Diana Dragonborn - Part 2

Middas 17 Last Seed 201 4E 7:00 PM

"Oh, wow, that's pretty," I gasped as I saw Whiterun in the distance. I had just crested the hill from Riverwood and could see the majestic city on top of its own hill on the horizon. I shifted the backpack with the supplies Alvor had given me and continued on my trek north.

On our trip to Riverwood, Hadvar had told me a bit about the local area and the general layout of Skyrim. The country was organized into nine Holds and each was governed independently by its own jarl. Most of the Holds were named after its biggest city, like Falkreath or Whiterun. The jarl of Solitude in Haafingar had been the traditional leader of the jarls and of Skyrim itself for generations.

The trouble with the Stormcloaks had been brewing politically for years regarding something that happened in westernmost Skyrim, in the Hold called "the Reach," but it officially exploded earlier this year when Ulfric killed High King Torygg.

"I heard Ulfric challenged him to a duel," I said thinking of the story Ralof had told me on the wagon ride to Helgen.

"Hmph. Some say that, but the truth is Ulfric murdered High King Torygg," Hadvar grimaced. "Ulfric strode into Solitude as bold as brass and shouted the High King to pieces in front of the entire court. King Torygg's wife, Elisif the Fair, was devastated. They had only been married for a few years, and everyone says that they were madly in love."

I shuddered at the thought of Ulfric's Shout hitting a man so hard he was torn apart. I also felt sad for the young widow. How horrible it must have been to see your husband murdered in front of you and after such a short time. It was one of the reasons I never wanted to wed. Why bind yourself to someone just so they could die some day? It was better to keep relationships, romantic or otherwise, short and simple. Have some good memories and move on so they could stay fresh and young in your mind.

"Now Skyrim is in an uproar because Ulfric claims he has right to the title of High King," Hadvar continued. "Obviously, Lady Elisif has the strongest claim having been married to King Torygg, but there is an ancient Nord tradition regarding duels that Ulfric insists that he fulfilled. The Moot, the rest of the jarls, refuses to gather to name a new ruler until this whole rebellion has been dealt with. Cowardly in my opinion since their decision could settle the affair, but both sides have strong connections with the rest of Skyrim and no one wants to alienate future trade agreements or political alliances."

I felt pretty confused about the whole affair. Both Hadvar and Ralof had spoken with the conviction of the righteous. They truly believed in what they had been told; although both stories were very similar, there was the important detail of whether Ulfric had honorably killed Torygg or if he had murdered an innocent man in his own home. Gods, I had thought the civil unrest back in Cyrodiil was bad. At least there, the anger was directed at a faceless Emperor and nameless Thalmor. It felt like the problems here were a lot more personal in nature.

Luckily for me, Whiterun was neutral in the whole matter. It was an important trade route since the Hold was located in the center of Skyrim and had all of the best roads connected to it. Both sides desperately wanted Whiterun to join them. However, Jarl Balgruuf the Greater had steadfastly refused to join either side, openly denying resources to both sides.

"I really hope there isn't a quiz later, because I'll never keep track of all this," I told Hadvar after he relayed all of his information.

"Don't you take anything seriously?" he asked, exasperated.

"Sorry," I shrugged. "I get sarcastic when I am nervous, and considering I almost died several times today by narrowly avoiding an execution and dragon attack, I think I am a little bit entitled."

It had taken a couple of hours for Hadvar and me to run to Riverwood where he introduced me to his Uncle Alvor and his family. Alvor was the local blacksmith and with the saw mill's owner, Gerdur, he was co-leader of the small village. Hadvar and I had only stayed long enough to wolf down a late lunch before heading out again. Hadvar had borrowed Alvor's sole horse so he could travel to Solitude that much faster.

"Whiterun is only a few hours north," Hadvar had told me as he mounted the brown stallion. "You should be able to reach it before nightfall assuming you don't run into any trouble."

"Me?" I fluttered my eyes. "I never get into trouble."

"Funny," Hadvar said, "but I'm being serious. Stay to the roads and you should be fine. Sometimes bandits get overconfident and ambush travelers, and nothing is more appealing to that type than a woman alone." He paused, suddenly shy. "I am glad to have met you, Diana, even if it was under such terrible circumstances. I wish you the best of luck and if you can forgive the Legion for the poor reception into Skyrim, maybe you could consider joining us. We can always use more clever warriors."

I smiled, pleased at his compliment. "I'll think about it," I told him although I had no intention of joining the army again. Been there, done that. But stranger things had happened to me and I believed in not burning my bridges.

"Go quickly, boy, and make Riverwood proud," Alvor said clapping Hadvar on his back. Even with Hadvar on horseback, the blacksmith had no problem reaching his nephew. "If General Tullius didn't survive that attack, the Legion needs to know as soon as possible."

"Aye," Hadvar agreed with a nod. He saluted and without looking back rode off to the west. He would follow the roads west until he hit the edge of Whiterun before turning north towards Solitude.

Now I was at the gates of Whiterun. The guards glared at me, wary of any strangers but allowed entry, for which I was grateful. I was too tired to deal with any hassle from a sullen guard discontent with gate duty. I wondered why people were giving me sidelong glances and moving out of the way as I ran towards the castle.

I didn't look that disheveled from my hectic day, did I? I gave myself a quick once over and didn't see large amounts of mud or blood splattered across me. I grimaced at the memory of the man landing next to me after the dragon had dropped him. What if I had been walking around all day with that poor soul's guts splattered on me?

When I entered the castle, I stopped for a moment to let my eyes adjust to the darkness within. Although there were several fires and torches lit, the room was still darker than outside since it lacked open windows. This place had obviously been built for defense with its location at the top of the hill, its zigzagging stairs, and narrow windows.

A Nord woman about my age with shoulder length brown hair partly braided with a warriors knot wearing steel armor approached me. "How can I help you, soldier?"

"Soldier?" I asked.

"You're part of the Legion, aren't you?" she asked indicating my armor. I looked down and suddenly realized why people had been giving me a wide berth as I ran through the city. I was still wearing the Imperial armor and looked like I was part of the army.

"Oh, no! Actually, it's not mine. I mean, I guess it is now, but I didn't get it from being issued…" I trailed off feeling like my tongue was in knots. "Look, I have a message for the jarl. It's very important!"

"What is going on here, Lydia?" a woman asked. I looked and saw a Dunmer standing with her hands on her hips on the stairs leading into the main court. Her ruby red eyes glittered in the fire light and her facial expression was no-nonsense as she looked at me. Her resulting sneer told me she didn't care for what she saw.

"This woman says that she has a message for Jarl Balgruuf," Lydia answered. "She also says that she's not part of the Imperial army."

"Strange considering your dress," the Dunmer snarled. "Regardless, Jarl Balgruuf is a very busy man and has no time for strangers. Maybe if you come back tomorrow, you can make an appointment with the jarl's steward, Proventus. I am sure he'll work in some time in the next fortnight."

"I cannot wait that long!" I yelled walking past Lydia and towards the Dunmer. Both women instantly pulled swords from my sudden action. "Whoa! Calm down there, ladies. I have a message from Alvor's nephew Hadvar and it is imperative that Balgruuf hears it.

"Irileth, let the woman speak," a man's voice came from behind the Dunmer. I could see an older man, probably somewhere in his fifties or sixties with long blonde hair and a bear, standing behind Irileth. He was wearing fine clothes and circlet clearing marking him as the lord of this place. "If she knows Alvor, then it must be important. I have never known that man to waste anyone's time."

Irileth turned towards me and nodded that I could continue. As I walked past, she whispered, "You have the jarl's ear, but you make the slightest move and I'll cut you down where you stand." And people wonder why Skyrim has such a bad reputation for welcoming strangers.

"Balgruuf," I started.

"Jarl Balgruuf," Irileth hissed.

"Ahem, sorry," I muttered before continuing, "Jarl Balgruuf, I come from Helgen to report to you that a dragon attacked the village. Riverwood requests extra protection since they are so close to the border."

"A dragon attacked?" Balgruuf asked. I was impressed that other than a widening of his eyes, the man remained calm. "Gods, could the legends be true?"

I gave a quick recount of how the dragon attacked and scattered everyone. I noticed there was a look of disdain shared between Balgruuf and Irileth when I mentioned that Ulfric had been there but had escaped. I shouldn't have been surprised since Hadvar had told me this city was Imperial friendly despite being neutral, but once again that familiarity seemed odd. Did everyone know everyone else here?

"Then Hadvar of Riverwood told me to armor myself which is how I ended up with these," I gestured to my outfit, "and asked that I come here to inform you of what was going on while he traveled to Solitude to report directly to the Legion."

With my own report done, Balgruuf turned to Irileth, "Get Proventus! We need to plan on what to do next. I want you to gather some guards and send them to Riverwood for extra protection."

"You know that Proventus will have conniptions about that," Irileth said calmly as they turned and walked away to continue their plans. "He'll complain about Falkreath feeling threatened by the added security."

"I don't care," Balgruuf growled. "Our people's safety comes first and foremost and Riverwood lacks a wall or any other real protection." Balgruuf and Irileth disappeared up the stairs before I could hear more of their conversation. I was now alone with Lydia.

"Don't let Jarl Balgruuf's demeanor put you off," the brunette said. "He's a good man."
"I can tell," I said.

"If you are looking for someplace to stay, the Bannered Mare is the local inn," Lydia said. It was obvious by her demeanor that I was dismissed. "I assume we'll find you there if we need you."

"I don't really have any place else to go," I admitted. Before I could ask if I could possibly stay the night, Lydia left to catch up with Balgruuf and Irileth. I was suddenly alone and felt completely at a loss.

I walked outside and looked to the darkening sky. Dusk was quickly falling and I didn't want to have to sleep out on the plains alone. The weather was pleasant enough, but I didn't have the right supplies for camping. Other than some food, the armor on my back, and the weapons I had grabbed in Helgen, I currently owned nothing. Not even a septim.

That thought made me stumble to a stop. I had been running nonstop since the dragon attack and had not been able to think about the future. Before being taken prisoner by the Legion, I had plenty of money for traveling, a horse, and supplies. I had lost all of that after being arrested and it would be impossible to regain my possessions. Not that any of it had any sentimental value. A couple of baubles I thought were interesting, but nothing I had to have. Other than coin. You always need coin no matter where you went.

I sighed. No matter. I had been broke before. Sometimes bandits attack you and you just hand over the coin because there's a look of desperation in the man's eyes that you're unwilling to fight to keep a few coins or you fall into a river and lose your coin purse.

Night would be here soon, so it was unlikely I would find work today.  I had wandered down the hill back to the gate. I slumped against the post of a building and drew out an apple from my backpack. I supposed that would be my dinner tonight. I couldn't afford to eat all of my supplies without knowing when or where more would come from.

The door to the shop opened and warm light fell on me as two people exited, a Nordic man wearing Imperial armor and an Imperial woman wearing blacksmith's clothes. "I'm telling you, Idolaf, that it is impossible for me to fulfill an order that large. Why don't you swallow some of that pride and ask Eorlund Gray-Mane for help?"

"You know that Eorlund would sooner die than forge steel for the Legion," Idolaf retorted. "Besides, I'd rather bend knee to Ulfric Stormcloak than ask him. Adrianne, you know about the feud between his family and mine."

Adrianne sighed, "Okay, I'll try, but don't expect any miracles." The two shook hands before Idolaf left.

Lucky Old Lady must be watching out for me today! I really couldn't have asked for more luck after this afternoon, but I got this stroke of amazing fortune and I wasn't going to let it go past me. I jumped to my feet before the blacksmith could go back into her shop.

"Miss!" I called. She turned to me with a curious expression. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with that soldier. If you're really overwhelmed by his request, how would you feel about taking an apprentice?"

"You?" she asked skeptically. I got my first good look at her face. She was attractive and only a few years older than me. Her long hair was pulled back into a practical braid and her face smudged from hours of working over the hot forge.

"Yes, ma'am," I said cheerfully, being sure to give her my friendliest grin. "Believe it or not, I have some experience with the forge. It's been a long time, but the hands never forget, right? Worst case scenario, I can help keep the bellows going while you do the actual forging, but I'm pretty confident that I can churn out the same number of blades as you do."

Adrianne snorted a rather rough sound from such a pretty woman. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I work long and hard hours. I may not be the best smith in Whiterun -- that honor belongs to Eorlund Gray-Mane, but I do my best."

"Eorlund Gray-Mane may or may not be the best," I shrugged, "but he also doesn't have a huge order with a deadline either, does he?" Give me a chance, please! All I ask for is room and board and, if you are satisfied with my work, an apprentice's wages."

"Where did you work the forge?" Adrianne asked, definitely interested. It was a good deal; since I had claimed some experience then she shouldn't be slowed down by needing to train me past familiarizing me with her personal system.

"I was an apprentice in the Imperial army during my required term of duty," I said. "I mostly worked with daggers in regards to weapons, but I also helped some of the soldiers by repairing jewelry keepsakes from home. Broken chains and rings happened frequently during battle. I am also pretty good with bows."

"Okay, you've convinced me," Adrianne nodded. She put her hand out and I shook it. "I'm Adrianne Avenicci and this is my shop, Warmaiden's. Welcome aboard."

"Diana," I said slightly stumbling over the new name. It always took a few days to get used to a new identity. "Thank you, you won't regret this."

"Come on in, Diana," Adrianne smiled, "and I'll introduce you to my husband, Ulfberth War-Bear."

"You're married and have different last names?"

"It's a Nord tradition for a woman to keep her maiden name," Adrianne laughed, "but I like to tell people it's because I'm an Imperial and he's a Nord and never should the two mix."



Middas 17 Last Seed 201 4E 11:55 PM

I was lying on a temporary cot that Ulfberth had tucked into the corner of the Warmaiden's storage room for me. Above me on the second floor, I could vaguely hear the large man snoring as he slept with Adrianne in their room. As with many small shops, the couple's house was part of their store.

I was wearing a sleeping gown that had belonged to Adrianne. She had bought the Imperial armor from me in exchange for some septims and a few changes of clothes that she no longer wanted. They were a bit worn, but I didn't mind. It felt good to know I had more than one set of clothes to my name.

Work would start early since Adrianne believed in starting her forge at six in the morning and she expected her new apprentice to be right alongside her the whole time. I would work long hours for little pay, but I was excited nonetheless. I would be doing familiar work, something I desperately needed after this long, bizarre day.

I had escaped an execution, outrun a dragon, and dodged the Stormcloaks, and now I had a place to rest my head all in one day. Skyrim might be considered backwater compared to Cyrodiil, but it certainly wasn't boring! As I drifted off to sleep I wondered what tomorrow would bring.

I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes, sleep already claiming me. I sent out one last prayer to the Lucky Old Lady before falling into the Void of sleep. Surely tomorrow would be a better day.