Just a few notes, I never really posted anything on here before so if my work seems shoddy or whatever, let me know and I will try to improve and what stuff, but I hope you all enjoy my story, which I will try to continue and update as much as possible.
Chapter 2, Unearthed.
Morning came, the sun instantly brought heat onto the frozen white. I had been sitting up in the tent, wrapped in the thick furs and hide. I could feel the warmth of the sun through the tent. Soon movement could be heard outside my tent. Someone was up and walking around, placing wood on the small fireplace. It was the same cat man from earlier. He wore a huge metal suit of armor, which clinked around with each of his movements. I observed him from my tent as he continued with the fire and eventually a pot of what looked to be some sort of stew.
The aromas from the pot drifted throughout the camp and into my tent, bringing a grumbling noise to my stomach.
The cat man looked over at my tent. He had obviously heard the noised of my gut. He looked at me, with a somewhat curious look on his face. He ears flickered a bit, and then he smiled, his face gave me a somewhat relief from any thoughts about my captors being murderous bandits or something.
I wanted to go out and greet him, I wanted to eat the food he was preparing, I wanted to get away from here as well, but I felt no threat from this, creature.
The man grabbed a bowl and spoon, filling the bowl with its thick brown contents. He began walking over to my tent bowl in hand.
"You must be hungry," he said in a low soft voice. He had an accent that I could not place, but at least he spoke in a language I could understand.
I grabbed the food, instantly shoving huge spoonful's in my mouth. The man stood there smiling, while watching me eat the meal.
The food was delicious, unlike anything I had ever tasted before. Meat and vegetables with a thick brown sauce, the flavors erupted in my mouth, igniting every taste bud.
Before I knew it, the whole bowl of food was gone. I never even thought about what was in it, what vegetables he had used, what meat was in it.
I held out the bowl as if to say more, to the man. Another smile formed on his face, then grabbed the bowl from me.
"Why don't you come out here?" He asked me.
It was a little cold, but I accepted with a nod. I had been wearing thick fur, which was most likely put on me to keep me warm. My feet wrapped in the same fur I trod through the somewhat deep snow towards. I almost fell a few times due to my still heavy weary muscles, but made my way to a upright log and plopped myself on it.
The cat man had already filled up my bowl with more of its contents, I pulled at the wooden spoon and gave the food a stir, as if to try and figure out the contents, but I had no idea what I was even looking at. Potatoes were clearly visible, and carrots, other than that everything else were new to me.
"So, do you have a name?" The man asked, he sat across the fire from me.
"Mira," I answered back.
I began eating the new bowl of food, much slower than last time, taking my time to enjoy the flavors.
He looked at me a little oddly for a moment.
"A strange name, it does not sound like a common "Nord" name," He said.
I had no idea what to say to this man, I placed the wooden spoon back into the bowl.
"I can't remember a much, I struggled to even remember my name." I said, I realized now that these cat people must have found me somewhere and that something must have happened to me before I woke up in the tent.
"So you remember nothing about the cave?" He asked, a confused look on his face appeared.
"I was in a cave?" I asked.
"I had been scouting the area searching for…" He paused for a moment, "Things."
Things, what kind of things? I wondered.
"I had stumbled into a cave, and wandered in deeper. I found an "Ancient Nord crypt," and I opened a locked stone coffin, I found you inside." He explained.
I didn't understand what exactly a Nord was, I had a feeling I had heard it before but couldn't place it.
The cat man had called me a Nord.
"What exactly is a Nord?" I asked.
A look of more confusion was on the cat man.
"Nords are. Well you people." He tried to explain it the best he could.
"A Nord is a person that lives here in Skyrim." He said.
Another word that seemed familiar "Skyrim," unlike the word Nord, this word seemed to refer to the place we stood or this land.
"Sorry, I am a little confused, how long was I in that crypt?" I asked, I went straight into the questions that have been bugging me for a while.
"I cannot say, but you look like a young girl, so you couldn't have been in there very long." He said.
"Perhaps your parents live around here somewhere," he said.
I had completely stopped eating the food by now, because I wanted to know exactly what was going on. I didn't what to offend the cat man, but I had to ask what he was.
"What are you? I have never seen, or can't remember any persons looking like you do." I tried not to sound offensive.
"Haha," he gave a small laugh, "I am a Khajiit, a man of Elswyer, my people all look like me."
He smiled and stood up, making a fist then giving a somewhat bow.
"My name is Kharjo, I am a Warrior Mercenary." He said mid bow.
Kharjo was very formal, and polite. He seemed generally concerned for me. All my fears of being kidnapped faded with the introduction of this man.
So many question were there but had no answer.
Why was I in a crypt locked away?
How long have I been there?
What happened to my parents?
One thing that I was sure of was that I was a 12 year old girl named Mira, which was a strange name apparently.
Kharjo didn't have all the answers, and could only tell me that he had found me. About an hour had passed when a Khajiit woman came from a bigger tent, she gave me a quick look then began talking to Kharjo.
"Soldiers said that bandits have been seen nearby, perhaps it would be best if we leave this area soon." She said in a worried voice.
"Yes, the girl is awake now which will make the journey much easier, but give me some time to try and find her parents." Kharjo said.
The woman left back to the bigger tent, immediately Kharjo stood up.
"Come, we will go into town and see if anyone recognizes you," He said.
I walked past the big tent and saw a small town not far off.
"That town is called Dawnstar. I hope someone knows who you are." Kharjo said.
I followed behind closely, and we went to the biggest house first.
"This is the Jarls house, if someone is missing in town, he will know." Kharjo said.
The house was much inside then it looked outside, guards walked the rooms, while the Jarl sat at a chair in the center of the house.
The Jarl looked us over. Clearly they didn't like what they saw.
"What is the meaning of this interruption?" The Jarl said.
"I am Kharjo, from the Khajiit caravan that is just outside your village." Kharjo bowed at the Jarl just like when he introduced himself to me.
"I have come across this child while scouting nearby your village, I wonder, does she belong to anyone in this town?" He explained.
"I have not heard of any missing children, and she certainly does not look like she is from here." The Jarl said, the Jarl seemed quite annoyed about something.
"Ask around, perhaps someone knows her, if not anything that happens to her is none of my business." Kharjo cringed a little at the Jarls words, but had to agree and simply left.
I followed behind quickly.
Outside once again, we began our search for anyone that might recognize me. Hours passed every house claimed that they did not know me.
I was sadden by this a little, but also relived that I could stay with this strong looking Khajiit.
With no one else to turn to, the two of us went back to the Khajiit camp.
The Khajiit woman out front of the big tent looked at me and Kharjo with a frown.
"No use, we are heading to Riften anyways so perhaps it's best to take her to the Orphanage." Kharjo said with a frown.
"Kharjo, it is a long trip for us alone, but bringing a child with is will be much more of a burden, but if this is what you want I will not stop you, she will be yours to take care of." The woman was disappointed.
"Akhari, it will be fine, I will teach her how to use a weapon." Kharjo said, he patted my shoulder and smiled once again.
"Let's begin right away," Kharjo said.
We walked to a path on the road. Kharjo grabbed a stick off the ground.
"Yes, this will work nicely," he said.
He handed the stick over to me, it was quite a big stick and I had trouble holding it. Akhari had immediate view of us training, and laughed at my efforts.
"Like this," Kharjo said, he had a stick of his own which he held with one hand and began to swing around.
I tried to hold the stick I held with one hand but, failed every time I tried to swing. Kharjo saw this and eventually just went on with the two handed approach.
As a trainer Kharjo seemed to have a good eye for things. It took me two hours to get any basic instructions down, and by that time I was exhausted.
"That's enough for today," Kharjo said.
His armor clanked loudly as he sat down on a log. I followed him, and sat across from him.
"We are leaving tomorrow, early in the morning." He said, "Normally children don't come on big journeys like this. It can be very dangerous, most of the time children don't survive, but don't worry, Mira, I will protect you."