The Strat of Something Else
For once in a long time, the sun heat wasn't burning my skin. Unlike the Mojave or the Capital Wasteland, Skyrim's sun didn't hang over an empty dry desert avoid any cool air. That said, standing outside wearing nothing but a light shirt and pants was making me wish for a Nuclear Summer.
'NCR soldiers don't understand how lucky they are,' The thought of the boys and girls in tan came to me just as I finish getting the blood out of my duster. From the day I started working for the NCR, rescuing their soldiers became a common occurrence. So much so, I got to know many of those young men and women over those few months giving me even more of a reason to support the Republic in obtaining Vegas.
Things were a lot simpler back home. Wake up and fight for a cause, may they be Brotherhood or NCR, and hope to whatever God there may be that you live to see another day. Not much change between my first time out of the Vault and the battle for Hoover Dam, now, though. I have dragons, magic men, and foreign human-like species to contend with. Well having no real clear goal other than protecting one girl.
The why of this only now coming clear thanks to one bottle of Nuka Cola. I never kept the stuff on me, meaning somehow it had entered this world by itself. It was very convenient I was brought to protect Arthur just as this occurred. Putting two and two together, it wasn't hard to figure out Arthur is somehow involved with whatever got that bottle here in the first place. Giving me even more of a reason to worry about that girl's health.
"AH!" Speak of the devil. Arthur and another girl went by me, punching and shoving. Kicking up dirt and interfering with my cleaning.
"You mind doing this somewhere else?" I asked knowing full well neither would stop, but I man could dream. Both woman and Companions fought through the sitting area just behind the Jorrveskr into the training yard nearby. Destroying chairs and other essentials along the way.
"Those two aren't going to stop anytime soon," Lydia explained, walking up next to me and taking a set in what was a chair turned stool. "Since the day Arthur joined up with the Companions, Njade has pick fights with her and vise verse," She finished explaining, allowing me to soak in new information about these 'Companions'. They were the group Arthur joined up with and, being Whiterun's local mercenaries, provided her with some kind of stable work. Not a group I would hate by any amount but whenever those from the guilds circle appeared, my hands moved ever closer to my sword.
Old Wasteland paranoia or not. The Companions 'administers' gave off the sense of someone ready to kill. I knew it well and at times was this person but these guys had it turned on all the time. No different from a Legion attack dog.
"You finish," Arthur yelled out, taking back my attention. I Looked over to see Arthur standing over Njade triumphantly. Wiping off the dirt she obtained during the brawl. Njade was worse off, on the ground trying to catch her breath. It was clear Arthur had won this little squabble and was now enjoying the victory. "You can fetch the Mead this time," Arthur walked away from her opponent, taking a set next to Lydia and me. Grading the drink I had ignored since now. "Morning!" Arthur greeted, after finishing a gulp.
"Good morning," I greeted back, now finishing up with my repairs. Satisfied, I laid the duster and other armor pieces out onto the table. Placing everything back where they belong from the multitude of pistol types and ammunition to body armor and other clothing pieces that kept me alive. All well Arthur and Lydia observed the smoothness and speed I handled this task with. "Can I help you two?" I asked more than annoyed by the constant staring.
"Sorry, didn't mean to stare it just..." Arthur stopped talking once she saw me grab two nearly identical plasma pistols. "I never knew you carried around so much weaponry," Arthur almost began to sweat as I just about finished up. "You sure I can't borrow one of those 'guns'. It seems to me you could spare one."
"I hate repeating myself,Arthur. So don't make me," She seem to have gotten my blunt response, and decided to move the conversation to something else. Like today's work.
"Aela gave me this one, saying it should prove easy. So, once we're done here we'll head out," Another day another job. Some things never do change.
"Let's just hope you don't fall into any traps, this time. My Thane," Lydia spoke just loud enough for those around to hear. Getting their attention as Arthur became uncharacteristically shameful . Soon, everyone took part in the joke laughing at Arthur's expense. Thankful, she was a good sport about the whole thing and even went so far as to explain what had happened.
"Good thing I have Lydia here to pull me out of trouble, huh!" Arthur praised the loyal Housecarl, raping her arm around the girl enjoying everyone's company. I stayed at a distance from the little gathering, choosing instead to watch from afar and enjoy the view. Grumpy I may be, I wasn't going to ruin this for the two girls even as time flew by and the morning soon became midday. Around the time we should have left for our job.
During all of this, I finally got the complete set of armor back on and was relaxing inside the familiar environment. Be as it may be, my armor was like a second layer of skin. Without it, I wouldn't be able to sleep well at night nor face the harshness of the Wasteland with a cool head.
"I see you're still here," A new voice had entered the fray, and it belong to Arthur's job provider. Realizing this, Arthur ran over towards me and grabbed me by the arm. Falling face first into the gravel once she tried to drag me back to Aela. Who, looked more pissed of than before. Getting back up like her life dependent on it. Arthur's expression turned nervous, watching Aela's ever growing disapproval.
"Don't worry Aela. I was just about to grab my companions and head out," It didn't take a master interrogator, to catch Arthur's lie. As she tried again to move my body by force. Forcing Lydia to come over and get Arthur of me. Turning the scared girl around towards her fate.
"Once you're done here, Arthur. The old man would like a word with you," Aela explained, crunching her fists. "And don't worry about that job earlier. I got someone else on it," The woman finished, and went off back to whatever she was doing before hand.
"Kodlak wants me?" Arthur sounded confused, not expecting the surprise call from the leader of the Companions. He was a man I have never meet first hand but Arthur and Lydia had given me their word that he's was honest. And older than me. "Guess I'll go see him," Arthur entered Jorrvastkr leaving Lydia and me alone to the mess left behind.
"You can help," One of the maids said, shoving a broom into both main and Lydia's hands. More cleaning then, great!
Below Jorrvastkr's dining hall, I entered the living quarters for both myself and the rest of the Companions. What it lacked in windows it made up for in interior decoration. Candles left no corner un-light and the stone walls and floors brought more color to our dwelling then one would expect.
I walked past the general living quarters for those not a part of the circle, like myself. Down the hallway, towards my destination, was Kodlak personal room. The man who many could consider the de facto leader of the Companions. But most of us just call him the old man, or in my case. The original old man, who for some reason let me join the Companions after fighting Vilkis one on one. Farkus's brother beat me like a spoiled child, not even breaking a sweat until I used my thu'um. Through that, and some determination, I was able to win by catching him off guard and was allowed into the Companions with Kodlak's approval.
Entering into the old man's bedroom, I found him sitting at his desk reading an old journal. The same armor Farkus and the others in the circle wear cover Kodlak's body. Grey bread and hair all around, it was surprising to see an old man like him still be able to walk in full steel armor without issue. Even I had trouble carrying my armor on my back all day. I guess it came with age because Scott pulled this off much like Kodlak. Maybe I should ask him how he does it?
"You asked for me?" I asked, getting Kodlak's attention. He raised his hand up, signaling me to stay quite as he finished glancing over the journal. Once satisfied, he closed it up and turn his head towards me. Allowing me to stare into a face that could only belong to an old wise and honest warrior.
"Thank you for coming. I was told to believe from Alea that it would be an entire week before you'd show," Kodlak joke well I became more nervous about what else Alea as said. "But now I can see those fears were unfounded."
"Go to know I didn't disappoint!" I sighed in relief, happy this wasn't going to turn into a scolding of some king. The Gods know Alea takes care of that enough. "So, what is it you wanted from me?"
"An opportunity has presented itself and I believe this is a perfect chance for you to prove yourself to the Companions," Kodlak explained, as anger ran rapidly inside of me.
"I thought I already had?" I responded, demanding for Kodlak to explain further. The Companions were the embodiment of what it meant to be a Nord. To have that brought into question was to question to my heritage. It was something I can't allow, old man or not.
"You're still new blood I'm afraid. Which means you'll have to do something special to go beyond that and prove yourself to us," Understanding the logic, I calmed down before I did something stupid. This was a chance to prove myself and I should be thankful for it. Beside's, a true Nord never backs down to a challenge. "Farkus will be your shield brother on this accusation. When you are ready, go find him and he'll give you all the information you'll need." Like that, our conversation ended and I left to go find Lydia and Scott.
Once outside again, I found an image that will forever be ingrained into my mind. The almost Daedra looking old man know only as Scott Lazer, strange name, all things considered, was cleaning tables and wasted spills of Mead off the stone ground. With Lydia working alongside him.
"Why are we being punished for my Thane's mess?" Lydia asked, with a tab bit of sass I only found when we were alone together. Tilma, the person who kept this place cleaned up for us, appeared out of no were beside me. For being the oldest woman I know, the maid still somehow kept me guessing in how she snuck up behind people. With a few confusing conversations coming out of it.
"Because Arthur here has caused me more troubles here then my enter life experience working for the Companions. Since she was talking to Kodlak, you two would have to do,"Tilma explained, sending me a glare as she did so. This got Lydia's attention as she finally noticed my return.
"My Thane!" Lydia yelled out, sounding both glad and nervous. "You didn't hear me did you?" She asked. Shaking my head in response to help calm her nerves. It works and she now stopped cleaning. Walking up to me. "What did Kodlak what?" She asked, ignoring the displeased glare from Tilma.
I explained our mission to her, ignoring said glare's myself. "We need to find Farkus to get more information other than that," After I explained, we look over to see Farkus was by the training yard. Practicing sword swings on a dummy. "There he is."
I walked over and after some missed steps with a sword, mostly caused by me distracting him, Farkus told us the plan. " We got informed by a passerby, that a fragment was located in a cave not far from Whiterun. I'll be your Shield-Brother as we retrieve it,"Fragment could only mean one thing, Wuuthrad. The battle-axe used by Ysgramor when he saved Skyrim from the Snow Elves and made it a home for us Nords. He was also the founder of the Companions itself and to be entrusted in retrieving such a thing brought me nothing but pride.
"Well, let's get going," I already had my weapons and armor on me. So did Lydia and Farkus meaning we didn't need to stop anywhere. We got ready to leave when I finally looked back over to see Scott speaking with Tilma. With said woman having a bright smile for once. He left, tipping his hat towards her and came back over. "What was that?" I asked, complexed by his actions.
"Just bringing joy to an old woman's life," He explained, surprising me this old man would still being trying such a thing. "Now, where we are going?" There's the man I knew. Changing his feelings to whatever suited the situation. Guess it came with age.
"I'll explain on the way," I responded, as we headed towards the main gate once more to enter into the snow covered forest and mountains of Skyrim.
"Ysgramor survived the Snow Elves attack that destroyed everything and everyone from his village. In response to this declaration of war, Ysgramor, and his five hundred Companions brought the Snow Elves to their knees. Allowing Skyrim to become unquestionable the homeland of the Nords," Arthur's tell was mighty interesting. Before I criticized it there was one question I had to ask.
"What became of the Snow Elves?" I asked, getting complexed faces all around.
"I know you're a foreigner to Skyrim. But this is the history of the human races!" Lydia shouted at me, irritated by the mountain of question's I've been asking. Since we started our journey, I've been trying to get more information about Skyrim and the rest of Nirn. Arthur was glad to fill me in, though. Lydia wasn't giving this old man a break.
"It fine Lydia. I don't mind talking up the ill-informed," Seems Arthur was getting aboard Lydia's train as well. How graceful of her. "The Snow Elves were pushed underground becoming what they are now known as the Falmer. Nothing more than animals who despise the sun and all those above them," What a shame. Warmongers or not, no one group deserves such a fate.
"Answering genocide with genocide. Ysgramor sounds like a great man already," My sarcasm cleared showed and neither Arthur nor the rest took to kind to it.
"Ysgramor saved this land and it's people," Arthur turned defensive, showing a form of aggression I haven't yet. "He's a hero to all Nords."
"Maybe, but as you said. He also destroyed another people's culture and identity," I explained bluntly. Arthur stopped apparently forcing the rest of us to stop as well. Looks like I had struck a nerve, something I probably should've been avoiding. But I was willing to push my luck. "You can't expect heroes of old not to have some controversy around them. Thinking like that will only leave you ill-informed." Arthur gripped her fist, sending a glare my way. Before she could make any response, though, Farkus spoke up.
"Stop your arguing. Our destination is just up this hill," Farkus told us, pointing towards an oval shape stone structure. For now, our argument was put off as we now continued on with the mission. But now with some extra distance between us. This was going to be a long day.
Near the top of the hill. We found a staircase leading down into the oval shaped structure to a pair of steel doors. Once down and through the doors, we entered an old dungeon of sorts overgrown with moss and wooden tables that looked ready to break. Surprisingly, like the last place Arthur took me, the place wasn't looted and still had freshly light torches upon its wall. Giving the impression that someone had already come through.
"Seems someone's been digging here. Tred lightly," Farkus warned, as I to noticed the mining equipment lying around. After some quick looting by Arthur and myself, we headed further inside the dungeon. Coming across rows of catacombs still occupied by their original owners. Seeing the armor and weapons covering the corpse bodies, it was clear to me this was some kind of burial site for old warriors.
Getting up close, I found, even more, loot for me to carry and fill my pockets. Can't expect Arthur to pay for all my expenses after all. Taking out a gold coin, I tossed it towards Arthur who had a sly grin on her face. "What?"
Izzycity: I know, this was a little short compared to what I could have done but I wanted to get something out. I also love cliffhangers but guessing from the fact you're reading this story. You probably know what happens next.
Other than that, I hoped you enjoyed and please leave me a review telling me what you think.
Fallout and Skyrim are owned by Bethesda Studios.