Dragonborn Rising Ch. 01

Chapter 1 -- Begin Anew

*****

Having escaped Cyrodiil, it took a couple of days to cross the mountains, thankful I had enough warm clothing to keep the worst of the cold at bay. Being a Nord, I was capable of withstanding cold naturally, but when the wind whipped up snow into my face, leaving me half blinded as I walked along, even my teeth would chatter as it cut straight through my coat.

The weather cleared as crested the mountain, and I had to stop and stare at the sight that unfolded before me. Skyrim. Home of the Nords. Did I weep at seeing my homeland? No. I'd never felt any major yearning to journey here. Cyrodiil had been my home since my birth. I'd grown up and was happy there. That didn't mean I was too upset to make a new home for myself in Skyrim. I just had to figure out where and how.

It took a few hours to descend the mountain, walking into a forested area, following the main road until I came to a junction. Looking left and right, the signpost suggested a town was only a couple of miles off to the right, by the name of Falkreath. A town or city meant an inn, food and drink, and a warm bed. So Falkreath it was.

I'll admit to being relieved that I still had my armour and weapons. I only wore light armour, mostly leather with steel plate in the important parts. My weapons were the best available, though. The Fighter's Guild didn't scrimp on armour and weapons, as without the best available, we'd have quickly run out of fighters.

Left feeling rather glad I was young and fit, having spent three days crossing the border, light was dimming as I approached the outskirts of Falkreath, and I realised things were very different in Skyrim to Cyrodiil. Walking up to the main gates, the pair of guards standing there looking rather board gave me a curious glance but said nothing as I passed by. There wasn't much to Falkreath on first appearance. At the end of the main road was what I guessed the be the lord's hall. There were a few shops lined either side of the road, including a blacksmith. But, most importantly, there was an inn, a sign suggesting it was named 'Dead Man's Drink'.

Walking inside, it was surprisingly empty except for a woman behind the bar and another sweeping the floor. She turned to me and smiled. "Shor's bones! A handsome man in Falkreath!"

"Um, thanks."

Walking towards the bar, the woman was wiping it down with a cloth, noticing my approach and smiling. "I'm Valga. Welcome to Dead Man's Drink. What can I get you?"

"An ale, please."

As she poured me a tankard, I took a seat on one of the stools, dumping my bag on the floor. "I hear a faint accent in your voice, yet you're clearly a Nord. Where are you from?"

"Just crossed in from Cyrodiil."

"Oh, whatever for?"

"Needed a change."

Placing a tankard in front of me, I handed over a couple coin and thanked her. "You've perhaps come at the wrong time, with the civil war and all."

"Civil war?" I couldn't hide the surprise. I didn't know a thing about it.

Valga just scoffed. "Of course it wouldn't be news in Cyrodiil. Ever heard of Ulfric Stormcloak?" I shook my head. "The White-Gold Concordat and the banning of Talos worship?"

"No to the first question. Vaguely the second question."

"Well, the only thing I can suggest is that you watch yourself when on the open road. The Empire and Stormcloak both patrol, and sometimes don't mind taking prisoners."

I took a room for the evening, dumping my bag on the single bed, and as the inn started to fill up for the evening, I found myself chatting with some of the locals. Most were either fellow Nords, but there were a few from Cyrodiil and even a Redguard, a woman by the name of Zaria who ran the local apothecary. As we chatted, I could feel an underlying tension between certain people, believing it was probably to do with the civil war. Some of the Nords were proud to tell me they backed the Stormcloak Rebellion, as it was called. I kept any opinion to myself, not that I had one, merely stating I'd just arrived and was wondering what to do. A local shopkeeper offered me a job, asking if I could head to the city of Riften for him to deliver a parcel. Smart enough to suggest payment was at the other end, I agreed, as it gave me something to do and a chance to earn coin.

I slept alone that night, not that I minded, and it allowed me to make an early start the next morning. After breakfast, I asked for some directions, Valga stating signposts would point the way, and that it should take me about a day to walk there. I bought a couple of things for lunch and set off.

The weather around Falkreath was rather gloomy, and it wasn't until I crested a large hill, another town off to my left, that I found myself walking in sunshine, though it still wasn't particularly warm. I passed a few merchants or fellow travellers, and most were polite enough to swap a cheerful 'Hello!'

Following the signposts to Falkreath, I learned the names of other towns apparently within Skyrim, including Whiterun, Helgen, Ivarstead and Windhelm, which I had heard mentioned the night before as the home city of Ulfric Stormcloak. Sticking to the south road, I ended up on the southern side of what was signed as Lake Honrich. The southern gate into Riften was boarded up, which was a surprise, so I had to cross around to the other side, using the city walls as a guide. The area was rather beautiful, trees reaching for the sky, leaves the colour of red and orange. Scents fill my nostrils. It was remarkably peaceful.

Sun was setting by the time I made the gates. I was tired, my feet hurt, and all I wanted to do was sit down for a drink. But two guards thought they'd try and shake me down first, crossing the spears they were holding to block my entrance.

"See here, anyone wishing to enter has to pay the tax," Tweedledum stated.

"Yes. Anyone wishing to sample the delights of Riften must pay for the privilege," Tweedledee added.

"I'm surprised you know words longer than two syllables."

"What?"

I sighed. "Look, I've just walked here all the way from Falkreath. My feet are sore. I'm tired and could do with a wash. All I want is a hot meal, a cold drink, and a warm bed. And I don't appreciate being dicked around. So I'll put it like this. Either get out of my way or I'll put you both on the ground."

"Think you're some sort of tough guy?" Tweedledum asked.

"I don't think I am. But I fought with the Fighter's Guild of Cheydinhal for three years, so I know I could put a sword through you within five seconds, and your idiot friend there in the next three. Want to test if I'm bullshitting?"

My hand was now at the hilt of my sword, ready to draw, and there must have been a look in my eye, as the pair of idiots shared a nervous glance and moved their spears out of the way. "You may enter," one of them said meekly.

"I see you shaking down anyone else..." I warned as they moved out of the way.

My first impressions were not great. The smell was horrendous, noticing a dank river of water below that likely hadn't been filtered years. Only the gods would know what rested in it. A lot of dead things, going by the smell. Otherwise Riften was rather drab, plenty of wooden buildings, and it was clearly not rich at all. I noticed a marketplace in the distance, though it was now deserted considering the time, and the streets were otherwise rather empty.

There was an inn across a wooden bridge, so figuring I could make my delivery the next day, I headed for the inn, wandering inside to find it already quite busy. An Argonian was behind the bar, a female, though I'll be honest, I found telling the difference between non-humans and elves to be quite difficult. After taking one of the available rooms and dumping my bag upstairs, I returned and took one of the spare tables. The other Argonian, the male and I assumed partner of the female, took my order of a meal and drink. Sitting back with my back against the wall, I gazed over the crowd, listening into some of the conversations.

As it was rather busy, I was approached by a rather tall woman, who asked if she could sit with me. I gestured to the spare seat and she sat down. She introduced herself as Mjoll, and her accent was difficult to place. With long blonde hair and hazel eyes, I'll admit the armour she wore hid whatever figure she did have. She asked what I was doing in Riften, and I admitted I'd only just arrived in Skyrim, and was delivering a package for someone. Other than that, I didn't have any plans.

"Careful while you're in Riften. The Thieves Guild makes their home here."

I'll admit my ears pricked up at the mention of them, though I tried to keep my face blank. "Are you sure?" I asked.

"Aye, I am. See that woman over there?" she gestured with her head to a middle aged woman, hair as black as night and a face like thunder, surrounded by people I assumed were her children, "That's Maven Black-Briar. She has this city in her pocket and the Thieves Guild at her back."

"Have you had run-ins with them?"

"One or two. Never more than words. But I know who some of them are. They might deny it, but there's no doubt in my mind who works for them."

"Thanks for the warning."

I did mean my thanks, but my mind was already wondering... I'd left the Thieves Guild in Cyrodiil primarily due to my own screw up. Almost being killed would make anyone reconsider their life. However, I was now older and wiser, and I'll admit, I still thought like a thief at times, wandering through a crowd, thinking 'I could swipe that coin purse without them noticing' or look at a business and know they have valuables kept out in the open that I could easily take after a quick picking of a lock. But would I approach the Thieves Guild in Riften? Would I want to go down that road again?

Let's be honest. I wasn't the most honourable of people around. Sure, I had worked with the Fighter's Guild, but even while working with them, I did a few things I probably shouldn't have been proud of. Particularly when it came to taking payment in pussy rather than coin. Then there was the fact I was fucking a variety of women, unbeknownst to me all of them being married. That was the reason I was in Skyrim anyway.

Heading to bed later that night, I was toying with the idea...

Dropping the package at Elgrim's Elixirs the next morning, I found myself talking to a cute girl behind the counter who introduced herself as Ingun Black-Briar. I'm not sure if she was a dead ringer for her mother, but her voice was soft and captivating, and I couldn't help flirting with her for a few minutes before the old woman she worked for cleared her throat, a not so subtle suggestion for me to piss off. She did ask if I was staying in Riften. I said I might have a reason to hang around a little longer.

Keeping to myself, I wandered the streets of Riften, walking past a temple, which appeared to be for the worship of Mara. I couldn't help snort, because if I worshipped anyone, it was Dibella. She was usually a god worshipped primarily by women, but I followed her doctrine regarding the more erotic delights one can experience. More than one woman I bedded in Cyrodiil worshipped Dibella, albeit in secret.

The local lord's residence was far more impressive than that I'd seen in Falkreath, walking past that and through the marketplace, where there were quite a number of stalls, shopkeepers yelling out plenty of information regarding their wares. I eventually leaned back against the wall of the inn and watched life drift by, wondering what I should do next. I must have been there for a good twenty minutes before I was joined by someone.

"Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying, eh, lad?"

"Well, I don't know about that. What makes you ask that question though?"

"Well, let's just say that you've got the coin, but you didn't earn a septim of it honestly. I can tell."

"That's where you're wrong, friend. The coin I have now I earned honestly with a Guild." I gave him a sideways glance. "Let me guess, you're with the Guild rumoured to operate in this city."

He glanced my way and smirk. "While I cannot admit to knowing what you're talking about, you seem to know your stuff already."

"What you're wearing is eerily familiar of my youth."

He nodded, seeming to understand. "Homeless?"

"And an orphan too."

"What brings you to Riften then?"

"Did a job as a favour for someone in Falkreath. I've just recently crossed into Skyrim from Cyrodiil. Looking for work now."

"I've got something for you if you're interested?" I nodded. "I'll put it simply. I've got a bit of an errand to perform, but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well-paid."

I always liked earning coin, so I took the job offer immediately. He told me what needed doing, and I almost laughed at the simplicity of the job. I told him that, and he chuckled, telling me not to be cocky, to just get the job done and we'd talk afterwards. It really was child's play. Pick a lock, steal a ring, plant it on someone else. The lock was so simple; I could have done it blindfolded. Actually putting a ring in someone's pocket was different to what I normally did, but the mark didn't have a clue, and the whole plan went off without a hitch.

My new friend introduced himself as Brynjolf, and he kept his word, handing me a small coin purse for a job well done, particularly as our mark was quickly approached by a trio of city guard, his pockets turned out, and he was eventually marched off to the cells. Standing with our backs against the wall again, he admitted with a sigh, "I'm just glad that went off without a hitch. About bloody time something went right for us."

"Something wrong?"

He nodded. "I guess I can be honest if you used to run with the Guild. We've been having a run of bad luck, but I suppose that's just how it goes. But never mind that, you did the job and you did it well. Best of all, there's more where that came from. That is, if you think you can handle it."

"I've done this all before. What you just had me do was simple."

"If I may ask, why'd you leave?"

"I was sixteen and a job went bad. Really bad. I was lucky to get away with my life, and it was then that I chose to take a different path."

"And now?"

"Well, I can admit I'm not the most honourable of people. But I do believe in honour amongst thieves."

"Just what I wanted to hear, so I'll give you some information, and you can do with it what you want. Below Riften is a section of tunnels called the Ratway. The Guild I represent makes its home in a place called the Ragged Flagon. Get there in one piece and we'll see what happens."

He disappeared as I wandered the marketplace. I found myself talking to a rather annoyed woman called Grelka. With raven hair and brown eyes, she would have been quite attractive if she wasn't so grumpy. I had a good look at her armour, and was surprised at the quality, but I didn't have the coin to buy anything. That just pissed her off even more, and even my attempts at flirting went nowhere. I said I'd be back if I had the coin, but I don't think she believed me.

What I learned with the Thieves Guild back in Cyrodiil is that the homeless, the destitute and the downtrodden are usually associates. After giving a coin to one of the local homeless, I asked about the Ratway. She sized me up good and proper before telling me what to go. "Careful, stranger. All sorts of riff-raff call the Ratway home."

Figuring there was no point in delaying, I found the entrance to the Ratway, and making sure I had weapon in hand, I walked in.

The first thing to overwhelm me was the smell. By the Eight, it was enough to make even me gag, and I'd traipsed through my fair share of shit over the years, walking through sewers as I worked for the Guild as a kid, or even for the Fighter's Guild later on. I took a few deep breaths, trying to get used to it, before I moved on.

The Ratway was home to the crazy, the foolish, the damn fucking insane. I didn't want to kill them, as I'd seen and met plenty during my time in Cyrodiil. Generally, I tried to just knock them out, or at least leave them on the ground with a stern warning to not try it again. Most were smart enough to nod their acceptance. The last guy I met, though. He was fucking enormous, armed with a big cleaver, and he just wouldn't see sense. Clearly insane, I had to cut him down, and I had to do it quick, as his cleaver came too close for comfort more than once.

Walking into the Ragged Flagon, I was surprised at the lack of smell, particularly due to the pool of water around which the tavern was situated. I guess it wasn't as stagnant as the water that ran through the middle of Riften itself. I noticed Brynjolf in the middle of a group of people, and stood back though eavesdropped on their conversation. He made it sound like I was some sort of saviour of their group. I'm not sure about that, but he seemed rather happy to see me, walking forward to shake my hand.

"Well, colour me impressed, lad. I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again!"

"Why? I made it pretty clear I was interested." I thumbed behind me, adding, "And that lot out there wasn't much trouble."

He barked a short laugh. "Reliable and headstrong? You're turning out to be quite the prize!"

"I'm not sure about that, but I'm not inexperienced, that's for sure."

He grabbed my arm and led me forward. "Let me introduce you around. Behind the bar is Vekel. Runs it, and once you're confirmed, he'll look after you. The blonde is Vex, our expert lockpicker. The bald egg is Delvin. He'll hook you up with jobs. Our Redguard friend is Tonila. She's our fence and will always do you a good price. And finally, that big lump of meat over there is Dirge. One rule about Dirge. Don't fuck with Dirge."

I looked at Dirge, and as he was bigger than me, I took his advice to heart. "Now, it's getting dark, and while it's usually our best time to work, to be honest, pickings are thin here. However, if you haven't a bed for the night, you can crash with us and you can do an initiation test for us tomorrow. Every potential recruit does it."

"Sure, no problem."

"Want a drink?"

I certainly wanted a drink, and though the ale served to me left a lot to be desired, I sat at a table with Delvin, Vex and Brynjolf and listened as they discussed matters. Whether they trusted me or not, I'm not sure, but they had no problem discussing business. I kept my eyes on Vex, as she was very cute, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing armour that showed off her best assets. She noticed me looking and just folded her arms, trying to warn me off, though her eyes suggested she was returning the appraisal.

Brynjolf suggested a little later that we should get a little shut eye, and before I could follow, Vex grabbed my forearm. "Be careful if you want to mix business with pleasure," she said quietly.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

She scoffed but said nothing else as I followed Brynjolf down a separate corridor, through a secret entrance, and into an enormous cistern. It was there that I was introduced to more members of the Guild, including a gorgeous brunette by the name of Sapphire, whose cold demeanour, quite frankly, made me even more interested in her. I was like that sometimes.

Brynjolf went through a few of the rules, though suggested that I'd learn a lot more once I passed my initiation, but for now, I was welcome to a bed at least. Most of the others headed to bed rather quickly, so I decided to do the same thing, feeling a little disappointed that it was another night alone. I hadn't gone more than three days without sex for a long time now, so this was my longest dry spell since I'd turned eighteen and that first night with Ariel. I tried not to dream of her as I drifted off.