Various short stories: Rangar

• Posted by The Shadow March 30, 2013 - 1,249 views
  [This is the first entry of a new series of short stories I decided to write. They won't be connected to each other at all. Each one will be inspired by a song that I like and that I can't get out of my head.] Rangar looked down at his sword. It had seen better days and would probably break if too much force were applied to it. Most of the other soldiers were asleep, resting before the battle of the following day. It was finally going to end. They would destroy the rebels and they're leader, Ulfric Stormcloak. He wasn't looking forward to the fight. His mind was elsewhere. He had never been in a proper battle before, he had only enlisted in the Imperial Legion so that he could feel like he had at least done one meaningful thing in his life. You see before the civil war Rangar had been a simple farmer. He had gotten married young and hoped to have some children soon after. As by some cruel joke of the Divines his beloved wasn't able to give him any children. They travelled to many mages, hoping to find some sort of a cure but they found none. Isabel, his wife, had soon become very depressed and became a shadow of her former self. Where she was once kind she was rude. Where she was once honest she lied. Where she once complemented she insulted. Rangar never stopped loving her though because he knew that deep down underneath her tough exterior was the woman he had once known. Isabel's "cure" for depression came in the hands of a Khajiit merchant. After becoming the latest victim to Isabel's bullying he had given her something to relax. Skooma. The woman soon became hooked to the drink and constantly stole hard earned money from her husband to buy it. Rangar would beg her to stop taking the drug but she would simply insult him and change the conversation. Soon the Septims ran out and Isabel became desperate. She tried trading the few jewels she had for the skooma but the Khajiit refused all her offers. The poor woman killed herself shortly after. Rangar was overcome by sorrow and didn't remarry. He kept working as a farmer until one day an imperial soldier came to his farm. He offered Ramgar the chance to fight for honour and glory but most importantly to defend his homeland. He accepted. Rangar picked up his helmet. He looked at it and wiped a tear from his eye. He put the helmet down and left the tent with his loosely fastened armour and his old sword. His comrades were waking up and putting their armour on. Rangar looked at the horizon. No matter the outcome of today's battle, he thought, this will be my last fight.