6

Although I still expected there to be villages near Fort Frostmoth, it seemed that the wooded area around the fort was still completely uninhabited. There was nothing but fir trees and snowy hills for several miles north of the fort. The shore south and east of the fort was rocky and not very hospitable. I guessed that lack of a safe harbor on this corner of the island was the reason that no villages had sprung up here. The wind coming from the south was bitterly cold and dry, although it should have been warmer coming over the water.

I walked down to the docks, where I had first set foot on the island, and looked out across the Sea of Ghosts. If I squinted, I almost felt like I could see Vvardenfell from here, but I knew that Solstheim was too far away to see other land masses. If I walked to the western side of the island, I probably would have imagined seeing Skyrim. If I remembered my geography, the city of Winter Hold was almost directly west of the island.

I took a long, casual walk back up the road to the fort, but instead walked around the outer perimeter. Most of the trees had been cut down for maybe a hundred feet outside the walls, to give the guards a better view. I wondered if it was really necessary. Did they expect any Nord tribes to attack the fort?

I spotted a wolf walking around farther up the hill. Carius had mentioned that the wilderness was full of wolves and bears, and I believed him. If I wanted to ever make the trek north to visit the local villages, I would have to account for that.

Eventually, I got tired and cold and went back to the fort to get some lunch. Liman had very kindly let me take the lunch shift off today, as long as I helped during the dinner rush. I snuck into the kitchen and got a bowl of soup and some bread. I decided to help out anyway, and Tomas and I cleaned the kitchen after lunch. After we were done, I headed back downstairs to the armory and training area.

Once more I was alone. It was warmer down in the armory and I anticipated working up a sweat, so I pulled off my heavier jacket and leather pants. Underneath I wore the thin tunic and pants I had worn to the island. I kicked off the boots as well, and stood on the straw practice mat in my bare feet.

I was out of practice with a sword after my long incarceration in Cyrodiil. I had spent three very unhappy years cramped in a dirty cell there, before being mysteriously released and dropped off in Seyda Neen. No one had ever told me why I had been set free, and I didn't bother to ask. But now that I was free once more, my old habits started showing up once more. Pretty soon I would have to find some knives to slide into my boots, like I had in the old days, and then find time to practice my knife-throwing.

I stood sideways and took a few deep breaths before swinging at the wooden practice dummy. My brand new sword cut cleanly into the wooden body, and I yanked the blade out before returning to my combat posture and executing the move once more. It would take long hours of practice to get back into proper fighting shape, but I really didn't have much else to occupy my time here.

Swing after swing, thrust after thrust, my muscles gradually got used to the long-forgotten movements. The sword felt lighter in my hand, the sword strikes felt more natural and more graceful, and the practice dummy sported a new range of cut marks. I knew my arm would be sore in the morning, but that would pass. In another few days my muscles would be used to the movements and the soreness would be gone, replaced by stronger muscles.

Pretty soon I was covered in a sheen of sweat, and my breath came in hard gasps. I would have to replace the grip on the sword, because it was not properly wrapped and was now coming loose. The dummy looked as if someone had tried to cut it in half with an axe. I admired my handiwork for a few moments, my breath slowly returning to normal, the sweat on my face evaporating. My wool tunic felt sticky and uncomfortable, and I wondered if there was any way I could get a bath here at the fort.

"Hey," came a voice.

I turned to see Gaea Artoria, the female guard I met the day before, standing in the hallway with her arms crossed. She was not wearing her guard uniform, and was instead wearing a green tunic and leather breeches. Her hair, a surprising bright red, was tied behind her head into a ponytail.

"Hi there," I said, still a little short of breath.

"I heard someone fighting down here. I'm surprised it was you, I expected it to be one of the other guards."

I shrugged and showed her my sword. "Just trying out my new toy."

"Where'd you get that?"

"The Captain gave it to me. I did a favor for him."

"A favor, huh?"

I laughed. "Not that kind of favor."

"Sure," Gaea said with a smirk. "I'm sure the fox is all over you, isn't he? A pretty young thing like yourself, he probably started drooling as soon as he saw you."

"The fox?"

"Falx," Gaea said. "It's our nickname for him."

I laughed again, thinking about the wolfish smile that Carius always gave me. A nickname like the Fox certainly suited him. "Yeah, he's made a few passes at me."

"I bet he has. I swear, it took him six months before he finally got the hint from me. Every time he saw me, he kept asking me to come up to his office and have a drink, or come and spend the night, or some other nonsense."

"I guess you turned him down, then?"

"Of course," Gaea scoffed. "I want off this stupid island. If I slept with him, he might start to like me and try to keep me here. Besides," she added, "he's not really my type."

"He seems like a nice guy otherwise, though," I said. "I mean, I've met a lot worse."

"Yeah, I suppose," Gaea said. "He's not very demanding as a Captain. Of course, there isn't much for him to be demanding about. There isn't much for us to do here on this stupid island. It's funny that they send all their troublemakers here, and yet its probably the easiest assignment I've ever had."

"Falx mentioned that this place is a punishment. I guess he was right about that?"

"Oh yeah," Gaea said with a sigh. "We were sent here because we annoyed our Captain, or we broke some local law, or caused some other trouble. They send all the washouts here to try to get rid of them. If we stay here without causing any problems, we get reassigned."

"What about Falx?" I asked. "What did he do to get sent here?"

"Take a wild guess. He slept with another Captain's wife."

"Ooh," I said. "I guess that doesn't surprise me."

My workout finished, I slid my sword back into the scabbard and sat down in a chair to put my boots back on. I decided not to bother putting the leather pants and jacket on, since I wasn't heading outside again, and I was still pretty warm. I gathered up the clothes in my arms and headed to the stairs to drop them off on my bed.

"I never got around to asking you what brought you here," Gaea said as we walked up the stairs. "You said you came over on the supply ship, right?"

"Yeah, I was trying to get to Skyrim. Guess I picked the wrong boat."

"What were you doing in Vvardenfell?"

I shrugged. "Just traveling, I guess. I actually grew up in Cyrodiil, and moved to Morrowind and then Vvardenfell."

"Did you work as a bodyguard or something? You seem to know how to handle yourself with a sword. Just by watching you, I can tell you've had more training than some of the soldiers in the Legion."

"Not really," I said, and it was technically true, since I had never actually worked as a bodyguard. "My father was a trainer in the Fighter's Guild, and he taught me pretty much everything I know. I've picked up some other training here and there. It's a useful skill to have when you're a woman traveling alone."

"I'll agree with you there," Gaea said. I could tell she didn't quite believe me, but I let her make her own assumptions. Like Carius, she undoubtedly assumed I was a wandering thief or fugitive, perhaps a mercenary, given my knowledge of a sword. And I guessed they would be partially right. Some people might have called me a mercenary, some might have chosen stronger words.

We made it back to the bunks and I dumped my jacket and leather pants there. I also took off the sword and belt and put them on my bed as well. I felt safe that no one would take them.

"What are you doing this evening?" Gaea asked.

"I have to help out with dinner in a little bit. After that I don't have anything planned."

"Okay then," she said with a smile. "I have a meeting about next week's schedule right after dinner, so I'll see you later."

"Sure thing."

I went back downstairs to the kitchen, where Liman was already waiting for me. We still had about an hour until dinner started, but there was a lot of work to do before then.