Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 25

Fredas the 28th of Frostfall 4E71 Mid Afternoon

Stepping inside the Wawnet, Alex followed along behind Forester and Rena. The short hallway remained just a little dark with the front door closed. With the stone walls along either side, it still felt a little enclosed, but the lighting from the lamp at the far end served as a beckoning beacon.

Off toward the right, the light coming from the tavern area appeared notably brighter than what came from that sconce on the wall. As was often the case during fair weather, all of the high-set wooden shutters along the southern wall were pulled wide open. Those other newer windows added to the stone wall on the eastern side also contributed to the daylight reaching inside the main space.

Though the tavern was not quite so bright and airy during the evenings, it was not nearly as dimly lit as it seemed a few decades before. With the ceiling of the tavern being far too low for suspended lighting, a number of additional wall-mounted lamps had been added some years back. The overall effect did seem to make the place look far more inviting.

Even the service counter area seemed a little brighter and more open. Mounted upon the wall behind the bar, there was a high-set shelf. Upon that shelf sat a sealed burial urn. It was placed so that it could be clearly seen from most parts of the tavern area. Even though she was long gone, that served as monument to Nerussa's memory.

With a mild expression of curiosity upon her face, the slender female Bosmer standing by that counter looked up to see who had just arrived.

Rena spoke up first. "Belwen, how are you?"

"I'm quite well." The Bosmer's face lit up with a genuine smile.

Compared to her human friends, it seemed as though only half the past two decades had any notable affect upon her outward appearance. During the passage of that time, she'd remained there all those years running the inn by Monika's side.

Just a short pause passed as she looked over the visitors, then Belwen prompted further. "You both look well. Things are well with you?"

Rena responded for both of them. "Yeah, things are well. We're doing alright. So, where's that husband of yours today?"

Belwen rolled her eyes a little. "Somewhere out in the West Weald. He said he would back before Sundas."

Though he was more than fifteen years her senior, Edalfin had turned out to be good match for her. Though he was also Bosmer, moderately handsome and quite likeable in manner, she hadn't readily taken to him at first. Unlike Belwen, he was not originally from Valenwood. He'd been born and raised in Bravil. Not that such things really had much to do her initial disinterest. She just hadn't been interested in pairing with any suitor. He'd pursued her for a good year before she even offered him any serious consideration. Nonetheless, his persistence eventually paid off and that turned out just right for the both of them in the end.

Edalfin's work often kept him away from the Wawnet for days at a time. He served as a ranger of sorts contracted to the Legion. He received only a minor stipend for his service. In effect, he remained a freelance hunter. However, he was required to roam the south of the West Weald, from the upper reaches of the White River across to the upper reaches of the Strid, south of Skingrad. His contracted responsibilities required him to report upon activities along the border with the Elsweyr Kingdoms, but more importantly, also keeping a watchful eye toward the Valenwood border of the Aldmeri Dominion.

Responding to the sounds of voices, Monika emerged from the passageway leading to the back room, still holding a journal in one hand. Her look of surprise quickly shifted to an expression of delight. "Rena, Forester. Didn't think we'd be seeing you until some time tomorrow. At the earliest."

As Alex dashed upstairs to deposit the travelling packs in the Ocato room upstairs, Forester offered another quick explanation of where they'd just been. Rena added that after those past few days on the road, she was quite looking forward to staying in one place for a short while. As Alex had previously suggested, Monika was quick to express her gratitude for that oak chest that arrived a few weeks before. It was actually for Nikula, intended to replace a much older and inadequate one that she'd outgrown. That new chest had arrived just in time for her birthday.

During a brief pause, Monika extended an offer to provide something from the tavern's bar. Forester politely declined, indicating the water flask upon his belt. Rena agreed with her husband, suggesting that anything else could wait until dinnertime.

Alex returned from upstairs just as Monika was suggesting that both Forester and Rena were looking really well and that travelling by horseback must be so much easier than marching along the roads.

Forester nodded ambivalently without expressing comment.

Rena snorted ironically. "Feeling well? Yeah, but looking old."

Monika responded with a reassuring smile. "No, not at all. B'sides, like they say, you're only as old as you feel."

With a sigh and a crooked smile, Rena accepted the comment in the spirit that it was offered. Still, she was thinking that it was much easier for Monika. With her mother's Altmer blood, very few of her seventy-odd years seemed to show upon her face. At the most, she looked like she might have just reached the age of forty, and a very healthy and easy forty at that. Rena was less than two years from joining her husband on the far side of sixty and she held no illusion in mind of anything otherwise.

"Ras'Dar not coming?" Belwen asked the question, shifting the topic.

Forester cleared his throat. "Well, no. Not this year. As I understand it, he's rather busy at the Guildhall, back in Skingrad."

"Busy? At this time of year?" Alex's frown conveyed his scepticism.

Rena scoffed. "Rather 'moody', more like."

Forester raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps so, but also rather busy… with the initial training of those two fresh Guild recruits."

"New recruits?" Alex sounded curious, still wondering how that was directly affecting Ras'Dar. He thought that the porter usually handled new recruits at first.

Forester nodded. "Well, yes. As you know, Temel-Za is still serving as Skingrad's current Guild Porter. One of those new recruits is a Dunmer, fresh from Morrowind."

Expressions of general understanding were exchanged. Most of them knew that the crusty old Argonian begrudgingly accepted local Dunmer, but remained somewhat hostile toward any gray-skins born and raised in their native land. Evidently training that dark-elf had fallen to Ras'Dar. After all, he was easily the other most experienced and skilled individual at that Guildhall. Only Elynwen was superior to those other two and she was generally busy with running the office.

Forester continued. "As I understand it, that new Dunmer shows some interesting potential. Though he's rather young and only a moderately skilled combatant, he possesses some fair skill with magic. Not exactly a highly trained mage, but somewhat skilled."

Rena interjected with a laconic tone. "He was just a frost merchant."

Forester explained. "He was previously serving on merchant vessels. Primarily using his magic skills to keep perishable shipments chilled during transport. He came to Skingrad only recently, after parting from the Imperial Trading Company. Still, Ras'Dar seems enthusiastic that he can whip him into proper shape."

"He's still been moody." Rena scoffed again.

Alex shook his head in silent question.

Forester cleared throat again. "Yes well, that's another matter. That's more related to his pursuit of that younger Cathay over in Faregyl. The daughter of that farmer who he'd previously placed you in contact with."

Alex nodded silently, thinking of the Khajiit who'd helped him with his beehives.

Monika shook her head. "That again? I thought that nothing ever came of that."

Forester scratched an itching earlobe. "Well, no. It didn't."

Rena chimed in. "Ras'Dar didn't give up so easily. Even though she wasn't having any of it, he just kept trying to win her over." She paused to shake her head. "I got the impression that she had her eye on a trader from one of those trading caravans. A big dark coloured Cathay-raht from Riverhold who passes through regularly."

Belwen responded with a sympathetic expression. "Poor Ras'Dar."

Forester shuffled uncomfortably. "Yes well, the ways of the Khajiit can be rather mysterious."

Rena snorted again. "Yeah. Even to them."

Alex tried to sound optimistic. "Well, it sounds like he is doing well at the Guildhall."

Forester nodded. "Yes, he is. He's come a long way since those early days. He's a ninth rank Guild Fighter now. He's been second-in-charge at Skingrad, ever since Beaufort went back to High Rock."

Everyone already knew all of that, but Forester's words served to again highlight his elevated opinion of the diminutive Suthay. After all, he did have a lot to do with Ras'Dar's earlier training, back in the day. Accordingly, he took some pride in how his influence had played some part in just how well the Khajiit had turned out with the Guild.

Monika indicated the chairs about the table situated nearest to the bar. Though no one was eating or drinking, sitting down seemed far more comfortable. With the tavern so quiet, they remained near enough for Belwen to still hear and participate in conversation.

Rena cast a curious glance about the empty tavern. "Seems a bit quiet in here. How's business been?"

Belwen offered ominous warning. "It's only the calm before the storm."

Monika affected a tight grin. "Business has been fine. This is just the typical Fredas afternoon lull, before things get busy tonight. Tomorrow is likely get even busier ahead of Sundas. Then, things will settle down a bit again. Especially after Morndas. Otherwise, business is steady enough, most of the time. Not too quiet, not too noisy."

That last part prompted a thought from Alex. He looked to Forester. "Have you heard from Frederick the Loud lately?"

After waiting for the expected chuckles to pass, Forester responded to the question with a reserved smile. "Well, not directly. Not for some time. As you know, he has retired to that small farm outside the walls of Anvil."

Alex nodded. "Yes, I recall you saying. I just thought that you might have heard from him. He used to drop by here from time to time, but not for a while now."

Monika furrowed her brow. "Don't think we've seen him here since before he left the Guild."

Forester shrugged mildly. "I don't suppose that you would have. The last time we saw him was when he passed through Skingrad, on his way over to Anvil. Perhaps, three years past?" He looked to his wife.

Rena nodded. "Yeah, about that."

Forester continued. "From what I'd heard from others, he doesn't travel any more. He merely potters about with that plot of land he acquired, enjoying the warmer clime of the Gold Coast and making enough coin to accommodate his taste for ale."

Rena chuckled. "That farm must be doing well."

"Yes, quite." Forester agreed, suppressing the urge to smile.

Alex thought of another. "What about Alaron Suvaris? I cannot recall seeing him around here in more than a year."

Belwen spoke up. "I saw that other one here, just a few months ago. Arvel?"

Forester corrected her. "Arvon. Arvon Aldreth."

Belwen shrugged. "Arvon. He was with an older Nord woman. He mentioned that Suvaris hadn't come back to Cheydinhal yet. I don't think he said any more than that."

Forester nodded. "As I understand it, Suvaris set off for Morrowind, in search of a relative he'd thought long dead. After receiving word from a third party. Mournhold bound, I believe."

With furrowed brow, Alex returned a nod. "You did tell me something about that. Must have been about a year back. I would have thought…"

Forester's expression seemed less certain than his words. "I'm certain that he will be perfectly fine. There are few more capable Guild Fighters than Suvaris."

Rena nudged her husband with her elbow. "Of course he's fine. Probably just got himself sidetracked."

Monika added something. "Even if he started at Mournhold, things coulda taken him elsewhere. Mainland Morrowind is still a big place."

There was no arguing with those points. Though not nearly as densely populated as parts of the devastated island of Vvardenfell had once been, the remainder of that land did cover a vast area. Added to that, travel to certain parts remained more difficult than in times long gone by.

Forester cleared his throat noisily. "Tell me, has there been any further word from Karl gro-Baroth, since his retirement from the Guild?"

Alex and Monika both nodded, but Monika spoke up first. "Yeah, got another letter a couple of months back. He visited my mother, up in Wayrest. Sent the letter from the city."

Alex chimed in. "He's still living in that small farming town in the north-west, with his brother and his family. Still helping with running the farm."

Monika clarified the location. "Ripwold. About a full day's ride from Wayrest. Below the Wrothgarian Mountains."

Rena nodded silently, trying to picture that part of High Rock on a map.

Forester tilted his head thoughtfully. "I should imagine that must represent quite a change of pace for him."

Monika shrugged. "That's what he wants. Live out his days watching over his brother's family. His children and grandchildren."

Rena frowned. "Are they like… like 'wild Orcs', up there?"

Monika shook her head. "Not really. Not in the towns. S'posed to be some warrior tribes up in the mountains somewhere, if they're still there." She paused to chuckle. "S'pose Uzgark's grandchildren might qualify as 'wild Orcs'."

Monika's comment elicited some subdued chuckles from others.

Of course, Karl had far fewer days ahead of him than he had behind him. In truth, he never really expected to live quite so long, let alone long enough to retire to a life of relative leisure. Nonetheless, he'd really done about as much with the Fighters Guild as he could reasonably expect during his lengthy tenure as Guild Master and he seemed content enough to leave it to others to continue on in his stead. Though he never did get to do much about re-establishing any proper Guild presence in either Skyrim or Morrowind, he'd managed to make a notable difference in Hammerfell and also reconnect with those Guildhalls of High Rock. Of course, those other lands beyond the influence of the Empire would remain beyond the reach of Chorrol's Guildhall, but nothing could really be done about that. Whether that new Guild Master would do near as well as Karl, remained to be seen.

Just then, there were some rowdy noises coming from the front entrance of the Wawnet. The sounds of younger voices were followed by the loud bang of the front door being slammed far harder than seemed at all necessary.

Without looking in the direction of the entryway, Monika sighed. "Sounds like the 'wild Orcs' are here."

Alex raised his eyebrows, only suggesting a mild protest that remained unspoken.

They all waited quietly for the arrivals to come into the tavern area.

~O~