Welcome to the second chapter of The Rise if you're reading this then you must have read the first chapter (thanks) I hope you enjoy this one as much as the first.
Disclaimer: the only thing I own related to Bethesda is my copy of Skyrim.
I made it. I had survived a dragon attack and escaped my execution and now it was time to meet all the game characters I knew and have some fun helping people and doing whatever, I was in Skyrim and I was free. But first things first, I was tired and my face was covered in dirt. I took my helmet of and walked over to the river flowing through town. I scooped up some water and splashed it in my face to remove the grime from the cave; it also kept me awake, for now. I took a moment to look at my reflection, my brown hair didn't go much further than my ears in length and was swept to the left to keep out of my eyes, it had gotten rather greasy from the cave and I knew I'd have to have a bath soon. My face had a few cuts and bruises but was otherwise clean. My eyes were different, they were still the same colour, brown, but there was something odd about it, I seemed older and, what was that? Fear, maybe, was present in my eyes, it was strange and I hoped it would go soon.
I kept my helmet off as I walked towards the mill where Gerdur worked, following Ralof and his friends who were talking about the war or something similar. When Gerdur saw us she seemed shocked but happy to see her friends, what shocked her most was probably the fact that I was wearing imperial armour, gonna need to get new armour, anything but this. Gerdur asked if it was safe for them to be here and Ralof told her it was fine and then recounted our tale of escape from Helgen and a dragon, Gerdur said it was ok for us to stay at her house for as long as we needed, I thanked her but said that I would stay at the inn, I had the money for it now anyway. Mary and Hort said that they would be leaving for Windhelm in a few days. Gerdur said that I should go to Whiterun and inform the jarl an ask for some guards to be stationed in Riverood I said I would go in a few days to allow myself some time to recuperate after what happened.
I left to find the blacksmith after Gerdur gave me some food for my dinner. I reached the blacksmith and asked if he needed any help around the forge, he said he needed and iron dagger made and gave me the materials. I had never smithed before so I needed some help but after a few hours I had an iron dagger made. I was proud of myself but Alvor, the blacksmith, said it was a little dull and said I should sharpen it at the grindstone. This actually didn't require any ingots and after about 10 minutes it was sharp enough to cut something. I gave him the dagger and Alvor commented on the quality of it, saying it was very good for a beginner. He said that if I didn't have anything to do I could keep helping him by tanning some leather. This was a long process. I started by hanging up a deer pelt and removing the fur with my new iron dagger. I then had to wash it in a strange liquid that Alvor said sped up the tanning process, I then had to leave the pelt there for a day or two before it was ready to be used but I would have to wash it in the liquid daily. He then handed me some already tanned leather and asked me to make him a hide helmet. I cut some leather into strips on a table and cut some bigger sections of leather to be the actual parts of the helmet. After an hour of threading the thin strips through the larger pieces of leather and adding some iron reinforcements the helmet was complete. Alvor said it was good but could be improved to fit better. I took some leather to the workbench and lengthened or shortened the strips to make the helmet fit better. It took only a few minutes, 15 at most, and I handed him the helmet. "I'll have to make you my assistant at this rate" he joked and I thought about it for a second, there's less danger than fighting dragons, you'll have a reliable source of income and you won't have to keep travelling, this could be really good.
"Would a position be open here? I haven't got a job right now and I could use the money, plus the experience would be great."
He seemed to think my offer over for a second before saying "Actually there is, my wife is with child and is nearing the end of her pregnancy and I will be needed more around the house which is giving me less time around the forge, I could certainly use an assistant. You're hired." I smiled and thanked him before discussing the terms: I'd be paid 100 gold septims per day that I work and I don't have to work on Sundas. I left to sell off spare goods to the general trader and came out with a few extra septims, I then bought a room at the inn, had my dinner and fell asleep.
I woke up around seven in the morning which was good as my job didn't start until eight. I had a quick breakfast of bread and cheese washed down with a tankard of water I got dressed. Not in my armour but some green clothes with a hood that I had bought at Lucan's shop last night. I left my armour in my room but kept my sword strapped on. I paid for an extra day at the inn to keep my armour there and for a place to sleep tonight. It was raining when I got outside; I put my hood up and walked over to the forge where Alvor was waiting. "Ah, welcome to your first day on the job, we've got an order to fill and I'd like you to fill it, with my supervision, of course." Great my first job already! I can't wait.
"Ok what would you have me do?" I tried to mask my excitement but it managed to slip through slightly
"we have to make a full set of iron armour for an adventurer that came through today, he said he'd be back in a week so there isn't much of a rush to make but I'd like it done early seeing as there isn't much else to tend to right now. We'll start with the boots first"
Two hours later the boots were made, they took so long as the metal kept cooling before I was finished hammering it into shape. The next part we'd be making were the gloves which were much easier as it was only the top of the gloves that had the iron on. I finished the gloves within the hour and moved onto the helmet. While I was forging the iron Alvor was busy either sharpening the weapons or giving me advice on what I was doing. 3 hours later the helmet was finished, the intricacies and shapes of the helmet meant that it took a long time to shape the iron how I needed it, the eye holes where the worst to make, but I was finished and Alvor said we should take a break and have lunch. I was incredibly hungry and had a venison chop in some bread and washed it down with some water. We returned to work after about half an hour and set about making the armour. This was the most difficult as it had many different shapes and connecting pieces. After 5 long hours of working and taking few breaks the armour was done. I was pleased with myself and proud of my work; it would definitely stop a sword thrust to the chest and could save this adventurer's life. After all this work Alvor paid me and said I could have the rest of the day to myself. I had earned it.
I had my dinner and started walking around town, it wasn't much but I was used to living in a small town so it wasn't much of a difference. I met with Faendal and had a chat about nothing in particular until he came onto the topic of Camilla, he asked me to give a fake letter to her and tell her it was from Sven to which my response was simply "grow up, twat." I walked away soon after, I guessed I had made an enemy but as it turned out he took my advice and threw the letter away and said that he would try to win Camilla the right way and not with sneaky underhanded tactics. I walked off to the tavern and fell asleep soon after arriving.
The following morning was calm and peaceful, just how we like it, after breakfast I left the inn to go to work. I spent most of the day making and sharpening weapons, it was repetitive but kept me interested. Believe it or not but spending time making weapons gave me a better understanding of how they worked and the best way to use them and how to exploit their flaws. This was getting fun; I'd definitely be a better fighter after this.
Work continued as usual for several months I had amassed a decent amount of septims and had learned a few new spells from Lucan's shop. I had made myself some leather armour, boots, and gauntlets for my upcoming trip. I was going to Winterhold. I thanked Alvor for his kindness and his lessons in smithing, I joked that the gold wasn't bad either, but eventually I'd have to leave and so the college is my destination, to learn about magic and better prepare myself for life in this harsh land.
As I walked out of the road leading to Whiterun I remembered my first trip. It was on a day much like this one a few months back when I went to inform the jarl of the danger to his hold. The walk was wonderfully quiet and peaceful, as much of Skyrim I had seen had been, a wolf attacked me but I quickly dispatched it with my new steel sword that I had only just forged a few days back, its first taste of battle, I carried on walking afterwards, passing a few farms on the way until I saw a giant attacking what could only be the companions. I rushed over and started hacking at the back of its legs. It didn't do much. The giant only seemed to get madder and I decided that there was no way I was going to kill it with my sword so I backed up and charged a fireball spell. I had used it before, just not on anything living so it was more difficult to aim it right, but after a few shots and the companions constant harrying of its legs it fell to its knees where the companions could reach its head. Last mistake it ever made. The companions commented on my skills with magic and suggested I go to the college; at least they weren't as magic fearing and most nords. I thanked them for the compliment and moved on.
At the gate the guard stopped me saying that the city was closed, he let me in after I told him Riverwood was in danger too. I made my way up to Dragonsreach and entered then continued to walk to the throne before Irileth drew her sword and stopped me, I said I had news for the jarl concerning Riverwood's safety she didn't look convinced so I said that it also concerned the dragon attack on Helgen, she was shocked that I knew about it but let me through to see the jarl. I told him about Riverwood's plight and he said that he would send some guards at once I thanked him and made to leave. He stopped me and said that he might have a task for me, we don't want to get involved in that, I stopped him mid-sentence "sorry, my jarl, but I'm no adventurer and I can't help Farengar in his scheme." He seemed baffled that I knew some things that I probably shouldn't, whoops; I walked away after the jarl composed himself. I returned home to Riverwood shortly after and went about my daily business.
Before I knew it had made it to Whiterun and gazed upon it for the second time, I'd never tire of such a sight. I made my way to the carriage driver and asked how much it would cost to take me to winterhold, he said fifty septims and I said I'd pay. He remarked at how lucky I was as someone else had also bought passage to winterhold, I had just caught them before they would've left. That's odd, there shouldn't be anyone else on these, there never was in the game. I brushed the thought aside, people would use these as they were actual people and not A.I. stuck in a certain area.
I looked over to the person opposite me; he was male and a wood elf from the looks of it, he had a softer, rounder face than most elves though it was still sharper than most humans', he had an earthy brown hair colour and his hair was long but tied in a piece of cloth behind his head, he had a beard that was knotted on itself and green eyes that I noticed were staring at me. "What are you looking at? Do I have a spider on me? Is it big? Do I have to burn it? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I trusted you random person, I trusted you!" I couldn't tell if he was being genuine and if he was he was probably slightly mad, just how I like people, I tried to calm him down by saying I was merely trying to see what he looked like; he calmed down and introduced himself, his name was Valarion. We carried on talking on the way to winterhold; we discussed magic, as he was also heading to the college to study magic. He said that he used to have family in winterhold but they moved away after the great collapse. He asked about my family, I simply said I didn't have one.
The journey to winterhold was uneventful; me and Valarion talked more about whatever popped into our heads. The weather got slowly colder and I was glad I was wearing more than one layer. Soon we reached winterhold and we stepped off the cart. The college was huge and I couldn't stop the growing smile on my face as I raced Valarion to the entrance.
Well that's chapter two then, leave a review if you want and tell me what you liked and what I could do better, I'm new to this and I'm open to suggestions. Thanks for reading.