Massacre at Valtheim Towers
"A Daedra saved you?" In the city of Whiterun. By a fire in the city's main inn, the Bannered Mare. A group of the inn's patrons was sitting around the fire talking to one of the farmers who worked outside of the cities walls.
From what the man was saying. He and his family were attacked just this morning by bandits. They were out bringing food to the town of Riverwood when they were attacked. The bandits had them surrounded with no chance of escape because the bandits had men on horseback. If anything the family should have died right there, but something saved them.
"It had to have been a Daedra. The weapon's it had were monstrous. Killing men after flashes of light came out of these two small looking hooks." The farmer explains as he got quiet for a second. "There were also those red eyes." The farmer froze on the spot remembering the red eyes that his savior had.
Everyone that was listening saw right away the farmer freeze up. Not wanting to push the man any further, they left the man to his drink. Going back to what they were doing. Near the back of the inn though two women sat. Both women had similar steel armor on. With one have a great sword and the other having a bow on their backs. They were discussing the farmer's story.
"Those were probably the bandits at Valtheim Towers." One of the women said. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. Both she and her friend where Nords. A group of people native to Skyrim where the city of Whiterun could be found.
The other woman had short blond hair and green eyes. With a face, that showed a young adventurer. Weapons could be seen on her as well. Them being a steel greatsword and an ancient Nord bow with steel arrows. "Most likely." The other women said as she went back to drinking her mead.
"My Thane. I think we should discuss our plans for taking Valtheim tomorrow. Not drinking mead." The women said to her friend. Who is now on her fifth bottle of mead.
"Lydia. You should know by now mead helps me get ready for battle." The other women said as she went back to drinking. Lydia just lets her Thane continue doing what she was doing. After her, Thane was done with her drink. The woman got up and walked over to the farmer. Who was just about to finish his own drink.
"Is there anything more to that story?" She said to the farmer. Lydia got up and followed her Thanes lead. The farmer stopped for a good minute trying to remember what else happened during his and his family's rescue.
"I remember the 'thing' asking where the bandits came from. All I told him was that they were most likely from Valtheim Towers." The farmer said once again freezing up. "Why do you want to know?" he asked.
"I'm going to Valtheim Towers tomorrow. The Companions wanted me to go handle that job. "The woman said making the man surprised this woman was in the Companions. The farmer then became angry.
"I hired the Companions last week to go handle those bandits." The farmer started to become furious. "I almost died because you failed to do your job. If that Deadra gets it done before you. I am not going to pay your guild." The farmer then began throwing bottles at the two women as they ran out of the inn into the cities market place.
"Well. That could have gone better." Lydia's Thane said as Lydia just gave an angry look at her Thane.
"Arthur!" Another woman showed up walking towards the two women. This new woman had long brown hair and yellow eyes. Her eyes looked almost wolf-like. She had green war paint covering her face with armor that was a cross of both iron and leather.
"Aela! Good to see you." Arthur said with some glee.
"I heard about the attack this morning. Are you going to handle those bandits or I'm I going to get someone else to do it?" Aela said. Aela told Arthur to go kill the bandits causing trouble around Whiterun, but as always. Arthur ended up exploring the areas around Whiterun and not her job.
"Aela you know I have a hundred other things to do. Sorry, a bandit camp or two slipped my mind." Arthur said referring to all the other jobs and quests she has been asked to do. Arthur was still new to the Companions and Whiterun altogether. She only arrived a few weeks ago. Though the reason so many people were asking her to do all these quests was because of what happened when Arthur first came to Whiterun.
Arthur came to Whiterun asking the Jarl for help. There was an attack at Helgen and the town of Riverwood needed help. The attacker though was not the normal bandits, though. It was a dragon. A dragon that burned down Helgen and was now out there somewhere. The Jarl agreed to help Riverwood, but before soldiers were sent out word came in from one of the cities towers.
A dragon was spotted flying around one of Whiterun's patrol towers. With Arthur being the only one who has dealt with a dragon before. She and a group of soldiers went out to kill the beast. They were victorious and Arthur was given the title of Thane. With Lydia being her new Housecarl. The city gave great amounts of fame towards Arthur.
The fame ended up making Arthur the go-to girl for getting things done. No matter how long it took. This fame did help Arthur when going into the Companions. So it wasn't all bad for her. Though with work now coming in from both the Companions and the people living in Whiterun. You can understand if Arthur falls behind on her work.
"Those bandits are becoming a problem and you need to stop them. That's why I asked Farkas to make sure you get it done." Aela said.
"I told you Aela. I'll get the job done. You don't need to put Farkas on me." Arthur said getting mad.
"Farkas is waiting for you by the city's gate. You're going to get your job done now." Aela said in a serious voice. Arthur my hate being forced into something, but Aela was higher up in the Companions and she was not. So if Aela wanted Arthur to do this. Arthur will even if she doesn't want to.
After Arthur compiled Aela walked away. Leaving Arthur and Lydia to go meet up with Farkas and get their job done. Passing through the wooden houses that fill the city. Arthur and Lydia found Farkas outside of the cities stone walls.
"Ready to go?" Farkas asked. Even for Nord standards, Farkas was a brute of a man. With black hair and dark sharp eyes. Add with his already muscular body and just about anyone would want his help in a fight.
"Every day Farkas," Arthur said, and the three were off. Outside of the city was long stone roads that connected the land. The three were traveling on these roads going to their destination. Passing through the flat lands that surrounded Whiterun. With large mountains on all sides.
The walk to Valtheim Towers didn't take long. The Towers were connected to the main road and was easy to spot from afar. Arthur, Lydia, and Farkas ran up and hide behind some rocks. Trying to get an idea of what they were up against.
The Towers stood over a river with a bridge connecting them. The towers had an old Nord building look to them. Suggesting they've been there for a good many years. Besides a few cracks here and there the towers looked to be in good shape. Even though some of the cracks looked new.
Right outside the door that leads into the first tower. Marks of red covered the black stones the Towers were made out of. Bodies of bandits littered outside of the first tower with much more that could be seen on the bridge. Arthur took a wild guess that many more bodies could be found inside the towers.
"Looks like that farmer's Deadra got here first," Lydia said jokingly.
"We still need to make sure the bandit's leader has been killed. Let's go." Farkas said as he began to walk towards the Towers main entrance. With Arthur and Lydia following right behind.
Arthur was proven right as the three entered the first tower. Even more, bodies filled the room. Many of which had strange large holes that clearly went through their bodies. 'Most likely what killed them made those holes' Arthur thought as she started picking up what looked useful. As she once told Lydia, "Waste nothing that can be proven helpful later".
So with her pockets now filled. Arthur and company started heading up the tower. Crossing the bridge into the second tower. Again they found more bodies. With a mix of large holes and cuts being what killed them. Though they didn't find the bandits leader inside the mass of bodies.
"Where could he have gone off to?" Arthur asked herself. Just then Lydia pointed out a blood trail. Arthur and the others followed this trail outside of the second tower on to a short path. Once at the end of the path, the blood trail continued up the mountain right next to the second tower.
Once up the mountain, they found the blood trail end right by a small ledge. The ledge gave some cover that could offer a place to hide. Though for the guy under it right now. It didn't help him much.
"Looks like we found our bandit leader," Farkas said referring to the corpse. Unlike the other bodies. The leader's body look to have been tortured before he died. An act that Arthur found a little unsettling. She started to wonder what this attacker wanted but wasn't able to think about for long.
Cause just then a loud bang rang out and Farkas went to the ground. Both Arthur and Lydia drew their weapons looking for the attacker. "Farkas you good?" Arthur asked looking around with her bow out and arrow drawn. Farkas gave a yes, but was still not getting up.
Just then Arthur spotted something. Little ways up the mountain a cloaked figure was running away from them. The figure had strange long staffs in its hand and all over its body. There was one thing though that disturbed Arthur greatly. Red eyes that seemed to stare right into your soul.
Disturbing or not. Arthur had to chase this thing. It most likely was the one that hurt Farkas and Arthur wasn't about to let it off easy. Yelling at Lydia to look after Farkas, Arthur gave chase. Going so far up the mountain that snow began to litter the ground. With dark clouds approaching. Arthur knew a snow storm was about to begin. Leaving her with very little time to catch up with the attacker.
Once near the top of the mountain. It stopped going up and began going back down. Right into some ruins below where the attacker was most likely hiding. Going on nothing else Arthur began going down the mountain into the ruins. Not noticing a large shadow flying above her.
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