Chapter 8
"Come on," Ralof said, "Riverwood is only a little further." Ralof told me that his sister, Gerdur owned the lumber mill in Riverwood and that she would be more than happy to help us.
He was certainly right about that, she was glad to help us even if the idea of a dragon made her uneasy. "There is one thing you could do for me though; if a dragon attacks Riverwood then we will not last. Go to the Jarl of Whiterun and tell him to send aid."
"I will, but first I need to get rid of some valuables that I took from the Imperials."
"The Riverwood Trader should do." Gerdur pointed towards a small building at the center of town.
"Why don't I come with you?" Liera said. "I would do better in a city than a lumber village."
I nodded, a little company on the road would be good, especially someone with the fighting skills that Liera had shown. "Thank you Gerdur, we'll make sure the Jarl sends his support." I turned and went to the store where I was immediately caught in the middle of an argument.
"Well one of us has to do something." The black haired young woman said to the man behind the counter.
"I said no!" He shouted back "No adventures, no heroics, no thief chasing." His tone and mood changed as he saw me. "Oh, welcome to the Riverwood trader."
"What was that about?" I asked.
"Oh, we were robbed the other day. We still have plenty to sell though, the thieves were just after one thing. They only stole a solid golden statue that was shaped like a dragon's claw." The man said
"Well why not get some guards from Whiterun to chase them down?" Liera suggested.
"The thieves took the claw up to Bleakfalls Barrow, it would be a good place to hide from the guards." The young woman said. "Besides that, there is the fact that most people would rather let the thieves get away than go through an old Nord crypt. Also, my brother doesn't want me on the road alone and he won't go himself for fear that we'll be robbed again."
"I'm going up to Whiterun anyways, I'll tell the guards. In the meantime, I just need to sell some things off before I go." I sold off some odds and ends that I had collected off of dead Imperials and bought a few potions just in case I needed them. I also bought a set of clothes so that I could stop looking like a Stormcloak in Imperial territory then I sold the Stormcloak armor to be rid of the dead weight.
"With dragons about I hardly think the guards will be willing to help." Liera said as we walked down the road.
"It couldn't hurt to tell them." I replied.
On the road I couldn't help but remember my years living outside Whiterun, and the many more that were spent inside the city. Then as I came to the crossroads I saw the open plains of Whiterun stretched out before me. On my left was a meadery that I didn't recognize but I remember hearing something about when I was younger. Then just past that was an old stone wall that I had neglected to fix as a child. It had been more than twenty years since I had set foot on this farm, but I recognized it all the same; this was my father's farm. But why then did it feel so unfamiliar? That little boy who had watched his father and brother go away seemed to be a stranger to me now. This land was mine no longer, I had sold it long ago and with it my childhood.
"Are you okay?" Liera asked. "You're acting strange."
"Sorry, it's nothing." Running to catch up to her. I didn't realize that I had stopped.
"Well come on, we're almost there."
I nodded and began to walk as I said one final goodbye to the farm. "So what brings you to Skyrim? You don't seem the merchant type and you're clearly not with the legion."
"I'm a sell-sword," she said. "I came here thinking that the war would be good for business."
"I've never understood you sell-sword types, putting your lives on the line for something like gold."
Liera gave a slight chuckle. "It's as good a reason as any. Anyways, I've been fighting for gold since my days in the Imperial city arena." That made my eyebrows raise; I had hear tales of the arena from Imperial merchants, and I had always the fighters being larger than life figures. Yet here was this Imperial woman who came up to my chin. Though closely looking her over, she was quite muscular, and a scar on her cheek made her look more like a warrior. Still, my surprise was not fully gone and my eyebrows remained raised. "Oh yes, I used to be the champion before I quit. They called me Liera skull-splitter, give me a battle-axe and I'll show you why."
"So that's why you want to go to Whiterun then, a better chance of finding work." She nodded. "Well then let me wish you luck, because here we are."
It was odd that the ancient and crumbling walls of Whiterun seemed to be the only thing that was as I remembered it. "Halt," I was stopped by a guard at the gate, "The city is closed to outsiders with reports of dragons about."
"But we just came from Helgan, we have news about the dragon attack. Surely the Jarl should hear of this." Liera wove her words more carefully than I had expected of a sell-sword; she certainly was a strange one. The guard nodded and let us into the city where I was met by two familiar faces.
"We'll pay more if we need to but the Legion must have those swords." Idolf Battle-born stood clad in Imperial armor, he stilled seemed the perfect Imperial lapdog to me.
"I just can't fill an order that size on my own. Why don't you swallow that stubborn pride of yours and ask Eorlund Grey-Mane for help?" Adrianna Avenicci was still just as stone faced as ever and it was good to see she still worked the forge.
"Ha!" Idolf scoffed "I would sooner bend my knee to Ulfric Stormcloak. Even if I did though, Grey-Mane would never make steel for the legion."
"Have it your way, but don't expect a miracle." I wanted to stop and speak to her, to call her master Avenicci again, but I had a message to deliver.
"Long live the Empire." Idolf said, saluting Liera as she passed by him, still wearing the Imperial Armor she had taken off of a dead soldier. Liera looked at him for a moment, forgetting what it must have seemed like, before she saluted back.
Little shops and market stalls filled the center of town, with some faces I recognized. Up by the old Gilder Green tree Heinsker shouted out praises of Talos and cursed the Empire's name as he eyed Liera suspiciously. Things had clearly changed, seeing as nobody objected to his cries where he would have been kidnapped eleven years ago. I wondered how he had escaped the great sweep.
"I think I should get rid of this armor." Liera said. "It would cause problems if I looked like an a-wall imperial officer that was selling her sword arm.
"Well good luck finding the armor." I said as we approached the doors to Dragon's Reach. "This is where we part ways," Liera said, "I don't like dealing with all of the lords and kings, or whatever they're called up north."
"Are you sure? We might always get a reward or something for delivering the message, and you might need something to replace the armor that you plan to get rid of."
"Well I suppose I could stay with you until the message is delivered." She smiled and gave a small nod.
Not a full minute after we entered Dragon's Reach though I was stopped by a Dunmer woman at sword point, I knew her only as Ireleth, the Jarl's house-karl. "The Jarl is not receiving visitors at this time." She said.
"We have a message from Riverwood concerning the dragon." I said as I took a step back.
"That would explain why the guards let you into the city. Come, the Jarl will want to speak to you at once."
There sat Balgruuf, it took me a minute to realize that my teeth were clenched and my hands were in fists. "Who are you and what business do you have here?" he asked.
"Riverwood calls for aid against the possibility of dragon attacks." I said. "We were at Helgan when it was burned."
Balgruuf turned to his Steward. "What do you say now Avenicci, do we continue to trust in the strength of our walls?"
"We should send some guards to Riverwood my Jarl." Ireleth said.
"We should do no such thing, moving men there could convince General Tullius that we are planning to join the rebels." Avenicci argued to Ireleth.
"Enough!" Balgruuf shouted ending their argument. "I won't stand idly by as a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people." No, you'll just let your people be taken away to the Nine knows where. I thought trying to keep a scowl off of my face. "Ireleth, send a detachment of guards to Riverwood at once." Ireleth gave a slight bow and left. "You two," the Jarl said turning his attention to us. "You sought me out on your own initiative, and for that you have my thanks; also, I will have my guards bring you something from my armory as a reward for this service." Liera seemed happy enough at that. There is one more thing the both of you could do for me though," The Jarl rose and walked into a small room where he greeted a man whom was named Farengar. The man wore the blue robes of a mage which made it clear that he was a court wizard. "Farengar, these two will help you with your research into dragons."
"Good, I already have a task for you. Now when I say task I really mean delving into an ancient crypt in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there."
"Where are we going and what are we fetching?" Liera said so casually, it must have seemed just another job for a sell-sword.
Farengar smiled, "Ah, no needs for tedious 'hows' and 'whys'. You will be going to Bleakfalls Barrow to recover an old stone tablet that is said to show a map of dragon burial sites."
"That would seem easy, if it wasn't for the fact that there are bandits up that way according to a shopkeeper in Riverwood." I said.
"Take this gold and buy yourself some armor and a good weapon then." Balgruuf said handing me a small bag of coins. "Think of it as a reward for this service if you succeed."
"Thank you my Jarl." I said giving a small bow. This was just the excuse that I needed to go to War Maidens and speak with Master Avenicci. It was late in the afternoon but there she was working on the iron swords that Idolf had asked for. "Do you need help?" I asked as I approached.
She looked up at me and her face softened a little. "Actually yes, I've been so busy with this order for swords that I haven't been able to work on another order that I have for a hide helmet and an iron dagger."
"Just give me the materials and I'll get to work." She just gestured to the leather that was tanning on the rack which was next to an iron ingot and some leather straps. I got to work immediately on the dagger, I had forgotten most of what I knew about metal forging in the years I spent in the mines but iron was something I still remembered. After the dagger and helmet were finished I gave them to Adrianne to examine like I used to when I was her apprentice.
"Fine work," She said with a small nod. "I should hire you to be my assistant."
"I'm surprised you don't have one already, you look like you get a lot of business." I said wondering why indeed she didn't have one.
"I had an apprentice once, but he was taken ten years back." She said, the expression on her face hardening into a scowl.
"Eleven years back actually."
"Right eleven years." She said and then confusion entered her expression. "How do you…."
"Have you really never had an apprentice since Siglak?"
"And now you know his name. Who are you?"
"Master Avenicci, it's me." I said.
Adrianne looked at me and then to the dagger and then back to me. "But eleven years ago you were taken. How have you returned?"
"That is a very long story, one that I should not speak where I don't know who could be listening."
"Why are you telling me this then?" Adrianne looked around to make sure that nobody else was around.
"I know that I can trust you, but I must go now to do something for the Jarl and I need some armor."
"Right, what kind do you need?"
"Just some hide, it's light and easy to move around in." I gave her the gold and took the armor. "Thank you master Avenicci, when this is over I would like to help you out more around the forge." I was met with the approving nod that was the same as a smile coming from Master Avenicci. As I walked through the gates and out of the city I couldn't help but smile, there were at least a few things in Whiterun that still made it feel like home.
Hey guys, sorry it took so long, but things got in the way. Thank you for reading thus far, and remember to leave any comments that you have; I like hearing feedback.