Fall From Earth
Chapter 1
Bo Gro Graul was a man of few words. He had spent the majority of his adolescence alone, traveling the countryside of the great and beautiful province of Skyrim. Of course, the young Orsimer dabbled in other provinces as well but was a seasoned traveler of his homeland. He had gazed first hand up at the white-gold tower of the Imperial City in Tamriel, and he had witnessed the spectacular migratory trees of Valenwood with their cities resting high up in its branches, but nothing he had seen ever came close to the chilling beauty of Skyrim's landscape. Call him a simple Orc, but Bo Gro Graul loved the wide-open plains of Whiterun, with its hues of gold and orange grass swaying softly in the wind. He wasn't bothered by the chilling, blizzard cold of snow riddled Windhelm. To him, that was nature at its finest.
Coincidentally, the Orsimer was headed to Windhelm that very minute. His thick hide and fur boots crunched noisily over the brushing of snow that had fallen the night before. He had crossed into the outcrop of Eastmarch, having come from Riften just a few days before. He walked determinedly, with a confidence of his surroundings and where he was headed. This Orsimer needed no map, not a veteran traveler such as he. The Orc had a purpose, and that purpose was to report to his commanding officer; Galmar Stone-Fist. This Orsimer was a Stormcloak soldier, on very important Stormcloak business.
Bo Go Graul continued North along the snowy ridge until nightfall, when he stopped and made camp for a few hours so he could eat and rest. The cold was just beginning to seep into his deep green skin, but he embraced it and slept soundly in his bedroll until dawn. He rose just before the sun was starting to creep between the trees early the next morning. After a quick breakfast of cold bread and cheese, Bo Gro Graul continued merrily along his way. Warm rays of a beautiful sunrise slowly spread up his legs and back while he walked, and the Orc couldn't have felt more at home than if he was back in Largashbur with his Ma and Pa.
It wasn't until mid-morning that Bo Gro Graul's comfortably silent walk was interrupted by a surprise occurrence. Just as the Orsimer reached a small snowy clearing did he notice the still form of a body lying in the snow. Bo Gro Graul slowed to a stop several feet back, his body tense, and his hand hovering near the Orcish sword resting against his hip. His breath came out in small white puffs as he waited a moment or two to see if the figure was going to move. His brows furrowed together, concerned, and there was no response.
Then the Orc hesitantly moved forward, his thick black cloak rustling softly, and only half covering a worn set of leather armor. When he finally reached the figure, the Orc's mouth dropped; the person was a small, pale woman, and she appeared to be unconscious. Bo Gro Graul quickly knelt in the snow beside the girl and pulled his glove off before reaching out and gently grasping her shoulder. She lay face down in the snow, and so the Orsimer slowly moved the girl onto her back, revealing more pale skin. She was alarmingly pale, and her skin was tinged with a hint of blue. Her face was framed by a head of soft brown hair.
She did not respond when he attempted to rouse her. He then leaned down and checked her breathing. She was breathing just fine if rather softly. The Orc was unsure of how long the young woman had lain here in the cold and snow, or if she was injured, and so Bo Gro Graul made up his mind to try and help her. He sat down in the grass for a few minutes collecting his thoughts, realizing he needed to change his route to accommodate the girl. He decided on Kynesgrove, as it was their nearest destination. It was located just along the border of Eastmarch, and Bo Gro Graul knew he could reach it by nightfall if he traveled quickly. Windhelm would be too far.
Despite the intrusion to his travels, Bo Gro Graul took no mind to it and swept the unconscious woman into his arms. He took a moment to adjust her into a comfortable position, remarking on how young she looked. Questions burned in his head as to how she had gotten here. Once he was feeling comfortable with her in his arms, he took off at a brisk walk towards the direction of Kynesgrove.
It was nightfall by the time Bo Gro Graul reached the small settlement. He arrived at the front steps with sore arms and legs from having to carry the unconscious woman for several hours. He had to stop on more than one occasion to eat and just generally take a break. Each time he had stopped the Orc had tried to wake the girl up again, with no luck. He had noted that she appeared to be uninjured, save for a few scratches and light bruises across her face and arms. He assumed she'd gotten them from the fall she had taken before he came across her. Bo Gro Graul took a deep breath, hoisted the woman up a bit to regain his hold on her, and climbed up the wooden steps to the Inn.
An Argonian sat just outside the door, lounging on a bench with a bottled drink, and it greeted him when the Orc reached the door. The Argonian gave a curious glance and wordlessly stood up to open the door for Bo Gro Graul, who thanked him, and then stepped into the warm dining hall of Braidwood Inn. Bo Gro Graul walked silently past the other patrons who were seated around the tables, around a roaring fire located in the middle of the room and reached the bar counter. A plain looking woman wearing a rather revealing dress stood behind it and she lazily wiped down the same spot on the wooden countertop with a bored expression. She raised a thick brown brow up at the Orc as Bo Gro Graul awkwardly walked up to her.
"Yeah?" She asked abruptly, smacking her lips and eyeing him up.
"Is there a healer in this area?" Bo Gro Graul inquired, struggling to reach the coin purse located on his body.
It wasn't really working out and so he gave up for the moment.
"There's a gal who comes around pretty often, haven't seen her in a while though."
"Well I need to rent two rooms for the night, and if she comes around can you send her to me?"
The woman paused and then decided not to get involved. She helped retrieve the coin purse attached to his belt and dealt out the appropriate amount of coin before returning it. The Orc nodded his head in thanks and followed her to the rooms they'd be staying in for the night. He entered the first room and gently placed the girl down on the bed, careful not to touch her more than was necessary. He had been a bit worried all day while traveling with her, unsure of how she'd react if she had woken up and found herself in the arms of an Orsimer. Luckily, he hadn't had to deal with that situation, and now she lay in the dark room of Braidwood Inn, still fast asleep. Bo Gro Graul turned around and was about to leave the room when the door opened and a hooded figure stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind them. The Orc tensed for a moment until the figure reached up and pulled her hood back, revealing a pale white face and long blond hair done up in a typical Nordic braid. Her eyes were an icy shade of blue, but her expression was of kindness and concern. She stepped towards the bed, eyeing the girl.
"Where did you find her?" The woman asked, kneeling down to inspect the slumbering girl.
"Half a day's walk from here."
"Just lying on the ground? Unconscious?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
The Nord stood up with a sigh.
"Well I don't see anything externally wrong with her, hopefully, she wakes up soon and I can assess her further. I'll be staying here tonight, so if she does wake come and get me."
"Okay."
Bo Gro Graul nodded and stepped back when the woman turned to leave, her dark black cloak swaying around her body as she left the room.
Bo Gro Graul left the room as well and hunted down a tub for himself so he could bathe. It had been quite some time since he had last had been able to wash, and he knew he must smell of something ripe, so he took the opportunity of the girl sleeping to get himself clean.
The only thing Jane could remember before she fell abruptly asleep was how much she enjoyed her new pajamas. They were a lovely shade of light blue, covered with large purple polka dots. Being a lover of all matters of comfort, Jane had snuggled down in her new sleepwear and was watching a rerun of 'Friends' when sleep quickly overtook her. The next thing she knew, Jane could feel that she was laying on her back, not in the lazy-boy recliner she remembered falling asleep on, and there was a draft of cold air coming from somewhere above her head. Cracking one eye open, she was met with the image of a thick wooden beam ceiling, and that thoroughly confused her. Jane opened both eyes and sat up, shivering slightly. She had somehow been placed on a small bed in a small room. The only furniture giving way to her surroundings was a small wooden table with two chairs and a worn wooden dresser. An unlit candle rested on top of the dresser, along with a faded brown book that had seen better days. Jane scratched her head and swung her legs off the bed, pausing momentarily to groan at how stiff and sore her joints felt. She wiggled her bare toes on the cold wooden floor and stretched.
It feels like I was thrown around in a washing machine on the fastest setting.
The young girl moved towards to door, nervous about what she would find on the other side. She cracked the door open and peered out with one widened eye. All she could make out was more wood, which was no help in figuring out where she was. Jane quickly shuffled out into the hallway and reached another closed door. She paused. Farther down the hallway drifted the sounds of laughter and voices conversing with one another. But Jane chose to open the door nearest to her first and was greeted with the most unusual sight. This door gave way to another bedroom, and inside the bedroom lay a tub filled with steaming water. However, it was who that was in the tub that surprised Jane the most. A man with the most incredibly deep green skin resided in the tub, his long dark hair trailing into the water. The moment Jane realized what she was intruding on, her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks burning. The man sitting inside the tub tensed as well, his thick muscled arms flexing instinctively to cover his privates although they lay submerged in the murky bathwater. His bright blue eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth opened slightly as he struggled to speak. His bright white tusks did not go unnoticed, but Jane was completely shocked and embarrassed by having walked in on a person bathing to really comprehend.
"I-I am so sorry!" Jane stuttered, and, before he could respond she flung herself out of the room.
Jane hastily closed the door with a loud thud and then bolted back into the room from which she had come, shutting the door firmly behind her. Her thoughts whirled wildly in her head as she leaned against the door, and she let out a shaky breath.
Did I just walk in on an Orc bathing? She asked herself, feeling her stomach drop. Where the hell am I? Am I fucking high?
Bo Gro Graul's heart hammered in his chest. The woman he had brought to Kynesgrove was alive and well, and she had walked in on him bathing. The Orsimer hastily pulled himself up from the tub and stepped out, ignoring the water that splashed onto the worn wooden floor. After a quick dry off with a much too small towel, Bo Gro Graul quickly changed into a pair of faded tan breeches and threw on an off-white tunic. He shoved his boots on, brushed his damp hair back and messily tied it with a leather string. He then swiftly opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The woman's room lay right beside his, as the owner of the Inn had arranged. The Nord healer said to come and get her once the girl was awake, but Bo Gro Graul felt compelled to go and rectify the situation before retrieving the healer. The bath had been desperately needed and had brought him relaxation at first; but once that young woman had rushed into his room and seen him bathing, his nerves had been shot. Bo Gro Graul shook his head and took a deep breath, before rapping his knuckles against the door. There was a muffled noise, and then the door cracked open. One green eye stared back at him, and after a brief moment, the woman opened the door a little wider, giving him a nervous smile. A lousy "Hi" was all the Orsimer could muster, and the woman nervously touched her hair, returning the greeting.
"H-hi," she stuttered softly, the blush on her cheeks deepening. "Sorry about...about..."
"It's okay," Bo Gro Graul replied quickly. He cleared his throat, feeling quite nervous. "Can I come in?"
The girl blinked. "Oh!" she exclaimed, stepping back. "Yes, of course."
Bo Gro Graul entered the small bedroom and shut the door behind him, and the young woman gestured for him to sit down. The girl tucked both of her legs up onto the chair and wrapped her arms around them, nervously biting her lip.
"How do you feel?" He asked as softly as his voice could achieve, looking at the woman's face with interest.
She was a pretty young thing. He couldn't tell whether she was a Nord or an Imperial, but from the pale tone of her skin, he figured she had some Nord in her. Only her hair was a soft shade of brown that just reached close to her midback, and so the Orc was confused again by her race.
"I feel okay, but I'm very confused as to where I am."
Bo Gro Graul thought for a moment, and he had to agree the woman didn't look like she was from Skyrim. In fact, by the complete oddness of her attire, the Orc couldn't imagine where she had come from.
"Do you remember anything before now?" He inquired, hesitating to look her in the eyes.
Being in such close vicinity with a beautiful young woman certainly made the young Orc feel a little flustered, and so he settled on scrutinizing the grains in the wood of the table.
"I just remember falling asleep, that's it."
Her response surprised him. So, she hadn't passed out in the wilds of Eastmarch? Bo Gro Graul frowned slightly, thinking things over.
"Well, I found you in the snow." He explained to her, and the woman's eyes widened. "You were faced down and unconscious, and you've been sleeping for quite some time. I brought you to Kynesgrove in hopes that there would be a healer here. A Nord woman looked over you and I will go and collect her shortly."
"Kynesgrove?" The woman asked, her voice full of disbelief. "Then I'm in..."
"Skyrim." Bo Gro Graul replied, and the young girl sucked in a deep breath.
"Wow," she replied after a moment, exhaling. "And you...you're an...an Orsimer." Jane winced at badly she butchered the name out loud.
Taken aback, Bo Gro Graul nodded, unsure of her tone of voice.
"You have never seen an Orsimer before?" He asked gruffly, tensing.
"I-I didn't mean to offend you," She replied hastily, holding her hands up. "I have never met one in person. Where I come from, I've only learned of Orcs in vi- I mean uh...books."
"Where are you from?" Bo Gro Graul asked curiously.
"Uh, I-I'm not sure, my memory is really foggy. Not Skyrim, though."
Bo Gro Graul was silent for a moment while he took in the new information, and then he nodded.
"Alright, well it doesn't matter. I am glad you're okay."
"Thank you for helping me...um..." The girl's voice failed.
"Bo Gro Graul, but you may call me Bo. Most people do."
"Bo...thank you, Bo. My name is Jane." Jane smiled at him, and Bo felt himself smiling back.
"You're lucky I found you first," Bo replied gravely. "And not some other wildlife or creature. I'm actually surprised nothing hurt you."
Jane shivered, and she nodded.
"Then I am forever in your debt."
"I don't know about that..." The Orc replied, clearing his throat again. He internally berated himself for being so nervous. "Are you hungry?"
Jane's stomach growled just as Bo ventured the question, and they both chuckled, feeling slightly more relaxed.
"I guess that answers my question."
Bo stood up and nodded towards the door.
"Come on, this Inn makes the best meat pies."
The meat pies were in fact, delicious. Jane ate with gusto, and for a while the pair were quiet. The warmth of the Inn and the nice sound of music and talking brought Jane comfort, and she started to feel less afraid. She knew the Orc sitting across from her was a kind guy, she had a feeling he was a bit shy but that didn't bother her. She wasn't exactly an outgoing and confident person either.
"May I ask you something?" Jane spoke up after a while, her curiosity burning. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing, it had to be an incredibly lifelike dream.
"Sure."
Bo could not look at her for very long without getting too nervous, and so he glanced up at the girl for a moment before looking back down at his food.
"How old are you? I'm really bad at guessing people's age."
Jane laughed and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her smooth white ear.
"I'll be twenty-four this summer," Bo replied, glancing up at her.
"Ah, I was close. I'm twenty-two. So, we're close in age."
"Yes, close," Bo replied softly, swallowing hard. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, and they fell back into silence.
"What do you do for work?"
Jane was finished eating, and she placed her fork down on the table. She sighed happily, her stomach full, and took a sip of her water.
"Well right now I'm just a Stormcloak, I joined around three months ago and have been doing random work for them."
"Do you like it? Is it dangerous?"
"I like it well enough. It's not exactly a safe job, but I figured I'd better pick a side and help out. Both Imperials and Stormcloaks were hounding me for what seemed like forever, I couldn't take it anymore. They want Orcs right now."
"What do you mean?" Jane asked with a confused expression.
He liked the way her eyebrows furrowed together, and she stared and him with such a thoughtful look that he had to look away as to not get flustered again.
"I guess you wouldn't know if you're not from here. Orsimer are not held in high regard these days. But with a war brewing and all, each side wants as many of us as they can get. Berserkers have proved more than useful in fights, and so I was sought after for quite a while. I was in the Legion back when I was a teen but I didn't stay for very long. I liked what Ulfric had to offer and I figured it's their homeland, so..." Bo shrugged and took a swig of his ale.
"Tell me, why aren't Orsimer held in high regard around here?"
Jane sat back in her seat and folded her hands together on the table, and her soft gaze made him uncomfortable.
Other patrons around the main hall had eyed Jane curiously when she had walked by in her strange attire, and some of the men and women still shot her a glance occasionally, but Jane didn't seem to notice. She focused only on Bo.
"We're thought of as dirty, ugly, barbaric beasts with little in the way of brains and class. People are either disgusted or repulsed. Or both."
Bo sighed and ran a hand through his hair nervously, feeling Jane's eyes on him.
"We've been driven back so much in Skyrim that what remains of my kind, most of them have retreated to strongholds and cut themselves off from the rest of the world. After our service in the Legion we were no longer seen as useful I guess."
"Did you ever live in a stronghold?"
"Yeah," Bo nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I was born in one, Largashbur. I left a long time ago."
"Well, you did save me. If that helps any, I'm forever thankful." Jane patted his hand and smiled warmly at him.
Bo couldn't help but smile back, touched by her kindness, and then quickly smothered it into a cough.
"No need to thank me," he replied a little more gruffly, feeling unsettled by the intimacy.
"You're awake."
The woman Bo had met earlier had returned, and she stood in front of them staring down at Jane.
"I couldn't find you earlier..." Bo started to say, and the Nord cut in.
"Yeah sorry, I had some things to do. I'm Lynne," the woman reached her arm out and shook Jane's hand. "How do you feel?"
"I feel much better now that I've had something to eat," Jane replied, smiling at Lynne. "I have a bit of a headache but it's not bad. Mostly feeling sore all over."
"That's to be expected, I suspect you had quite the fall. Do you know what happened?"
"No, no I haven't a clue. I'm not even from Skyrim," Jane replied hastily. "I have no recollection of anything other than falling asleep in my home."
"Hmm. Strange."
Lynne reached into her satchel for a moment and produced two potions, one the color of deep purple, and the other bright red.
"Take the healing potion, it'll heal up any scratches and what not, and the violet one should have you feeling much normal by the morning."
"Thank you."
Jane gratefully took the potions, and Lynne half smiled at her, nodding.
"I'll come check up on you in the morning."
Lynne glanced over at Bo and nodded, before saying goodnight and taking her leave. She headed back towards the front door and departed the Inn, her black cloak trailing behind her.
"What a mysterious woman," Jane commented softly, more to herself than out loud.
"She's not your typical healer, but she's helped out enough so far."
Bo leaned back and stretched, his arm muscles bulging against the restraints of his tunic sleeves. Jane had noted over the course of the night just how handsome she found him to be for an Orsimer. When she played Skyrim she had always had a soft spot for the big green Orcs, but she admitted at least with Bo that they looked even better in person.
Of course, I'm just waiting for the day I wake up and find out this was entirely dreamt up in my fucked up little head.
Jane could no longer fight the tiredness she felt. Although she had slept for the better part of a day, she felt heavy exhaustion settling in. So, she said goodnight to Bo, stifling a yawn as she did, and wandered back to her room. She was still oblivious to the weird looks she got from the other patrons in the room who were regarding her attire. Bo watched her as she walked back to her room, noticing the heads that turned to stare at her, and promised to find her some clothes for the morning so people would stop looking. He couldn't believe the turn of events his travels had taken but he was curious to learn more about Jane and see where things went.
She's not from Skyrim, so she'll need somebody to travel with. If she wants of course.
Bo scratched his chin, feeling the stubble that had begun to form from not shaving for quite some time. He finished the rest of his drink and then asked around for a merchant so he could purchase some clothes. When that was finished he returned to his room, feeling quite tired.
Perhaps she'll come to Windhelm with me and then we can figure things out from there.
Sleep took the Orc quickly. Thoughts of a certain brown-haired girl lingered on his mind as he drifted away.
Jane pulled the covers back and climbed into bed, pulling them up around her body, and she tucked her hands under her chin. She couldn't really wrap her head around what was currently going on, but after a good couple of minutes of worrying about her family and pets back at home; she decided if this were in fact, true, she didn't want to leave. Not yet anyway.
How many times have I wished I could be somewhere else, somewhere I love, and by the sick humor of Sheogorath or some shit, here I am. Maybe reality hasn't settled in yet, but honestly, if this is real then I really am the luckiest girl in the world. An amazing dream come true.
Jane could no longer battle with her body, and she slipped into a deep sleep.
This story is dedicated to my beautiful friend, Michelle, who I love and miss terribly.