I let my inspiration run rampant, so here it is: Chapter 9! Please enjoy.

Chapter 9: Leads

Cora groaned. She let the sack, Sven, come along on the possibility that she would need a human shield. She just wanted to be left alone. She sighed again, almost scoffing at how sarcastic and snide she was feeling. That poor idiot Hiccup would probably get lost or eaten by a saber cat on his way to the city, so he might as well come along for the ride.

She glanced back at the oafish man behind her, staring into her eyes with a blank gaze. Once she made eye contact, the man smiled lightly, teasing her with a wink and sliding his gaze down her figure. Great. She was stuck with the moron with his brain in his crotch, and the skinny dweeb with a goddamn dragon in his keep. Rolling her eyes and questioning, once again, what she had gotten herself into, she turned to face the trader.

"How fresh are you cabbages, good sir?"

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Hiccup lugged his supplies over to the blacksmith's shop across the stone street. He may have been older, but it didn't help him much in the carry-heavy-crap department. If you needed a dragon saddle broken in, however, he was your man.

He set his supplies next to the wooden canopy of the forge, and walked up the small wood-plank stairs to meet the blacksmith. A large man who was tanning hides stood up to look down on the man who had entered his forge. Hiccup was beginning to feel measly again. He backed up and cleared his throat.

"Good day, forge master. I come seeking the use of your forge," he said politely.

The man nodded, but not before curiously eyeing Hiccup's leg as he had done before. "Sure thing, good man," he replied, although he appeared somewhat hesitant. "Alvor is my name, I am the blacksmith of Riverwood, at your service. Any supplies you need? Here you will find the finest weapons and armor."

After crafting the much needed rod for Toothless' tail, the Viking broke down and purchased a light shield, a beautiful looking golden dagger with rounded curves, thick leather bracers, and leather boots to match his armored riding gear. In addition, he bought a leather helmet almost identical to Cora's but not before putting his own twist in adding face protection, spikes, and decals. It was the perfect riding helmet.

Alvor was impressed with his skill, so the two men discussed their apprentice training, and realized they both shared scars on the chins from their childhood experiences with molten steel and razor sharp blades. The judgment in the eyes of the blacksmith began to vanish the more time he spent with the young man, and he begin to understand him. They discussed the design of his foot, with Hiccup leaving out the part about how he lost it, and they continued to talk as Hiccup completed his helmet. After an hour or so, Hiccup waved at the man before leaving, lugging the supplies behind him.

He made his way into the forest to meet Toothless, who he found lazing in a patch of grass slowly swatting at a blue butterfly hovering near his face. His green eyes were heavy with boredom, but the moment he saw Hiccup, they brightened, and the dragon pinned him to the ground and slobbered his face like he hadn't seen him in years. The Viking giggled and wiped the fish-flavored goo off of his skin. Toothless' entire rear half wiggled in delight as he was presented with his large basket of fish, which he proceeded to wolf down in minutes.

Again, Hiccup giggled at the silliness of his best friend, before hunkering down next to the fire-breathing sweet heart with a loaf of fresh bread. Cora could wait an extra ten minutes.

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Cora hated taverns. By the Gods, the drunkenness, the stupidity; it never ended. Men were just getting on her nerves. She quickly made her way to the bar stool and flagged down the barmaid for a pint. Sven wandered off to join an Argonian in song (did she mention she hated singing?) and they now sang loudly with mugs in their hands.

She placed her face in her hands as a familiar blonde woman approached her. "Cora, nice to see you in town with your head still on its shoulders."

The elf lifted her head miserably. "Thanks, Delphine, nice to see you too. Sweet pint of mead for me please. Blackbriar, if you've got it."

The Inn Keeper smiled. "Only the best." She looked back at the singing occurring in the rear of the inn and snickered when she saw Sven eye the elf eagerly. "You're here with Sven? My gods, woman, get a real man."

The woman turned away from Cora to towel dry a metal tankard before filling it with frothy mead and handing it to her. She placed her elbows on the counter as Cora sucked greedily at the mug. "You don't think I'm trying?" Cora asked between gulps, whipping her mouth on her sleeve. "I just have to find out who killed my father, and maybe I can move on from there. Until then I'm off limits." She took another massive gulp, tilting her head back.

The woman shook her head as Sven began dancing on the tables. "Just make sure to not forget what's right in front of you," she laughed sarcastically.

But Cora's mind flashed to Hiccup. His eyes, his stupid smile when he touched his dragon, his hair, his genuine care…

"Cora?" Delphine asked, waving her hand in front of her face. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Cora shook her head. "Yeah," she replied lazily. "Too much mead at once," she lied, looking down at the amber liquid, now more than half way gone.

Delphine huffed in response, keeping her eyes on the scene. "Well, my dear, I've been hearing rumors that the Brotherhood is on the rise again. The dark assassins. It's worth looking into." She glanced over to find Cora with her head tilted completely back, dribbling the last of the mead into her mouth. She sighed again and changed the tone of her voice, hoping the elf would pay attention. "This time we might be onto something."

Cora looked up at her. "What color are their uniforms?" she asked with eyes half lidded and sounding completely disinterested.

"Thought you might ask that, like you always do of every lead I give you. Red and black," she said.

This caught the elf's attention. "Red and black? Are you sure?"

Delphine cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I am. Why?"

Cora looked down at the table again. "Those are the colors I remember disappearing into the forest when my father was killed," she looked up at Delphine again. "How do you always know what is happening in Skyrim?"

Delphine winked. "I am an Inn Keeper, of course," she smiled humbly, but Cora still didn't buy it. She and Delphine had become friends in the short time the elf had called Riverwood home. She had drunkenly divulged her intent to find her father's killer one night, but instead of turning her in, the woman seemed more than happy to help her with her quest, occasionally leaking information to her all the while denying their origins.

With renewed vigor, Cora stood up from the stool. "How can I find them?"

"There is a young boy who has performed the Black Sacrament in Windhelm named Aventus Aretino. It's all the local gossip. I'm sure taking out a target will allow you to attract their attention. Find a way in and find your father's killer," she explained. Her voice was longing, almost as if she wished to live through Cora, being right there in her plot for revenge. She smiled at her with fire burning deep in her eyes, which ignited something within the elf.

Cora felt something boiling within her, something of a chance to destroy the people who destroyed her. "I am meeting a friend here," she spoke, realizing it came out far more sinister than she anticipated it. Instead of fighting it, she let it slide over hear, fueling the hateful inferno that burned within her. She let a wicked smile slide onto her face. "Get me a room, Delphine. I will leave at dawn."