Yeah, I forgot to do a little 'blurb' when I threw this on here the first time, because late night publishing.
I am quite pleased with the majority of this chapter. It is amazing what happens when you spend a day focused on a story, instead of dabbling at it over the course of months. I hopefully will have the third chapter finished and up before I leave to stay at my folks' home for a week. Imma say right now that that particular chapter is going to be a collection of chronologically connected stories combined into one chapter...if that makes sense. Okay, basically it is going to be a bunch of similarly themed short-ish paragraphs that are in the same time span of each other but with a space of time in between each of them...trust me, it will be better than it sounds and I will make it work. Now without further ado, chapter two.
See what I did there?
Eris woke the next morning in a tangled heap of sheets and appendages. She and Lydia had downed copious amounts of mead the previous night, then happily poured themselves into bed. Neither cared that they were only half undressed and their weapons not properly stored. All that mattered was sleep in a real bed.
They had apparently embraced sometime in the night, seeking the others warmth. After carefully extracting herself, Eris perched on the edge of the bed, focusing her sleep and drink addled mind into a soothing healing spell. She inhaled deeply, then sighed in relief as the effects of the previous night wore off. Turning and lightly placing a hand on Lydia, she sent the spell to her. Lydia stirred gently, a small relieved huff escaping her lips before she burrowed further into the blankets.
Rising to her feet Eris stretched, rolling her neck and raising her arms above her head. Healing spells worked wonders, but did little to prepare muscles for even the most mild exertions. She completed her exercises and stripped to her smalls, then dug through a bag in search of clothing. She located a set of clean mage robes and simple boots to accompany them, topping it off with her circlet. Once Eris had clothed herself, she splashed cool water on her face to chase the remaining sleep from her eyes. Moving silently about the room, she collected their belongings. Minutes later, armor tucked away inside a large satchel and the weapons draped upon her person wherever they would comfortably fit without being damaged, she scribbled a note to Lydia and slipped from the room.
Coasting down the stairs, she entered the main room. Her stomach rumbled, causing her to wince. Eyes scanning the area, she spotted a platter of boiled creme treat and several full bottles of ale near it. The corner of her mouth crooked as her gaze looked around the area. Nonchalantly passing the table, she deftly snagged a pastry and bottle before quietly sailing through the opened door. On the far side of the room, a man in the shadows leaned forward as she exited, a small smile tugging at his lips, an eyebrow raised in interest.
Outside a gentle breeze tugged at the hem of her robes. Turning to the right, she headed towards what appeared to be a small marketplace. The space was devoid of citizens, the morning still too early for them to have fully wakened. She walked along the side of the building, and past the corner of the building she spotted a sign for the smithy. Moving through the empty market, she reached the other side of the wall separating it from her destination.
Gently setting her belongings down, Eris then stepped slightly to the side and hopped up onto the wall. Once carefully perched, she removed the sticky pastry from her mouth where she had been holding on to it with her teeth. Pulling the ale from the sleeve of her robes, she yanked the cork out with her teeth and dropped it into the weeds at her feet. Taking a bite of pastry, she looked around as she ate, occasionally sipping from the bottle. Riften was actually quite lovely in the morning. The newly risen sun cast a glow the color of Dragon's Tongue over the city. The breeze was cool but not chilly, and everything smelled like earth, ale and the smoke from the forge. It is wonderful, Eris thought was she took another bite of pastry.
Soon signs of life began to emerge from the buildings, shop keeps and workers greeting one another as they passed to and around the market. She turned slightly to watch as the stalls were readied for the day's business, keeping an eye out for anything she might like to purchase once her business at the smithy was done. The Argonian jeweler had just pulled out a glittery silver and moonstone circlet to set in a case when she heard the doors behind her open. Twisting back around, her eyes widened and she felt her face heat up.
The man who emerged was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and a handsome face. He walked towards the work area where he turned his attention to his forge. He grabbed an iron pole, stirring up the flames, a disgruntled expression settling across his features. As she watched, he gave a resigned sigh and shake of his head before turning away towards other tasks.
Eris dropped down from her perch and shook her head, then brushed the crumbs of her breakfast from her robes before removing her circlet. She ran a hand over her short hair before placing the circlet firmly back in place and gathering her belongings. It was not until she was besides the water trough that he seemed to notice her. He grunted in acknowledgment of her presence.
"Come to see Balimund perform miracles with steel, eh?" he queried in a rumbling baritone.
I swear that I could feel that in my bones, she mused. Putting her bags and weapons back on the ground, she stretched, relieved to be rid of their weight.
"Yanno, that is some mighty unusual steel you are working on there, "she drawled in a joking fashion, eying the leather he was scraping clean. He paused mid-scrape, turning to face her with a scowl. Eris raised her hands in a placating manner, a small grin lighting up her face. "I meant no offense, good sir, only a lighthearted jest."
Another noncommittal grunt was his reply as he set his knife aside and rose to get a look at her. His eyes roamed, his head at an angle as he inspected her. Finally he nodded and turned away, leaving her feeling like she had just passed some kind of test. Bringing her hand to her face she pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes squeezed shut.
"So. Looking to defend yourself, or deal some damage? I have weapons, armor, and the necessary items for you to forge what ever you need," he questioned.
It was her turn to grunt, realizing she had set her things down too soon. She quickly had them transferred to his work bench, where she pulled items out and explaining what she needed done.
"My traveling companion's armor was severely dented and I have not the smithing skills to repair it. My own armor was also heavily vitiated, and I am yet again unable to make good of it; I cannot work enchanted leather. Other than that, I need only to sharpen our blades and acquire more arrows."
As she laid things out, Balimund came closer and found himself surprised by the state of her gear. The iron armor looked as if the wearer had fallen down a cliff, hitting every rock along the way. As for the leather...he picked up the cuirass, watching the sheen of the Fortify Light Armor enchantment ripple across the tattered remains.
"What in Shor's bones did you do, wrestle a bear?" he muttered.
"More like a dragon, really" she quipped.
His brow furrowed, and she chuckled before extending a hand.
"My name is Eris, and it is my most unfortunate fate to either kill or be killed by the World Eater."