Chapter 1 Snippet 1
Current Date: Decem Janua Whatever the fuck the local date is. 28th of Morning Star, 4E200
To those who read this, this journal is the property of one John. It is written for the sole purpose of cataloging my life and experiences as well as various miscellaneous uses such as a to-do list to a grocery list. If you find this, please return it back to me.
Not like there is a chance that this journal will actually come back to me when lost and none of you fucks would
Anyway, after a few weeks staring at the ceiling doing nothing but contemplating the various states of agony, I requested this journal so that I could write down all I know and to distract me from the pain. Which was incredibly painful. They seemed surprised that and suitably impressed that I am capable of both reading and writing and gladly gave me one. So here is what I remember so far: I was having a walk and the next thing I know, I found myself in Kottarald's home, in absolute agony.
When I first awoke, Kottarald told me that I fell from the sky and crashed in the forest near Helgen, that I only survived because I landed on the Alpha of the wolf pack hard enough it's organs to burst and caused blood to spray from its orifices, spooked the remaining wolves away and thus inadvertently saving his daughter. I would have eventually succumbed there if a nearby search party didn't hear the commotion and hadn't rushed to investigate, only to witness the scene of the missing girl covered in blood and traumatized while a unconscious stranger laid on top of a "large furred bag filled with pulverized bone and meat".
When I first came to they say that I am lucky to not be skewered by the treetops, but I say that I wouldn't be in this situation if I was lucky at all, to which they chuckled. Regardless, the girl's family
believed that it would be a grave dishonor to not take me as a guest and heal my wounds, using my silent unconscious ass as acceptance. Hearing my state when they found me, I would have been suicidally stupid to decline their hospitality if I was in coherent in anyway.
So that is a summary of the event from six weeks ago, from then on I spent my time getting to know the family while I took advantage of their hospitality to recover. They are a nice and happy family of three: The father and husband Kottarald, his wife Risi, and their 12 year old daughter Hellen.
The local quack 'healer' came by today and after poking and prodding me with a stick, claimed that I have recovered enough to move without major assistance and so permitted me outside.
Since today happens to be shopping day Risi decided that if would be a good idea for me to tag along with them to the marketplace, if nothing but to stretch my legs and get some fresh air.
As I walked down the cobbled streets of Helgen I shivered and wrapped myself deeper into the slain wolf's coat. Kottarald had skinned and fashioned the pelt for me to wear since as an apology for having to destroy my previous clothes to treat me. I didn't complain considering just how cold the area is.
I am currently touring the town of Helgen with Hellen, who is acting as a guide. Kottarald had to attend to the store front, while Risi began to immediately diverge and haggle with the other merchants, leaving Hellen to guide me around. Despite her being skittish around me, from the trauma of wolf entrails and blood covering her, she did a decent job of escorting me around the town. I am thankful as the place is a maze and I didn't delude myself into thinking that I will be able to navigate this place on my lonesome.
Unfortunately, apart from the occasional comment on the locations, Hellen was quiet like a mouse during our walk. Whatever conversation I managed to prod out of her was related to the city, how it had its started off as a intermediate resting point for trade caravans between Skyrim and Cyrodiil, and eventually grew into trade hub of sufficient importance to have it's own stone walls and its own small Legion garrison to protect its 10,000 citizens.
The walk was interesting at least as I have seen merchants selling elven luxury products such as Valenwood Beef and Summerset Fragrance perfumes all the way to craftsman tools and live animals. On an interesting note, armor and weapons are sold very openly here.
Not that my observations are helpful considering that I didn't have any local money.
"Looks like I need to find a job." I muttered.
Hellen looks at me. "I'm sorry mister, but I didn't hear what you were saying?"
"Don't worry about it. Just talking to myself."
"You're weird mister." She said bluntly.
I childishly retort. "When you become my age, you will behave just as weird so don't worry. Your time will come."
Hellen looks at me as if she wanted to say something, but decided to keep her mouth shut. Which meant I got bored, which left to me wandering my eyes to keep myself entertained. Through-out the morning and most of the afternoon, the roads that Hellen and I have walked were very well used and seemed to never be without some guards patrolling them. Though I did occasionally see a shady activity or two in the alleys, but they all slithered away when a patrol began to approach. None of my business anyway. After all, I don't want to find myself with a dagger sticking out of my torso.
A series of yells and laughter brought my out of my muse, and I scanned to see that it originated from a group of children playing ball. I noticed Hellen watching them with not-to-easily disguised envy.
I asked her. "Do you want to go play with them?"
She looks up, her eyes rapidly moving between the children and me.
"But Mama and Papa said to-"
"What they don't know won't hurt them. Go ahead and play with them, I need to sit down and rest anyway so..."
She looks at me for a beat before careening towards the other children while yelling at the top of her lungs. The other children barely having any time to register her before Hellen stole the ball and began running around the court.
As she played with her peers, I sat down on a nearby rock with total serenity scanning the area for anything interesting. They eventually settled on a man coming out of an alleyway. He was incredibly suspicious, even to an untrained eye like me. He was behaving oddly, as he was jittering as he was looked around the area with unfocused eyes, and he held something within the rags he was wearing. As I observed him, I carefully picked up a rock the size of my fist and hid it in my coat. I know that I shouldn't probably form assumptions, but screw that. You only die once, after all. I just hope that he doesn't notice me.
Fuck. He noticed me. Now he is wobbling towards me.
"Ex-excuse me kind sir. Would you be kind to give this poor beggar a c-coin so he can buy some food?" his voice jittered.
Ah, I see. "Sorry, sir. I currently don't have any money. Why don't you go to the charities and temples? I passed a few on my way here." I barely finished my sentence before he pulled out a dagger on me.
"L-listen you-u, give m-me your money and a-all you have right now! O-or I will gut you like a fish!"
His sudden outburst and random brandish of his weapon surprised me, and though I tried to not let my fear show I feel that I expressed some of it. I mentally cursed myself as I reasoned that people become more confident when they see a scared and subdued victim.
"Are you willing to murder someone for a few coins that they may or may not have?" I tried to reason with him.
"Give them to me!" He yelled, ignoring my question.
I continued, "I mean the punishment for murder is pretty harsh here I believe and that is if the guards just don't outright kill you."
"I don't give a shit! Give me e-everything you have!" he scream, spittle flying out of his rotten mouth.
I gripped the rock harder, preparing to bash his head as soon as he was distracted. I vaguely noticed that the kids have stopped playing and turned to watch the confrontation.
I spoke in a more forceful voice this time, "You do not want to do this. Just walk away."
Before he could open his mouth, there was a yell, "Halt! Drop your weapons! You are under arrest for brandishing a weapon with the intent of harm and robbery!"
As one, both the beggar-turned-mugger and I turned to see a group of Legion guards approaching with their weapons unsheathed, some with their swords others with their crossbows.
I admit that I relaxed my guard when I saw the Legionaries and was completely unprepared for the beggar to turn and stab me in the stomach, and run and grabbed the nearest child, a Redguard boy, before brandishing his knife to the child's face.
"Back away!" He screamed as he faced the guards, alternating his dagger between the child's neck and towards the legionarries. "I will kill him! I'll kill everyone!" He continued to scream incomprehensibly, frothing at his mouth. The children screaming as well. The guards yelling and pointing their weapons. The Redguard boy crying. I think he just pissed his pants.
I laid down on the ground stunned and shocked, as I briefly contemplated the situation. 'First day I am outside during my recovery, and I get stabbed by a medieval druggie who looks like he hasn't eaten anything for weeks. That is impressive.'
The yelling began to go distant in the background as with the children's screaming. 'He is definitely on some sort of drug. What kind of drugs are there in Tamriel apart from Skooma actually?' I thought.
I saw a blur moving in front of me. Focusing my eyes a bit revealed Hellen. Kneeling over me, silently screaming with tears in her eyes. 'Ah fuck. I can't pay them back if I am dead. But I am too tired.'
Behind Hellen I see the altercation between the guards and the beggar. The beggar was brandishing his blade, still red and gleaming with my blood, at the legionaries while still holding onto the child. For some reason I was angry.
I was angry. Angry about being in this world with no warning, having to sleep in an uncomfortable bed, eating disgusting gruel, humiliation for having to use a bedpan and being helped by my host, getting stabbed by random asshole druggie whose only thought is when he could probably get his next fix, but mostly at myself for being apathetic and useless. So, I have enough of this shit. I am going to at least do something before I expire.
I still have the rock in my hands. The beggar is about 3 meters away from me. I am lying down on the floor. The legionaries are wary of that the hostage would be harmed. The beggar must be disarmed, then the only hostage threat to the guards would be useless.
I aimed the rock at the hand holding the dagger and threw it with whatever remaining strength I have, before remembering that whenever I threw something, it would always curve to the right. By the time I remembered my terrible aim, the rock has smashed right into the begger's head.
The beggar fell down screaming in pain as he released both the child and the weapon in favor of clawing at the rock, now lodged into the side of his head.
The legionaries acted swiftly, dragging the child away while containing the dagger and the fallen beggar.
'... Fuck me. That was really fucking lucky.' My thoughts drifted as I lied in a puddle of my blood. 'But the asshole deserved it… for stabbing me.' I blacked out as one of the guards tried to stop my bleeding. My last thoughts being 'This is why I don't go out anymore.'
Chapter 1 Snippet 1 End