Accident and Destiny

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 6

Tirdas the 11th of Sun's Height 4E48

It was after midnight, possibly about two hours past that, when Alex awoke with a start. He had heard something in the farmhouse. There was still just enough of a glow from the fireplace to see. He was just beginning to fumble for a weapon, when he realised that the shadow that he could see was Monika. She had partly gotten up from the bedroll and stumbled as she tried to get up properly.

"Monika?" Alex called to her. "What is it? Are you all right?"

"Ugh." Monika groaned. "Better than before."

"Should you be up?" he asked, rising from the floor.

"I'm… I'm more impressed… that I CAN... get up."

Alex moved to help her. She looked like she was about to fall down. He helped her to sit back down.

"I need to go." She said.

"You are not in any condition…"

"No… I need to go… Look, can you just get me that pot under that busted bed?"

"Huh?"

"It's under there. Look."

Alex looked in the shadows under the broken bed and saw what she was talking about. He reached down underneath to retrieve the pot. He turned back to her and saw that she was fumbling to unbuckle her leather outfit.

"I will just go outside." He said.

"You don't… Okay, then. I won't be long."

Alex stepped outside for a while. Since he was awake and outside, he went off to take a leak. He waited for a while longer before timidly knocking at the door.

"It's okay." Monika said.

Alex came back in. Monika had lay back down upon the bedroll. She had left her leathers lying in a pile on the fall. She was only wearing her underclothes. Alex had noticed severe bruising about her ribs on her right side and another dark bruise about her left shoulder, before lowering his eyes and looking away.

"Could… could I get you to get rid of that?" Monika indicated the pot over by the wall.

Alex nodded and took care of it. He returned quickly, but avoided looking at Monika directly in her state of undress.

"I… I only have one more vial… of healing potion." Monika said. It seemed fairly obvious that she was in pain. "Could I get you… to find it for me?"

Alex went to her pack and did as she asked. She held out her hand and Alex gave her the vial. He was still trying not to look at her, embarrassed at the necessary intrusion. She drank down the potion quickly.

"Water?" she requested.

Alex handed her the water bladder from her pack. She took just a few sips and then handed it back. Alex needed to put the stopper back in, as she seemed unable.

"The potions… must be working." She said. "At least, I can move now."

"You are still too weak…" Alex suggested.

"Oh yeah. But now… now I can move my arms and legs. Up… up until just now, I thought that I might be finished." She made another groaning noise. "Now… now I can… actually feel… how much I hurt."

Alex suddenly understood what she had meant by not being able to move, or feel the extent of her injuries.

"You should probably keep resting then." He said.

"No… no choice… about that." She tried to pull the cover of the bedroll over herself, struggling with it. Alex moved to her side and helped her with it, before withdrawing again. Monika closed her eyes and surrendered to sleep within moments.

Alex sat and thought about things for a short while, before deciding to go back to sleep for the remainder of the hours before dawn.

The sounds of the morning birds outside had eventually roused Alex from his sleep shortly after the dawn. He checked upon Monika. She was still sleeping. He did not want to disturb her rest. He went outside for a short while. He returned with some more firewood from the pile that he had made outside. He tried to remain quiet as he gently placed each piece of wood down, then tried to get the fireplace burning properly again.

"I'm awake." Monika said quietly from behind him.

"Oh." He responded, focussing upon the fire. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a broken down farmhouse. But at least I can feel it." She paused. "I suppose that I must be improving." She added, trying to sound positive.

"Do you think that you are up to eating something?" Alex asked.

"I think that I probably should." She sat up and started to get out of the bedroll.

"Just stay there." He insisted. "I will prepare some proper food for you."

"Okay". She eased back.

Alex set about the task. He roasted some of the salted meat that they had. He also used that larger pot that he had previously used for warming water to boil up some vegetables from their supplies.

Once ready, he brought food over to Monika. Only taking a rather small portion for himself. He did not need much, but she had hardly eaten since the ogre fight and really needed some proper food to help her body heal.

She sat up to eat, leaning forward. Alex again averted his eyes after catching sight of her breast cleavage exposed from her underclothes. It was not as though he had not had his ample share of experience after excitable nights at the taverns of Falkreath and Helgen. This situation was wholly different. He felt awkward and guilty over even recognising that she was a woman.

After finishing her meal, Monika had settled back to rest again. After a few moments, she spoke up.

"So, what brought you down from Skyrim?" Monika asked.

"Well, my mother died recently." Alex said.

"Oh."

"I did not really want to stay at Pinewatch, with everyone gone. I decided to leave it behind and set off into Cyrodiil looking for adventure. Just like my grandfather did when he was a young man."

"Well, here's your adventure then." Monika started to chuckle, but had to stop because it hurt too much.

"Yes, I suppose." Alex smiled ironically. Hoping to avoid talking about how he actually came to be wandering on foot with limited equipment, he directed the conversation away from himself. "What about you? How did you come to be hunting bandits across Cyrodiil?"

"Heh, that's a long story." Monika said.

"Well, we are not going anywhere, right now." Alex prompted with a grin.

"Heh-heh, ouch." She paused, reminding herself not laugh. "Okay then, where do I start?" She pondered for another moment.

"Probably, at the beginning, I might suggest."

"Okay then. The beginning. Well… I was actually born in the Imperial City. Just a few days after Martin Septim lit the dragon fire and ended the Oblivion Crisis."

"What?" Alex interrupted. "That cannot be right." He thought about it for a quick moment. "That was forty-eight years ago. You seem no older than me."

"Is that a compliment?" She toyed with him.

"I, um… I am only just twenty-seven…"

"Then, I suppose it must have been." She grinned. "Anyway, I was born in the Imperial City. My mother worked for the Imperial Trading Company at the time. She worked for the traders at the company warehouse down on the waterfront. In the office by the docks. She worked in the Market District of the city before that. As I told you, my mother is Altmer. Born and bred in the Imperial City, not one of those Summerset Isle snobs. Lived all her life there by that time. My father is a Nord. Born in Cyrodiil too, but his parents were originally from Skyrim. He was a sailor back then. He'd been all over. Wherever the ships took him."

"They met down at the docks." Monika continued. "Eventually, they ended up getting married. Not long after that, I came along."

"I would have been only about three years old when we left the city, so I don't really remember it from back then. Only what I was told later. But I do know they had a few reasons for leaving. The assassination of the Emperor, then the Oblivion Crisis. That was part of it. Also with the Elder Council having trouble with some of the leaders of the provinces. I also remember that my mother really hated her boss and my father was concerned about pirates starting to sneak up the Niben Bay from southern waters. In any event, we relocated to the far north."

Monika paused to take a sip of water.

"My father had secured ongoing work with the East Empire Company at a northern outpost. We moved up to a settlement near Fort Frostmoth, up on the southern coast of Solstheim. It was bloody cold up there in the winter. Not so bad in the summer. Once we were there, my mother got to work at the company warehouse there. My father worked on the ships again. Mostly short runs between Skyrim and Morrowind."

"I was only five or six, I think, when things changed. That was when Vivec City and all of Vvardenfell were destroyed. With the mountain exploding and all that. Obviously, trade was in chaos. There was the big influx of Dunmer refugees to Solstheim."

"I remember the stories about that." Alex interjected.

"Hmm, yes." She affirmed. "Things were bad, and Solstheim was becoming way too crowded, and not with work opportunities. We moved to Solitude from there. My father was able to get some work with the company at the Solitude port. Using his previous connections. But really, work was still fairly lean at that time. We weren't up there for all that long. Maybe two or three years. A bit less, I think."

"Once they'd saved up enough to travel, we headed off for High Rock. We ended up settling in the port city of Wayrest. Now, that place was really booming compared to the far north. It still is. Probably the wealthiest trade location in High Rock. Far enough away to be relatively unaffected by the troubles of Cyrodiil or the loss of most of Morrowind. They both worked for other traders for a while. Eventually, they were able to set up their own trade and merchant business. I worked for them once I was old enough. Well, on and off, that is. They're still there with their business. They're doing quite well. They have several employees. My father doesn't do so much now. He's getting too old for it, but my mother is still in her prime."

Alex remembered that Altmer lived much longer, and age more slowly. As was fairly obvious from Monika's appearance, even though she was only half-Altmer.

"But what brought you back to Cyrodiil?" Alex prompted, because she had stopped her story again.

"Oh, a few things. Mostly, I just wanted to get away… and I wanted to see where I came from." She seemed a little evasive about something. "I made my way to Cyrodiil and the Imperial City about eight years back. It was a new age, with a new Emperor. I want to see for myself. I did try some merchant work when I first arrived, but that became boring fairly quickly."

"I'd met up with a few adventuring types when I'd done some trade runs to Chorrol and Bravil. I got to talking with them, and that got me thinking. So, I did some training with the Fighter's Guild and learned that I had some skill for it. Needed some more training before I was any good. After a while, I joined the Guild and started doing some work for them. Usually sent out with teams of other more experienced members to begin with. A few months later, just paired up with one of the senior fighters. Then eventually, I started to get more solo missions. Even some mentor jobs with some of the fresh recruits."

"That worked out nicely for me, for a couple of years. I got into trouble when I messed up a job in Skingrad. I won't go into it, but it got me suspended for a short while, and I was banned from doing work for the Skingrad office. After that, I stepped back from the Guild a little bit. Started taking independent contracts and bounty work from the Chorrol office, or any other Guild office that offered freelance contracts."

"Does that pay well?" Alex asked.

"It can do." She answered. "It depends on the contracts. Anyway, I'm back in the good books with the Chorrol Guild office. So, I can take both Guild jobs and freelance contracts again."

Monika paused a moment. "Whoo." She sighed. "I think I'm all worn out again. From just talking."

"You should probably rest then."

"I think you're right. The quicker I get better, the quicker I get out of here."

Monika settled back to rest again. Alex decided to get out of the farmhouse for a while, so that he did not disturb her. He took his hunting bow and other weapons, intending to go off scouting the area for a while.

Alex did not really expect to find anything different from what he had seen before. It was more the case that he was just trying to keep himself occupied. He decided to head east of the farmhouse through the forest.

This time when he reached the area where the woods thinned out to the rising slope, he decided to climb the hill for a short distance. He was concerned that he might be spotted upon the exposed hillside and remained cautious. He had mostly hoped that he might be to see the walls of Chorrol or some other recognisable landmark to help identify the location. However, the surrounding forest remained thick enough to obscure his view.

He resisted the temptation to stray any further in that direction. Instead, he made his way indirectly back to the farmhouse, swinging around to the south on his way back.

In a fairly heavily wooded part of the forest not far from the farmhouse, Alex had spotted a brown ground pheasant foraging in the fallen leaves. It had not yet been alerted to his approach. He took the opportunity to further test his archery skill. He certainly believed that it needed more work.

To his mild surprise, he had managed to hit the target in just one shot from a distance of twenty-five paces. He convinced himself that it was not just good luck, but his skill must surely be improving. He collected the pheasant and headed back to the farmhouse.

Alex selected a spot near the edge of the clearing and set about plucking and cleaning the bird. That kept him fully busy for quite some time. All the while, he thought about how best to prepare the bird, and just how good the freshly roasted meat would taste after the preserved meats of the past few days.

Feeling quite pleased with himself, Alex came back into the old farmhouse with his freshly clean pheasant in hand. He saw Monika was sitting up in her underwear. Her eyes closed, she was whispering some sort of spell. At least, that was what Alex presumed. He waited a lengthy moment. Then a ball of light seemed to emerge from her hands. The light seemed to creep up her arms like a rolling fog, quickly engulfing her entire body for a brief moment before fading away. She sagged forward, indicating the expense of the effort.

"Yeah, it's alright to come in." Monika said in a weary tone.

"Was that a healing spell?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. Best I can manage at the moment, anyway."

Alex turned to push the door close again.

"Could you leave that open?" She requested. "It's starting to get too bloody hot in here. It would be good if you could get any of those windows to open as well."

"Okay." Alex did as she asked, setting the pheasant down on the stone by the fireplace.

"Nice pheasant." She commented.

"It should be, in a few hours." He said, as he struggled with the stuck shutters of one of the windows. With some effort, he managed to budge it without breaking it. He then moved on to try the other one.

"Look, I need to clean up." Monika said. "I went outside for… a little bit, when you were gone. I also wanted to get some water, so I could get cleaned… but I don't yet have the strength…"

"I can do that." Alex offered.

"That would be great."

Alex went off to fetch a bucket full of water from the barrel outside. He returned and set the water down for her. He then stopped and thought a moment.

"Should I warm some water over the fireplace?" He asked.

"No. That should be fine."

"I will go just go outside for a while."

"Okay, then."

Alex set about collecting more firewood and adding it to the growing pile outside the farmhouse. He did not know that it would be needed. There already seemed like far more than enough to meet any immediate requirement. He was just trying to pass the time.

After a while, he had heard Monika call out quietly. He returned inside. She was wearing a long cotton shirt that covered her well enough. Her other garments left hanging wet over the bucket.

"Could I get you to hang those outside somewhere so they can dry?" She asked him as she fumbled through her pack.

"Okay." He did as she asked, taking the bucket with him.

Alex was thinking how his new life as an adventurer was starting to feel a bit more domestic than he might have imagined.

As he returned, he saw that Monika had a jar of strange smelling oil that she was rubbing onto a bruise on her leg that he had not before noticed.

She glanced at him briefly as he came inside. "It's a mild healing balm." She explained. "It's okay for bruising and minor cuts, but that's about it. Every little bit helps."

"Okay." He acknowledged, heading over to the fireplace.

"Just one more thing." She said. "I've got to my ribs and shoulder okay, but I can't reach around behind. Could you…?"

"Yes, okay."

Alex took the jar of thick oil from her as she turned away and tried to lift the back of her shirt. He felt embarrassed at the sight of her buttocks as he helped lift her shirt. Then he was shocked at the sight of the dark bruising about her lower back.

"That looks bad." He said.

"I hoped you're not talking about the size of my butt." She quipped.

"Uh… how do I…?"

"Just rub it in, but be gentle. It's pretty tender."

Alex did as she said.

"Okay. All done." He said as he lowered her shirt back down.

"You'll make a fine nursemaid, one day." She joked. "Now, we should get that bird stuffed and roasting. It should be ready by about sundown, if we get started."

They set about stuffing the bird with suitable vegetable items contributed from both of their packs. Monika actually had herbs and spices that she produced to add to the mix. Alex set the prepared bird to roast over the fire. He would need to turn it several times as it cooked, but mostly, the rest of it would be waiting.

Monika was still far from fully recovered. Even fairly insignificant activity left her feeling worn out. She set herself back down to rest again for a few hours.

Alex tried to pass the time tending the fireplace and checking the roast. Mostly, he had just been thinking. He had thought about Monika's story. He had given some thought to what she had told him about the Fighter's Guild. Of course, he had heard of the Fighter's Guild of Cyrodiil, but he knew little more than he knew about The Companions from Whiterun. Just that they operated as a kind of independent peace keeping force. They performed tasks for the local rulers, but did not directly work for them. Alex considered that it sounded like a good way for him to proceed along the path ahead. At least, Monika had made it sound that way.

Monika's estimation had proved about right. Darkness had arrived at about the same time the roasting bird was ready. Alex had removed it from the fire to cool a little. He set about trying to close the windows and also the door to the old farmhouse. Monika had stirred from the noises that he had made.

"Hmm?" She murmured. "It's dark already." She noted. "The roast?"

"It is done." He informed her. "I am just allowing it to cool a little."

"Hmm, okay." She sat up, yawned and stretched.

After a short while, Alex portioned out some of the roasted pheasant and the content cooked inside of it. They ate and drank. There was still enough left behind to be of use for the next day. In any event, none of it would keep any longer than that.

They talked for a short while afterward. It was mostly Alex asking her about the ins and outs of the Fighter's Guild, and Monika providing him with fresh insights. It was not that long before she had again tired. She fell asleep as Alex was talking. She was lying upon the bedroll, but not quite properly. Alex moved her so that she was in the bedroll properly and then covered her. She stirred and murmured as he helped her, but she did not wake.

Alex tidied up the place a bit. Then he sat and thought about things for a while, before eventually deciding it was time to sleep. He thought and hoped that perhaps the next day might bring about better things, as he drifted off.

~O~