Chapter Four
Pushing open the great gates of Solitude, the two inexperienced nords and their new furry friend stood in awe at the majesty of the great capital of Skyrim. Tall stone, grey buildings rose before them, stretching up to the heavens. The sounds of hawks and sea birds filled the air as they circled high above the towers. Fresh green and colourful plants lined the streets and the arches of the gates. The salty smell of the coast wafted in through the walls, mixed with the scent of spiced wines, fresh breads and ripe fruits and vegetables. This was what a city should feel like.
"They can't hurt Uncle Roggvir! Tell them he didn't do it."
A high-pitched panicked voice broke the trance Alinja and Erik were under. They viewed a little girl with short brown hair and a yellow dress, decorated with birds. She was looking angrily up at a man who was staring back at her with a worried expression.
"Positions."
Alinja looked right as she heard the gruff, accented Nordic voice order out. He looked like a guard and was dressed in the red uniform of the Solitude. Guards. He was standing next to another man with short orange-blonde hair, dressed in a roughspun tunic. This man's hands were bound with tight leather strips. Two guards were standing in the way of the short staircase that lead to the raised platform they were standing on. A redguard in black armour and a black hood pulled over his face stood on the opposite side to the man in rags. He was holding the largest axe Alinja had ever seen.
"Svari, you need to go home." Alinja turned her attention back to the little girl and the man. "Go home and stay there until your mother comes." The little girl huffed, stubbornly but slunk away towards her house.
A Breton woman strode past the man muttering, "You should tell her that her uncle is scum that betrayed his High King. Best she knows now, Addvar."
"You're all heart, Vivienne." The man called Addvar replied with a sigh, following her to the large crowd of people standing before the platform.
"I think this is a trial." Erik whispered to Alinja. "Come on." He lead her into the crowd.
"Roggvir." The guard projected loudly. "You helped Ulfric Stormcloak escape this city after he murdered High King Torygg. By opening that gate for Ulfric you betrayed the people of Solitude."
"Traitor!" A man shouted from the crowd.
"He doesn't deserve to speak!" Another cried.
The man in rags stepped forward and addressed the agitated group of people. "There was no murder! Ulfric challenged Torygg. He beat the High King in fair combat." He raised his voice over the insults and taunts of the people. "Such is our way! Such is the ancient custom of Skyrim and all Nords!"
"Booooo!" The crowed spat, pointing their thumbs down, some even threw food items like tomatoes.
The guard gripped Roggvir by the shoulder and forced him to his knees. Using his foot he pushed him down so that his head rested sideways on a block of wood in front of him. The redguard with the axe shifted his feet slightly apart and raised the axe above his head.
"On this day…" Roggvir whispered in sorrowful acceptance, "I go to Sovngarde." The axe swung down with harsh force.
Alinja gripped Erik's hand and turned away. Only the sound of a clean chop and liquid spurting confirmed the execution of the man, Roggvir. The crowd began to clear out muttering how they expected more out of the execution. A woman dressed in brown farm clothes and a white hat stood silently, alone in front of the platform, staring at the headless body of Roggvir. She was whispering something Alinja couldn't hear, but she guessed the woman was someone close to the newly deceased man.
"I heard of how the High King was murdered by Ulfric Stormcloak." Erik mentioned to Alinja as they walked away from the scene. "Apparently he used a strange…spell or something that involved his voice."
Alinja nodded. "Yeah, I heard about that too."
"We should look for work." Erik said quickly and lead her past a few buildings and into a courtyard with a well in the centre and market stalls around it. He walked up to a lady standing behind a stall with spiced wines. "Well met." He greeted. "Do you know where we could find work?"
The woman leaned on the wooden surface of her stall. "You should try asking the Jarl up in the Blue Palace. You could find some work there."
"Thank you." Erik replied and they turned to leave.
"Wait," the woman called. The two turned around to look at her. "You wouldn't have a few minutes to run down to the docks would you?"
"Of course." Erik replied. "What did you need?"
"I've got a shipment of Spices the East Empire Company is holding up. I need someone to convince them to release it."
"I could do that." Erik said and turned to Alinja. "You go up to the Blue Palace and see if you can't get us some work. I'll run down to the docks and we'll meet up later."
"Yeah, sure, alright." Alinja replied. Something deep inside her stirred, though. The way that Erik was quick to react to the woman's problem and how he wanted to complete her little quest by himself. She couldn't quite recognise the feeling.
"Great," the woman said, happily, "get back to me when you're done and I'll give you something for your time."
Alinja frowned. The way the woman looked at Erik made her nord blood boil slightly. A look of…admiration? Erik smiled at the woman and called for Meeko to follow him as he ran back to the gates. Alinja turned in the opposite direction but was stopped by the woman again.
"Sorry," the woman said, "but can I ask you something?"
"Y-yes?" Alinja wasn't sure what to expect to what this woman could possibly want from her.
"Are you his wife?"
The question took her by surprise. The surface of her cheeks began to warm up. "I-I'm sorry?"
"I was just wondering…if you were his wife." The woman repeated.
"No, no, no, no." Alinja tried to suppress the pang of annoyance she felt within her. She wasn't even courting Erik, let alone married to him. "We're…friends. Just really good childhood…friends." For the first time in her life, Alinja questioned her relation to Erik. They were just friends. The statement rolled over and over in her mind.
"Oh…" the woman attempted to veil a look of relief. "Okay, sorry. Thank you."
She nodded and turned on her heels and walked abruptly away from the woman before she broke her nose with her fist. Why did she feel so angry about this? It wasn't like he was interested anyway. She stopped. It wasn't like she was interested. Right? Shaking her head violently and ignoring the strange looks a few passer byes gave her, she jogged the rest of the way to the Blue Palace. She was able to see the tall towers of the palace when they entered Solitude. The tower roofs were painted a deep sky blue—which gave her the indication that this was the right place.
Alinja walked through the small Palace Gardens, admiring the beauty and placement of the plants and flowers and fruit trees. Opening the arched door to the palace, she almost passed out at the great majesty of the inside architecture. Tall archways lined the left side of the large open entryway, while a few ornamental doors lined the right side. The second floor rose above the entryway with stone staircases on either side, curving slightly at the top. She slowly climbed the staircase where a court was being held.
A man stood before a throne where a young woman with a sad, innocent face sat. She must be the Jarl. Alinja noted, but observed that she looked quite young and inexperienced.
The man spoke out. "I swear to you, unnatural magics are coming from that cave! There are strange noises and lights! We need someone to investigate!"
The Jarl sat a bit straighter and addressed the man with practiced eloquence. "Then we will immediately send out a legion to scour the cave and secure the town. Haarfingar's people will always be safe under my rule."
"Th-thank you, my Jarl thank you." The man stuttered.
"Your eminence," a woman standing next to the throne dressed in a hooded blue robe spoke softly, "my scrying has suggested nothing in the area. Dragon Bridge is under imperial control. This is likely just superstitious nonsense."
Alinja glanced at the other people in the court. There were a few noble looking people, wearing expensive looking clothes. Guards stood at the walls, ready for anything or anyone that may attack their Jarl.
"Perhaps a more…tempered reaction…might be called for?" A man with firey red hair and beard suggested to the Jarl.
"Oh," the Jarl's voice wobbled slightly as she attempted to hide her inexperience, "yes of course you are right. Falk, tell Captain Aldis I said to assign a few extra soldiers to Dragon Bridge."
The man who stood before the throne shifted uncertainly, "Thank you, Jarl Elisif. But about the cave…"
The red haired man stepped forward, with kind eyes but a stern voice. "I will have someone take care of the cave as well Varnius, you can rest easily. You're dismissed."
Varnius glanced once more at the Jarl and the blue robed woman before scurrying away. Alinja took this moment to walk up to the man.
"What was that about?" she asked.
"Hm?" He turned and looked at her. "Oh, Varnius is just getting jumpy again about a cave near Dragon Bridge that is supposedly emitting strange noises and lights. To be honest, I was planning on letting that go."
"Did you want me to check it out?" She offered, excitement for another adventure building within her.
"If you want to," he replied, "I'll pay you for any information you find in there."
"There will be another," Alinja said quickly, "I have an…adventuring partner who goes on jobs like these with me."
"They will be paid as well, then." He said with slight boredom.
She nodded and raced back down the stairs and out the palace doors. She didn't adjust her speed as she ran past the gardens and into the market, where she stopped dead. Erik was back at the woman's stall with Meeko. The woman smiled and handed him a pouch of coins and…kissed him on the cheek. Erik turned a strange shade of pink before thanking her. Alinja's heart beat faster. Anger coursed through her veins. She stormed up to the couple. Meeko raised his head and barked happily, jumping to greet her. Without looking at the dog, she patted his head.
"Erik, I found us some work." She said abruptly. "Are you going to come with?" Or stay with your whore. She thought afterward.
"Huh?" He turned and faced her. "Oh, hey Alinja," she smiled sarcastically. He lifted his hand to the cheek that was tainted with the witch's kiss and wiped across it. "What were you saying?"
Alinja didn't feel like repeating herself, but she forced herself to play along. "I got us some work." She said slower. "Are you coming or not?"
Erik's face twisted into a confused expression. "What's with the grumpy façade?" He asked.
She pushed down the urge to swing her fist into his face. "I don't know what you're talking about. Now, are you coming or not?"
"Yeah, yeah. Of course I am." He said, following her to the gate. "What job did you get us?" he asked as they walked down the hill leading away from the big city.
"We have to check out a cave." Alinja said swiftly.
"Okay, stop." Erik caught her arm and turned her around to face him. "What's the matter. Seriously."
"Nothing, I told you." Alinja replied, trying to pull away and continue on, but Erik gripped her tighter.
"There you go again," he sighed, "I told you before that I've known you long enough to know when you're upset."
"I'm not upset." She pouted. "Come on, I want to check out this cave and then we can get back to Solitude…where you can go back to your little girlfriend."
"Oh!" Erik let go of her and they continued to walk. "Now I understand. You're jealous."
"You've got to be kidding me," Alinja laughed, "why would I care if some woman you just met would be swooning over you."
"Then why are you getting so worked up about it?"
"Because you can do better!" Alinja's voice was almost a shout.
"What? Like you?" Erik asked suddenly.
"Ha!" She rolled her eyes. "I said you could do better, not go for the best."
Erik chuckled. "That's more like it." Smiling he playfully gripped her shoulder as they walked and shook her slightly, teasing her. "You were so jealous."
"Don't flatter yourself." Alinja replied, but couldn't help smiling. He really did always know what to say.
**Dedicated to my uncle, Russel. Cancer is the devil incarnate. May you rest in peace.**