"Ruth, my dear girl! What's the occasion, if I may ask?" Ruth's cheeks took on a pinkish hue as she felt the familiar embarrassment bubbling to the surface. Before her stood a tall, fat man. He was bald, a nasty scar running down his left eye, his right hand missing, and his eyes were green in color. His belly was partially covered by a stained and torn white shirt, his lower body hidden behind a wooden countertop. His smile, however, was one more at home belonging to a kind grandfather than a fat store owner. Ruth responded with her own polite smile.
"Hello, Mr. Varys. It's nice to see you doing-"
"Yes! Yes! I'm fine. But how are you?," His smile faltered, "After that star fell I... Are you hurt? Do you feel sick at all? Anything I can do for you? You want a drink? Maybe a talk? Anythin' at all, ok?" Ruth was initially going to decline his offer, but she realized something, something a little unusual. He offered something for free. That was... Virtually unheard of. Maybe she scared him by being gone for too long, or maybe that star's fall caused him a bit of brain damage, or... Something.
"Do you have anything that dulls pain or slows blood loss?" A raised eyebrow and a hesitant smile met her gaze but he slowly nodded. He turned from her; vanishing into the back of his little cabin. He always kept the good stuff down there. Gems, trinkets, rare books, even rarer plants and herbs. and priceless weapons. Well, only he considered them priceless. Things she could use. She was thankful that old Varys never really asked too many questions, or put his nose where it didn't belong, or tried to keep her locked away in her room. The locals, however, was a very different story.
The locals thought of Ruth as something of a witch or alchemist. Ludicrous. It was all a matter of science, and understanding biology. No magics or sorceries or cheap parlor tricks. Her work had a real, tangible, corporeal effect on the world. Not to say she didn't have the occasional mishap or accident. Such things were to be expected when she was essentially stumbling about blind and deaf with no mentor or aide of any kind. She got a few nasty scars from imperfect and homebrewed concoctions. Nothing a little rest couldn't heal. But the locals... Oh, they started rumors about she consorted and slept with Demons or Warlocks or other ghosts and ghouls of the night. Stupid! She hadn't even been kissed yet! Let alone to let a Demon even touch her... Such things made her want to puke.
Ruth took this silent moment to study her surroundings. Outside was a small village, blue skies, and miserable old hags and older men. People who didn't value the importance of her work... But she still provided help. It was annoyingly, infuriatingly, maddeningly, and strangely hilarious how little they understood her vital importance here. The damn village would have been destroyed a hundred times over by plagues or diseases without her 'potions', as they would call it. Potions did not exist. At least the magical variety didn't. Simply stupid people with stupid - albeit minimal - thoughts saying stupid words. They were ignorant, malicious, and smelled like excrement mixed with fish. A small part of her hated them all. A smaller part wished they would all burn alive. Most of her was more rational. Ignorant people, she'd tell herself, they don't know better.
The heavy stomps of Varys stole her attention. The aged man came into sight, holding several heavy boxes and jars. Varys roughly dropped his items onto the countertop, causing Ruth to recoil slightly. He either didn't notice or didn't care. She bet on the first option.
"I ain't too good with them flowers and the like. So I just grabbed a bit of everything. You're welcome to take whatever it is you require. But uh... Mind explaining why you need these things? Or why smell of burnt wood and smoke?" Ruth's first instinct was to tell him about that black dragon and its wounds. But she stopped herself. Would he believe her? Maybe not, maybe so. But she couldn't risk telling him and run the risk of him letting it slip. She'd be imprisoned for heresy and spend the rest of her life misrable and in a cold, dark, and damp dungeon being mocked for the rest of her days. And that was if she was lucky.
"Oh, well, you see... Uh... I... I found a wounded... Wolf?" A strange and inquisitive look crossed his face, "Yeah! A wolf! Just a little pup. Poor thing was hurt and all alone. Its parent must have been abandoned it once that star fell. Yeah, a-and it had a broken leg! I just feel so bad for it, and it was too cute to simply leave it there, and... And... Uh... Well... A-a-and the trees were burning from... A lightning bolt! W-well, no, not lightning, but... But... But uh..."
"Ok, ok, ok. Keep your secrets, Ruth, but just know if anything happens, than this... 'Wolf'll' have to answer to me. Now skedaddle, business is about to open, and I get the feelin' Lady Drmistu will be hungerin' for-"
"Ok! Ok! I don't... I don't need that image in my head." Ruth felt a shiver run up her spine. And Varys merely chuckled as his eyes gleamed with amusement. Yet just as Ruth started to grab any supplies she figured would be useful, he traded his amused grin for a sudden expression of realization, and he looked her dead in the eyes.
"Don't forget about tomorrow! Its a special day, ya know, birth of Manwe, or some other religious crap. I've heard rumors that the... Uh... Lets say 'faithful', are stoppin' by as well. When they get here just... Just try and not let them see your concoctions and weird thingies. Ya know how that superstitious lot gets when they see somethin' they don't quite understand. Promise me, please, Ruth... Don't do anything stupid." Ruth let out a hefty sigh, averted her gaze, and mumbled out an agreement. Faithful... No truly faithful servant of the Five would burn children alive. Or kill a father before his only daughter. Or gut a woman from groin to chest in front of her daughter for simply believing in the Old Gods and practicing the Old Ways. But religion is often a powerful tool to control the mindless masses, she learned that when she was barely five, and their good liars. Better killers. Unfortunately for Ruth, she was neither. Lucky for them... One day... One day they will all burn...
"Good, good. Goodbye, and don't let the door hit you on 'er way out! Hahahaha... Lady Drimstu... I can't wait!"
So, what do you guys think? Good? Bad? I'm curious to know. As always leave a review, your thoughts on my work, and I'd like to hear your guys thoughts on what Alduin will do. And I mean actually think about it. This isn't the ancient, all-consuming, aspect of Aka, World Eater Alduin. This is the Mythic/Merethic era World Eater that ruled over ancient Akavir and Skyrim before battling the ancient Nordic Heros atop the Throat of World Alduin. Hell, those two versions of Alduin are so vastly different they might as well be two different characters. Ah, but such is the mess known as TES lore. Speaking of which, I wonder how many of you know TES lore. If so, just say what you may know, and if not I will be more than happy to explain Elder Scrolls lore. And my final question of the day concerning TES lore: Are you aware of the Godhead?