From Wildeve and I's Skyrim YumiKuri RP which is stupidly long.
Krista sat with her back against the iron fence of the graveyard, reading her latest book. She had five others waiting for her back in the temple, all from secret admirers. Alessandra's morning routine was now to check the steps of the temple for mysterious gifts addressed to their latest priestess. She often joked that Mara had sent Krista there herself to attract the people of Skyrim and afar to attend the sermons.
Death bells grew nearby and lifted their gentle smell to her nose as she flicked another page by. The early morning was always the quietest but that didn't stop the men and women to shuffle in, try to gather courage to speak to her. At first, she was flattered, but as days went by it began to become a hindrance to her duties and attendance to the Hall of the Dead. Alessandra even began to grow weary as she'd send Krista outside to do other duties-collect firewood, mountain flowers, and the latest shipment of material for amulets. It was one of those days were she was told to 'enjoy' the streets of Riften. Or, to be blunt, keep the people out of the temple's hair. People would crowd up the place without charitable offerings to attempt to court Krista.
Thus the books and the graveyard.
A crowd shuffled by, a hapless individual wandering in was unaware of this was thrown down into the waters below. He shouted frantically before wading off to some ladder and hauling himself up to get to dry land. As he wrung out his hair, a foot came forth and made him trip, falling to the wooden deck with a huff.
Cackling at his trembling limbs, she went to climb up the ladder, only to be bumped along her head from the crowding people, the same that pushed the man over.
She growled, wondering what the fuss was about, but decided to stay her blade as she didn't want to be kicked out of a town she paid to be in. She wandered around, looking for the famed brewery of Black-Briar Mead. She wanted a taste of it from its home but the guard nearly cleared her coin. Sighing, she wandered into the back alleys, all the way until she found the graveyard where a blond woman was reading.
Ymir approached her, asking casually, "Hey, Priestess, where' the nearest brewery for Black-Briar Mead?"
Krista pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, reading the last chunk of text before flicking her gaze up. A messy looking mercenary of sorts. A pretty woman underneath all the muck and grime and armor.
Krista gave a smile.
"The Black-Briar Brewery is near the armory and general goods store," she told her. The crowd of usuals was already there including the son of the Black-Briar mistress. They'd all be sorely disappointed that she was tasked to gather wood for the braziers and hearth. Something she wasn't good at due to her poor physical prowess.
Krista glanced the mercenary woman up and down.
"Would you like to help me with a task, wanderer?"
"If you give me something valuable," Ymir said staunchly, "bloody guards near cleared me of all my gold."
She frowned and crossed her arms, impatient for her drink.
"Can't enjoy mead without coin."
Krista closed her book and stood up. The woman would put a high elf to shame in height.
"I'm afraid this city has misguided men for guards. They've mistook your gold," she confessed to her.
"Ah, yes, you will be rewarded for your service," Krista said to the woman, "please, follow me to the city gates."
Krista led her out the graveyard and onto the sort path to the southern half of Riften. They went out the less used gate and to the forest where fallen trees laid for the taking. Nearby was a rusty woodcutter's axe.
"I need a cord of firewood. As you can see I make a bad lumberjack, but with your armor and all I think you're more fit," she went over, handing her an axe.
"Will you...um...?" She didn't know her name.
Ymir immediately set to work.
"Ymir."
She swung her axe well and hard, chopping the wood into two with ease. It was hardly a sweat to her as labor was nothing new to her. After almost an hour, she had a cord of wood tied and ready to go. She carried it.
"Where to?"
"The Temple of Mara." She guided her back to the city and the back trails. The crowd dwindled in size but grew once Krista was on the steps with Ymir.
Krista let her inside, helping her stack it in the basement. When all was done and said, she kept her end of the deal.
"Let's see if we can retrieve your coin," he murmured, heading to the guard barracks with a small group stumbling behind them. The guards were alert when they saw the priestess and idiot they stole from.
"Priestess Krista, what may we help you with?" One of the kinder guards asked as the other two tried to slink away.
"I believe this traveler was tricked into a city tax upon entering Riften," she said clearly. Immediately guards went over to the guilty and spoke. In minutes Ymir was returned her coin purse with extra to keep quiet. Krista overlooked the hush money.
"May Mara bless you, Ymir," was her parting words as any priestess would. She left with her group to attend to the fires and be there for the donation sermon as always. People were more generous when she was around after all.
She held her bag of coins, pleased to have them returned accordingly. She watched her leave, then went off to the brewery to have a drink. After sitting there for a long while, drinking endlessly, she stumbled out of the shop, bottle in hand. She staggered her and there, unknowing the streets well enough.
When a crowd of people were gathered at the Temple of Mara, she tried to push by them. Then her world went upside down, some fool shoved her aside and sent her hurtling down to the canal; in her drunken spree, she laughed as she was unable to keep herself afloat.
"Aye, 'notha one fell." An Argonian fished watched the brunette bob and flounder about. With a sigh, she helped her out of the water.
"Poor soul, when Krista- ah, I see you're just a drunk Nord," the Argonian snickered with a genuine smile.
"Careful now, the canal will drown you without a second thought, land-strider." With that, the Argonian left.
The crowd dispersed as a blonde head poked from above.
"Ymir, are you alright? Oh, soaked to the bone," she sighed, hurriedly walking down the stairs to look at the woman. Krista had saw the mercenary topple over-wasn't hard to see with how tall she was-and end with a deep splash. Krista had to politely shove others out of the way to ensure nobody drowned to the crowds lack of consideration.
"Ah, soaked," she eyed Ymir's soggy leather. Her body was in the thick scent of mead.
"Come on, let's warm you up by the hearth," she gave a small smile. Everyone was looking down as if they saw a miracle. Krista sighed under her breath. It was only common courtesy.
Ymir shivered and chuckled, she followed her closely while leaning over her. Her coordination was shot and she couldn't hold herself together for a second. As she stumbled with her, she managed to get her feet to work, it was damn cold, she wanted warmth, to get these damn clothes off.
"You're...you savior, Priestess..."