A Ruckus in Riverwood

Rael glanced at the tall elf, standing like a statue in the passageway. "Six left. Are you ready?" Faendral glanced at him for a moment. "Every single one." Rael looked at the man's face and saw the resolve, the utter finality there. He was glad to go into combat with such a man at his back.

Rael nodded, sheathed his knife, and drew the war axe from his belt. Hefting both it and the sword, he rolled his shoulders and neck before stepping into the passageway. "Let's get it done," the Skaal warrior exclaimed as he strode forward with big confident steps.

***

Camilla huddled trembling behind the barrels covered in the blanket. She'd heard noise from where Faendral and the outlander had gone and now heard shouted voices from the other direction. She heard the drop bridge lowered with a loud bang. She gritted her teeth and covered her ears, but she was still surprised when she heard a loud alien-sounding battle cry and the sound of heavy footfalls on the planking above. She heard weapons striking weapons, shuffling feet, and screams of pain. She heard the weird vibrato of bowstrings and the whistling of arrows. It went on for what seemed like forever and then all was silent, and she heard only the falling water and the sound of her gasps. She was gripped with fear for she knew that those men would return after they had killed Faendral and the young Skaal. What they had previously done to her would seem a tender mercy to what came after. And then she would be killed, her body left for the animals, sure as the sun rose in the morning.

She screamed when the barrel was pulled from in front of her and she saw a bloody face before her. She lashed out with her hands in a frenzy of fear, her instincts telling her to claw for the eyes and then run as fast as she could.

Powerful hands grasped her wrists and she heard Faendral's voice. "It's okay, beloved. Rael and I have killed them."

Her eyes flew open wide in disbelief, and she saw that the bloody countenance before her was the outlander's. Blood coated his face as though he'd bathed in it. Faendral crouched behind him, spattered with gore, with a bloody long sword in his right hand and a cleaved bow in his left.

Rael backed up and gathered the elf's weapons as he dropped them to lift the stricken woman. "Let's go home, Camilla."

She reached up to Faendral's face and kissed him gratefully. The taste of the bandit's blood did not disgust her. She collapsed in his arms, and he stooped and lifted her. "What will happen to my brother?" she asked softly.

Faendral's grim face could have said all. "I will happen."

***

A cry went up from the guards at the gate when the trio came into view on the west road. Rael could see Alvor and Sigrid step off their porch and come running. He was surprised to see Delphine, not only armed but armored, waiting at the gate as well. He'd often thought there was more to the woman than met the eye.

Rael growled when he spotted Lucan as he stepped from his shop into the center of the road. The look on the man's face was pure horror when he saw the three of them on the road. Faendral pushed Camilla into Rael's arms. "Take her." The elf strode forward, and Lucan saw his death in the dark almond-shaped eyes. He turned and bolted down the street, running as fast as his city-bred feet would carry him. Faendral drew his longsword from his back and fell into a nice easy jog that he knew he could maintain for several miles. The grim smile on his face was witnessed only by Orngar as he stepped off the porch of the Sleeping Giant. The barkeep was damned glad that the grim look wasn't for him. "Every last one," he heard the elf mutter.

***

Rael escorted Camilla to Sigrid's arms and turned to Alvor. "Are you hurt?" the big smith asked.

The Skaal smiled grimly. "Just scratches, both of us. Maybe a couple of stitches. The girl though ..."

Alvor nodded as Gerdur came running down between Lucan's shop and Hilde's house. She stopped short when she saw the blood-covered armor of the young Skaal. Her face was a mask of concern. "If you've gone and gotten yourself mangled again ... well you can just ... just ..."

Rael smiled. "I'm fine. Faendral's fine. Just a few scratches that any Nord would consider little more than a skinned knee."

Gerdur smiled with relief and Rael glanced at her and then at Alvor. "I'm going to bathe, get a nap, and then we should get back to that mine." Gerdur looked at him quizzically. Rael smiled. "There is a bandit hideout to loot."

***

Two days later, Frodnar, son of Gerdur, looked around the corner of Alvor's home. The ten-year-old boy spotted Rael sitting on the ground against a great tree stump near the river. Gods knew that he wanted to hate the man. Before the outlander came, he'd had a home with two parents. Before the outlander came, he'd thought his father a brave Nord. Before he came ... his life had made sense.

He nearly jumped when his dog pushed against his leg. "Damn it, Stump!" He growled at the mutt, before looking back at Rael who was now looking at him. Frodnar sighed and started walking towards the man.

Rael slid over and gave the boy some room next to him, with a sympathetic look. The two of them sat for several minutes, each lost in their thoughts. Rael turned and looked into the boy's eyes and saw the sadness there. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Frodnar shrugged. "Rael, what makes a man as he is?"

This was a subject that Rael had spent a significant amount of time thinking about in his twenty-four years of life. He sighed. "Have you ever watched Alvor forge steel from iron?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, lots."

Rael looked off at the river sliding by. "Have you seen when the iron is of a poor quality?"

The boy nodded again, perhaps beginning to understand where Rael was headed with this. "Yes, it sparks a lot when Alvor hammers it. He says it's because there are impurities in the ore. He can only use it to make nails and things like that."

The boy looked at Rael. "You think that people are like the iron." It was a statement.

"Yes. I think that there are people with impurities either by the will of the gods, or due to a sheltered life, or having seen terrible things, like poor Embry," Rael said flatly.

Frodnar's dog thrust his face between his knees and looked at the boy he loved. Perhaps he sensed his master's pain. Frodnar stroked his head with a sad smile. "What about me? Will I be like my father?"

Rael smiled softly. "You saw them beating Embry, yes? What did you want to do in your heart, boy?" Rael poked him in the chest lightly. "Right there. What did your heart scream at you?"

A single tear rolled down the boy's face. "I wanted to smash them in the face with a rock, like you did. More than anything. Embry might be an old sot, but he's my friend. I wanted to help him."

Rael curled an arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled the boy into his side. "And so you would have. Just like your mother would have."

Frodnar smiled recalling his mother striding down from their home with his grandfather's sword in her fist. No impurities there, he thought with pride. None at all.

***

That evening, Rael sat in a comfortable chair in Alvor and Sigrid's home. Sigrid cleaned after supper as Alvor and he spoke softly. He'd noted with interest that their daughter Dorthe was conspicuously absent.

Alvor belched contentedly and smiled at his wife. She smiled back. He looked at the young Skaal. "Gerdur returned from Whiterun yesterday with a writ of divorce signed by the Jarl himself."

Rael had heard and nodded stoically.

"Hod left Riverview this morning." Rael looked at him in surprise. That he hadn't heard. "He told me that he'd heard that Half Moon Mill was looking for help and headed out that way. It's on the west side of Lake Ilanalta, north of Falkreath. I gave him Whisker's sword. He left his father's sword here for Frodnar."

Rael nodded. "That was a nice gesture. I hope it sees him safely there."

The two men were quiet for a while. "You're ... you're not staying in Riverwood, are you?" Alvor asked. "Even with Gerdur ..." he paused, letting the thought hang.

Rael shook his head. "No. If those bandits had let me pass, I'd have stayed a night at the inn and been gone come dawn. I'll be leaving soon."

Alvor nodded and smiled knowingly at the young man. "It's funny how things turn out, isn't it? That one decision on the part of those bandits turned all of Riverwood upside down. Changed lives forever." Rael nodded sadly. Alvor looked at his wife who smiled at him and nodded.

"Come, my friend, let us descend into my basement. I've built a nice area for entertaining guests. A nice bar, with a barrel of fine dark ale and a few bottles of Black-Briar mead. That's the good stuff from Riften."

Rael smiled and walked down the stairs but not before noting Sigrid's eyes lingering upon him. The room was as Alvor described with the addition of two small pallets and one large one. The small ones held ingots of various metals and the other a stack of tanned leather. The big pallet was nearly the size of a bed and held an impressive stack of bear and saber cat pelts.

Alvor seemed nervous now that they were down there, and he quickly opened a bottle of mead. He held out a glass to Rael who waited patiently for Alvor to spit out whatever was bothering him.

"A few weeks before you arrived, a dragon burned down Helgen," the tall Nord began. "That's a town to the south." Rael nodded. He'd heard the stories, especially from Hilde who had gotten a good look at the huge beast.

"The next morning a woman came into town with my nephew, Hadvar. They had escaped Helgen. She stayed in our home to rest and heal after Hadvar left to rejoin his company."

He looked at Rael intently. "This woman was uncommonly beautiful." He met Rael's gaze squarely, so the young man could see the truth in his eyes. "A woman such that men might kill or die for. Do you know the kind of woman I speak of?" Rael nodded. Both Sigrid and Gerdur came to his mind. "And fierce she was! The equal or better of any man with a blade, on my honor, I swear she was. Her hair was as black as ten feet down. With eyes the color of jade."

Alvor shifted in his chair and leaned toward Rael. "On her final night with us. Sigrid sent Dorthe to visit with old Hilde and invited that woman to our bed." Rael's mouth fell open and Alvor grinned. "I spent such a night, my friend, as men only dream of, sandwiched between two goddesses." Rael watched a shiver run through the man's body. "I could scarcely lift my hammer the next day."

The smith's eyes locked again on Rael's. "My wife fancies you, my friend. And I've seen you admire her." Rael shifted uneasily at the bar, uncertain where this would lead. "That's good." Alvor cleared his throat nervously. "Would you ... help me repay the gift that Sigrid so selflessly gave me that night?"

Rael stopped breathing for a moment, shocked at what the man was asking. Finally, he took a deep breath and leaned towards the man. "If she would have me, and there would be no rift created between us," Alvor shook his head emphatically. "Then I would be pleased. Such a magnificent gift should be repaid in kind."

The big smith exhaled hard, and his eyes met Rael's. Rael smiled wanly. "You know, such things are done among the Skaal. There is an old saying, 'An extra body in the bed is worth three blankets.'"

Alvor smiled and his eyes narrowed as Sigrid's feet sounded on the stairs.

The beautiful redhead padded barefoot to her husband and pulled him down to meet her lips in a fierce kiss. She turned and smiled seductively at Rael. "It is just for tonight. Ever after, we meet only as the best of friends. Does that sit well with you, Rael of the Skaal?"

Rael nodded humbly. "It does."

She smiled and held her hand out for him. "Then come here and show me how the Skaal kiss their women."

***

Sigrid loosed the ties of her dress, and let it slip off her shoulders. The curvy redhead was beautifully naked beneath. The two men stood in awe of her generous curves. She looked over her shoulder at the two men and smiled seductively. She knelt on the pallet of furs and ran her fingers through the thick bear hide. She spread her legs and Rael could see the beautiful thatch of red hair between her legs. Her pussy was pink and gleamed wetly. She looked back and shook her ass enticingly. She patted the fur beside her. "Oh husband, I have need of your body, right here."

Alvor broke out of his reverie with a gasp and his hands flew to the strings of his breeches, escaping his clothing in a few seconds. Without so much as a look at Rael, he walked over and slid onto the furs beside his wife. Sigrid smiled wantonly and licked her lips as the big man settled on his back, with his cock hard as the steel he forged. She knelt over him and began stroking his cock with expertise born of long practice.

She looked back over her shoulder again at the young warrior and wiggled her ass again at him. "Come show me that you are skilled with more than a sword, Rael."

Rael sighed and undressed slowly as the beautiful curvy woman took her husband's manhood deeply in her mouth. Alvor's hands slid through her loose red hair, and he moaned loudly. Rael had a thought, that this pallet was here with purpose and was something the two used frequently as their daughter slept above.

Rael stepped behind Sigrid's beautiful round ass, and he met Alvor's eyes once more. The big smith smiled and nodded. Sigrid shivered uncontrollably when Rael's big hand cupped her ass cheek. He caressed it lovingly because something so perfect deserved it. He fell to his knees and thrust his face between the globes of her ass and thrust his tongue into her slick pussy. Sigrid moaned around her thick mouthful and pushed her ass back against Rael's face. In moments his face was slick with her juices, and he reveled in the tangy taste of her musk.

Rael pulled back and smiled when he noticed that Sigrid was gasping for air, stroking Alvor's cock slowly. Rael pushed into her cunt with a thick finger and the woman wailed. "No! No! Fuck me, Rael! Put that hard cock in me while I suck my husband. Such a thing I've always dreamed of doing."

When Rael's cock slid into her wet quim, Sigrid's mouth fell open from the sheer bliss of it. After several toe-curling seconds, she dropped back down on her husband's cock, pushing down as hard as she could, taking him as deep as ever. Her pussy was tight and wet, and he could see her fleshy labia encircle his cock as he slid in and out of her. The wet sounds of their coupling drove the three of them to wonderous heights of arousal. He grabbed her hips and began slamming into her aggressively, knowing this was what the tough Nord woman wanted. She pushed her ass back firmly with each stroke.

After several minutes Rael could feel his orgasm approaching and suddenly realized they'd not discussed such things. Sigrid was certainly still young and healthy enough to have more children. But he needn't have worried. Shortly, the curvy woman crawled forward, then threw her leg over her husband, and settled down on his thick cock with a delighted squeal.

Alvor grinned and grasped the globes of her ass and squeezed affectionately, as she bounced up and down on him. She opened her arms for Rael, and he stepped up eagerly onto the stack of furs grasping the floor joist above for balance. He offered her his cock and she took it in her hand and guided it between her plump lips. He moaned loudly as she began to suck expertly. After a minute the woman suddenly froze on her husband and pulled Rael into her throat, holding him there. He felt her body quiver all over as she moaned deeply around her mouthful.

The sight of a woman cumming had always filled him with awe. Though he'd no way of knowing for sure, Rael had always thought a woman's orgasm was so much more all-encompassing than a man's. He never tired of making a woman cum.

"Oh Sigrid, my love!" Alvor groaned, as he pistoned his cock into her tight pussy. The tall smith's body arched, and he moaned as he spewed hot cum deeply into his wife's womb. Rael filled Sigrid's mouth with the same just seconds later.

Rael fell to the furs gasping and Sigrid rolled between the big men, smiling. After a minute or so she reached out and pulled each man to her breasts. The two men smiled at one another as they both took a plump nipple between their lips. Sigrid reached down and began rubbing her engorged clit with her hand as the two men sucked fervently.

She smiled as she felt her next orgasm beginning and glanced at her two lovers. "I hope you big strong men are feeling your oats tonight because I want those cocks in me all night long. You had better keep up."

Both men sighed nervously.

***

The next evening, Delphine walked through the open door into Rael's room at the inn, as he packed his backpack. The handsome woman smiled at the stout warrior. "As someone who likes a nice quiet town, I will not miss your presence here, Outlander." She bounced a coin pouch in her hand.

Rael smiled knowingly and nodded, thinking of the boy Frodnar, who would undoubtedly be hurt by his leaving, as well. Delphine held out the pouch.

"This is what's left," she said.

Rael shook his head and then handed her another pouch just slightly bigger. She looked at him quizzically. "Let Embry sleep, eat, and drink this away," he said quietly. Delphie nodded and both pouches disappeared with a flick of her wrist.

***

The town turned out to see Rael off. Faendral walked arm in arm with his beloved Camilla, who had taken over her brother's store. Lucan's name was never uttered again in Riverwood. His fate was never asked of, nor criticized. All knew that he should have been tried and condemned to a cell beneath Dragonsreach, but who's to say what happens in the wilds? Mayhap he was eaten by a dragon. There are many strange things between this place and that, in this world.

"Where will you go next?" Alvor asked as the townsfolk stood around the young warrior. He took one last longing look at Sker'trul and handed the sword to Rael.

Rael smiled. "I think I'll head west. I got a letter from the Jarl of Falkreath. I'm not sure how he heard of me, but it seems that he has some problems with bandits." The group chuckled all around. Rael's eyes found Gerdur's, and they shared a smile.

"But first, I have a promise to keep," the young man said cryptically.

***

Rael had gotten rough directions from Delphine and first went east to the bridge, crossed the river, and then turned back west, keeping to the riverbank until he saw the woods get thick up the hill. He then headed northwest through the trees until he cut across an old footpath. He followed it to the home of Anise, the hedge wizard who had helped heal him.

He walked to the house and found Anise sitting on a stool. She was dressed in just her shift and was washing her legs in a wooden half-barrel. Her greying hair was worn loose about her shoulders. She looked up and smiled expectantly at him. "Welcome Rael, warrior of the Skaal." She lifted the hem of her shift and spread her wet legs enticingly. Her pussy gleamed in the early sun. "Well timed is your arrival, because I have some very serious chores for you to help me with."

Rael smiled and set his pack down. "I would be honored to help in any way I can."

*******

Author's note.

First, thanks again for reading my stories. I get a great deal of satisfaction writing them and I love getting your feedback. This is my first adventure story. It will not be my last. I cut my teeth on such (though less erotic) stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard. I do hope I did not screw it up too badly. For those who are upset with the liberties that I took with the characters of this game, get over it, milk drinker.