Chapter 4: Before the Storm: Part 1
"Orgnar." The lady proprietor of the Sleeping Giant Inn said to the bartender, while said bartender did not turn to look in her direction, not even a glance. After two seconds went by without response, put her fists to her sides and raised her voice: "Orgnar! Are you listening to me?"
"Hard not to." He finally said while still keeping watch over the Inn and it's patrons.
"The ale's going bad." She expected a reaction from him at those words, but he still did not say anything for a longer moment. She walked up to him in annoyance. "Did you hear me?!"
"Yep, ale's going bad."
"I guess you don't have potatoes in your ears after all. Just make sure to get a new batch soon."
The Sleeping Giant Inn would usually get lively after dusk, with the usual customers being the village natives who had come for the usual drink and chat. Other customers were travelers who made a stop to rest up for the night. Sven the bard played a mellow tune to ease anyone's discomfort. All in all, it looked like it would be another peaceful night, and the only thing the bartender still had to look out for were the drunks who would want to start a brawl.
Except that the door opened to let in two more visitors, a man gently escorting a woman in mourning. Everyone went silent. Those two strangers were still relatively new to the natives of Riverwood, and since the civil war had taken a toll on the families everywhere, they assumed she was mourning a loved one, and quietly turned back to nursing their own drinks, pretending not to notice them as they walked on towards the counter.
The proprietor, however, looked at them curiously, as if they seemed familiar.
"Are you the owner here?" Adrien asked politely.
"I am, how can I help you?"
"Is there a room available? She's in mourning and would like to be by herself tonight."
"For ten coppers, it'll be hers for the whole night," she offered, secretly holding back the urge to question the woman's reason for mourning.
"Here." He grabbed the bag full of coppers and gave it to her. After helping half the villagers in clearing out the mine, he spent his time separating the coins into three separate purses to make things a little easier. After counting out the 130 coins he had obtained in his one day of survival, he counted 92 coppers, 33 silvers, and 5 gold. That made their worth at a total of 1,417 Septims.
She opened the bag and picked out the copper coins out loud, one by one until she acquired ten in total. "Alright, it's hers for the night. Right this way." She gave back the coin purse, and then proceeded to lead them to the room available. She pulled out the key for the room, unlocked the door, and opened it for them. "Let us know if you need anything."
"Thank you." He led Summer into the rented bedroom after thanking her and then closed the door behind them. The candle lit room had enough space to get around, having a dresser drawer, a table and chair, and a chest sitting at the foot of the straw bed covered in furs. She settled down onto the bed as he then sat next to her.
"Is there anything you need, Summer?" He asked kindly as he rubbed her back to comfort her. "Anything I can do?"
"I just want to be alone," she moped as she looked further away.
He sighed through his nostrils, knowing there was nothing he could do at this point. "Alright, I'll leave you alone." He got up and was about to leave the room, but he turned back around, untied the bag of coppers from his belt and set it on the table before he left. It was the least he could do to help her buy the food she needed. He closed the door behind him, only to be met with the proprietor with her arms crossed.
"So, did she lose someone?" She asked with sympathy, but with hidden suspicion.
"To be honest, I don't know," he answered truthfully, not enjoying her curiosity. "I first saw her walking down the street babbling about something, and then she starts breaking down in tears. She did say she was married, but that's all I know."
"I see." She said evenly, picking up that uncertain tone in his voice, but otherwise filed it away.
"Will you keep an eye on her for me, please?" He asked. "Just to make sure she doesn't do anything drastic?"
"I will, but first, I would like to know something."
"Alright, what is it that you wish to know?"
"I overheard that a tall Imperial mercenary cleared out a mine by Gerdur's request. I'm guessing you were the one who took care of Embershard mine?"
"Yes," he nodded.
"So you took care of it all by yourself?" A hint of admiration in her otherwise cool voice.
"I did most of the work, but I had help," he corrected himself. "Ralof came to help me with the rest."
"Hm, is that so? Still, it was generous of you to step in."
"I'm just doing my job, milady." He bowed his head once, appreciating the gratitude nonetheless.
"I should let you go then. Take care of yourself."
"Thanks, you, too." He walked away and soon out of the front door.
'I get the feeling you're more than just some mere mercenary,' she thought with suspicion, but luckily not the kind that would warrant him as a threat.
Meanwhile
Just outside the inn, Ralof and Hadvar waited for Adrien to come back out. At this point the two opposing sides should have started arguing by now, but they remained silent with their heads down, as their thoughts lingered back to the incident that had taken place moments ago. They had no idea what she was talking about after storming out of the house and why she broke down after seeing the two moons. They wanted to feel sorry for her, but only if they understood why. They turned their heads to the sound of the front door opening to reveal only Adrien coming out.
"So, anything?" Ralof asked as the Imperial closed the door.
"I didn't want to push it." He answered as he sighed and shook his head. "She just wants to be left alone."
"That's probably for the best." Hadvar stated.
"I agree." Ralof said.
"Right, I believe we should turn ourselves in for the night, too. Hopefully she'll be calm enough by morning." Adrien suggested.
"All right, I'll go tell Gerdur that she won't be staying with us tonight." Ralof, while he was leaning against the railing, pushed himself off and walked back to the house without saying goodnight. Adrien and Hadvar looked at each other and nodded in agreement before heading back to the blacksmith's home. All they can hope for was for Summer to recover from whatever shock was ailing her.
Meanwhile, Summer continued to weep in her rented bedroom. The shocking realization of being in another world was bereaving, even more so to a mother of two daughters. She had kept all her hopes up, continued denying what her eyes were showing her until she got hit with the truth the hard way, right after seeing the map of Tamriel and seeing two whole moons. They were enough now to convince her that she would be trapped here forever. She did not know what to do now. She had nowhere else to go.
She soon crawled into bed, pulling one layer of fur as a blanket over her. She lay on her side with her back to the candlelight. She pulled from the folds of her clothes a folded piece of paper as she unfolded it to reveal a photo. It showed her with her husband Taiyang along with two little girls of different ages. The blonde girl standing in front of her father was Yang, being two years older than her half sister. The little dark red haired girl to her left was her half sister named Ruby, and she was shown being held by her birth mother. They looked so happy in that picture, but to Summer, it was downright cruel to watch.
"I'm never coming home." She sobbed and sniffed. "I won't be coming home at all. I'm so sorry."
She brought the photo tightly close to her chest as she continued to cry. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, the Breton proprietor had her ear close to the door, listening to everything she said as best she could the whole time. She did this either out of curiosity or paranoia. Either or, what the poor woman said confused her.
"Is that really necessary, Delphine?" Orgnar said taking offense to her intrusion. She sighed as she backed away from the door and turned to her partner.
"I'm just being curious. Call it a hunch." She explained her actions dismissively. All she had in return was a grunt of disapproval from the bartender. "I'll be turning myself in tonight. Make sure to close the inn at midnight."
"Got it," he said with nonchalance.
After she went to the door to her room, she stopped and turned back to him. "And Orgnar?"
"Yeah?"
"If she wakes up before I do, tell her that breakfast is on the house."
"Gotcha." She opened the door to her room and closed behind her. Orgnar looked in the direction of the mourning woman's room before looking away and exhaling through his nostril in pity, and continued his watch over the inn.
Riverwood, 7:30 AM, Morndas, 18th of Last Seed, Year 4E 201
Summer fluttered open her eyes. She had a dream last night where she was reading a story to her daughters, then skipped to baking for them when an Ursa burst through the wall and little Yang punched its head off. The last part was weird to her. She carefully got up, but she felt something in her hand as she lifted it up to see the photo of her and her family. Her expression turned sorrowful as the memories of last night flooded back to her, and even when she looked around the darkened room, she knew she was still stuck in this world. She felt defeated just looking around her, and seeing those two moons would haunt her for the rest of her nights.
As if on autopilot, she lazily got her feet off the bed, only to hear her stomach growl. She sighed, her emotional state would want her to be left alone to her sorrow, but what would be the point of her starving herself? Before she attempted to go for the door, she remembered Adrien leaving something behind for her. She looked at the table next to her, and even in the dim lighting she could see the bag lying there before her. She picked it up and carried it as she soon opened the door. She was greeted to the sight of patrons almost silently eating their breakfasts and drinking their ales, if her nose was not playing tricks on her. She ignored the smells and went to the nearest table. She set the bag of coppers on the table while she sat down, and for a while her mind wandered until she heard coughing from her right.
"Good morning, miss," Orgnar greeted, although he could tell by her expression that her mind was far away. "What would you like to have?"
"What do you have?" She asked. Her voice was drained of all emotion.
He hummed in thought for a second before coming up with an idea. "How about a vegetable stew with bread and mead on the side?"
"That'll do." She did not seem to care what she would eat or drink at this point.
"All right," he shrugged, "coming right up." He walked away and went about preparing the meal as he went to work behind the bar counter. He had chopped up and gathered the ingredients before getting the small pot hanging over the fire. He poured in water, brought the ingredients and dumped them into the slowly heating pot.
In the meantime, Summer stared dejectedly at the table. Her mind simply was going blank while the aching pain of sadness continued to swirl within her. She did not pay any attention to what was going on all around her, even as time seemed to fly by until her state of being was interrupted again by the placement of a wooden tray containing a wooden bowl of vegetable soup and a half cut loaf of bread. Then a bottle of mead was placed behind the tray.
"Soup's done and ready," Orgnar said kindly in his rough voice. "And there's no need for payment, it's on the house. For what it's worth, you… have my condolences."
She turned her head a bit and glanced at him with a small hint confusion on her saddened features. Then she remembered Adrien being cryptic to the proprietor last night. She immediately understood why he did not say much, so she went with it and nodded to him. "Thank you."
He nodded back.
"Another bottle of mead, please!" One of the customers demanded.
He glanced at the customer and answered him. "Coming right up." He turned back to Summer. "Enjoy your meal." And then he left to continue his job.
Summer looked down at the soup bowl. To what she could tell it contained skinless diced potatoes, diced leeks, chopped cabbages, and from the red pasty color, she could see it also had finely chopped tomatoes within it. She guessed there could be more, but there was only one way to find out as she picked up the metal spoon, scooped up a spoonful, blew softly to cool it and had a taste. All those negative emotions had been forgotten by the surprising taste, which also contained of other vegetables such as onions and minced garlic, along with the flavorus herbs. She looked back down at the bowl and thought to herself; 'this is not bad.'
She took another, and then another. Her thoughts and negative emotions were being washed away as she took her time to savor every taste of this soup. It tasted decent yet new to her taste buds. The addition of the bread made the meal all the more appetizing, and the bread also tasted better by dipping its edges into the soup to add more flavor.. to her small discovery. Eventually the bowl was empty of its stew, and the loaf of bread had been nearly eaten, but with a sigh and a pat on her stomach, she was full and satisfied.
All she had to do was down the rest with a drink, but when she was just about to grab the bottle, she halted her hand when she remembered what that bottle contained. She was not a drinker, and she would go as far as to say she avoided them like the plague, but then suddenly the memories of her family came crawling back to her, and the feeling of despair, of being trapped and alone returned two fold. She wondered how they must feel right now, learning she was never coming home. Would they truly be devastated? Of course they would be. Her husband Tai would be even more so, that was for certain. He had already lost his first wife, but that circumstance was different. Her daughters were as precious as treasure to her, but how would they cope without her, especially her daughter Ruby? She was so young the last time she saw her. A saddening question had come to mind; when that little Rosebud grows up, would she still remember her mother?
She stared at that bottle of mead, and while her aching despair grew, a curious thought had come to the forefront of her mind. Would it really hurt to just take a drink of it? Maybe if she took a swig of it maybe the sadness and pain would all go away. Slowly, and unconsciously, she reached out for the bottle, yet her conscience was screaming at her not to drink it. She could hear herself breathe through her nostrils, and her fingers were just mere inches away from the dark glass beverage when…
"Good morning, Summer." Adrien greeted her.
She gasped softly as she recoiled her hand away from the bottle and turned her head left to see the Imperial knight still in his belted tunic and boots. "Oh… hi, Adrien," she greeted sullenly and looked away as she wrapped her arms over her abdomen.
"Are you all right?" He asked with concern as he sat down next to her. "You looked like you were about to take a swig."
"I thought about it." She replied somewhat dismissively.
He was unconvinced. The signs were there when he saw her hand reaching for that bottle, and now she was just going back to looking at it. He knew that look all too well.
"I'd rather you not drink that mead, Summer." He advised calmly.
"And why shouldn't I?" She asked in subtle sorrow.
"Because I have seen more than enough adventurers and soldiers who would down a drink to drown away their sorrows, only to keep taking more so the pain would stay away. But in the end the pain will still be there, and all that bottle will give you is a small comfort." That got her to tilt her head a bit and glance in his direction. "I know that look, Summer; you're in pain. Whatever it is, you should face it. But that bottle…" He casually reached out and took hold of the mead. She did not argue or resist as he took the bottle to his side. "...is not the answer."
"Then how?" She began to crack as the water had begun to build up. "There's no way I can go back now! I won't be able to see my husband and daughters again!" And then the tears began to roll down her cheeks once again. "I can never go home!"
"There's always a way." He reasoned as he reached out for her shoulder. "All we have to do is find the right map to your home continent of–"
"No, you don't understand!" She snapped at him as she raised her voice, just after she heard 'continent' which angered her. "My home is not on a continent! I'm not even from here!"
Everything went suddenly quiet, and Adrien looked at her with surprised confusion. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"Ugh, of course you won't understand, Nobody will!" She sighed with frustrated anger as she then stood up out of the seat. "Why do I even bother!?"
"Summer, wait!" She ignored him as she turned around and stormed back into her rented room before slamming it shut. He sighed, but then felt eyes going in his direction when he looked back to see everyone being equal parts confused and curious. He looked to the bartender who had the same expression, but the proprietor was giving the knight a hard look. She gestured with her head towards the rented room, silently telling him to solve the problem himself. He understood the message, stood up, and went to the rented room while ignoring all the stares. He opened the door, and saw Summer sitting on the edge of the bed, her head being buried in her hands as she wept again. He closed the door behind him for their privacy before speaking up. "Summer…"
"Go away." She warned weakly through her hands as she sniffed.
He sighed through his nostrils, wondering how in Oblivion it came to this. He had almost forgotten that she mentioned being spoken for, but he did not know she also had children. He would have to choose his words carefully if he were to save her from her depressing situation.
"You're right, Summer. Of course I don't understand, but as a knight, I still want to help you. I can't do it if you leave me in the dark." He reasoned diplomatically as he carefully walked up to her.
"But how? How are you going to help me? You wouldn't understand a word I say and won't believe me if I told you." She argued weakly as she looked up at him, showing her cheeks stained with tears once again.
"Summer, you fell from a Daedric portal out of nowhere. That does mean you came from somewhere. So go on…," he sat down beside her, "try me."
She was a little taken back by his insistence in wanting to know. So with a sigh –assuming he would not be backing down– and after collecting herself, she gave him her honest answer. "I'm not from Nirn. I'm from another world called Remnant."
"Remnant?" He wondered aloud as he held back his disbelief for curiosity's sake. "Why is your world named that way?"
"It's because we only have four remaining kingdoms, the only bastions of humanity standing against soulless monsters called Grimm."
"Soulless monsters…? You mean the undead?"
"No," she shook her head, "they're not what you people would perceive as the undead. They're more like demons without a soul, and they will seek and devour those who do have a soul. Their only goal is to see to our extinction, and to destroy everything we've built. That's where we come in. Us Huntsmen and Huntresses have been trained to dedicate our lives to protecting the people from the Grimm."
Adrien needed a moment to process what she explained. "Tell me more about these warriors. Are they like the Fighter's Guild?"
"A… Fighter's Guild?" She looked at him in confusion. "What is that?"
"The Fighters Guild is a professional organization made to regulate the hiring and training of mercenaries and skilled warriors. They will accept almost any contract that is suitable to the guild, such as wiping out a rat infestation, taking out troublesome bandits, delivering packages and so on. You may call it mercenary work, but the guild has been mostly successful in keeping the people safe."
"Are they an autonomous organization?"
He shook his head. "No, they are chartered by the emperor."
"I see. We Huntsman and Huntresses don't have a guild where I come from, but we do have combat schools and academies where they train them to become the best they can be. We don't have contracts, but we call them missions. They can be from protecting villages and caravans outside the kingdom, to bounty hunting criminals and to seek-and-destroying Grimm. We do get paid, but the responsibility comes first, and the pay second."
"Huh, interesting."
"So what's the verdict then? Do you believe me?" She waited for his answer, though she was not expecting anything out of this, though her thoughts did drift towards a negative outcome of disbelief. She watched Adrien go into thought as he rubbed his rugged chin. After a few moments, he then looked to her.
"I will be honest, it's hard for me to believe that you would come from another world or dimension." She sighed as she then looked down in defeat. "But…," she looked back up at him, a bit surprised that he was not finished. "Do you think you have any evidence to prove that?"
She did not expect him to start asking for proof, showing that he still wanted to believe her. Nonetheless, she thought back to what she carried with her throughout yesterday's trip, but it did not take long until her eyebrows went up.
"I… do have proof." She answered in remembrance and hope, but she also remembered where she left them. "But I left my satchel and clothes back in Gerdur's home." She turns back him address him. "I have a Scroll that I carried with me, it'll show you that I come from another world."
"Okay then," he nodded, "let's head to her place."
"Right, But first…" She stood up from the bed and walked passed him to the door as he followed behind. "I need some water." She opened it, but they did not expect to see Delphine standing right outside the door with a serious look in her eyes and her arms crossed.
"So, got everything settled?" She asked.
Summer nodded.
"Good." She was satisfied, but seeing that look in her eyes would tell her there was something else as she crossed her arms. "Now, is there something you need?"
"Yes, can I have a mug of water?"
Hadvar leaned against the railing, waiting for Adrien and Summer to come out of the inn. He had questions going around in his head, questions he would want answered the moment she came out. It did not take too long when he heard the front door opening. He turned his attention to see Summer being the first one coming out.
"Ah, Summer. How are you feeling?" He asked.
She halted in her tracks when she saw him, but then a thought occurred to her that perhaps Hadvar and Ralof deserved to know as well. "I'm still trying to get over it," she answered, "but not right now. I have something to show you three."
"What do you mean? Show what?"
"It's about where I'm from." She calmly stated almost cryptically as she walked down the main road. Hadvar looked to Adrien standing next to him, and the knight simply shrugged and gestured to follow her. Before she would come close to the intersection, Ralof appeared from the corner.
"Ah, good morning, Summer!" He greeted cheerfully. "Feeling better?"
"Not quite, but would you mind coming with me to Gerdur's place?" She kindly asked.
"Uh, sure, but why?"
"I want to show you all where I'm from." She answered cryptically. He looked to the other two, and Adrien again shrugged.
"... Okay, lead the way." He agreed with a raised brow in curious confusion. Summer then continued on up the path while Ralof followed behind, tagging alongside the other two men. "What's going on," He asked Adrien.
"I'll tell you when we get to Gerdur's." He answered.
Eventually, they made it to the thatch roofed house, and Summer opened the door and went right on through after instructing her friends to wait outside. Once inside, she looked around for her bag. The place was quiet now, only because the owners had already left for work, and the boy must be playing somewhere else perhaps. She thought back to where she left her things as she searched, and very soon she found her bag and weapons laying on top of a drawer. She opened the bag and rummaged through its contents until she felt the familiar texture of plastic and metal as she pulled it out to reveal her Scroll. This was what she was looking for. It contained all the proof she needed to show where she was from, for as they say; a picture can speak more than a thousand words. For further proof, she took out a jar of Fire Dust meant for starting fires and for her arrows. That way the truth would be irrefutable.
While she was here, she thought of how she would best present the truth about it. Obviously, she could talk about her world all day, but she soon asked herself if she had to tell all of it. There were a few things she could no longer use, such as Aura and Semblances, and even her silver eyes. If they ask her to demonstrate them, it would just be hopeless to activate her Semblance, and she believed using her silver eyes would amount to nothing. Showing the photos and Dust would just have to do, and if they start asking about her profession, she would just talk about the Huntsmen in general.
Meanwhile, Adrien and the others waited patiently (albeit eagerly) while she searched.
"So, mind telling us now what you two were talking about?" Hadvar asked.
"I'm sure you won't believe me if I told you, but Summer told me she's not from Nirn." He answered.
"Not from Nirn?!" Ralof looked at the knight with disbelief written on his face. "So you're saying she's from Oblivion after all?"
"No," he shook his head, "and I think we're about to find out."
The door soon opened and Summer came out with a spring in her step, holding what they see as a small strange device. It looked rectangular in shape with a bright yellow diamond shape in the middle.
"Okay, the proof I have is inside this." She gestured to the Scroll she held up in front of them to see as she stood two feet away from them.
"What is that?" Ralof asked.
"This is called a Scroll." She answered, but they're response was a look of confusion that almost equaled their curiosity.
"That doesn't look like a scroll to me," Adrien said skeptically, and the other two agreed.
To answer their question, she simply used action instead. "Okaaay… Observe." She clasped both sides of the Scroll, and pulled it apart to reveal a glass interface which then lit up, surprising them. They watched, now with undivided attention as she tapped at the photo icon. She had multiple pictures saved in her file, and she swiped through them until she found the map she was looking for. In case she was too far away from a signal tower, she took multiple pictures of the continents to get where she needed to be, and one picture of the world. She chose the latter and it expanded to cover the whole glass screen. She flipped her Scroll around and showed her world to them. "This map is the world of Remnant, my home world."
"This is your home?" Adrien wondered in awe while the others had almost the same reaction as they all looked closely, but like the knight, they, too were a bit skeptical of its geography. While a few continents and islands looked rather natural, there were two continents in particular that looked (to them) as unnatural.
"That landmass looks like a dragon," Ralof commented. "I'm not sure about the other… It looks like a wingless reptile."
The continents he was referring to were Mimar and Anima. While Anima, the home continent of the kingdom of Mistral, had the shape of a wingless dragon standing on a shaped rock; Mimar's dragon shaped continent had wings and looked to have breathed down a ball of fire.
"Are you sure this is legitimate?" Hadvar asked with skepticism.
"Yes," she nodded, "this is very much legitimate. This continent here…," she pointed to the largest continent set in the middle of the map, "is known as Sanus. It is the only place in which Vale and Vacuo are connected by land. Vale is my home kingdom in which I grew up." She pointed her finger at the mountainous landmass. Then she pointed at the snowy continent up north. "This here is known as Solitas, home to the kingdom of Atlas. Their civilization is the most technologically advanced out of all the four kingdoms. Here, we have Anima," she pointed at the wingless dragon continent. "This is where the kingdom of Mistral resides. They control the most territory than the others, and are known for their trade and having a diverse range of cultures. And then there's the desert kingdom of Vacuo." She moved her finger to the desert landmass of Sanus. "They're the least advanced, and their government is rather… marginal, giving the people a disregard for law and order. Of course, they live by the philosophy that anyone who is able to survive the harsh conditions of Vacuo is welcome to live amongst them."
"Huh, I'll bet the Redguards would fit right at home there." Adrien commented, then he looked at her with another question. "Is there more?"
She nodded affirmatively, and she turned her Scroll back around and brushed through a few photos until she picked one that would surprise them. She flipped it back around, and showed them a picture which left them… speechless. It was a picture of downtown Vale, with its architecture – though almost varied and square-ish in shape– being made of well-kept brick façades, and their strange lanterns seem to glow without any source of fuel to light them. Their were people dressed in clothes that one would mistake for upper and middle class men, but the strangest of all were these strange colored wagons on the street going by, not being pushed, pulled or mounted on for some reason.
"The architecture looks better than the Empire's." Adrien muttered in awe.
"I don't know what to say," Ralof said in exasperation. "Are those really wagons? How are they operated without a horse?"
"They're what we call cars." She explained. "They're operated by being inside them, so we no longer use horses to get where we need to be in town; we simply drive them. Of course, they're powered by lightning Dust, so they'll need recharging every once in a while."
"Wait, I remember you mentioned Dust before. Care to explain what it is exactly?"
"Of course. This, my friends, is Dust." She introduced as she pulled out a jar of Fire Dust. To them, it looked to be just a glass jar of shiny red powder.
"That's Dust? What's with the red powder?" The knight asked.
"Remember those arrows I used to set those creatures on fire with? This red powder is called Fire Dust. Dust is a naturally limited resource which have a variety of elements contained in crystals, such as fire, water, wind, lightning, earth, you name it. They're used in many ways to benefit our everyday lives, and they are used as ammunition for our weapons, much like my Fire Dust arrows. The powdered Dust is more volatile than their crystalline form of course, and that they should be handled with caution. Now I don't particularly use this one as a weapon per say, but it is useful for bombs and making campfires. Of course, I didn't bring any bombs with me at the time.
"Now, to show you how powerful it is with just a pinch of it; observe…" She closed her Scroll by pushing it down against her and put it away. Then she unscrewed the top of the jar and carefully took a pinch of the red substance. "Stand back everyone." They moved back a foot away from her, and she turned to a grassy spot opposite the garden behind her. She flicked it to the ground, and the pinch of Dust ignited easily on impact and exploded in fire, leaving a scorch mark on the earth and the others being shocked.
"Are you sure that's not magic?!" Adrien asked bewildered.
"It may seem like magic to you guys," she replied as she screwed the top back on, "but in my world, it's a natural, useful resource to my people. Even the Scroll I have is charged by a built in Lightning Dust battery." She then put the jar of Dust away, and looked directly at Adrien. "So what do you think? Do you believe me now?"
"After everything you've shown us…," Adrien said after giving himself a short moment of thought. "I believe you now."
"It's crazy, I'll say." Hadvar commented aloud in thought after recovering from the culture shock he witnessed, as he crossed his arms. "A white cloaked woman, coming from another realm or… dimension? I don't know where to even start." Summer could absolutely tell he had many more questions now than before, but it looked like he was holding them back. They all looked to Ralof since he stayed quiet and puzzled for the longest. "What about you, Ralof? You seem awfully quiet."
"I don't know what to say," he began. "There's just so much to take in after seeing those… paintings. But there is something that's bugging me. It's about that dragon continent and that large island just south of this… Animal or whatever. Do they have names?"
"Hm?" She raised an eyebrow to what he meant, but both of them quickly shot up when she realized in shame that she forgot to mention them. "Oh, that's right! I totally forgot about them!" She reopened her Scroll, and went back to the world map before spinning back to them. "The dragon continent he mentioned is called Mimar." She pointed her finger at the winged dragon. "There isn't really much to tell other than there used to be a kingdom, once upon a time, but smart lien says the whole kingdom had been wiped out by a horde of Grimm."
"Grimm?" Both Hadvar and Ralof asked.
"They're soulless monsters that are hellbent on humanity's destruction, and before you ask if they're undead, they're not. They have a variety of Grimm species depending on where you are, like werewolves, giant bears, armored boars, giant crows, gryphons, the list goes on. And believe me when I say that they are everywhere no matter where you travel."
"I see, and what about the island?" Ralof asked before Hadvar could get the chance to question further on the Grimm.
"The large island is called Menagerie. It's home to a race of humans known as the Faunus. They're human in appearance, but they have appendages of almost every creature in the animal kingdom. You could say they have a kingdom in their own right, but…"
"You were going to say that the humans in your world look down on them." Adrien guessed.
She nodded with a frown. "Yes."
"I wouldn't be surprised, considering Skyrim's reputation." Hadvar commented as he directed that comment to Ralof, who huffed in return.
"So, these Faunus folk," Ralof questioned further when a curious thought had come to mind. "They're like the Argonians and Khajiit, yeah?" He asked unsure.
"I've never heard of those," she answered in confusion. "What are they?"
"The khajiit are the catfolk that hail from Elsweyr," Hadvar began, butting-in before Ralof could comment about them, making him grumble about it. "You'll easily tell by their heads, fur and tails, but they do have the bodies of humans sort of, but going by that description is more complicated than that. The argonians, of course, are the lizardfolk from Blackmarsh. They look reptilian, with horns, tail and all, but they are sentient."
"Hmm… no, the Faunus are not like them, kind of. Like I said, they're human in appearance, but they have the appendages of creatures from almost all walks of life."
"Ah, okay… I guess." He still felt uncomfortable about the answer.
"I was going to ask you something before Ralof interrupted," Hadvar said, finally getting the chance to ask. "You said 'hellbent on humanity's destruction', why say that? Are they like the Daedra?" He asked, and even that got the rebel's attention as well and listened intently.
"Well you could call them demons if you wish it, but truth be told, we don't know why they want us all gone from Remnant. As far as we know, we've been attacked by them since the day mankind was born from dust. The only thing keeping them in check and at bay is us Huntsman and Huntresses. We're trained from a young age to become humanity's guardians, so we aim to become the best we can be." Although she intentionally left out one detail of herself.
"Whoa, you Vale people are a warrior society?" Ralof asked.
"Well, we are, kind of. Some of us come from a long line of warriors and heroes, and others just feel the urge of wanting adventure for whatever reason. In truth, there's really not too many of us in Vale, because only the best and determined can become Huntsman."
"I'll bet the training and education must be harsh, and I can understand the reason for it." Adrien complimented in understanding. He, too, had gone through harsh training in order to survive and get to where he earned his place now as a knight. The titles and gear he earned were never given to him on a silver platter, and he thanked both his lucky stars and his teacher getting him this far. There was, however, something he wanted know. "Do you Huntsman work in teams or by yourselves?"
"Often we work in teams when the job demands it, but there are those of us who are strong enough to handle the Grimm on their own. And I am one of those who can do both, simply because I love to help in any way I can." She answered the last part with a bit of pride.
"Your family must truly be proud of your dedication." Hadvar commented.
"Well I do have to. I have two daughters who look up to me." She smiled at those memories. "You know, it's good to talk about my home and all but…" Her expression suddenly turned sad as her head went lower. "You all have a home to go back to, and my home… is not here. So what would be…?" She started muttering to herself then, thinking back to the fact she was never going back. The three men, who had now learned of her true identity, had no answer to her current problem, and could only look to her in condolence. Adrien, on the other hand, had his gears turning in his head for a solution to keep her hopes up. It did not take long to come up with the obvious answer that was right in front of him, but had to have one thing confirmed.
"Summer," he started, "when you fell into that portal, what was the last thing you heard or saw? Was there someone there?"
Summer thought back to that night before falling into this world. "I remember being surrounded by Grimm… And then I saw the portal beneath my feet before falling in. I… think I remember someone laughing before it closed?"
"That about answers it. Someone had cast a powerful spell to send you here, and since it's magic that brought you here, it's magic that will send you back."
"Magic?" She asked more to herself than to him. She would have been skeptical of the whole concept of magic had she not learned about the power of her silver eyes through her mother, but that still did not count for everything she knew of her world, and there was no sign of magic anywhere as far as she knew. However, looking back at the event in Helgen, witnessing a real dragon and seeing those men in hoods shooting fireballs without a device or Semblance, and also recounting Ralof's adventures had her believing that perhaps she really was living in a real fantasy world. Although hope had started welling within her, she was still skeptical of magic. "But magic is considered a fairytale where I live. There's no way a wizard would pop out of nowhere and send me straight to this place, unless…"
"Unless some god in your world sent you here, maybe?" Ralof suggested.
"We do have a pantheon of Gods we worship in our world, by I don't know if they're even responsible for sending me here."
"Sometimes you mustn't question the gods. Maybe they sent you here for a reason."
"We'll have to see." She dismissed. There had to be no doubt that someone with magical power or a Semblance had sent her here, either intentionally or by mistake. But to have the gods be involved in her situation would be like finding a needle of truth in a haystack. She never openly questioned the church, but there were times when she doubted the existence of gods due to her experience in life. "So, any wizard I should talk to?"
"Wizard? You mean an arch mage?" Adrien guessed. "I would suggest going to the academy in the Imperial city, but that place runs more on politicking than learning the arts. They would rather question your legitimacy and use you to their own ends."
"Skyrim has a mages college up in Winterhold," Hadvar suggested, "but the Hold is northeast from here; that's Stormcloak territory. Worse, the climate is drastically cold, only a Nord can survive such harsh weather. Without the proper gear," he said to the both of them, "you'll freeze to death."
"Well, lucky for us, we're on neither side," Adrien commented. "Once we get enough money, we can get the winter gear we need to head further north. Sorry you two, I will not be joining the war."
Hadvar sighed in quiet defeat. "I understand. Still, the door is still open to both of you."
"And so is our door." Ralof countered. "Though I highly recommend you join us instead of those stuck ups." Hadvar growled under his breath when he narrowed his eyes at him.
"We appreciate the offer," Summer thanked, "but can you guys do one favor for me?"
"Sure," they all agreed.
"Could you please not tell anyone about this? I'd rather not get any unwanted attention."
"I understand where you're coming from, we're the only people who truly know your origins." Hadvar said. "Your secret's safe with us."
The other men nodded in agreement, but something important had come up in her memory which had her turning to Adrien. "Hold on, what about your mission?"
"I will finish the mission when I get the chance. That is still my reason for being here. For now, you and I have a priority of sending word to Jarl Balgruuf."
"I was going to say that," she nodded, "the people's safety comes first."
"Looks like we all will be heading out, then." Ralof concluded. "I'll start gathering my things, then."
"As should I." Hadvar stated as all four of them went to their homes. "We meet up at the gate?" He asked Adrien.
"Yes." He answered.
With all their armor, gear and supplies gathered and ready to go, the four were at the gate, along with Hadvar and Ralof's families to see them off.
"Can't you stay a little longer, cousin Hadvar?" The little girl whined.
"Sorry, but duty calls, and I'm sure the general is expecting me back. I'll be sure to send you a letter, ok?"
"Ok!" She smiled happily at the promise. She pretty much knew full well he would make it back to Solitude in one piece.
"Are you sure this'll be enough for the journey?" Gerdur asked with concern.
"Gerdur, I'm certain they'll be enough," Ralof answered for the second time. "Even if I run out, I'm a good hunter."
"Just be sure to send me a letter when you reach Windhelm."
"I promise I will."
"I want to thank you both for what you've done for our village, and for giving me the time to teach." Alvor thanked.
"It was no problem," Adrien stated, "just following my duties as a knight."
"I'm glad I've learned a thing or two from you, good sir." Summer thanked back.
"Remember; just follow the signs. They'll lead you to Whiterun." Sigrid reminded them.
"Dragonsreach being the Jarl's palace, got it." She understood.
"Alright, it's time we head out then." Adrien announced, and the four companions made their goodbyes to the families as they went to the bridge.
"Adrien! Summer! You're always welcome in Riverwood!" Gerdur called out.
"Thank you!" Summer called back gladly as they walked across the bridge. They all followed the path that went partly up the mountain, but soon took them further and further down till they were next to the bottom of a waterfall. They were now able to see from a long distance; Whiterun.
There were farmsteads on the outskirts of its walls, but the walls themselves looked ancient and far behind in maintenance. They could see a few makeshift towers made from wood built upon where the towers used to be. Behind the walls, they could just make out seeing homes and shops in a bustling community. That was called the Plains district. The next level was called the Wind district. This district looked to be containing mostly homes, a temple dedicated to Kynareth, and a mead hall. They could just see a large, leafless tree on that level. Then last, but not least, above all the levels was the Cloud district, and built there was the palace known as Dragonsreach. It looked to be an impressive display of architecture, truly fit for a Jarl.
After spending nearly an hour on foot down the road, they eventually made it to a crossroads next to a bridge, and it was here they were to part ways.
"Well, looks like this is it." Ralof said.
"It was good having known you, Ralof." Adrien said.
"It was good meeting you both. Besides, you've given me a tale to tell the boys back in Windhelm."
"Just don't tell them about my secret, please?" Summer reminded and asked.
"Don't worry about it, I'm certain they won't believe me if I told them. Your secret's safe."
"Thanks."
"And Hadvar…" The legionnaire hummed in question as he looked to the rebel looking back in seriousness. "It seems today our little truce is over. If we meet again…" He let the rest be unsaid in understanding.
"I know, and it has been the longest peace I've had with my enemy. May you die with an axe in your hand, Ralof."
"You, too. So long, everyone." After saying his farewell, he went to the bridge that would lead him onto the road to Windhelm, as the others waved to him. Summer felt a sadness within her to see them end their treaty, just to one day kill each other the next. They went left down the path to Whiterun's outskirts, just about going by a meadery called Honningbrew when she finally let out what troubled her. "I hate war."
"Believe me, Summer, we all do." Hadvar replied. "Sadly, we don't have a say in these matters. This war has to end, no matter what."
"You sound adamant that you must."
"I am, and we have to win. Ulfric doesn't understand that in order to survive, the empire must stay strong. The division will only make us weak."
"It's because of the Aldmeri Dominion that we all must stay vigilant for another war," Adrien added.
"Do your knights get involved in war?"
"Not this time. Although we're stationed next to Skingrad and we're owned by the count, it is through the orders of the emperor that we will not be joining."
"I believe your knights would've turned the tide faster in our favor." Hadvar commented.
"Perhaps, but we're—"
They suddenly felt a rumbling vibration in the ground beneath their feet, forcing them to stop.
"You all felt that, right?" Summer asked with caution. Then seconds after silently listening, another vibration, and the sound of a baritonal roar resounded in the distance ahead of them. They could see, from a distance, a silhouette of a tall person wielding a branch-like club as it furiously brought it down, causing another shake to the earth.
"That's a giant!" Hadvar answered. "It must be attacking someone!"
"Then they'll need our aid, let's go!" Adrien ordered as they started running off the road to get a better view. They now had the full view of the fight, as the giant was trying to kill three people who clearly looked armed. There was a Nord man in steel armor, wielding a large steel greatsword with incredible strength while fighting alongside him was a dark haired Nord woman in studded armor, who looked to be a fresh recruit judging from the steel axe and iron round shield she used to fight the giant. Away from them, a red haired Nord woman in lighter Nordic armor was using a hunting bow as she fired arrow after arrow at its back, hoping to weaken and get its attention, but the giant's hide was too tough for the arrows to pierce through.
"I know them! They're the Companions!" Hadvar answered while they ran. "They don't look to be doing well!"
"Summer, take out that club!" Adrien ordered immediately as he pulled out his iron greatsword. "Hadvar, take out your bow!"
"Got it!" She pulled out her axes, clamped the ends and transformed them into a bow before pulling out her transforming arrow, knocked it, pulled it back, aimed for the right moment for the club to rise, and released.
Meanwhile, the three companions were struggling to take down this enraged giant. They had underestimated the stubbornness, toughness and ferocity of what he could do, and now the two who were fighting the giant up close were fighting more to survive than to take it down. Each time they tried to go for the legs, he would anticipate the attack and back up, just to deliver a sweep of his club at the offenders in retaliation. The redhead was doing her best to weaken it, even tried to hit the joints behind his knees, but the damned giant's legs were a moving target, and she was no crackshot. The arrows were harming him, if only in irritation. The dark haired woman waited for the opportunity, and when her shield brother went for his legs again and got his attention, she took that moment of distraction and went after the kneecap with a sprint.
The Nord man blocked it, and with enough strength he shoved the offending club away. He may have the strength of Ysgramor, but a giant's strength was nothing to laugh at. He was then punched in his guard by the giant's fist and went crashing into a fence. He tried to ignore the pain and struggled to get back up, but widened his eyes in fear when he saw his new shield sister running towards the giant's knee with her axe raised. The giant, to her misfortune, heard her coming.
"Ria, look out!" He desperately called out, but was too late when the giant kicked her into a fence, now dazed and in pain. The giant fully turned to her. The redhead's quiver was empty and she pulled out her dagger to save her. The Nord man desperately got up to and raced to rescue her as the giant raised his club into the air…
What they all did not expect was an arrow coming from out of nowhere and destroying the club in a fiery explosion. Burned shrapnel flew everywhere, and the giant looked to his now useless club in confusion when…
An armored warrior ran up the rocky ramp, jumped into the air with his greatsword pulled back and pointed forward, and with a roar he rammed the blade through the giant's back, the right lung, and to the front. The force of the impact pushed the giant forward in a stagger, and he groaned in pain as Adrien planted his feet against the giant's backside and pulled out his sword as he crashed to the ground. Seriously wounded and angrier than ever, the giant turned to the newcomer with fury in its eyes.
Adrien and the Nord man, with renewed vigor, fought against the giant, slashing at his arms and dodging his swipes and blows. Meanwhile, the giant was being pelted by arrows again, and this time from a familiar legionnaire. Another arrow exploded at his front, giving him a scorched burn mark on his chest and pushing him back by the force. The giant had become sluggish now from the blood loss, and just when they thought the giant was going to have his second wind, he never had the chance when Ria and the redhead went behind the giant and mightily hacked and stabbed at the back joints of his knees, making him buckle to his wounded knees and fell forward. This was their chance as they both ran up under him and thrust their greatswords upwards through his chest, ending the giant in his death throes. He was dead weight heavy, but thanks to both strong men, they moved the body to lay on its side with ease, and then both of them pulled out their swords. The battle was over.
"Thanks for the help," said the Nord man as he laid the steel greatsword against his shoulder.
"It's no problem, pleasure to help."
"You handled yourself well." He turned to see the redhead walk up to him. "But I can already tell that you're not the one who was using those arrows."
"That was us, ma'am!" The redhead turned to the direction of the voice to see a woman wearing a black outfit and a white cloak jogging up to them. She carried a strange mechanical bow, making her think it was Dwemer. The other man going alongside her was familiar.
"So, you were the one who shot those explosive arrows?" She questioned with her arms crossed. Summer nodded. "I would be more impressed if the arrows weren't enchanted. But nonetheless, I want to thank you for saving our newest shield sister."
"It was no problem, ma'am. I'm glad I was able to help in time."
"I appreciate your sincerity." Then she looked in Hadvar's direction. "It's been a while, Hadvar. Have you finally quit the legion to join us?"
"Not by a long shot, Aela." He answered. "I'm still fighting for the Empire."
"Hmph, still fighting alongside a bunch of milk drinkers. At least I tried, but you two…" She referred to Summer and Adrien. "You both could make for decent shield siblings."
"Shield siblings?" Summer questioned.
"Ever heard of the Companions? An order of warriors. We are brothers and sisters in honor. And we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough."
"Sorry, I've never heard of this order. I'm an outsider, you see."
"You do seem to stand out, that's for sure. And what about you, stranger? Judging from your armor, I'd say you're a mercenary."
"I hail from Cyrodill, but I'm no mercenary. It's a long story."
"Perhaps one I would like to hear someday, if you're willing to join."
"The offer is tempting, but we have official business with the Jarl. It's important we meet with him. It concerns the safety of Riverwood."
Meanwhile, as the two were conversing, Summer was visually examining the dead giant now that everything had calmed. Obviously he was a really tall humanoid with pale skin, naturally built muscles and a long blackish beard. The markings on his skin were tribal, and the clothes he wore were made with leather and fur, with the hanging dried bones of a beast she had no clue of. It was clear that this humanoid had such a level of intelligence even in combat, but what she could not understand was why the giant would attack a farm. The only one who hopefully had the answers was standing in front of her.
"Riverwood's in dire need of the Jarl's aid? Then this must be serious. I guess you should be on your way, then. We'll handle things from here."
"That would be best."
"Before we go…," Summer spoke and got her attention. "Why was the giant attacking the farmhouse?"
"Actually, this giant was stealing and eating the farmers livestock. My best guess is that he failed to deliver the intended offering on time, and he paid the price for it."
Now this was getting somewhere. "Do all giants normally threaten people?"
"Not all of them, and it's not often a giant would come raiding out of nowhere either." She answered with a shrug. "They mostly keep to themselves as nomads, so they don't bother us as long as we don't bother them. But since farmers outside the city would want to keep their farmhouse intact, they would make peace offerings of cows to the giants once every year. To them, it works nearly every time, as long as they keep bringing them on time."
Now she was puzzled. "You make it sound like the giants are extorting you."
"Not really. We've been doing this for centuries. You can call it an unspoken understanding."
"Have you thought of trying to scare him off?" When Aela narrowed her eyes at her, she recoiled a bit. "Um, just asking."
"Our first plan was to scare him off, but that didn't work out in the end, did it?" She directed the question towards the guilty Ria.
"Sorry, I thought that by wounding him, he would run away."
"Now you know better this time." Then she turned back to the three. "I want to thank you three for saving our shield sister by the way. I'm certain we'll meet again." Adrien nodded, and the two followed out of the premise. Aela turned to her companions. "All right, you two, let's get this giant away from the farmhouse."
While the three got to work on dragging the dead giant, the other three soon had their feet back on the cobbled road to Whiterun. They were now close to the city's ill maintained walls, and it would not be too long until they reached the front entrance. Up ahead, they could see a horse and carriage, with a Nordic man at the front seat still holding the reins. Hadvar eyed the carriage, and once they were close enough, he coughed into his closed fist to get their attention. "This is it. I'll be taking the carriage back to Solitude."
"I wish you luck, soldier." Adrien bid farewell.
"You, too, sir knight. Both of you." With his goodbye, Hadvar left the group and went walking towards the carriage. They watched for a moment before they moved on, but something within Summer's mind clicked in, making her stop and turn back to the soldier.
"Hadvar, wait." The soldier was just about to speak to the carriage driver when he heard her voice, and hummed in question as he turned to face her. "Ralof said you had a girlfriend living in Whiterun, right?"
"Of course."
"Well, shouldn't this be your opportunity to go see her?"
"Perhaps, but my duty to the empire should come–"
"Hadvar…," she sighed as her tone turned serious and crossed her arms, "how long has it been since you last met her?"
He paused for a moment to think back. "... Three months. It's been three months since I last saw her. Though we do send each other letters from time to time."
"That may be good and all, but I think it wouldn't hurt to tell her in person you're okay, would it?"
Hadvar paused, struggling with himself. Fond memories and a sense of longing were starting to swell within him. It took him a moment, and after looking at the entrance ahead, he looked back down at Summer with a sigh. "I guess you're right. Besides, it would be nice to see her face again."
"I'm certain the general will understand." Adrien added.
The Nord legionnaire nodded, then turned back to the carriage driver. "I'll come back later."
"I'll be here when you get back." The driver replied kindly.
"Thanks." With that said, the three proceeded on past the stables and through the front entrance. The path inclined upward and curved, and when they reached the curve, they were met, off the side of the path, a band of cat people that have already set up camp. Just like what Hadvar had explained to her, they had the fur, heads, ears, and tails of cats, but mostly had the bodies of humans.
'Those must be the Khajiit he spoke of. They don't come close to looking like the Faunus I know of.' Summer commented in wonder as they walked by. However, she still had an important message to deliver, so she mentally shoved her curiosity away. 'As much as I would want to play twenty questions, there's no telling when that dragon comes back.'
After continuing up the path, and taking another turn, they finally made it to the main gate. There were two guards standing watch from either side of the gate. The armor they wore consisted of leather boots, a shirt and chainmail, and leather scale armor worn over it. They had a yellow garb loosely wrapped around their neck all the way down to their right hip, and was tied down with leather belts. They wore helmets which covered their entire face, and one could hardly see through the two openings to see their eyes looking right back at them. They each held a shield emblazoned with the painting of a horse's head. They all walked toward the gate, thinking they would pass through without trouble, but were proven wrong when the guard walked down to them.
"Halt!" The guard commanded. "The city gate is closed with the dragon about. Official business only."
"That's why we're here." Adrien replied. "Riverwood is calling for the Jarl's aid."
"Riverwood's in danger too?" The guard was surprised. "You better come on in then."
"Hold it." The other guard said as he walked down from his post. "What about this imperial soldier? Why is he here?" He asked with suspicion.
"I came from the massacre of Helgen, sir." Hadvar answered.
"You were from Helgen?! How is it that you're still alive?" He was surprised, but still had doubts as his arms crossed. "I heard the legion guards had been wiped out over there."
"I don't think there are any other survivors. And that is why we must warn him of just how dangerous this dragon is."
The two guards looked at each other, looking for an answer. Then he looked to the other two. "Are you two with him?"
"Yes, and I can vouch for his survival." said Adrien in his defense. "In fact, we were all there when the dragon attacked. That's why we need to see the Jarl to warn him of Riverwood's plight."
After some hesitation, the guard gave in. "Alright, fine. You all can head on through. Just head to the jarl's palace, understood?"
They all nodded in agreement. The guard went back to his post while the other unlocked the gate and opened it for them, then went back to his post as well. They all went through the gate and into a short tunnel.
"Thanks, I guess I owe you again." Hadvar thanked.
"There's no need to owe me anything." He kindly turned down. "Just happy to help."
They were out of the tunnel and crossing the bridge which stood over the sewage creek. Beyond them, the place was rather marvelous to behold up close, looking more modernized than the homes of Riverwood.
"We'll pay whatever it takes. But we must have more swords for the Imperial soldiers." They walked on the middle of the bridge as they watched a nord man wearing light legion armor making demands to a woman. Judging by the black apron she wore, she was a blacksmith.
"I just can't fill an order that size on my own," she argued. "Why don't you swallow that stubborn pride of yours and ask Eorlund Gray-Mane for help?"
"Ha! I'd sooner bend my knee to Ulfric Stormcloak. Besides, Gray-Mane would never make steel for the Legion."
She sighed. "Have it your way. I'll take the job, but don't expect a miracle."
With their deal done, they parted ways. The blacksmith went back to her forge built next to the shop while the Nord legionnaire went further into the city.
"Is he gonna be a problem, Hadvar?" Summer asked.
"Not really." He replied. "He ranks lower than me, so I'll be fine."
"All right, let's get going then." Adrien said, they walked past the smith's shop and up the hill to the city's market square. The square had almost everything a citizen would want. There was a general goods store and a potion shop to their right, and an inn that was straight ahead of them. The square also was lined with stalls selling from jewelry and pottery, to meat and vegetables. Yet that was not what Hadvar laid his eyes on.
There was a woman standing in front of a vegetable stall, with her right hand rubbing under her chin in thought of what to choose. She was a beauty, having pale skin and a dark brown bobbed hair. She wore a commoner's bright blue dress with a leather corset wrapped around her stomach, and dark shoes almost hidden underneath her long skirt. But he knew her all too well.
"Ysolda." He called to her.
The Nordic brunette gasped, turning her head in his direction as her eyes then widened with surprise, then turned to joy.
"Hadvar!" She said with joyous relief in her tone as she ran up to him, held each other in their arms and met their lips in a loving kiss that lasted six seconds. "I've missed you." She said as they laid their foreheads against each other.
"I missed you, too." Hadvar replied.
"So, are you on leave from the legion?" She asked, voicing her hopes.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not on leave." He answered somewhat sadly as he shook his head.
His answered confused her, and her moment of happiness evaporated. "What do you mean? What's going on?"
looking at her expression had made him feel terrible when he had to tell her. "Me and my friends are here to inform the Jarl about the state of Helgen."
"Helgen…?" She wondered. "I overheard that Helgen was destroyed by a dragon of all things..." But then her eyes widened when she put the pieces together. "You were at Helgen?!"
"Yes, and I don't think I would have survived if not for these two." He gestured to the two warriors who were staying silent, save for Summer who waved her hand at her in greeting. "I owe them my life."
"Thank you both so much for keeping him safe for me," she said with utmost sincerity as she turned to them with her right hand on her chest and her other behind his back, while Hadvar had one arm wrapped around her waist. "But I don't think we've been introduced yet. My name is Ysolda."
"I am Adrien Artorius."
"I'm Summer Rose, nice to meetcha."
"It's nice to meet you, too." She giggled at Summer's choice of words. Then she looked back to her lover with a sad smile, but with a look which said she understood. "I guess it's time you went to the Jarl."
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." He reassured.
"I'll hold you to it." She replied lovingly. He let go of her with a pang of guilt, and soon rejoined them.
The three companions headed up the steps and were now in the Wind district. This was where most of the homes were located. At the center, surrounded by running water and connected via stone bridges, stood a large tree, but it looked to be rather dead, leaving Adrien and Summer to be curious as to why. Hadvar was saddened by the death of this iconic tree, but he too was curious.
'What happened to the Gildergreen while I was gone?' Hadvar wondered, but the companions' thoughts were interrupted by the ranting of a man coming from beyond the dead tree. They walked past the tree, and saw he was a priest in orange and yellow robes standing in front of a statue of a warrior standing triumphantly atop a serpent, with his sword held in both hands down its throat.
"Talos the mighty! Talos the unerring! Talos the unassailable! To you we give praise!
We are but maggots, writhing in the filth of our own corruption! While you have ascended from the dung of mortality, and now walk among the stars!
But you were once man! Aye! And as man, you said, "Let me show you the power of Talos Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter. I breathe now, in royalty, and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I love you."
Aye, love. Love! Even as man, great Talos cherished us. For he saw in us, in each of us, the future of Skyrim! The future of Tamriel!"
The priest continued his sermon loudly with fanaticism, and each word bothered the soldier until he shut the words from his ears. "Nothing good would come of it." He spat. "Come on, let's get to the palace."
They started to head in that direction, but Summer continued to listen as they walked by, not just out of curiosity, but out of pity. She remembered the story told from Hod and Gerdur, about how weak and shameful the Empire became after surrendering to the Aldmeri Dominion, and that the banning of Talos, the ninth divine they worshipped so reverently, was the last straw. The light of rebellion which set off this powder keg was Ulfric's murder of High King Torygg. She understood a war of ideologies, but a civil war over religion? She stated it once and she would state it again; she hated war in all its bloody form, hence the reason why she would never partake in it.
Higher and higher they went to the Cloud District, and once they reached the top and crossed the bridge, they were finally at the front doors to Dragonsreach.
"So how do we do this?" Summer asked almost nervously. "I've never dealt with royalty before."
"It shouldn't be too difficult. Just follow my lead, and be respectful to the Jarl." Hadvar advised.
She nodded, though a bit unsurely. The Nord soldier went ahead and, with some effort due to the size of the doors, pushed them open, and they all headed on through to see the Jarl.
Adrien: 92 coppers + 33 silvers + 5 gold = 130 Coins = 1,417 Septims
92 coppers - 10 = 82 coppers
Adrien: 82 coppers + 33 silvers + 5 gold = 120 Coins = 1,407 Septims
About time this was done, I did not know where to end this. It took me quite a while to write them down just right, especially Summer's situation and how she recovered. What was most daunting was her giving her secret to the three, and also the fight and aftermath with the giant. I had to rewrite a few paragraphs to make them fit right. Hopefully I did them well.
About Hadvar and Ralof, I hope it was okay to keep them around a little longer, especially with Hadvar. I felt the need to give them that character and companionship build-up, since in the game you hardly know them enough.
What do you think of Hadvar being paired with Ysolda? I know that making a female OC character would've been preferred, but I did not feel like putting much effort into it. I know what you're going to say; Ysolda secretly made dealings with a drug dealer. I'm planning to have that resolved someday.
As always, shoutout goes to CruxMDQ for his proofreading and editing.
This is Kyro2009, signing off.