Short Story: Faendal & the Formidable Lute

  • In a sun-lit clearing in the forests tucked behind the town of Riverwood, a small doe was tentatively inching away from the tangle of trees and plants that made up its home. It was entranced by the harmonious playing of a lute, whose strings echoed off of bark and stone, filling the clearing with a strange sense of security that was absent in the lives of much of Skyrim's wildlife. 

    Camilla Valerius observed the creature with wonder from atop a nearby log. For the moment, her attention was drawn very delicately away from the bard sitting beside her, instead centred upon the speckled white-and-brown body of the fawn. As it stirred ever closer, she found herself lost in the dewy eyes of what she was convinced was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen.

    Until it was quite abruptly beheaded. 

    Faendal's arrow flitted effortlessly through the doe's neck, and its eyes widened in a very short-lived bewilderment as its head was separated from the rest of its body. Arcing almost gracefully in the breeze, the fawn's severed crown landed with a soft pat in the lap of the fair Camilla, who promptly screamed and toppled backwards off of her log. 

    "What in Oblivion..." hissed Sven, abandoning the song he had been playing mid-note. "Faendal!" 

    As if waiting for an introduction, a Wood-Elf emerged from the tree line and, almost coincidentally, strode into a shaft of sunlight that made his golden hair glimmer. Faendal made a show of brushing leaves from his mane, simultaneously pulling a bouquet of wildflowers from somewhere behind his back and smiling radiantly. He finished the performance by looking over the clearing for the (by now, no doubt) adoring eyes of Camilla Valerius, but was disappointed when he was greeted instead by an icy stare from the unimpressed Sven. 

    "Listen, you pointy-eared elven shithead," Sven began, but once it became clear that the elven shithead in question would not, in fact, listen, the bard faltered.

    Faendal took the opportunity to glide across the clearing and present his flowers to Camilla, who was still on her back, eyes wide with shock and hand trembling as she perplexingly and hesitantly stroked the decapitated head still in her lap. "M'lady," smiled Faendal when his gift failed to get a reaction. Camilla's eyes flickered briefly to the figure leaning over her before assuming their previous, terror-locked positions. 

    "You've frightened her, you daft fool," said Sven, storming towards them. "Gods, what lunacy possessed you to shoot that poor creature like that?"

    Faendal's expression turned sour as he spun around to lock horns with Sven. "That was a wild animal, you nordic half-wit. I was saving her from serious injury!" 

    "Oh, that's rich," growled the bard, "Serious injury! The only pathetic creature I know of feeble enough to be harmed by an innocent doe is you!" Faendal grunted before turning back to face Camilla, who was now rocking gently back and forth and humming. 

    "Don't listen to that stupid oaf, Camilla." He urged. "He's too thick to know what he's talking about."

    It must be said that, prior to that moment, Sven had faced much ridicule at the hands of the Wood-Elf for his apparent idiocy. What enraged him most was that he wasn't, in fact, all that stupid. He actually had more of a formal education than Faendal, and had even been referred to by Viarmo of the Bard's College as somewhat of a musical adept. As much as he had endured, this slight seemed to mark the end of his patience, and he snapped. 

    As Faendal continued to swoon over Camilla, Sven picked up his lute and, adjusting the D string marginally, positioned himself next to the Elf. He raised the instrument above his head and smiled at the perfectly tuned crashing sound it made across Faendal's back. 

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Comments

30 Comments
  • Andrew Shepherd
    Andrew Shepherd   ·  January 15, 2016
    Hahaha. Yes, that would be most amusing. A big inn, lots of quirky characters...
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  January 15, 2016
    Could be a good fight: maybe we should write it! I have a feeling it should be set in an Inn...
  • Andrew Shepherd
    Andrew Shepherd   ·  January 15, 2016
    I have and I know. But if he goes up against Vianto then only the gods know what might happen. You don't want to be hit with one of his calm spells...
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  January 15, 2016
    Have you read about Shinbira, Andrew? He can get quite angry....
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  January 15, 2016
    Fight! Fight! Fight! [Camilla grabs popcorn and collects bets]
  • Andrew Shepherd
    Andrew Shepherd   ·  January 14, 2016
    No!! Camilla is mine! I got the golden claw back for her and now it's a fine day for her whenever I am around. She said so so HANDS OFF!!
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  January 14, 2016
    Camilla & I have history: she's a strange one. I'm never sure what she's thinking. part of me suspects she enjoyed, & that Faendal won her heart. Maybe that's just me 
  • FishDout
    FishDout   ·  January 14, 2016
    Haha, how dare you laugh at a comedic short story, Idesto!

    Yeah, I tried to show Camilla in shock. Did it not come across?
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  January 14, 2016
    Nice one! This made me laugh: I hope it was meant to: if not, sorry!
    The idea of a beautiful doe's head landing in Camilla's lap after that beautiful scene-setting appealed to my twisted sense of humour. Faendal killed Bambi!
    I'd like to have ...  more
  • FishDout
    FishDout   ·  January 7, 2016
    Heh, glad you liked it. I don't know, I think the game tends to push you into favouring Faendal a little more...