Erika Northwing and the Archer of Whiterun: Ch. 1

• Posted by MarkusMasterThief June 23, 2014 - 641 views

  

  The sun sat brilliantly in the clear blue sky as Erika Northwing's vessel cruised along the sparkling clear waters of Skyrim. The winds blew strongly against the sails of the ship, steering it on its course to the docks of Solitude. It had been too long since Erika made port in Skyrim, and though it was by no means her homeland, she missed its rugged beauty greatly. After tying her boat at the docks, Erika's first stop in Solitude was The Winking Skeever; it was about time she enjoyed Nord mead straight from the source. Upon opening the door to the place, she breathed in the rich aroma of fresh-baked food and the smoke of lit candles. It was good to be back.

  "Morning, Corpulus!" She greeted the innkeeper at the bar.

  "Ah, Erika! Good to see you again, friend!" Corpulus replied, "What can I get for you today?"

  "A local rumor and a pint of your finest mead will do just fine, thank you."

  "Coming right up." The inkeeper handed her a pint of Black-Briar Reserve, which Erika happily drank while Corpulus informed her on the latest word around town. It was a real kicker this time.

  "So I assume you've heard of the 'Archer of Whiterun'?" Corpulus asked.

  "Hm?" Erika gulped her drink. "No, why?"

  "It's all anyone's talking about down there. Three agents of the Thalmor embassy were found murdered in the forest just outside of town. Apparently they were skinned, too. The Jarl's looking for anyone willing to investigate, since the guards have had their hands full lately... I think he might have mentioned you."

  "Did he, now? Well I haven't been on a murder case since that business with the Butcher of Windhelm... tell me, is the carriage still in business?"

  "Oh yes, yes it is. Thinking about going to Whiterun to try and solve the mystery?"

  "Not thinking about it, friend -- I'm certain of it." With a final sip Erika finished her drink, paid her fee, and made her way to Whiterun aboard one of Solitude's horse-drawn carriages...

  Upon her arrival to Whiterun, Erika could instantly recall every detail of the city; the sound of Adrianne's hammer banging away at her metal crafts, the sight of the local children running excitedly through the streets, the chatter around the marketplace, it all seemed immediately familiar and friendly. As Erika walked casually through the city streets, she crossed the path of the rich and prosperous nobleman Nazeem, who recognized her right away. After all, this was not the first time that Erika had walked among the people of Whiterun...

  "Ah, Erika was it? What brings you back to our fair city?"

  "Answering a summons from the Jarl, Mr. Cloud District. What's your excuse?"

  "Ever the smart-alec, I see... and tell me, where is your sister?"

  Erika's blood ran cold. ".... And what business do you want with her?"

  "No business. It's just rather curious to see you coming back after that unfortunate... incident..."

  "You're blaming her for it, are you?"

  "Oh come now, it's plainly obvious to everyone what she did. You're lucky the Jarl's men didn't throw her into the Dragonsreach dungeon immediately."

  "I don't have time for this. The Jarl's requested to see me right away. Now if you'll excuse me..."

  Nazeem shrugged casually as Erika stormed off. She should have known that at least one of Whiterun's residents would recall that awful memory... the horrible crime her sister had committed... if she didn't have such a great amount of respect for Jarl Balgruuf, she would have left the city behind altogether. Finally stepping into Dragonsreach, Erika knelt before Balgruuf's throne.

  "My Jarl, I've come to answer your summons. I understand there's been a murder?"

  "It is good to see you again, lady Northwing... yes, there has. Three high elves of the Aldmeri Dominion were found slain and butchered in the forest, and after your contribution to the case of the Windhelm Butcher... I thought that perhaps you might be willing to contribute to the capture of our killer."

  "It would be my honor, Jarl Balgruuf. Tell me what you know."

  "Good! We know very little, unfortunately; from what we gather, the three were slain in open ground. Each fell from single arrow wounds to their skulls, which were shot with such strength and precision that they pierced through their mighty armor. Worse still, the bodies were... skinned, like animals. So far we're suspecting that worshipers of the Daedric prince Hircine are to blame, but that remains to be confirmed."

  "I see... ... is there anything else you can tell me?"

  "Yes, actually -- when we checked their pockets for any signs of robbery, we found that the assassin didn't touch their gold or jewels. Whoever did this was motivated by something purer... hatred, maybe. Can't think of many residents of Skyrim who can say anything nice about the elves."

  "Me neither.... I'll have to start by investigating the scene of the crime. Can one of your men show me the way?"

  "Of course. Commander Caius will escort you. But be careful... we still have no idea of where the killer will strike next..."

  *****

  "I'm telling you, this one's different. Ain't nothing I've ever heard of before." The bandit told to his clan mates at their campfire that night.

  "Is it true what they say?" One asked, "That he skinned them alive?"

  "Not alive... 'least not from what I heard. First he shot 'em through the head and took 'em high up into the trees. Surprised nobody noticed."

  "He sounds like some kind of psychotic hunter, you know? ... Like one o' those poachers just went crazy one day and decided to pelt those sorry bastards."

  "Do y'think he's still out there? I mean... they never caught 'im."

  "What do you think, idiot?"

  "I've seen him." The bandit chief finally spoke on the matter. His partners looked at him in surprise.

  "You... you've seen the guy?" One asked.

  The chief nodded. "Couldn't have been anyone else. I was out hunting for deer just down the road from here, when I spotted a doe just a few feet away. She had her back turned, so she hadn't seen me... it was the perfect chance. I drew out my bow, took aim at her head... and then she fell. But it wasn't thanks to my arrow -- someone else had taken my prize. I wasn't about to head back empty-handed, so I followed the path that the arrow took. I looked around for a good 30 seconds to try an' find the guy that killed my deer, when I finally saw 'im picking up the doe."

  "What'd he look like?"

  "Couldn't tell. He had some really strange armor on, like nothin' I'd ever seen in Skyrim before. It was black and green, like the forest around us. He had a hood and a mask on, so I couldn't get a good look at his face, but I know I saw that he had yellow eyes."

  "Yellow eyes?"

  "Yeah. And he was glarin' at me with 'em, kind of like what a bear does when you're getting too close. For some reason I couldn't pull out my arrows and shoot 'im... there was somethin' in his eyes. Somethin' angry and intense. Made me feel like I was gonna die if I shot 'im... so I just let 'im take the doe."

  "That's crazy... you're lucky you got out of there alive."

  "I know... but I swear, the way he looked at me, almost made me feel like I was his pre--"

  Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a peculiar sound. Something whizzed over their heads, and landed in the darker part of their camp. The bandits drew their weapons and went over to investigate, and what they found was horrific: an anonymous arrow had landed in the head of one of their own, who had chosen to fall asleep while the others tended to the fire. Then there came the same sound, this time much closer -- and another bandit fell dead to the ground.

  "By Ysmir--" Yet another arrow found its mark, this time in the chief's right-hand man. With his crew murdered, the chief drew out his bow and aimed an arrow toward the direction that his attacker's arrows had come from. His heart stopped in that very instant and his bow fell to the ground, as the final thing that the chief saw in the wilderness that night was a pair of glaring yellow eyes...