The Silver Fox - Arc 1, Chapter 5

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    Renartus

     

    At least there was something me and Kat would agree on, and that was Helgen is destroyed. Completely destroyed.

     

    It felt like we were entering the aftermath of a great battle. Everywhere we looked there was only death and destruction. Buildings had been burned down, leaving behind only charred wood and their stone foundations. Large pieces of debris dotted the roads leading deeper into town. At the top of the keep’s tower, the tattered black-and-red flag of the Imperial Legion flapped against the cold air.

     

    There was a rather grim irony to the sight of that flag. The dragon was supposed to be the symbol of the Empire. Instead it became this town’s destruction.

     

    Katlynn took one look at her surrounding and scowled at me. Happy now? Her face said with her angry gold-and-brown eyes. Because there’s nothing here!   

     

    As we moved deeper into town, there was a sharp smell in the air. We stumbled upon a litter of burned corpses. My nose crinkled at the smell while Katlynn held her breath as her anger turned to shock. Their bodies were charred and black as coal until it was almost impossible to identify who they were. Some wore armor, or what was left of them. The metal and leather had been partially melted and merged with their flesh.

     

    That seemed impossible as it required intense heat to melt steel. Even fire spells couldn’t produce that amount of heat except for the highest of levels.

     

    …destroyed by a dragon. I quickly dismissed the thought. No. No. I can’t come into that conclusion. Dragons have been dead for centuries. The Dragonguard and their successors have hunted them down to extinction.

     

    We dismounted our horse near the town’s keep. It was a good place to start. I strapped my longsword onto my belt and slung my crossbow across my back before entering the keep through the heavy wooden door.

     

    Not even a minute inside the keep and there are already dead bodies lying about. The stench was already strong in here. Three Stormcloaks, their weapons were taken but not their personal belongings. Their wounds suggest that they were killed fighting the Imperials. We stripped them of their padded fur boots, gloves and mail shirts.

     

    Most thieves would just loot jewelry, gems and other things that were shiny or made of gold and silver. Those were the typical ‘Magpie’ thieves. A smart thief would learn to steal depending on the current situation at hand. For instance, fur boots and gloves were well sought after by the local populace to prepare them for the coming winter and blacksmiths pay double for any piece of armor as the demand for arms and armor has skyrocketed thanks to the onset of the civil war.

     

    Katlynn pried a ring from a dead Stormcloak’s finger and she showed it to me.

     

    I crouched down to inspect the ring. It was made of gold and the engravings… Suddenly my face turned sour as if I had bitten a lemon. “Put that ring back,” I told her in a scolding tone.

     

    She didn’t get it at first. But when she looked at the ring closely, she understood.

     

    There was an unwritten rule that I follow, and that was to never steal items of sentimental value. That’s what separates me from the other lowly thieves and bandits. It was a cruel thing to steal someone’s memories.

     

    That ring… it was the man’s wedding ring. The engravings on the ring were all too familiar to me. A pair would be given to the husband and wife after they were married with the divine blessings of Lady Mara.

     

    I looked at the man’s corpse. He was young, in his early twenties. His eyes were staring lifelessly at the ceiling with dry blood crusted around his mouth. He died for a noble cause he believed in, that I was certain of. I closed his eyes and let his soul rest in Sovngarde, the Nordic afterlife.

     

    There were two doorways in the room – the left one seem to lead to another section of the keep while the right one leads downstairs. We headed left first.

     

    We were searching for arms and armor. Those things were pretty easy to sell provided if the Imperials or Stormcloaks haven’t grabbed them while escaping from… whatever the hell happened here.

     

    I refuse to believe in the whole dragon story. There’s probably a good explanation to all of this, but I was more focused on making the day’s worth first.

     

    We stumbled upon the barracks. I was pleased to find that the Imperial Legion had left behind some weapons and armors during their escape. We took what we could fit inside the sack. In total we found four broadswords, two heavy shields, three shortspears, two sets of Imperial light armor and one set of Imperial heavy armor.

     

    After we were done, we headed downstairs through the right doorway. There was an eerie silence as we descended down the steps, and that’s not because I was travelling with a mute partner. The corridors moaned and the ceiling made a cracking noise every so often that I thought the place was going to collapsed over our heads any time soon.

     

    Turns out I was kinda half-right. The passageway in front of us was blocked by rubble.

     

    Luckily there was a doorway to our left. We entered and found ourselves inside the keep’s kitchen area. Strings of garlic braids and dried elves ear cuttings hung on the ceiling. The fire in the hearth had died out, only small traces of embers remained on the burned out firewood.

     

    On one side, barrels and sacks were stacked against the wall. We searched them and found cinnamon, juniper berries, cloves, nutmeg, and salted beef and pork. I ignored the food and filled four small bags with spices. In some places, they can go as high as five hundred a pound. You just have to find the right dealer to buy them. Luckily, I know a few.  

     

    An hour later, we emerged out of the keep with smiles on our faces – yes, Kat actually smiled for once today – and half of our sacks filled. I figured we had enough merchandise to fetch us at least three thousand septims or more. And that was just from the keep alone. We still have the whole town to explore.

     

    What a wonderful start for a day.

     

    <<<<>>>> 

     

    Well, it seems I spoken too soon.

     

    The town was as empty as a beggar’s purse.

     

    Several hours of searching through houses had led us to find only scraps of fur, clothes and trinkets, none of it were worth anything more than ten septims. There was scarcely a building that had a basement or floor intact. Those that had were too dangerous to enter for fear that the supports wouldn’t hold.

     

    The only place left to search was the inn. The building was not as badly burned down like the others. A tree had fallen down onto the roof and into the second floor. There was a sign on the arch of the doorway which read, ‘Helgen Homestead’.

     

    My face darkened upon seeing the sign.

     

    I used to come to this place to buy a cask of Vilod’s juniper berry mead. While I fancy myself with quality wine, Vilod’s brew was the only thing in Skyrim that was close to the stuff made in the Colovian West. There was an old saying we Colovians use to say: You’re not a Colovian until you had a taste of ale mixed with juniper.

     

    I wonder if the man even made it out alive.

     

    Leaving our horses near the entrance, we went up to the doorway and I gently knocked on the door. It came crashing down forward, sending a puff of dust up in the air.

     

    “After you.” I gestured at Katlynn to enter first with a charming grin.

     

    She lightly punched me in the shoulder in return and entered the dilapidated inn.

     

    The interior was a wreck. No surprise there. A portion of the second floor was still intact and the support beams looked sturdy enough to hold. We could go up there and take a look around, if only the stairs weren’t part of the other portion that was gone.  

     

    On a shelf behind the counter, there were a few mead bottles. I took a bottle and wiped the dust off the label. It was one of Vilod’s signature mead. I pulled the stopper and took a swig. The taste was just as I remembered – strong and sweet with a tinge of juniper. I should bring home a few just so I could drink it later on.

     

    Katlynn had found a strongbox hidden under pieces of fallen debris. I helped her pull it out, creating a few loud noises in the process. Then she began the delicate process of picking the lock.

     

    I sat back and watched her, sipping my bottle of juniper berry mead. She used a torsion wrench to apply pressure on the pins inside the lock while a pick would be used to turn the tumbler once all the pins were picked. Suddenly the torsion wrench snapped. A few seconds later, the second one snapped. And then the next one; and the one after that…

     

    I snickered as Katlynn broke into a short silent tantrum, biting her lower lip in frustration as she reached out in her pocket for another torsion wrench. I found it cute when she does that. Like a child getting upset over a broken toy. Of course no one dared to call her cute except for me and Darius. The more proper word people liked to call her was ‘mischievous little cat’.   

    “Try moving it a slight bit once you found the mark, Kat.” I told her. “And don’t turn it too much unless you’re sure it goes all the way through.”

     

    She shot a disdainful look at me as if she knew what she was doing before proceeding to pick the lock all over again, this time secretly heeding my advice.

     

    She’s getting cocky. I thought with concern. That was a common sign young thieves had when they get too overconfident with their skills. Arrogance leads to a quick death. I’ve seen many thieves – old and young – meet the hangman’s noose or the dungeons because of that. A thief should always learn that no matter how experienced and well-trained they are, there’s always the possibility of making mistakes. And I’ve learned that the hard way.

     

    A soft click marked Katlynn’s success at opening the strongbox. Inside was a small pouch of coin and several gemstones.

     

    “Nice fine, Kat. Now let’s get—”

     

    “Hey! Someone’s been here!” A voice from outside shouted, startling us.

     

    We looked outside and saw three men approaching our horses.

     

    “Damn it, vultures.” I muttered under my breath.

     

    “Huh. I thought we would be the first ones here.” One of them said, slightly disheartened by the fact. He was Nord; an archer with his wooden longbow slung across his left shoulder and a quiver full of arrows. On his belt was a dagger with spots of rust on its blade.

     

    “That doesn’t matter anymore.” The voice from before replied. It belonged to an Orc. He was bare-chested and wore only a fur kilt and a cloak draped around his broad green shoulders. Strapped on his back was an old iron warhammer. “Those fools left their horses here. And it’s full of loot, enough for the three of us.”

     

    “Best we just take them.” A third man with a thick beard and grey hair suggested. “I bet they won’t mind losing two horses.” He chuckled darkly on top the brown horse he rode. Underneath his fur he wore chainmail.

     

    They were going to steal away with our loot. I can’t let that happen. We’ve been here for half a day and we aren’t going to go back empty-handed.

     

    “We have to draw those bandits away from our horses.” I whispered to Katlynn. “But how?”

     

    Katlynn drew a finger at her throat and swiped in a horizontal line, suggesting killing them.

     

    Without killing them would be more preferable, Kat.”  That ended our brief conversation.

     

    I was never one for killing. Normally I tried sneaking my way out or use non-lethal methods to take out guards. In Cyrodiil, there was a rule the local Thieves’ Guild follow: Never kill anyone on a job. Of course that didn’t mean a thief shouldn’t learn how to fend himself with a blade. I took swordsmanship lessons at the age of twelve, in case I had to wield a blade when I was in danger. Killing was unavoidable, but I would try my best to minimize it. 

     

    “How about the old bait-and-take trick?” I suggested.

     

    Katlynn nodded in agreement and prepared a spell on her right hand. It had a subtle light-green glow to it. She fired it at the window of a building opposite of the inn and in its place was an identical replica of her.

     

    I could never get use to her phantom image spells. She was trained in the school of Illusion since she was nine. Merlini the Mesmer had been her teacher. The Altmer illusionist-thief was a long-time member of the Guild and a close friend of me and my brother Darius (and perhaps the only Altmer I know who isn’t a complete stuck-up prick). He taught Kat about how to misdirect people and manipulate their minds. To put it simply; he showed her a few magic tricks that allowed her to get away clean with her loot.

     

    “Hey! There’s someone over there!”

     

    The two bandits on foot fell for the trap and went after Katlynn’s phantom image, leaving only the horse rider for us to contend with.

     

    I swirled my index finger and pointed at the horseman, or more specifically, his horse. Katlynn prepared another spell. This time it had a bright red glow. When she casted the spell at the horse, it went into a state of panic, whickering and kicking wildly until the rider dropped from his saddle.

     

    That was our time to move.

     

    We rushed out from the inn and to our horses. The rider was still struggling to get up when he saw us. He started shouting for help. “Trap! It’s a trap! Boys, get back over—”

     

    A quick smack from the butt of my crossbow shut him up for good. We mounted our horses and made a mad dash for the gates. Just as we were a few feet away, the two bandits came back. The archer was drawing his bow with the intention of shooting us down.

     

    But I had the upper advantage. The crossbow was quicker to draw and fire compared to the longbow, and when on horseback, it definitely makes a difference. I aimed my crossbow and fired a bolt, right in the archer’s right foot. It wasn’t enough to kill him, but it was enough to prevent him from getting a straight shot at us.

     

    As the archer screamed, the Orc stood in front of us in an attempt to block our route. Orcs. They were second to Nords when it came to stubbornness. I would hate to run him over with my horse, mainly because the horse would suffer mild injuries upon crashing, so I signaled to Katlynn to cast a paralysis spell on him.

     

    With a quick nod and a flick of her wrist, she blasted the light-green spell at the Orc. He froze like a puppet in his stance – holding his warhammer out with both his hands – before slowly falling.

     

    I steered my horse right to avoid him. “Nice meeting you fellas!” I shouted at the two incapacitated bandits.  “Hope we don’t meet again!”

     

    We rode out of Helgen with loot in our bags and our bodies intact. Everything went just as I thought it would.

     

    Well… almost.

     

    Author's Note:

    The illusion spells Katlynn was using were from a new branch of Illusion spells called "Phantom Images" added by Skyrim Redone (SkyRe). There's a PDF file in the mod page for more details about it and the rest of the other spells added by the mod.

     

     

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Comments

10 Comments   |   Karver the Lorc and 5 others like this.
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  December 6, 2016
    Loot for armor to sell? For most of my thieves, Helgen is my first stop. Makes a nifty little hideout when the patches make that bed able to sleep in. You can fetch a decent amount of coin for minimal work. Fun chapter, Kaiser. Kat and the lockpicks made ...  more
  • SpottedFawn
    SpottedFawn   ·  December 4, 2016
    Awesome chapter! I loved the visit to Helgen, usually that place only gets mentioned or seen in passing in stories around here; nice to see Renartus exercising his wit and intellect. I never would've thought to loot Helgen for armor to sell. He's a clever...  more
    • A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      SpottedFawn
      SpottedFawn
      SpottedFawn
      Awesome chapter! I loved the visit to Helgen, usually that place only gets mentioned or seen in passing in stories around here; nice to see Renartus exercising his wit and intellect. I never would've thought to loot Helgen for armor to sell. He's a clever...  more
        ·  December 4, 2016
      He's an opportunist. He makes profit at every turn and gets away with it. Think of him as a medieval con man.
      • SpottedFawn
        SpottedFawn
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        He's an opportunist. He makes profit at every turn and gets away with it. Think of him as a medieval con man.
          ·  December 4, 2016
        xD That is so great. When's the next chapter?
        • A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          SpottedFawn
          SpottedFawn
          SpottedFawn
          xD That is so great. When's the next chapter?
            ·  December 4, 2016
          Got the next chapter done. Just need a bit of editing before I can publish it.
          • SpottedFawn
            SpottedFawn
            A-Pocky-Hah!
            A-Pocky-Hah!
            A-Pocky-Hah!
            Got the next chapter done. Just need a bit of editing before I can publish it.
              ·  December 4, 2016
            Awesome! I'll keep an eye out for it. ^^
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  November 26, 2016
    A very vivid chapter Axius. The flag was a great visual, well done for that. The atmosphere with the ring was wonderfully written as well. 
    The magical spells fitted  Katlynn well too. 
  • Karver the Lorc
    Karver the Lorc   ·  November 26, 2016
    Solid chapter, mate. It´s interesting to see these two thieves go through the ruin that is Helgen. I liked the little touch with Renartus not being fond of stealing items of sentimental value.
    And Merlini the Mesmer, eh? I looked at SkyRe spells fr...  more
    • A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      Solid chapter, mate. It´s interesting to see these two thieves go through the ruin that is Helgen. I liked the little touch with Renartus not being fond of stealing items of sentimental value.
      And Merlini the Mesmer, eh? I looked at SkyRe spells from Ill...  more
        ·  November 26, 2016
      I dunno. Maybe it's has something to do with a hidden bandit camp I suppose. :I


      I feel like Merlini the Mesmer is a cheesy name, even for an Altmer.
      • Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        I dunno. Maybe it's has something to do with a hidden bandit camp I suppose. :I


        I feel like Merlini the Mesmer is a cheesy name, even for an Altmer.
          ·  November 26, 2016
        Yeah, sounds like a name for street artist or something. Rapper maybe xD