The Silver Fox - Arc 1, Chapter 4

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    Katlynn

     

    At night, Riften’s shopkeepers would be in their homes and their wares would be left inside their locked stalls. It was at that time I would start my late-night shopping spree around the Grand Plaza. Sadly, I could only dream of that happening tonight as I saw the city slowly disappearing behind me.

     

    Well, there goes my chance of stealing Grelka’s new set of enchanted steel daggers. They were worth quite a few hundred septims. I just hope no amateur thief would get their grubby hands on them before I return.

     

    We had left through the city’s southern gate and were now travelling west, passing through farms and small houses. The forest was alive with torchbugs and crickets. Lake Honrich was sparkling under the moonlight as Masser and Secunda hung above the night sky, partially hidden behind the clouds.

     

    Our horses had been fitted with empty sacks, one on each side. Why you might ask? Well because some Imperial had this crazy idea of going into a supposedly destroyed town and loot the whole place of any valuables.

     

    Gods… sometimes I hate Renartus. How did I even drag myself into this plan?

     

    <<<<>>>> 

     

    Several hours ago…

     

    We were back in Little Colovia when decided to reveal his well-concocted idea to me. 

     

    I blinked my eyes and was – metaphorically and literally – speechless at what I just heard.

     

     “C’mon, it’s a good plan.” Renartus said with a confident smile. “If Cynric and Thrynn are right, then Helgen would be abandoned and ripe for plucking.”

     

    I sighed and made a few hand signs. “Did you forget about the ‘burned to the ground’ part?

     

    “No,” He openly admitted. “But you forgot that Helgen is near the borders of Cyrodiil, which means all trade that comes from Bruma goes there, which means there’s bound to be something of value. Wood and straw may burn, but not silver and gold.” He hummed the last part like it was a tune.

     

    I slapped my forehead. Divines help me. This guy is dense as stone!

     

    You’re crazy!” I finished up by throwing my arms high up in the air.

     

    “You hurt me, Kat.” He placed a hand over his heart and feigned heartache.

     

    Is this about the debt with the Orc?” I asked.“You know you could ask the Guild for—

     

    “I don’t need the Guild’s help.” Renartus exclaimed. “They’re already pre-occupied with their own problems. I don’t want to toss another one in.”

     

    I sighed. There he goes again, using the same excuse. He’s been reluctant to ask for the Guild’s help ever since we knew about the Guild’s condition. So when it came to setting up shop in Riften, he had resorted to loan money from Durgesh instead of the Guild.

     

    Convincing Mercer and the others that he had start a business all on his own was the easiest part. All he had to do was make up a story about some surplus merchandise he still had from Cyrodiil and they believed him.

     

    “Look,” He continued. “I know it’s not the most bountiful of jobs I have for us. But at least we’ll get away clean.”

     

    Clean was good… but no. I was still unconvinced. I maybe nineteen, but I can still tell if a job is worth the trouble or not. You don’t go into a Nordic ruin unless you know the risk and the reward. And honestly this job sounds like it was more like no risk and no reward

     

    I shook my head, still inclined with my original answer.

     

    “I’ll treat you some salmon if you come~” He said in a sing-song tone.

     

    <<<<>>>> 

     

    Oh, right… that’s how I got into this mess. Curse me and my fixation with salmon.

     

    I couldn’t help it. When he mentions salmon, my mouth starts to drool. All I could think of back then was the crisp orange texture of cooked salmon, the taste of the soft tender meat, and the smell of herbs and lemon juice. Gods, just thinking about it makes me hungry.

     

    Anyways, where was I? Oh yes, Helgen.

     

    We had left Riften in the middle of the night. The ride to Helgen would normally take half a day on horseback. Renartus suggested that we departed early so we could be the first ones there. Abandoned towns tend to attract bandits and highwaymen or vultures as we liked to call them. If we were quick, we won’t have to deal them.

     

    The roads in the Rift were quiet this time of night, strange given the civil war raging on across the land. Most of the battles were border skirmishes, and they usually end up leaving a trail of dead bodies, which I sometimes loot if I stumble across one. What? You think I would leave all that loot for the vultures?

     

    We decided to take a short rest at Ivarstead before traversing the mountain pass. The town was located at the base of the Throat of the World, the highest mountain in all of Tamriel, and near Lake Geir. There was a lumber mill, an inn, and a small farm. If you could ignore the barrow, then I would say it was a nice enough town. Renartus and I used to come here from time to time to deliver some lumber for Temba Wide-Arms. Don’t ask how we even got the lumber, okay.

     

    We tied our horses near the entrance, and entered the Vilemyr Inn. The first thing I felt upon entering was the warmth coming from the fire pit. It was good to shrug off some of the cold from the night. The sounds of a lute playing filled the air. Besides us, there was the innkeeper, a bard and three more patrons.

     

    We sat ourselves on a bench and the innkeeper came to take our orders. “Welcome to the Vilemyr Inn.” He greeted, “Name’s Wilhelm. What can I get for you two? Food? Drinks?”

     

    “I’ll have some venison and a bottle of Surilie Brothers’.” Renartus asked.

     

    “We don’t have any Surilie Brothers’.”

     

    “What about Tamika’s?”

     

    The innkeeper shook his head. “Nope. We don’t have any of those expensive types.”

     

    Renartus sighed. “I’ll just have the Alto then.” He then gestured his hand towards me. “As for my friend here, she would like some salmon, grilled and basted with lemon sauce and a tankard of ale.”

     

    Well at least he kept his word, for a sly bastard.

     

    Once the innkeeper was gone, Renartus gave me a disgruntled look. “Can you believe this place doesn’t have any Surilie’s or Tamika’s?”

     

    Not every inn is The Count’s Arm, Renartus.”was what I wanted to say if I had a voice. But being the mute girl I am, I could only roll my eyes in reply.

     

    The man had a certain taste when it comes to the finer things in life; there was no doubt about that. Give him cheap wine instead of those from the vineyards of Skingrad and he’ll probably just order tap water. He’s really picky when it comes to wine. I think the proper term he likes to be called is a connoisseur of wine. Whatever the hell that means.

     

    The drinks came before our meal. Renartus poured himself a glass of the Alto wine and took a small sip. “Tastes like piss water,” He said, dreading at the taste of it.

     

    Maybe it really is piss water. I thought amusingly, sipping at my own drink. Why can’t he just drink ale like any normal person would?

     

    Soon my stomach was growling for the salmon. As if my thoughts had sent a telepathic message, Wilhelm returned with our meals. I stared in awe with my jaw dropped at the grilled fish being laid on the table.

     

    “You’re going to catch a fly if you don’t close your mouth, Kat.” Renartus chided, cutting thin slices of his cooked venison. The meat inside was pinkish-red.

     

    Usually I would shot him a look at his comments, but I let it slide just this once because of the tasty salmon lying in front of me.

     

    “So what brings you two here to Ivarstead?” The innkeeper asked, leaning against a wooden beam as we ate our meals. “A bit late to do a pilgrimage to High Hrothgar on this time of day, don’t you think?”

     

    Does he think that we look like pilgrims?

     

    “We’re just passing through,” Renartus answered instead. “Thought we might make a quick stop here before continuing our journey to Whiterun.” He lied. He was good at lying, to the point where he could hide his lie in plain sight. “We’re planning on taking a detour at Helgen to save time.”

     

    Wilhelm’s face turned solemn. “Best you take the road north of here and cross from Eastmarch. Helgen’s gone, destroyed by a dragon.”

     

    I nearly choked on my food when I heard his words. Did he just say dragon?

     

    “A dragon?” Renartus acted unsurprised, though his silver eyes sparked interest on the subject. Clearly this wasn’t part of the story Cynric and Thrynn had told back at the Flagon. “And you saw this dragon?”

     

    “Yes… well, no.” The innkeeper confessed. “But a few Stormcloaks had passed by here in the evening. They said a black dragon had destroyed Helgen.”

     

    “Stormcloaks? I thought Helgen was occupied by the Imperial Legion?”

     

    “Aye. They said they were captured and brought there to be executed. One of the prisoners was none other than Ulfric Stormcloak.”

     

    Ulfric Stormcloak. He was the guy who started the whole Stormcloak rebellion. Killed his own king in cold blood, or through honorable combat depending on whose side of the story you believe in. If the Imperials had captured him then the war was sure to be over. Well ‘would be over’seemed to be the correct word now.

     

    Renartus washed down the venison with wine. He was being oddly calm at hearing this story. No surprise or fear written in his eyes. It was like he was having supper while listening to the day’s end report. “We’ll be more careful on the road then,” He said. “Thank you for the warning.”

     

    <<<<>>>> 

     

    We headed outside after we had finished our meal. I had a lot of things in my mind right now. Dragons, Stormcloaks, the Imperial Legion, Executions. That’s a lot for a young girl like me to take in.

     

    Normally I could care less about tavern tales. They were just simple excuses for someone to get a free tankard of mead or to entertain a crowd with exaggerated tales of their adventures (they were amusing to hear though, I’ll give them that). But there was something different about this one. Not every day you hear tales about dragons. The only dragon I’ve ever saw was the statue of Akatosh in the Temple of the One, but that was just made out of stone.

     

    I shudder to think what happen if that dragon turns out to be real. What if it still at Helgen? Is the whole trip really worth it? I don’t want to be dragon chow!

     

    I think I should tell Renartus to call this off while we’re still—

     

    “Alright, let’s continue onwards, Kat. We have to reach Helgen before dawn.”

     

    Wait, what!? I felt like I just hit a brick wall. We’re still going to Helgen? I’m not sure if his brain had processed what was told to us, but Helgen is destroyed. By a dragon! And he’s still going through with this plan?

     

    Has he lost his wits!?

     

    I saw him casually walking toward our horses without a care for the world.

     

    Yup, he has really lost his wits.

     

    I stomped my feet on the ground to get his attention. He turned his head around and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I folded my arms, giving him a stern look before pointing a finger up in the sky. His response was a chuckle.

     

    “You seriously think that there’s a dragon near Helgen?” Renartus asked before erupting into laughter. “Dragons have been dead for hundreds of years, Kat. The last reported sighting of a dragon was during the Tiber Wars at the Battle of Hunding Bay. And no, I don’t count the avatar of Akatosh near the end of the Oblivion Crisis, so don’t bring that up.”

     

    I hate it when he starts talking about history. He has like an entire encyclopedia crammed inside that head of his.

     

    “Maybe a dragon did attack Helgen, or maybe it’s just an all-out attack by the Stormcloaks to rescue their leader, who knows.” He shrugged. “Point is you don’t believe in rumors unless there is evidence to back it up. Now c’mon, we’re wasting daylight.”

     

    Reluctantly, I followed. I swear if we don’t find anything valuable on this trip, I’m going to beat him bloody if the dragon doesn’t eat him first.

     

    Author's Notes:

     

    Finally I managed to publish this chapter. Just writing it felt like trying to poop out a Malacath-sized chapter. Hope you guys like my take on writing in the perspective of a mute character.

    Anyways, time to continue pooping out chapters...

     

     

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Comments

11 Comments   |   Karver the Lorc and 5 others like this.
  • ilanisilver
    ilanisilver   ·  March 4, 2018
    Well, the description of the salmon made me hungry too. Really liking this story so far. I can’t decide whose story interests me more, Kat’s or Elise’s. Luckily, I get them both. :)
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  December 6, 2016
    Finally, I get some spare time to catch up to stories and you have not disappointed, Kaiser/Axius. Salmon is delicious, a certain Altmer priest would completely agree with Kat. I enjoy your descriptions and she is a neat character. You did well with this ...  more
    • A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      Finally, I get some spare time to catch up to stories and you have not disappointed, Kaiser/Axius. Salmon is delicious, a certain Altmer priest would completely agree with Kat. I enjoy your descriptions and she is a neat character. You did well with this ...  more
        ·  December 6, 2016
      Thanks, Lissette. Huh? Didn't know Ol' Aelberon likes salmon. So far I've only seen him smoking his pipe.
      • The Long-Chapper
        The Long-Chapper
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        Thanks, Lissette. Huh? Didn't know Ol' Aelberon likes salmon. So far I've only seen him smoking his pipe.
          ·  December 6, 2016
        Loves all fish. Grew up eating fish. Didn't have his first taste of beef until he moved to Alinor to continue his training when he was 36.  :D
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  November 5, 2016
    My apologies for not reading this sooner Axius. I think you've done really well with this, especially Kat. 
  • dallan007
    dallan007   ·  November 2, 2016
    I liked the final sentence of this chapter.  
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  October 31, 2016
    Oh you know how thievery works.
    I hope there's no lore inconsistencies about the Battle of Hunding Bay part. I think Nafaalilargus was the last dragon reported to be seen. 
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      Oh you know how thievery works.
      I hope there's no lore inconsistencies about the Battle of Hunding Bay part. I think Nafaalilargus was the last dragon reported to be seen. 
        ·  October 31, 2016
      Yeah, that one was supposed to be one of the last dragons, making some sort of deal with Tiber. Who knows what happened to it after Tiber died.


      Btw, the statue of Akatosh in Imperial City. How sure you are Thalmor wouldn't level it du...  more
      • A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Yeah, that one was supposed to be one of the last dragons, making some sort of deal with Tiber. Who knows what happened to it after Tiber died.


        Btw, the statue of Akatosh in Imperial City. How sure you are Thalmor wouldn't level it during occupation of...  more
          ·  October 31, 2016
        My take is that they revered the statue due to the Auriel/Akatosh connection, or there was only minor damage caused to the statue that could be easily repaired. 
        • Karver the Lorc
          Karver the Lorc
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          My take is that they revered the statue due to the Auriel/Akatosh connection, or there was only minor damage caused to the statue that could be easily repaired. 
            ·  October 31, 2016
          Alright, just wondering. 


          It's like a...week back since I was talking with Phil and Tein about 4E Imperial City. We agreed that there is a possibility Thalmor destroyed the statue during occupation, mostly because the statue is a...  more
  • Karver the Lorc
    Karver the Lorc   ·  October 31, 2016
    So how did they get the lumber? xD Anyway, good work, mate. You did great with mute Kat and Renartus risky profiteering sounds like good business. Don't stop now. :)