. Perhaps. Yes, you have a certain strength of spirit."
The first man protested, "Master, you can't seriously be considering her. She is just a child!"
Kodlak interrupted and calmly said, "Vilkas, I am no one's master. And last I checked there was some empty beds in Jorrvaskr with those who have fire in their hearts."
Vilkas continued his tirade, "But I have never even heard of this outsider-"
"Sometimes the famous come to us, and sometimes men and women come to us to seek their fame."
"Also, her arm matters…" Vilkas muttered.
"Of course. How are you in battle, girl?" Kodlak rumbled.
"I can handle myself." She snapped, irritated that they were talking as if she wasn't there.
"That may be. Vilkas, take her out to the yard."
Vilkas growled, and rose to his feet.
"Come on, girl. I won't wait for you."
She trotted after him, and stuck her tongue out at his head.
"Stupid skeever-brain." She muttered.
"Keep up! If you continue to act like a child- wait! You are a child. I don't see why Kodlak will even try to accept you…" He sneered.
Infuriated, she stormed off after him. They went upstairs and out to the training yard, where many people were watching the two. Her hackles rose, for she was nervous with all of the spectators.
"Alright. Take a swing at me with that pinprick of a thing you call a dagger. And don't worry, I can take it." Vilkas taunted.
She only drew up her arms, and called to him, "I don't even have to use a dagger. Look how you cower before my claws."
Vilkas snorted and rolled his eyes. He then charged her and she quickly jumped back.
"Scared, girl? It's not too late to back out…"
Khazura swung her fists and caught him in the stomach. She hissed and scratched his cheek, and then twirled around as his sword almost cut her arm. She ducked and then struck out at his neck, but he blocked with his sword.
He stopped her and said, " Good enough. Go and take my sword up to Eorlund Grey-mane up at the Skyforge, whelp. Oh, and be careful, it's worth more than you are."
"What-" she started.
"GO!" he shouted.
Just after her battle she hear Skjor, a man with one good eye, complain to Aela about youngsters.
"All these youngsters running about." Skjor said to Aela.
"Worried they'll take your place?" She smirked.
"No. They could get killed." He said, directing a pointed look at Khazura.
While hoisting the large weapon up, she carried it gently up to this 'Skyforge'. There was only one man there, and she assumed it was Eorlund.
"Hello? Vilkas told me to bring this to you…"
"Ah, good. Are you new?" Eorland asked.
"Yes. Does Vilkas always make you do his dirty work, that he is 'too good to do'?" Khazura inquired.
"Don't worry. You don't have to do everything they tell you, they don't have a leader anyways.. And all of them were whelps too, once."
"How do they do without a real leader then?"
He sighed, "I don't know. But they do. Here, can you take this shield to Aela the Huntress?"
"Didn't you just tell me not to do everything I'm told?" She grinned.
"Oh, I'm not a Companion… so yes, you do." Eorlund frowned.
"Yeah, I guess."
Taking the shield, she traveled over to Jorrvaskr and went inside. Carrying it downstairs, she looked around and asked the maid Tilma if Aela was near.
"Oh, yes dear. She's just past Kodlak's quarters. You'll hear bickering inside and that's how you'll know it's her quarters." Tilma replied.
"Thanks Tilma!" Khazura called over her shoulder.
Trotting into the room aloud with a quarrel, she set the shield on Aela's bed.
"Saw this one in the yard training with Vilkas." Skjor grunted.
"Gave him quite the beating, I hear." Aela laughed.
"Don't let him hear you say that." Skjor warned her.
"How do you think you could handle him in a real fight?" Aela questioned.
" I don't care for boasting." Khazura told her.
"Ah! A woman who let's her actions speak for her. I knew there was something I liked about you…"
"She should go get acquainted with everyone, Aela…" Skjor growled.
"Alright, Skjor. Just watch how you speak to her, okay? Anyways…" Aela gently berated him.
"Hey, Ice-brain!" Aela shouted.
"Did you call me?" A man ran to Aela's command.
"Of course we did, Farkas. Show the newblood where to sleep."
"Alright." Farkas turned and began walking to a separate part of the downstairs quarters.
"Aela and Skjor treat us roughly, but they're good people. They are only trying to train us well."
"That's… that's good, I guess." Khazura replied, unsure of what to say.
"It's nice to have a new face around here. It gets boring with the same people. Ah, here we are. This is where you'll rest your head. Just pick a bed and fall in it."
"Ah, thanks… I am so tired. I had the most interesting day of my life. So, if it's all right I'm-" She yawned. "Going to bed now."
Khazura found a bed in the corner; also she had picked the most cleanly, and curled up and dreamt of peace. She welcomed the black arms of oblivion taking her to safety.
Well! That's Chapter 2. Oh, and when I said arms of oblivion, I didn't mean the planes of Oblivion. (Just putting that out there…) R&R people!
