The sun was just beginning to peak over the rolling hills of Rorikstead when Amir woke up. He glanced around him to find Rogvir and Lywel still fast asleep, so he gently got out of bed and crept across the room to retrieve his gear. Shrugging on the leather armor was a bit nosier then he had wanted but neither of the boys stirred, still exhausted from the last few weeks of hard traveling. It bothered him nonetheless, twenty years ago he had been in the prime of his life. A deadly machine of death and as noiseless as a wisp of smoke on the wind, now he couldn't even get dressed without clattering around like a dusty draugr.
"Next I'll be needing a cane," he muttered to himself, frustrated that his hands shook buckling the straps. There was no use denying it, he was getting too old for this business, it was time to start thinking about quitting the physical aspect of the job. Not that he couldn't still be involved in mercenary work, the few who made it to his position where they were still alive to become old usually started their own companies and ran it from a set location. With their lifetime of experience they then became fat, happy, and relatively wealthy with nothing to want for in the world. While the idea was tempting to settle down, maybe find a wife who wouldn't mind a grumpy, old man, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe there was more to his career besides a life sifting through papers and counting septims. Besides, Nyl and Rogvir would end up killing each other with no one to mediate their squabbles.
Amir walked out into the main hall, closing the door softly behind him and sat down next to the hearth, gazing into the dying coals for the next hour. He was so absorbed in his thinking that when a hand gently shook his shoulder he jumped up and had a dagger halfway out of its sheath before he realized who it was.
"Lywel! By the Divines boy, do you want your guts on the floor?" Amir was startled to say the least, particularly since it was Lywel who couldn't sneak if his life depended on it. Amir supposed his hearing was going as well, the thought made him grimace.
Lywel looked at him with a touch of concern on his face, his dark eyes showing worry, as he sat in the chair opposite of Amir.
Amir sighed, "Forgive me Lywel, I was thinking and I didn't think anyone else would be in the hall."
"I'm sorry," Lywel's voice was hushed as to not wake the other inhabitants. "I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep so I thought I'd take some time to study out here."
It was then when Amir noticed the spell tome wedged underneath Lywel's arm. He was on the verge of asking if anything was troubling the young man that would cause him to wake up in the early hours of the morning but a loud snore erupting from the room where Rogvir still lay asleep answered his question. Both he and Lywel shared a quiet chuckle over the noises coming from Rogvir before they both fell into companionable silence.
"Lywel, do you think I'm old?" The question sprung from Amir's mouth before he even had the time to register it, were his wits leaving him as well?
Lywel closed the book he had just opened and looked at Amir. Truly the boy was a strange character, just a few seconds ago concern had radiated off Lywel's face letting his emotions being read as easily as the book in his hands. Now he was a blank slate, with no expression, and eyes that held no emotion, only serving as dark pits that seemed as if they could swallow you whole.
"Yes, you are old." Amir felt like he had been punched in the stomach, Nyl would joke about him being old sometimes but her and Rogvir seemed to think he was the sun that provided the light for their little band, always unwavering and would always be there.
"But, you are not too old," Lywel continued, seemingly unaware of Amir's stormy inner monologue. Lywel's face narrowed in concentration for a brief second as he passed a hand over Amir, a golden light emitting from it. "You still have a few years of this life in you, my magic can feel your heart beat and your lungs take in air. They are strong still, it is only your reflexes that might betray you, and unfortunately no magic as of yet can fix those."
Amir was a mix of emotion. On one hand he was sad, he was past his youth and while before he might gripe to himself about his age he know knew for certain that his glory days were behind him. On the other hand he was happy he still had a little more time before his age truly claimed him. He looked back at Lywel.
"Thank you, it has been a while since someone spoke that plainly to me." Amir got up and went outside to watch the sun finish its peak over the hills and usher in a new morning, leaving Lywel beside the dying embers.
It was only an hour or so more before the small town filled with life. Men, women, and children bustled about their daily routine while the small band sat inside the inn finishing their breakfast.
Amir broke the silence, "Alright so I managed to get us a bounty about killing a giant nearby from Mralki, apparently it has been carrying off livestock. He's pretty sure it's a single one but it's not for certain. Is everyone alright with this?"
Nyl grinned in a feral anticipation, while Rogvir allowed a small grin to creep over his face, the first one Amir had seen since his fight with Nyl. Lywel just nodded.
"Then we'll set off soon, be prepared everyone. It's been a while since we faced a giant, know your place and the plan and we'll do fine."
Everyone nodded and got up to pack up the few things they would need for their excursion, Amir sat at the table for a few seconds longer, savoring the anticipation of a fight soon to be had.
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Okay so the next chapter is going to pick up the pace a little more! Sorry it's been a little slow so far. I probably should have said this in my first chapter but the POV for each chapter is going to shift between each major character, which will not be confined to only Nyl, Lywel, Rogvir, and Amir. I also decided that the Dragonborn will play a role in the story, whether a major or a minor one I'm not sure yet. Hopefully you guys like it so far and reviews are always appreciated :D