The unwelcome foreigner from the south - Chapter 2

  • Chapter 2: First night in a new land

     

    I was rapidly becoming tired and Slays-Many-Elves kept turning around looking irritable at my slower pace. “Can't you keep up?” He snarled angrily.

    “Your legs are longer than mine. Sorry” I apologised.

    “Well it's getting late. We won't make it in time now and I would prefer not to be out in these woods at night.

    “Scared?” I mocked.

    Slays-Many-Elves strode up to me and rounded on me pushing his fist into my chest and snarled into my face “no. It's just there are more dangerous creatures out at night. Do not mock me or Ill tear your head off in an instant. I've offered my help to a stranger. I didn't have to.”

    I thought the better of it and quickly apologised. “I'm sorry my friend. It wasn't intended as an insult; more of a friendly jest.”

    The argonian looked at me angrily and slowly backed away. I don't take kindly to people who make fun of me. Do not say such things again. I have a very violent temper and it's best if you don't fuel it.”

    A bit of an overreaction I thought. He looked like he could be one truly nasty piece of work. The sooner I be on my own way and loose this potential psychopath who seemed to have forced his friendship upon me the better.

    A hut came into view as we rounded the bend. It looked uninhabited as there was no light from inside and no smoke from the chimney. “What about here for the night?” I suggested.

    The argonian grunted and went on ahead entering the unlocked door. I quickly joined him and looked into the small room. It looked in good shape but had been empty for some time.

    I shut the door behind us and lit a couple of candles.

    “How about a fire?” Slays-Many-Elves suggested as he knelt in front of the hearth stacking firewood. I just shivered and nodded in reply and then smiled as I saw him struggling to light it with a flint.

    “Here, let me try this” I said as I unleashed my flame spell igniting the dry wood. The argonian looked actually impressed and went to sit at the table. I joined him where he glared at me angrily still evidently upset about my suggestion that he's scared of the dark.

    “So what brings you to Skyrim” I asked breaking the silence.

    “Like I said earlier. I'm a mercenary. I have only lived in Skyrim for a few months. I was born and lived in Black Marsh for most of my life until my line of work made me some very powerful enemies. I faked my own death and fled the country. I managed to get some fake identity documents so I could travel within the empire / Thalmor controlled lands and basically here I am.”

    “Do the Thalmor control Black Marsh” I asked even though I knew the answer. I just wanted to make conversation.

    “Of course not” the argonian said scornfully. “We kicked them out years ago. We have never been ruled by anyone else and never will be. Even when Black Marsh (or Argonia) as its also known was part of the empire it was more of a loose alliance and we self governed. If you think it's a place for you think again.”

    “Oh I know. I've thought about it.” I answered. As much as I hated the Thalmor I didn't want to live in a disease ridden swamp. I also knew the races of Khajiit and Argonians have always had a dislike for each other but I personally found some argonians to be perfectly fine with me. I looked over to the bed in the corner.

    “Looks like there's only room for one. We should take turns sleeping and on guard” I suggested.

    “Good idea” the argonian said getting up and laying on the bed. “Ill sleep first”

    With that I soon drifted off to sleep in the chair but woke a few hours later to the sound of wolves howling outside.

    “What is it?” Slays-Many-Elves muttered brushing sleep from his eyes. “Just wolves” I answered. “Your turn to keep watch” I continued.

    The argonian scowled and pointed at the fire. “You let that go out” he said clearly annoyed. “Perhaps you don't feel the cold as much with all that fur but I do. Get it going again”

    I obeyed and saw that he had returned to the bed. “Hey it's my turn” I poked at him. He turned over and mumbled “if you want to live to see the morning I suggest you leave me alone.”

    Fine. I thought. He seems to be taking leadership already and trying to assert his authority over me. Maybe he's just in a foul mood but I didn't want to find out the hard way. I would definitely need his help to survive here though I pondered. “What place have I come to?” I said to myself as I sat once again in the hard wooden chair.

    I woke again early and went out hunting. I found an old bow in the cabin which was still serviceable and brought back some rabbits for breakfast. I didn't know what the argonian ate but I figured he would be a meat eater like myself.

    Slays-Many-Elves woke to the smell of cooking rabbit which I had already skinned and cooked over the fire whilst he was sleeping.

    “Glad you made yourself useful” he commented as he pulled one off the spit and chewed it almost whole. “After breakfast we should make haste to Riften. I was supposed to deliver last night and if I'm much later my payment may be reduced. There's other mercenaries around and I want to keep my job.”

    Perhaps why he as annoyed last night I wondered. Anyway he seemed in a better mood this morning as he went outside to collect some snow to melt. I needed a drink and looked forward to enjoying some cool refreshing water. When the argonian returned however he used the melted snow to wash his armpits. “I stink” he commented as he saw me looking at him. He handed the bowl to me and turned away. I used it to wash some of the dirt from my fur as I certainly wasn't going to drink from it now.

    “We had best be going” he said collecting his belongings. So much for the drink so I could now add thirst to my ravenous hunger. Great.

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Comments

5 Comments
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  January 5, 2016
    They're both terrible sentries though, lol. Good read :-)
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  January 2, 2016
    Me too
    Nice job and an Argonian in ebony is pretty kick butt. 
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  January 2, 2016
    Cool... I was wrong lol
    Looking forwards to seeing this play out
  • Teekus
    Teekus   ·  January 2, 2016
    Hmm, Slays-Many-Elves tries to be the dominant character and many fear him. Ultimately he's a show off but he does have the respect of the citizens of Riften. This is in a way that they pay him and the job gets done - how they never really find out, at le...  more
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  January 2, 2016
    I expect I'm wrong here but I can't help but wonder if Slays-Many-Elves is actual the weak one and is trying to hide it under a show of bravado. Time will tell when they get into a fight. It's just a feeling I have that its the Khajiit escorting the Argonian.