The next day the mercenaries all separated to go on their own little adventures. Scout however was pulled aside by Heavy.
"Yo what the crap!" Scout yelled.
"Tiny man be silent. Heavy need Scout's help with work after Jarl gives us real job." Heavy said.
"Oh really and what work would that be?" Scout asked annoyed. "Heavy need you to help him, soldier, and Demoman to work off free drinks." Heavy answered.
"Seriously? Heavy free drinks means its free." Scout complained.
Heavy rolled his eyes, "Heavy will give you 20% of cut from real job." Heavy bribed.
Scout smiled cheekily, "Alright yeah now we're talking."
In the evening the Mercenaries gathered in Dragon's reach. The Jarl sat on the throne to greet them.
"You are the mercenaries I have asked for yes?" He asked.
"Hell yeah." Scout said with a confident smile. "First. I need assurance that if any of you are captured you won't lead your captors back to me." The Jarl said.
Spy stepped forward. "Worry not, we are all professionals. I assume this means that our job has something to do with the civil war?" He asked.
The Jarl nodded. "With the return of Dragons Skyrim needs to have a united front against them. Instead it's tearing itself apart for no good reason in this damned civil war."
"Alright before we accept we must discuss payment." Spy said. "Gold of course but some of us want some things a bit more substantial."
The Jarl shifted in his seat and leaned forward. "Anything. Name your price."
Medic stepped forward. "I want several beasts from the land. If you can catch them. A troll, an ice wraith, a draugr, and a wispmother." He said.
The jarl sighed. "I see… well that's quite the price. Trolls and ice wraiths are no small tasks on their own, the draugr would be considered offensive to some nords but possible. But a wispmother… I don't think we'd be able to even find one let alone catch one.
"Okay then just the first three. I will find a way to catch the other specimen on my own." Medic shrugged.
"How about a crate of mead from each of the most popular breweries." Demoman said.
The Jarl nodded. "Aye a simpler request such as that is no matter. It will be done."
"Demo no. We have beer at home." Scout said. "We don't need anymore."
"Ah shut your trap lad." Demoman responded.
"Enough both of you." Spy said. "Where should we start?" Medic asked.
"I have an idea. We play both sides for now. Weaken them both until they only have one option. Discuss peace." Spy said.
"Really? Can't we like… just kill the leaders on both sides?" Scout asked.
"No!" Jarl Bulgruuf said. "They must come to peace otherwise this will never truly end."
"Alright fine. So… where do we start?" Scout asked.
"I think I have an idea." Spy said. "Sniper, Pyro, would you accompany me to meet someone?" He asked politely.
Sniper looked at him. "Just are planning in that scheming head of yours. What the hell. I'm in."
Pyro nodded and made muffled sounds that sounded vaguely along the lines of being happy to go with them.
"Well I assume this means you accept?" The Jarl asked. "Yup. We'll end this war for ya. So stop worrying about that and worry about getting your hands on… whatever that thing medic wants is called." Scout said as the other Mercenaries left.
In the end they split up into groups of three.
Scout, Soldier, Heavy, and Demoman would do the job for Hulda and hopefully gain more infor. Spy, Sniper, and Pyro would go see the Gray-Manes. And Medic and Engineer would stay behind to tend to any wounded and help fortify the defenses against dragon attacks.
Scout sat in the back of a horse driven wagon. He was resting his chin on the handle of his scattergun which was facing the floor. He had one knee against his chest and the other leg stretched out. They had been travelling about three hours and he was so bored.
"Tell me again why we're doing this?" He asked.
"Scout has asked this question several times already." Heavy grunted from the front. He was driving the wagon.
"Yeah, I wasn't paying attention. I get the gathering Intel thing but… what's the other thing?" He asked.
"We go to Riften to pick up Black-briar mead shipment. We make sure it does not get stolen and makes it safely to Hulda. Why does Scout have such hard time with this idea?"
Scout sat up trying to get into a more comfortable position on the hard wooden surface he sat on. "Look long as I get that 20% cut I'm fine. But why bring Soldier and the Cyclops? No offence to them but they drink the most out of any of us. The alcohol might not even still be here half way through the trip. They'll have drunk it."
"Hey! Don't go accusing me of having no self control. Besides there's nothing to worry about laddie. I brought my own stash." Demoman said proudly.
"You have a problem." Scout said flatly.
"Bet you wouldn't be saying that if you had a cold on right now." Demoman offered waving a beer in Scouts face.
Scout didn't take it. "No. I don't work drunk. It makes me sick if I try to run." He excused.
"HAH! Scout just can't handle his liquor, he's too small and frail." Soldier mocked.
"And here we go again with the talk about my height. You do know that I'm faster than everyone currently present right? And I can jump twice." Scout bragged.
"And you Soldier, drank lead poisoned water that's made you dumb as literal rocks." He mocked.
"I am not dumb! Am just as smart as anyone else on this team." Soldier argued.
"Really? What's two times two." Scout asked.
A few seconds of silent. "Demo… may I have a beer?" Soldier asked.
"Aye here ya go." Demoman handed a beer to Soldier.
Scout sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when we get there."
He put his gun to the side and lowered his baseball cap over his eyes, closing them. He hadn't really been able to sleep though. The road was too rough and bumpy for him to get comfortable. But he was silent the rest of the time until they set up camp. They'd have to resume the journey tomorrow. They planned to make it to Riften by noon the next day.
The four of them set up tents, mostly Scout and Heavy set up tents as Demoman and Soldier were too drunk to really help. Seeing as two of them were drunk and he had already had a semi nap Scout offered to take first watch.
"Is little man sure? Heavy can easily take first watch." Heavy said.
"I don't want this to take longer than it has to and you're driving. Now got bed lardy." Scout said adding a little insult at the end.
Heavy rolled his eyes but complied and went to his tent. Scout sat on a log and put some more wood in the fire to keep warm. Maybe he should have brought a jacket rather than just his red T-shirt. He pulled a handheld video game from his backpack. A Gameboy Advance, he put in Mario Kart and started playing it.
He didn't have any particular interest in video games. But when he was bored and alone like now they helped fill the time. He yawned tiredly as he kept playing. An hour into his watch he heard a twig snap. He looked back at where he heard the noise suddenly alert. He put down the game and stood up picking up his pistol and a flashlight. He stepped over the log.
"Hello. I'm warning ya. Get too close and I will pop a cap off in your ass." He said warningly.
In response he heard growling. He took the flashlight and shined it on the source of the noise. Standing only a few feet away, growling at him, was what looked like a sabertooth tiger.
Scout raised his gun. "Stay there kitty cat. Get any closer and I'll shoot." He warned again.
The tiger obviously couldn't understand him. It growled and lunged at him. "SHIT!" He yelled as he sidestepped in an attempt to dodge. It almost worked but the monster clawed his right arm.
"OW! SHIT!" He cried out holding the wound with his left arm. "Fuck that hurts." He cursed looking up at the animal.
He raised his pistol and shot it between the eyes, killing it instantly. He walked back to his backpack and pulled out some rubbing alcohol. It was one of the things medic recommended they take with them. He poured some on a rag and rubbed it against the wound wincing.
"Damn." He cursed. "Scout." He looked up.
Heavy stood there with his shotgun. "Heavy heard gunfire. What has happened?" He asked.
Scout cocked his thumb over in the direction of the tiger. "Friggin thing tried to sneak up on us. I totally killed it dead. You're welcome." Scout said proudly pressing harder against the wound. "Ah." He winced.
Heavy laughed. "Little baby man. cleaning wound does not hurt so bad." He said.
"Hey who's the one who just fought a giant tiger. You? No? Then shut up. I had to wrestle that thing to the ground with my bare hands. It was crafty. I'm lucky it only got one hit on me before I was able to shoot it." Scout said as he started exaggerating the specifics of the confrontation.
Heavy rolled his eyes knowing that Scout was just spewing hot air at this point but said nothing. Scout often made up wild stories that presented him as a hero, or some unbeatable warrior, but everyone let it slide because at the end of the day Scout still did his job. And he was damn good at it.
"You rest Scout. Heavy will take rest of watch." He said.
Scout scoffed. "Nah man. I can do it." He assured Heavy.
"You rest. Heavy will watch." Heavy repeated more sternly than before.
Scout rolled his eyes. "Fine. But you better be able to drive that wagon in the morning cuz I ain't doing it." Scout took his gun and went to his tent.
He fell back onto his cot and sighed. He took a bandage from his pack and wrapped it around his clawed arm. Tomorrow they'd get back to Riften. Scout wasn't sure why that inn lady, Hulda or whatever, was so insistent that they bring their heat weapons. Maybe the journey had been a little dangerous with the tiger but it didn't warrant his best guns.
Spy, Sniper, and Pyro walked into the Grey-Mane household.
"Stop." A voice said. A man wearing hide armor and wielding a greataxe came into view.
"Who are you. What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I'd put that away if I were you mate. Unless you want your chest on the other end of a bushman's knife." Sniper warned reaching for his Kukri.
Likewise Pyro pulled out his own Axe. The man grinned. "So you want to got steel to steel against a true Nord? I can oblige." They all began to walk forward toward each other.
"Gentlemen!" Spy called out firmly.
"Avulstein! Put that away." The old Gray-Mane woman commanded.
Both parties stopped. "Sniper, Pyro. Weapons away. We here to talk not to wave sharp objects about like imbeciles." Spy commanded.
"He started it. I was just going to finish it." Sniper muttered, pulling his hand away from the weapon.
Pyro put his axe away and muttered apologetically.
"If you really want me to, mother." Avulstein sheathed the huge weapon.
"Why are you here?" He asked.
"To offer you our services." Spy said. "A member of your family. Thorald. We know where he is."
"We do?" Sniper asked arching an eyebrow.
"We do." Spy answered simply. "You would know this if you had spent the night with the rest of us instead of the huntress. But that is not important right now."
Spy took out a cigarette and lit it. He placed it in his mouth and took a large breath before exhaling the smoke. "The Thalmor have him."
"I knew it. I have to save him. Where is he? Where are they keeping my brother," Avulstein demanded stepping forward.
"Near Solitude, but I must insist that you stay in hiding Monsieur." Spy said.
"I brought my… co-workers here to show you some of what we can do. My entire team will be on our way to save him soon." He said.
"If you think I'm going to sit here while my brother rots in some elf prison then-"
"Slow down mate." Sniper assured him. "We're professionals. We know what we're doing. And this will be easier without you getting in the way."
"Getting in the way? You disrespectful milk drinker!' Avusltein reached for his Ax again.
Sniper reached once again for Kukri. "GENTLEMEN!" Spy shouted, losing his temper.
"Please control yourselves. Monsieur Grey-Mane, we are a team of nine. We know how to rescue someone efficiently." He said. "We are letting you know where he is as a courtesy but it is not an invitation to join us." He explained.
"Thorald just let the good men help us. If they really are capable then you have no reason to risk yourself." Fralia said.
"Hmph. As you with mother." Avulstein said seahting his ax once again.
"If you make me pull out this beaut again I will use her." Sniper said, putting away his own weapon.
Spy sighed as the three of them left. "That could have gone better." He said.
Medic and Engineer went to the Temple of Kynareth, Medic to see the injured soldiers and Engineer tagged along simply to keep an eye on his amoral coworker.
"Now Doc. Remember what we talked about. No. Experiments." Engineer emphasized the last two parts by waving his finger.
"Yes, yes I understand. These Soldiers will not be experimented on. Heavy already agreed to bring me some bandits." Medic said brightly.
A priest walked up to them. "Greetings. Welcome to the Temple of Kynareth. I am Danica Pure-Spring. Are you here to pay respects to Kynareth or do you need a healer?" She asked.
Medic pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I believe it is you who could use some more healers." He said.
"I see. You know the restoration magics then?" She asked.
"No nothing of that sort." Medic explained.
"I see. Alchemist then?" Danica asked.
"Closer but no. Science Madam Presterin." He corrected, although he wouldn't mind seeing how the potions and apothecary around here work.
"Ma'am he's a Doctor. If you let him look at your sick and your wounded he should be able to make them right as rain in no time." Engineer told her.
She nodded. "Very well. They are resting on the healing tables." She gestured to the guards and soldiers.
Medic nodded and walked up to them. "These men are in very bad condition. Many of them will die before long." He said bluntly.
"Healing magic speeds up the process… but many of them are so gravely wounded that they will pass yes. We just try to make the passing as painless as they can." Danica replied.
"Well if they are doomed to die, maybe you wouldn't mind if I-"
"MEDIC!" Engineer interjected harshly.
"Fine. Fine." Medic grumbled, "I can heal them completely. If you can keep them alive while I retrieve the proper equipment I can make them healthy and fit again."
"Really you can do that? As easy as you say?" She asked.
"It's as simple as the push a button for me." Medic told her.
"That's great news. With the soldiers healed I can go back to my duties as a Priestess." She said.
Medic nodded as he and Engineer left. "Alright Medic. I'm trusting you on this. I have a helluva lot of sentries to get building. If these Dragons are actually gonna be a problem then this place needs all the fire power it can get."
"Oh very well. I promise not to experiment on the Soldiers." Medic promised the Engineer.
Engineer didn't look convinced.
"Fine. I swear on Archimedes' life. Better?"
Engineer smiled. "Better."