Chapter 4

Authors note: Hello lovely readers, back again.

Because of all the wonderful people following and reviewing this story I'm going to be updating a lot more with smaller gaps in between (hopefully).

And to Answer Pookiecorn's question, yes to some extent. Marlow will eventually be fighting Alduin, and he will go to Riften and meet the thieves' guild. He may even be targeted by the dark brotherhood…..

A massive thank you to Pookiecorn and UmbreonGodofHalo for their reviews, glad you're enjoying it 8)

And now onto chapter 4 …

Disclaimer: I do not own Skyrim, Bethesda does... I envy them

We left around midday, after buying some supplies from the Riverwood trader and backtracking to the place where me and Vex had fought the dragon. The various bandits and mercenaries that Vex had teamed up with had collected a small fortune from raids and robbing travellers, the result was several chests filled with weapons, gemstones, fancy clothes, wine, basically anything we could possibly want.

"You know, you never told us how you both ended up in a bandit camp" Sabrina had said.

Vex gave me a guilty look, he seemed to regret what he'd done. I gave him a reassuring smile before saying to Sabrina "I was on my way back from a walk, and Vex was, uh, what were you doing again Vex?"

A panicked look crossed his face "Uh….. I was, um…." I could see his mind working overtime to try and come up with a believable lie "I looking for some bandits, that had been terrorising the merchants around here, and then I found them" He said slowly.

"Fair enough" then Sabrina had gone back to examining the health potion she'd been holding.

I'd managed to retrieve the bow I used in the fight, it was undamaged, lying a couple of meters from where I'd dropped it, I'd also found a quiver full of iron arrows. Now if I'm attacked by something large and violent (someone related to Vex for example) then I would at least have a small chance of survival.

And now here we are, making our way north to the city of Whiterun, Edna had told us to follow the road sighs, we couldn't miss it.

"So, Falkir" I say and he looks over at me "Where you from?"

"I was actually born here in Skyrim; my mother moved here from the Valenwood forests for a better life, she sure as hell didn't find one. Was killed when she got caught up in a drunken brawl between a Nord and an Imperial." He gets that Sad look in his eyes again, before continuing "Still, at least it kept me neutral in the war, couldn't decide who I hated more, the Nords or the Imperials."

An awkward silence had descended over our group, nobody speaking for about ten minutes, I decide to break the silence with another question, this time aimed at Sabrina "How about you Sabrina, where are you from"?

She smiles slightly, looking like she was remembering something that made her happy, probably her home.

"I was born in high rock, but me and my family moved here when I was very young. My family lives in Solitude, but I came to Riverwood because solitude seemed too crowded, to loud for me. Riverwood however is nice and calm, plus I got too become a healer."

Before anyone else can speak again, Vex says "Don't bother asking me about my past Fur face, that's private." He has a stubborn look on his face, so I decide not to press him.

We pretty much continue on like that, chatting about random stuff, learning a bit more about each other, but as we came to a fork in the pathway, my super sensitive Khajiit ears hear a slight rustling in the bushes behind us. I whirl around and spot three wolves trying to flank us. I cry out and the others spin round too. The wolves lunge at us, and one is immediately taken down by an arrow from Falkir, another one strays too close to Vex, who kicks it sending it crashing in to the river. I whip out the dagger I'd gotten from one of the dead bandits, and sink it into the final Wolves' throat. It yelps, before falling limp.

"We're a pretty good team" says Falkir smiling.

"Yeah, we are" I say, shaking slightly, why did everything want to kill me. Vex notices me shaking and claps a hand on my back.

"So you can take a dragon, but a couple wolves scare you" he says smirking.

"What about you, running of with your tail between your legs from Delphine… oh hell, I forgot to tell Delphine I'm okay." I groan face palming.

"Don't worry, she came to see you just before you woke up, I told her you'd be just fine. Then she heard the whole dragon story and took off, probably to see for herself." Says Sabrina.

I sigh in relief, and that sigh turns into a gasp as we come in sight of Whiterun. It's huge, with rows and rows of buildings. And there, raising above all the others, stands dragons reach. A majestic structure, sort of like a church, perched on a hill top. This is where we needed to go.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" breathes Sabrina.

"I've seen better" Grunts Vex.

Once again, my Khajiit hearing picks up the sound of fighting straight ahead, a giant and three warriors are battling on the out skirts of a small farm.

"You think they need help?" I ask pointing towards the trio.

"Maybe" says Falkir, "Let's go find out.

So here I am, once again charging off to fight something way bigger than I am.

There's never a dull moment is there.

The three fighters had been doing pretty well, but all hell breaks loose when the giant suddenly brings its massive club down, narrowly missing the female fighter who leaps to the side just in time.

The club smashes into the ground knocking the fighters to the floor, and the giant looms over them, raising its club once more for the killing blow. Both Falkir and I draw our bows and notch an arrow, Falkir fires first, the arrow hitting the giant square in the chest causing it to stumble slightly. It turns to face us, the stricken trio momentarily forgotten. It charges us, but is stopped in its tracks as I release my arrow, hitting it in the right shoulder. The enchanted shot blast the giant with lighting, causing it to roar in pain. Falkir hits it again, this time in the left knee cap (ARROW TO THE KNEE).

By now Sabrina has reached the fallen fighters, restoration magic already flowing out of her.

Vex Darts forward, slicing his battle axe across the giants belly and then bringing it back around in a savage upper cut. Another one of my arrows hits it, catching it in the temple.

With one last roar of anger, the giant crashes to the ground and lays still.

"Oh hell yeah" cries Vex "That, is giant slaying, right there." He stands over the corpse, and kicks it several times in the head

I jog over to the fighters, and stop to help one back onto his feet. He looks to be in his mid-thirties, with long black hair and wearing steel armour. He wields a large iron great sword (insert innuendo here).

He smiles and thanks me, before walking over to the giant's body, poking it.

"It's dead alright, you guys fight well."

One of the women in the trio, with red hair and some very…., questionable armour, (let's just say it revealed a bit too much) bends down to retrieve her bow where she had dropped it. The one thing you never do in armour like that is bend over. I give a strangled squawk, nearly tripping over my own tail. Sabrina looks over, before realising what I'm looking at. She glares at me, storms towards me and kicks me in the shins, hard.

"Ow" I yell, clutching at my shin "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow."

Everyone stares, except Sabrina, who goes back too healing a small gash on her arm from when the giant had clubbed the ground, it had sent several large shards of rock sailing through the air and one had clipped her fore arm, her face impassive.

I stopped hopping around and smiled sheepishly, nobody had seen Sabrina kick me, so I say "Stubbed my toe….."

"Moron" mutters Vex.

"You four would make good shield brothers." Says the redhead "I'm Aela, this is Farkas and Ria."

The last of the trio, another woman with black hair and light armour, a sword at her belt says "I agree, they seem capable."

"Shield brother?" I ask, I've never heard that term before.

Aela frowns "You've never heard of the Companions" we all shake our heads "We're an order of warriors. We show up to take care of trouble, if the coins good enough."

That just sounds like a group of sell swords to me, but I decide not to voice this opinion, I have been known to offend people without realising it and this would probably cause one of those moments.

Instead I say "Sounds fun, but we're kind of busy, important dragon business and stuff, but maybe we could talk about it later."

Vex is still starring at Aela's… armour, and Falkir is retrieving his and my arrows from the giants body, Sabrina for some reason is staring of into space, an angry look on her face, so it's just me and these so called companions. I really want this conversation to be over, before I say something stupid like: "Don't you get cold wearing so little." Thankfully the one called Farkas says to Aela "We need to get back to Jorrvaskr, our contract is done."

Aela nods and the three "Companions" begin making their way back to Whiterun.

"Well they were certainly a curious group of individuals" laughs Falkir having finished retrieving the arrows, he passes me the ones I had shot.

"Thanks" I slip them back into my quiver before saying "They seemed nice enough, if a bit arrogant."

I can hear Sabrina muttering to my left.

"Stupid companion lady, what kind of person wears something as revealing as that. It's not right." She mutters "Don't even get me started on Marlow, staring like some kind of numbskull, he's lucky I don't break my healers oath and clobber him."

I take a couple of steps away From her, and put Vex between me and her. He looks at me questionably, before glancing over at Sabrina. Seeing her standing there muttering angrily, he gives me a knowing smile before walking up to her and poking her in the ribs "Am I hearing this right, the high and mighty Healer is jealous of some women who Marlow was DEFINITELY, starring at." She looks at him, fire practically glowing from her eyes.

"What was that?" she growls

"His words not mine." Laughs Vex, pointing at me.

She turns on me, her fists clenched and teeth bared.

"You're dead." She screams, charging towards me.

"I didn't say that" I cry out, but she keeps on coming " I hate you Vex" I scream before I run as fast as I can, the angry healer hot on my heels.

And of course, the guards at the gate to Whiterun see everything, including Sabrina tackling me to the ground and slapping me silly.

All in all, a wonderful first impression….

Authors note: And that's chapter 4, poor Marlow, Vex is just mean.

Hopefully Sabrina will have calmed down next chapter….

As always review and tell me what you think.

Fireprooflawyer 8)