The Grey Quarter was one of those places where everyone was and no one wanted to be. Calling it a slum would be an insult to slums. The stench of the streets alone was enough to give the Ratway a run for its money in terms of the dirtiest place in all of Skyrim.
Outside the New Gnisis Cornerclub sat Sofie, who was humming to herself as she stroked the hair of a wooden doll. Beside her was a flower basket full of flowers and a sign that read Flowers for Sale, Two Septims Each. Standing at the door silently watching her was Ambarys Rendar, the owner and bartender.
"What's a little girl doing in the Grey Quarter?" Ambarys said, hoping to catch Sofie's attention, "Shouldn't you be a home with your mother?"
Sofie, who heard Ambarys turned around casually and smiled, "Hi mister" she replied warmly, "Would you like to buy a flower? It only costs two septims."
Ambarys folded his arms dismissively, "You didn't answer my question girl" he continued, his voice a little colder than usual, "What you are doing here? It's not safe for a little girl to roaming the Quarter during the day without supervision."
Sofie huffed, "I can take care of myself" she defended, "Besides I've got protection."
Sofie gestured towards a guard, who was silently keeping vigil. The guard, a woman, was leaning against a building across the way, in her hands was a tankard of mead.
"Drinking on the job" Ambarys said scolding, "Typical Nords. Don't even know how to watch children properly."
Sofie shrugged and stood up, brushing herself off and she extended her hand for a handshake which Ambarys did not move for, keeping his arms crossed and maintaining his closed off attitude.
"What's your deal anyway?" Sofie asked curiously, "You got a problem with Nords?"
Ambarys huffed, clearly insulted by the remark, "It's the Nords who have a problem with me" he answered, "Now do me a favor and get out of here before you get hurt."
Sofie nodded and did as she was told, gathering up her flowers and her sign and moving back to the barrels where she spent most of the day attempting to earn her keep. The guard, watched Sofie move back to the door that led to the docks and when she was sure the girl was safe, shrugged it off and continued on her way deciding to do her job and make rounds of the Grey Quarter. Ambarys, who also watching Sofie move to her barrels, shook his head annoyingly and spat, not out of disgust or to be rude, but as a reflex before he turned around to continue his duties inside.
The Gnisis Cornerclub remained relatively unchanged. Malthyr Elenil, Ambarys' assistant, was busy sweeping the floor. The room at the moment was empty, for most of Ambarys' costumers didn't start arriving until later in the day. As Ambarys made his way behind the counter to prepare the drinks, Malthyr raised his head and slowed his sweeping as if he were about to say something but never did, wither it was out of fear or simply choosing his moment Ambarys couldn't really say.
"Something on your mind Malthyr?" Ambarys asked, "Come on then speak up, speak up!"
Malthyr rolled his eyes and sat down his broom, pulling out a note from his pocket.
"It's time Ambarys" Malthyr began, hushing his voice, "We're ready when you are. Just say the word and we'll strike them down!"
Ambarys shook his head, "I told you that I would have no part in it Malthyr" he exclaimed firmly, "I hate the Nords as much as anyone and I'm always the first one to talk about our conditions but that doesn't give us the right to start killing people."
Malthyr huffed pitifully, "Brunwulf has our support. So does Lonely-Gale. They're respected members of the community, no one is going to get hurt who doesn't deserve it, they'll see to that. All we need is to pick our moment."
Ambarys held his ground, he would not be so easily swayed, no matter how tempting the thought of revolution sounded for Ambarys would rather have a clean moral conscious than freedom through bloodshed.
"Nothing you can say or do will make me raise a sword against them" Ambarys declared, "They may be Nords, but some of them believe it or not are good people. Ulfric and his court are the concern, not the citizens."
Malthyr growled, for Ambarys failed to see what Ulfric had instilled in the people by enforcing the laws of Jarl Merkiller.
"You are blind then if you think that they do not deserve this!" Malthyr continued, "Every single one of them must pay. The guards, the court and Ulfric must see justice for what they've done to us. The people as well…but we shall not kill them, no, for them we have a much more poetic end in mind."
Ambarys raised his hand peacefully, he would not allow more of this talk to be said in his inn. It was bad enough to think that it had come to such violence when so much had already been had in the war. In Ambarys' mind, Malthyr was a radical with intent to do bodily harm and that was something that he could not accept.
"There will be no more of this" Ambarys warned, "Not if you wish to remain employed here. Do you understand me Malthyr? The only way that we can make better lives for ourselves is through hard work and determination. You'll see, they'll come around soon enough."
Malthyr huffed in dismay and went back to sweeping.
Sofie meanwhile, made her way down to the docks. She hadn't been done there lately and thought that today, which was relatively sunny, would be a good opportunity to sell some flowers and talk with the workers. The first person she approached was Stands-in-Shallows. Saying nothing, Sofie only smiled, gave a little curtesy and pulled out a yellow flower from her basket, handing it to the Argonian. Stands-in-Shallows in response, nodded and placed the weed, for it was little more than that, in the neckline of his tattered tunic, he appeared grateful. Sofie laughed and extended her hand which Stands took, gladly returning the handshake, before disappearing into the warehouse to resume his work.
Neertrenaza, who was next on Sofie's route around the dock, was busy hammering away as hard as he could at a nail. Sofie, quietly and carefully, came up behind him and casually tapped his shoulder, causing Neertrenaza turn around hammer raised as if he were about to attack, obviously scared half to death. Sofie, in turn, moved back several feet in an effort to get as far away from danger as possible.
"Don't do that!" Neertrenaza yelled once he composed himself slightly, "You scared me out of my wits you stupid girl! What are you doing here anyway? The docks are no place for children."
Sofie brushed her hair back and held her head up as high as she could.
"I'm making friends" Sofie answered confidently, "Would you like a flower mister? The first one's free."
Neertrenaza groaned, he had no interest in flowers or meeting new people, he barely an interest in work, unfortunately he didn't exactly have a choice in that matter.
"Will your flowers end the bigotry?" Neertrenaza asked as he kneeled down, "I think not. Your kind don't care for us, they never have and they never will. So why should I accept your offer of friendship when you'll just as quickly forget about it come tomorrow?"
Sofie sighed a bit, for Neertrenaza's words were a little too based in reality for her liking. She, like most children her age, was optimistic in terms of how she viewed the world. Everything she looked at she seemed find some degree of goodness in, Neertrenaza was no exception.
"I don't know about any of that" Sofie said, "But I do know that flowers make a lot of people smile and eventually if you fake it enough, you'll actually be happy. So here-"
Sofie handed Neertrenaza a blue mountain flower and a dragon's tongue.
"These are for you."
Neertrenaza took the flowers and stared at them as if he had never seen a flower before. Sofie laughed and patted Neertrenaza's head as if he were a dog, this brought the Argonian out of his trance like state, causing him to blink.
"It's going to be okay" Sofie exclaimed, "You'll see."
Neertrenaza could do nothing else but stand and nod as Sofie walked away, completely in shock. Neertrenaza slowly turned around, picked up his hammer and continued working out the nails, each hit a little less forceful than the last. He said nothing, too lost in himself to even complain. The flowers were clenched in his fist, as the hammering of the nails grew softer and softer, the flowers' pedals were crushed to the point of falling off until they were nothing more than green stems.
Sofie continued down the docks to Scouts, who was outside at this point and had been for several minutes, and Shahvee, who was tanning leather. Before she could even get to them however, Odin, her father, got in the way.
"Hey Daddy" Sofie said welcomingly, "Would you like a flower?"
"Not right now Sofie" Odin replied as ushered her away, "Now please, be a good girl and go back to your barrels, leave the workers alone."
Sofie nodded and pulled out two flowers, one red and one blue.
"Can you give these to them?" Sofie asked as politely as she could, "The red goes to the lady. The blue one goes to the mister."
Odin smiled and gave a soft nod, touched by Sofie's good-naturedness, for she was always seeking to help others even if it was at a cost to herself. It was a quality that he wished he had but did not.
"Of course" Odin answered, "Now run along and be careful!"
Sofie smiled and did exactly as she was told, running down the docks.
"Thanks Daddy" she exclaimed as she ran, "I love you, see you at home!"
Odin looked after her carefully just as she was about to run into Stands, who stopped her before she could hit him.
"There's no need to run" Stands said, chastising but in his usual nice-guy demeanor, "The world isn't going anywhere any time soon."
"Hi" Sofie said in greeting, "I'm Sofie, what's your name?"
Stands laughed warmly and gently patted Sofie's head as he led her up the stairs towards the door into the city.
"Stands-in-Shallows my good lady" Stands replied, putting on some degree of charm causing Sofie to laugh in response and give another curtsey.
"Pleased to meet you" Sofie continued, "Do you like the flower?"
Stands nodded, "It's the best gift I've received in a long time" he answered honestly, "In fact-"
Stands pulled out a meager looking coin purse and presented Sofie with two septims.
"For brightening my day a bit" Stands said with a smile, "You need anything, a friend, money, anything, you come to me."
Sofie gently embraced Stands at this, reaching up, she kissed his cheek and then ran up the stairs. Stands laughing to himself as he remembered what he had forgotten.
"So that's what that looks like" Stands said to no one in particular
"What are you talking about?" Scouts asked as he walked over, Odin following behind.
"Just life" Stands answered.
Odin nodded in agreement, for he knew that Sofie had that effect on people, just another reason he was grateful for everything that he had.
"If anyone was put here for a reason it's Sofie" Odin declared, "She's really something else that one. Makes me proud to be her father."
Stands immediately extended his hand towards Odin, who took it without question, all doubt, if any existed at all, left Stands' mind the second he heard that Odin was Sofie's father. Stands shook Odin's hand as firmly as anyone ever could, the ultimate sign of respect as far as he was concerned. Scouts, who had no idea what going on, only nodded, feigning understanding, and turned around to continue his work as best he could.
