Kor meets Aphid /Escape from Grelod (PART TWO)

The guard woman unlocked the city gate and gave it a shove, cursing a bit when one side snagged on a jutting piece of rock on the path.

"Stupid damn cobble," she said and kicked the stuck gate door. The action knocked the rock loose from the ground and swung the gate hard onto the archway's wall, nearly shaking the old door loose from its hinges from this violent burst.

The woman gave a hissing sigh and uttered quite the expletive for that one.

Kor was not accustomed to standing close to such heated temperaments nor equally heated words. He looked back for that kindly driver, but the guard had tugged the boy further inside before the carriage rolled into view.

"Scoot, kid," she said as she moved him in and tested the gate's swing, "...Let me make sure I didn't break this stupid thing…..It'll be out of my pay…."

She heard her companion outside snickering, prompting her to murmur with annoyance.

"Keep laughing shit-breath and I'll knock more of your teeth out…again."

Kor worriedly wondered how serious she was.

The Nords in his hometown had bantered and rough-housed, of course, as they naturally couldn't completely skirt the urge in their blood, but nobody ever came to serious blows.

At least Kor never was allowed to witness it.

Everyone had been close-knit and always strived to put their hearts before their fists.

The most serious brawl he nearly stood witness for, his father sent him inside after the first cheek bruising punch.

They were a different breed of Nord some would have said.

The guard probably would have said worse of them.

She looked to the boy looking at her and read his nonplussed expression.

"Relax, kid," she said and shut the gate "I wasn't going to slam it on your head or anything…..You got well enough in store for you."

"W-what?" Kor replied. His wide eyes grew wider.

The guard woman started to say something, but then hesitated.

Perhaps she shouldn't divulge too much.

She didn't want to have to drag him there, kicking and screaming.

"Nothing, kid," she dismissed it, "I'm just a bit crabby. Rough days and all. You probably certainly know how that feels right now."

She had held out her hand this time for him to take, but the kid seemed a bit hesitant.

"I don't bite," she assured him and dryly joked, "….Well, only on full moons. Don't like picking skin and hair out of my teeth…"

Kor looked as if he was trying to determine if she was actually joking, but he decided to take her hand anyway.

Her demeanor had been rattling him a little, what with everything else he hardly had processed yet, so he was just going to take whatever nice gesture she did have.

In truth for her, she just didn't want to have to chase him should something he sees here entice him to run, so she was masking a leash on him as a friendly gesture.

He didn't have to know that, though. Again, she didn't want to drag him either.

"So…," the woman started walking him along, "Welcome to Riften...I ain't gonna lie to you too much, kid. This is probably the best welcome you'll get out of this city..."

Kor didn't respond. He had a furrowed gaze on the ground as they walked, but did a quick sort of glance up at her at that.

She tried what may have been another dry joke—or perhaps she was serious, but her tone remained inscrutable.

They were crossing a small bridge that connected the boardwalk to the city center moated by the water channel.

"But Riften has its rough areas and its smooth areas," she said and she stopped them to point out a bench backed by the rail of the bridge.

"Like this bench….," she said and pointed to the seat, "Smoothest piece of plank in the city. I like this bench. It's my favorite bench."

Kor's gaze shifted back up at her and lingered this time. The furrow of worry on his brow replaced with a perplexity.

He didn't know what to think anymore.

The woman moved along again and Kor followed hand in hand.

She stopped again just at the end of this small bridge and motioned to the big building before them.

"This is the Bee and Barb," she explained, "The city's inn. It's a lively place, except right now because of the--"

She stopped herself from explaining what had transpired there.

"…Slow day," she said instead, "…They're using their low time to.…clean…..But I'm sure some of their usual patrons aren't going to mind a lay at the Bunkhouse toni--I mean a stay at the… Bunkhouse instead. Which is….just some other inn."

She continued on again and began walking them around the left edge of what looked to be an opened air marketplace.

"That right there is our marketplace," she confirmed, "A new rip off everyday…But hey, I just don't part easy with my coin."

She noticed Kor wasn't interested in the marketplace and was looking off the edge they walked upon and down below at the lower dock and water channel.

"Nothing really down there," she told him.

His eyes drifted back up and looked across the way on the far left; his attention zeroing in intently on the symbolic cloths marking an entrance on the stone wall over there.

Beyond the entrance was a short stone path leading up to the stairs of what he thought had to be the temple.

So he finally spoke.

"Is that the Temple of Mara?" he asked, having partly recognized the symbols on the cloths and already being aware the temple was here somewhere.

"Hm?" the woman hummed as if his finally speaking took a moment to register, "Oh. Yes….Hardly anyone goes there…..I mean, I do…..Occasionally….Sometimes…."

She could see he was very focused on it.

She could also see it looked as if he wanted to cry…..

"And that big house to its right is the Black-Briar manor!" she quickly pointed out and moved with an awkward excitement that she had not shown an inkling of before.

She even spun the boy around and pointed off in the direction of Bee and Barb.

"Manor of the Black-Briar family who owns the Black-Briar Meadery who makes Black-Briar mead! Ever had a sip?" she spat out quickly and continually pointed, "The meadery is just over there, though you can't really see it with that fat inn in the way--Oh! And there's more stuff beyond that. Down on the docks. Like the fishery. You like fish? Do you like to fish?...What am I saying? 'Course you do. You're a e along, though. Can't be sight seeing 'til dark. Almost home."

She tugged him with her and the poor kid nearly slipped his footing from all that sudden whiplash.

However, all that whatever-it-was did break him from the near tears, so there was that.

Although he somewhat wished she'd let him go….and maybe let him go to the temple, if even just a moment.

She walked them across another little bridge that pointed straight from the market towards a stone building.

"That," she pointed towards the stone building, "Is Mistveil Keep. Home of the Jarl….and other political nobodies. Boring stuff. Very boring."

She turned her attention off to the right and seemed a little reserved now.

Kor looked where she looked, at the small log housing not too far away.

It's front entrance faced them and it was built literally to the edge of the boardwalk. One good shake looked like it could knock into the canal, though that could probably be said of most the structures here.

The home didn't look very big, though maybe Kor couldn't quite see all of it, as a stone wall blocked most of the view of its left side.

The wall probably contained a small patch of a yard behind it.

"And that…," the guard spoke with that vacant tone returned, "….Is your new home."

Kor felt the icy-grip clutch its tight hand to his gut once again.

Why did he feel this way?

Was it because it wasn't home? Not his home? With Papa?

Something was wrong.

Everything was wrong.

Everything since that night has been absolutely wrong.

He wanted to go home. To his real home. To his Papa.

Despite terribly wanting to run, just run, his eyes couldn't tear from the house and his grip actually tightened on the guard's hand.

She tightened her grip a little too, either to ensure he wouldn't slip her should he bolt…or perhaps in an actual moment of sympathy, for she said:

"This used to be my home too."

The comment broke through the panicked ringing in Kor's ears. He managed to pull his eyes off the house and look up at the woman.

She was staring blankly ahead at the house at first, but then she looked down upon the boy and her mouth opened slightly, as if she was about to say something.

Then her eyes drifted off the boy and to the ground at his side.

Kor couldn't quite make out her expression.

Was she just thinking? Or was she sad? She looked between a mix of thought and sadness….maybe even a little angry?

"You just….," the guard then locked eyes back on him and spoke again, "…Mind that Grelod, alright? Whatever she says. Keep your nose and noise down."

Kor was so jumbled with trying to process all these thoughts, and mess of feelings, and all the things he was hearing….that he ended up just simply nodding… but not quite having understood.

Next thing he knew, he and the guard were right at the front door of the orphanage, and the guard was preparing to knock.

She paused again; however, and looked back down upon the boy.

"….Living here," she said, low and as if mumbling a thought aloud, "…is better than a short life out there. At least that's what I always told myse--"

She was suddenly cut off by the orphanage door flinging open.

A little girl, who had to be only about five or six years, was holding a broom practically twice her height and was in the midst of swapping a pile of dirt out the door before she even realized the two standing just outside it.

She gave a yelp of surprise just as she smacked the dirt, too late seeing the company.

Kor startled a bit himself and tried, but failed, to step back from the burst of flying dirt, but the guard reacted none whatsoever.…even as the cloud of mess met them.

The little girl, a Nord of pale brown hair, which was pulled into a short braid on one side of her head, and blue eyes wide open with trepidation, hopped back and fidgeted with that braid hovering over her shoulder.

No one had a chance to say anything before an elderly woman come up behind the girl, having quickly come from the room beyond the foyer.

"Why you yelping like your barking cousin, girl?" the old, gravely voiced woman demanded, although she clearly saw the two at the opened door.

The elderly woman nudged the little girl to the side and was just about to address the company at the door when her eyes narrowed, and the already persistent frown upon her face turned into a snarl.

Her glances darted from the foot of the guard, to the boy, to the girl and her broom, back to the boy, to the guard, and then back at the girl.

"Eydis…," the old woman addressed the girl with a growl and the girl quickly began to scurry away towards the room beyond the foyer.

"I didn't do it!" the girl spat out as she ran, and the old lady almost snatched at her as she did.

"Don't you lie—urgh," the old lady gave up the chase before it began, "Have too much today. Too much."

She put her scowl back on the guard, knocked on the open door, and spoke with an irritated tone.

"Didn't I ever teach you how to knock, huh?" the old woman said.

The guard blatantly ignored that and held out the papers the driver had given her.

"I have one Kor Bjergsen for you,…Miss Grelod," the guard woman said.

The old woman, Grelod, snatched the papers with a unhumored blow of her nose.

"Thank the Gods it's only the one, hm," she remarked, looking down at the boy.

Her tone became sickeningly sweet, but the scowl on her face was apparently permanent.

"But even one orphan is too many, isn't it, darling?" she said.

Kor felt trapped in his body. He could feel the wrongness here. Everything was wrong, but he couldn't speak nor react. Simply stare. Everything he had been feeling since that horrific night snaked tightly around him like weighted chains, and he had not an ounce of energy anymore to fight it.

The old woman lingered her stare on him as if she was waiting on an answer, but then she looked upon the guard.

"Telling scary stories were you, Fjora?" she asked demandingly.

"Ma'am?" the guard replied.

"I see how he's looking at me," the old lady explained with annoyance.

"I didn't--"

"You're lying," the old lady cut her right off, "What is with you children and your constant compulsion to lie? …Are you a liar?"

She had put her demanding eyes back on Kor, who managed to give some form of answer with a small shake of his head.

"Oh," the old lady replied to that with a delighted tone drenched in sarcasm, "Then you and I will get along just fine…. Now come on in. Come in."

Kor felt his hand squeeze tighter on the guard's, but the guard woman guided him forward.

"You just mind that Miss Grelod, alright?" she said, letting go of his hand and gently pushing him inside the doorway, "Nose and noise down, remember that."

Grelod suddenly took the guard by her chin as the guard had leaned forward in her nudge of Kor.

The old woman roughly turned the guard's face up towards hers and she held up a scolding finger.

"I knew you were lying," she said, "Working up the poor lad before he even gets in the door, hm? Just to give me all the more grief, huh?"

The old lady went on about not caring that the guard was a guard and she'd handle her just the same as she did when under her roof, but Kor's attention managed to pull from this to the two faces peeping in from the room beyond the foyer.

It was the little girl again, and a stocky little Nord boy next to her. He looked Kor's age and size, although just a little bit heftier.

He had dark brown hair, short to his head but with just enough fluff to look a little ruffled, and Kor could see he was missing a couple teeth, when the boy cheekily bared them at him.

Kor was still shedding his teeth too, a canine and an incisor, just like this boy but on opposite sides.

The little boy motioned for Kor to come over, but Kor seemed a bit leg-locked at the moment, especially when putting his eyes back on the old woman still scolding the guard before her.

Kor heard the boy make an imitation of a chicken clucking and the girl giggling a bit.

He looked back to them and saw that a Redguard boy, who looked more about the girl's age, had joined them.

His dark, nearly black hair was short to his head too, like the boy next to him, but not quite as so and was curly.

Kor could also see, even at their distance, the bright brown irises of his inquisitiveness looking upon him.

The Nord boy again motioned for Kor, and this time he spoke in an elevated whisper.

"Come ooon," he said, "Don't be scared. No one gets hit their first day. She's kind like that."

The Nord girl giggled and the Redguard boy shook his head.

Kor was beyond exhausted with not knowing what to think.

He decided to stay put until there was a murmur from the guard about "overlooked fines" and the old Grelod made a strange noise, looked to him and said:

"Go make friends," she shooed, "I'll be but a moment."

And then she stepped outside, shutting the door behind her.

Kor had his eyes on that door for a moment before looking back at the beckoning children, and then he just sort of slumped with his eyes to the floor, not knowing anything anymore. He was too exhausted. Too overwhelmed.

Suddenly he felt a small arm wrap around his and the girl's giggle in his ear.

She had come over, got him, and guided him to the other two in the room beyond the foyer.

The Nord boy seemed to be sizing him up on approach, his dark green eyes darting up and down Kor from head to toe, as the Redguard just simply stared.

"Kor, right?" the Nord boy asked.

The Redguard then quietly added in behind, "Like an apple core?"

Kor opened his mouth a little, but didn't really know what to say. Hello? Spell his name? Duck away under the dining table he now saw in this room and never come out?

"Grelod said you'd be here today," the Nord boy spoke again, apparently not caring much that Kor hadn't responded, "…She's been complaining so much about it….But I could hardly wait, though. Another Nord to spar with!"

The Nord boy motioned towards the Redguard.

"He cries if I barely hit him," the Nord grumbled and then motioned to the girl then too, "Her too….and then I get in trouble. Pfft."

"Aphid spars with you," the girl said.

"Barely!" the boy replied, "He's too gentle! Even though I'm really tough! He's so babying. Urgh."

The Redguard added his words in again too.

"You want him to hit like Grelod?" he asked.

"What? No!" the Nord boy stamped, " I just want a worthy…uh…uhh-"

"Opponent?" the Redguard said the word he was looking for.

"Yeah, whatever," the Nord boy waved and put his full focus back on Kor, "You worthy? You look like you can take a hit. That'll come in handy here, hehehe."

"Wh-what do you--," Kor started to stammer out but then changed the question, either because he didn't want to know the answer or he was too jumbled to complete a thought, "Who's Aphid?"

The girl smiled.

"He's our big brother," she said and rambled on, "I mean, not actually our big brother—I mean he's like all of ours big brother. He's older. He's twelve and been here the longest of us. I think three years now. He takes care of us. Keeps Grelod off our butts. He's really nice--"

"Unless you're in trouble," the Nord boy rolled his eyes, obviously speaking from experience with that, "He's more like a mother than a big brother, if you ask me."

The Redguard piped in.

"He's kinda like Grelod's helper, too," he said, "…But he's nothing like Grelod. He's nice."

"I already said he was nice," the girl chimed back in and then gave a little um like she was thinking of what she could add, "…He's locked outside."

"What?" Kor could hardly filter most of all this coming at him, but that caught his attention.

"Aphid," the girl explained, "He's been locked outside all day."

"Wha--"

The Nord boy cut back in.

"He keeps Grelod off our butts," the boy said, and the girl huffed again that she had already said that too, but the boy ignored her, "Aphid does all the back talking to Grelod and stuff. He's brave. Sometimes Grelod lets it slide. I think she may like him some days. And some days she doesn't…Today is a doesn't. She was on and on this morning about another mouth to feed…you…And Aphid only tried to calm her down and she just threw him out in the yard!….So we've been eeextra good today. It's so…urgh. I don't like getting in trouble with Aphid, but you DO NOT want to get in trouble with--"

The front door opened as that old woman returned inside.

She slammed it with a huff and stomped over to the children, although all the children except Kor scattered away to resume whatever chores they had been doing, or pretending to do, leaving only Kor in the hag's shadow.

He was her intended target anyway, however, as she glowered down at him.

"Where are your things?" she asked.

"…M..Ma'am?" Kor responded, working up the courage to do so, especially after getting all those blaring hints of her temperament and from the other kids.

"Your things," Grelod repeated, and skimmed over the papers that were nearly crumbled in her hands now, "Clothes? …Trinkets of home?...Anythi--"

She had peeked over the papers at his shaking head, although she seemed to have found the answer in the writings.

"Well, by Gods, you pitiful thing," she huffed and her tone almost sounded genuine if not for its impatient air, "…They couldn't have scoured up even one measly apple or rag to send you with?...Urgh. Always falls on me. As is my charge, right?... I suppose you and Bark can share clothes for the time being. Until more coin scrounges up for a market trip..…."

She; however, grumbled a bit about the kids probably all hitting a growth spurt as soon as she refreshes their clothes.

She had then suddenly took Kor's cheek in hand, startling him a little as she roughly rubbed her thumb across the dark moles on his cheekbone.

"Ah…," she then realized it was not dirt, but still commented upon his grimy state, "….Puh. What did they do? Just rid you to a wagon with out so much as wiping the ash of your home from your face?...And they say I'm a heel….Candy to sewage, I say..."

Her attention darted to the little girl.

"And Eydis!" she snipped, "Don't think I forgot that little greeting you gave him!"

Kor suddenly felt compelled to clarify the girl's innocence.

"S-she didn't mean to...," he said and thought to add, "…Miss Grelod."

Grelod's attention shot back to him, and that permanent scowl made it impossible to determine any other expression beneath. Kor really wanted to shuffle behind his Papa right now…

"Well aren't you a real darling," Grelod finally said, "….Listen, kid, straight from me. Don't stick up for these brats. They won't do the same for you….Besides, she still blatantly lied right to my face..."

Grelod looked back upon the increasingly nervous girl, but the old woman gave a sort of dismissive wave.

"Aphid can deal with you," she tossed her hand and muttered, "…I am at my end today. Too much. Too little."

Kor noticed the girl visibly relaxed, but she still seemed to pout.

"Ah, yes..," Grelod then spoke again, "…'spose I need to let the boy in...He's been in a bit of a timeout, you see. He's mouthy sometimes, but he's good with you lot….He can give you the grand tour and what have you. I usually handle it, but….I've got myself a bit of a nasty headache…."

She started to turn away, but then turned back to Kor again.

"I am Grelod," she said, realizing she hasn't properly even introduced herself, "The headmistress, of course, if your precious little noggin hasn't figured that out…Until I feel like giving the run down on rules myself, just know these two things for now: Don't give me any lip and especially don't give me any lip while I have a headache. Understood?"

Kor nodded, though his gaze dropped and he awkwardly shuffled on his feet, not knowing exactly how to respond to this sort of thing.

It seemed to suffice, though, as Grelod turned away and headed into the room just side of the dining area.

Kor followed, though staying a bit behind, and saw the room was the biggest center of the house, housing all the beds for the children and a fireplace for both warmth and cooking. There were two doors at the far end, but having seen the outside of the home, the rooms beyond couldn't have been very big.

Grelod made way for a door nearest them, on the side wall of the room. It must have led to the yard. What must be a very small yard boxed in by the stone wall Kor had seen outside.

Kor stopped a bit back and resumed that awkward shuffle as Grelod flung open the door.

The old woman stuck her head out and he heard her sternly talking to who could only be Aphid.

"You going to mind your mouth now?" she scolded, "Or you want to be out here all night, too?"

Kor heard a boy's voice speaking back, but the wall and old lady between them muffled the words. It must have been an agreeance though, as Grelod nodded and stood back.

"Good," she said, "Now get your narrow backside in here and show our new darling the ropes. I got papers to sort through."

"Yes, Miss Grelod," Kor heard the boy say as he finally appeared through the door.