It's been almost a week since I ended up in Riverwood. Sigrid has be avoiding me ever since I found out that she was being abused by that man-pig. My second day here, I used the new bow I made to go hunting and was paid a good 50 septims for a male buck, selling everything except the skin. Second day was spent working the inn with Delphine. The rest of the days I chopped wood. Between them all, I made about 700 septims. It was midday when Alvor approached me with a glint in his eyes.
"Lass!" he yelled at me in his approach. I took a deep breath to calm the rage already starting to build in the bowels of my stomach. By the time I turned, he was already beside me.
I put on a fake smule and faced the large Nord. "Yes, Alvor?" I ground out.
"I'm running dry of iron," he simply says as if I had some on me. I gave him a glare and he seems to at least start to realize his mistake. "The bandits took over EmbershardMine," he finally explained.
I throw the axe in my hand into the wood block, successfully getting it stuck. I push past him and made my way into my room in the inn and put on the black leather armor I made the other day. With my brand new bow on my back, along with a quiver of steel arrows, I walk across the path into Alvor's house. I walk past a sleeping Hadvar and down the stairs. I immediately stop when I see Sigrid sitting behind the counter. When I continue tomove closer, she still doesn't notice me till I let out a soft "Hey." Her head snaps up and her eyes meet mine for the first time in days, but it doesn't last long.
All I could do is internally sigh. "Can I borrow a steel sword?" She doesn't respond, but gets up to grab one, and I saw the limp she tried to hide. Without thinking, I pick her up and place her on the bed that was down here. It took a few minutes, but I healed the cuts and bruises with a basic healing spell. "Show me where they are, and you just stay here and rest," I say when she tries to get back up. I must say she is pouting, but no of the less, I was led to a chest against a wall. I probably wouldn't need the sword in the first place. With one more glance to the woman on the bed, I go to do one more thing before I go to clear the mine.
"Alvor!" His hammer stops mid-swing, he turns his attention to me. "I wanna speak of my payment for doing this," I say and I can see surprise and a bit of anger in his eyes .
"Payment?"
"Yes, payment. I am supposed to be chopping wood, but you have me chopping down bandits from your mine." He seems to think through it and reluctantly agrees.
"Alright then lass. What do you want for your payment."
"One, 300 septims, that I know you were going to use to buy whores and mead." A nod with a slight scowl. "And two, for you to grant Sigrid a divorce and vow on your gods that you will never, and I mean never lay a finger on her again. The protest he was about to start died on his tongue when he looked into my eyes. He grumbled a fine and with that, I was on my way. By the time I made it to the mine, the sun was starting to set.
There was a bandit guarding the entrance, humming a tune. Quietly, I knocked back an arrow and let loose. Needless to say, it hit its mark in his neck. I moved from my hiding spot and watched him chock. Once he was dead, I crouched and made my way farther into the cavern. Soon, I was standing on a bridge above two more bandits who were sitting in front of a fire. Two more arrows went flying before I went in search of a way to continue. I found a lever and when I pulled the rest of the bridge came down, revealing another pair.
"Something's wrong sear-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence when an arrow pierced his skull, sending the other to look around in panic. In moments, he too was lying dead, and I was starting to feel the hints of arousal.
After about ten minutes and well timed shot arrows, the mine was finally cleared. There was a bed in here that was calling my name and the temptation just to fall asleep where I was standing was great. I made myself comfortable and fell into a deep, but restless sleep. When I wake up, my stomach immediately made its presence known. After a couple dried slices of horker meat andtwo knapsack filled with looted gold, gems, oresand ingots, I made my way back to Riverwood. No one was out yet, so I went back to sleep in the inn room that I basically own now.
After my brief nap, I went to see if Alvor was awake yet and was confirmed when I heard the sound of a hammer meeting steel ringingthrough the air. I jogged to the man. When he doesn't acknowledge my presence, Idropped an iron ore on what he was working on. I stifled a laugh when he jumped. He turned toglare, but it wasquickly replaced whenhe noticed it was me.
"Your damned mine is cleared. How much will you pay for these ingots and ores?" I ask when I showhim the large knapsack filled with ores and ingots. He stares at the steel and iron in the bag, seeing as there was more than he usually holds at one time.
"A thousand lass, but how did you get all of it to fit and actually able to carry it here?" It was a good question, and I myself would like to know. I just shrugged, and gestured for him to pay up. He handed me large bag of coins and I plopped it in the second bag and dumped out the first. My next stop was Riverwood Trader's, and a bad feeling hit me dead in my face. I was meet with Lucan and his sister Camilla arguing.
"Is there a problem?" The both stop mid-sentence and stared at me with sheepish grins.
"Noxx! No, we just had a little break-in. Remember that golden claw we used to have? Some bandits just happen to take off with it. Camilla wants to get it, but I refuse to let her get in harms way," he explains, shifting his gaze to his younger sister.
"I can get it for you." I say. He seems a tad surprised when I offer. "Really?" I just nod a confirmation. "But I wanna sell these gems first."
"But of course!" After receiving another 1,500 septims and promises to set off when day breaks, I go to change to resume working at the mill. As promised, I left for Bleak Falls Barrow before the sun showed itself. I decided to this timewear steel armor to be on the safe side. Without much problem, the watchtower was cleared. There we a couple of bandits suffering from the lack of sleep from taking the night watch. When they died. the sun started to peek from the horizon. The mountains were bathed in gold, leaving a breathless picture to paint in my mind.
In this moment,I was happy with recent events, even if they were painful. I wouldn't be able to see things like this in a forest.I stayed towatch the sun rise and then continued into the crypt.Stealth was my best friend tillI entered a room with a puzzle. I stared at the pillars, and searched for clues and happened to look up, and see animals that were also on the pillars. The middle head lied broken on the floor, butI was able to make it out. Before continuing on, I gathered any gold and valuables I could find.
Doing the same to the next room, I paused. My breathing stop as I lightly strained my ears. And there it was again! I know what is making those scattering noises. Skeevers. I drew my sword and hacked at the giant rodents that jumped at me. Continuing forward, I hear a man yelling in the distance. Sheathing the weapon, I ran to a doorway blocked by webs.
"Hello! Can anyone hear me!?" I used a fire spell to get through the webs and was met not only with the yelling man, but a wounded frostbite spider. It was on the verge of dying so a quick blast of flames and it was taken cared of. "You, get me out of here!" the man demanded a little on the desperate side.
"The claw."
"Yes the claw, the door, the secret, it all fits! I just need you to cut me down andI can show you." I stared at him long and hard before I carefully got him down.
"I said 'I can' not that I would," he sneered before he took off. There was most likely draugr ahead and he doesn't look like he has any fighting ability. I was proven right when I saw an unaware draugr near his dead body. A single arrow was all I needed. I searched the elf, grabbing the claw, his journal, and all the sellable items that he had. Moving on, more draugr fell to my blade and I was met with a door with the shape of a dragon claw imprinted on the middle.
"Looks like its time to read," I mumble to myself. Most of the pages contained his ramblings about the group of bandits. I started to flip through the book till something caught my eye; A dragon claw.
Sun Height's, Turdas 14th
Alas! After so much research, I figured out how the Nords locked their tombs with those drastic claws. The ring is like a large lock, and the claw is literally the key! Like lock picking the claw to be in a certain position, therefore the rings. You turn the rings and when in the right positions, it unlocks. They put the combinations on the claws for some reason...
Anyway, I have located the Golden Claw. Yesterday, I sent Ja'vai to retrieve the claw from Riverwood Trader and as soon as he returned, I've ordered the men to kill him. The rest of the men went through till they got to the giant frostbite spider. They managed to wound it but were to scared of the damned beast to kill it. Now I have to go and finish it off. Good thing I hid the map of the crypt in the back of this book...
After reading that, I went to the back of the book and there was the map. I mentally faced palmed at all the problems I've had, and they would've been gone if I had just read the book. At least it was useful now. I placed the book in the large knapsack and retrieved the claw. I moved the rings and held my breath as I put in and turned the claw. A few second passed, and nothing happened. I turned to leave and then the roaring of rock moving against rock caused me to quickly turn.
Inside I could see a large cavern, light coming in from a hole in the ceiling. There was a rushing creek connected to a waterfall. As I moved closer, I could see a large curved wall. A light chanting started and became louder and more aggressive until I approached the wall and read the glowing word.
"Fus.." Force.
I was broken out of the daze by the sound of the stone coffin breaking open. A deep sigh left mythroat,seeming to harmonize with the sound of my borrowed sword unsheathing. This draugr seemed faster and a bit smarter than the rest.He quickly charged at me, ascreeching noise coming from the bowels of hisundead soul. His swings were filled with unexpected power, causing me to stagger. His great sword almost found its way into my shoulder, but once again my Khajiit side saved me; It was always nice to have extra speed.
A few minutes passed but it felt like hours. It was the same; I dodge the dead man's swing. It was starting to tire me out, and soon have me dead. I don't know how, but finally an opportunity arises. With the remaining strength I had, his head was rolling. I drop my weapon and lay down on the cool floor.Remembering where I was, I jumped up. There was no way I was sleeping in a crypt, next to a dead, headless draugr.
I searched the body and saw a stone tablet. It seemed interesting, so it found its way into the knapsack. By nightfall, I was back into Riverwood, walking into the trader. Lucan and Camilla were sitting eating dinner when I walked in. Lucan jumped up and greeted me warmly.
"Noxx! Your back! Come, join us for dinner," he pushed me towards the table, then filling a bowl. He poured chilled spiced wine into a tankard then sat back down. There was idle conversation till the topic landed onto the claw.
"Speaking of the claw," I reached into the bag and pulled out the stolen valuable. Thanks and another 750 septims were given. I placed the money in my bag then went back to my inn room. My sleep was filled with shouting and the black demon that, in a way, saved my life.
