Scarlet Scale Ch. 001

I decided to make a mental note of that. Could be a nice way to get a start here, with a military career, though I was still sure that I would be considered "unconventional" for an Imperial soldier. I expected that I'd find all sorts of opportunities for all kinds of "action" with the soldiers.

We had kept going for a while, until Hadvar stopped to rest near a trio of man-sized stones that were set upright, pointing to the sky. They were each carved with a different peculiar picture.

"These," Hadvar leaned on the low cliff behind the stones "are three of the many 'standing stones' that are spread throughout Skyrim. If you press your hand on the picture below the hole in the stone, it will send a mysterious beam of light to the sky. No one knows exactly how or why, but it's said that they can influence the different ways we live our lives on Nirn."

I looked at all three, there was a picture of a wizard, a warrior, and what I thought looked like a fleeing thief. I walked up to the one closest to the small lake below us. After pressing the picture, it lit up with a shape that I recognized as one of the constellations of stars in the night, the "Warrior." As Hadvar had said, it sent a beam of light into the clouds.

"Warrior!" Hadvar smiled "You and I think alike in that then. Come on, Riverwood's only another few hours jog now."

It was a rather small collection of thatched homes, an inn, and a sawmill. Hadvar strode through the gate of the watchman's covered walkway. A nicely peaceful scene for the late afternoon. I was suddenly feeling alert when an old woman cried out.

"A dragon! I just saw a dragon!"

Another nord leaning near her rolled his eyes and complained, "What? What is it now, mother?"

"It was as big as the mountain and blacker than the night. It flew right over the Barrow!"

Her son groaned "Dragons now, is it?You keep on like this, and everyone will think that you're crazy. I've got better things to do than listen to your fantasies."

I spoke up, feeling it was better that people hear about it now than later. They had to not panic in some way, but find a way to form a response. "A dragon attacked Helgen today."

"Really?" Her son grumbled at me. "Why are you encouraging her delusions?"

"Look, don't believe me if you want, but I was there, and Hadvar, over there. You can also go see Helgen too, I'd guess the dragon must have left it by now. I'd tell you more about it, but I'm on my way to warn Balgruuf."

"The Jarl?" The man's eyes were wide now "Helgen? Oh Gods help us..."

"Hey Scarlet!" Hadvar called "Come over, my uncle's agreed to help us as best as he can!"

I walked over.

"Is... is it true?" Hadvar's uncle, Alvor, as I remembered, asked me. "Helgen? Attacked by a... a dragon?"

"Yes, General Tullius ordered Hadvar and I to go warn Balgruuf as soon as possible. I'm guessing that you're going to give us food and rest?"

"Of course! Go on inside, my wife probably already has the stew ready, though I'm sure she wasn't expecting any visitors today. But I assure you, any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine. Come, come."

We walked inside, and Alvor called to his wife.

"Sigrid! We have company today!"

Then turning to us as we sat down at his table, we told him of our accounts of the attack. I kept to myself the shaman's strange foretelling of the "great events," I was to involved in, this seems to be one of them. Instead I suggested that as General Tullius assumed, I was a sellsword mercenary. By the time we were done with the story, Alvor agreed with the General's idea that the dragon might attack Whiterun soon. But the nord blacksmith reasoned that since Riverwood was on the way to it, he might try there next instead. In either case, I still needed to go warn this Jarl as soon as I could.

The title of "Jarl," though unfamiliar to me, seemed to be a title of something like a minor king or local duke. Ruling over a city, and a good-sized piece of the regional land. Indeed, Hadvar was right, Alvor offered us supplies, some food, a small sack of coins, and a whole two person tent. He said that it had been a while since he and his wife had gone up into the mountains to, ah... "pick flowers," though he said it like he had obviously done "more" than just pick potion ingredients.

Hadvar and I both talked about getting back out on the road then, but Alvor walked out with us. It was dusk now, I felt that time was of the essence. If the dragon didn't feel like waiting to cause a lot of mayhem, then I couldn't afford to sleep through the night.

"It's probably going to be a 4 hour jog," he told us "so Hadvar, borrow my horse and let her off over at the crossroads down there. This way, the time should be only somewhere around 8:00 pm, or half-past by the time you get there."

"Thank you, uncle Alvor. I promise I'll take good care of her."

We hurried over to the side of his house, the one closer to the inn. Alvor's mare was a pale dappled, tied to a post, in a shallow overhang.

Hadvar and I had passed the time with talking about important issues and things to know about Skyrim, while the soldier kept the horse in a hurried jogging trot. As Alvor said, it was around 8:20 by the time we got within sight of the city, and Hadvar stopped Valka, his uncle's horse.

"There," he said as he let me down "take the road past the meadery, then the fork as it turns right. I'd stay longer for your company, but I must return with the other Imperial forces, and you should get to the Jarl. I'm a bit ashamed to admit this, but most of my kinsfolk like to keep the welcoming to people that they can identify with more easily. Like other nords, bretons, or in more peaceful times, the imperials of Cyrodiil. Even if you are an argonian, you DO have good reason for the guard to let you in at night despite our civil war. Just tell them that you have news of an attack that the Jarl needs to know about. Good luck with your journey."

"Likewise," I replied, with an old argonian parting "may your mud be cool, and not be a mire around you."

Then he nodded, turned, and galloped Valka further down the road, towards what I believed was Solitude. l walked up, passing an outer set of drawbridge type gates, and then reached the main gates.

"You there!" The gateman said "The tensions are running high right now with the war, so the city's closed for now."

"I was traveling into Skyrim, and while I was at Helgen, it got attacked. Its important that Jarl Balgruuf hear about this news."

"Fine. I can report it to Commander Caius."

"Not just him then. This needs to get Jarl Balgruuf, immediately."

"Why? What's so important about it?"

By now I was starting to feel impatient.

"It was a dragon."

"A dragon? Hah. Now tell me the one about how you're actually Lifts-Her-Tail."

That REALLY annoyed me. Almost every traveling argonian knows that book, but he was suggesting that I "got around," a lot. Not that I didn't, and I definitely enjoyed sex a lot, but the guard said it like an insult to my people.

"Look." I said, my mood coloring my tone, "Helgen HAS been attacked. By a dragon. And I've come all the way from there, when I 'could' have just went on my way. So, if I'm trying to warn your Jarl, and before the dragon might attack again, then he can decide what to do about it. But, if the dragon attacks after you've sent me away, and if he hears that you were warned about the news before, you do realize that he might get 'upset,' right?"

"You... you might have a point. But I swear, if I hear news of a rash of locks picked from your peoples' special talent for that, then..."

"I consider myself warned."

"Alright then." He rapped on the gate, and called loudly to the guard above "Open the gate! Got a visitor with important news for the Jarl!"

There was a brief moment, and then the sound of gears and chains pulling. The gate rolled up into the stonework, and I walked in. I had already asked Hadvar about how to find the Jarl, so it didn't take me long to get to Balgruuf's palace in the Cloud District. Again, I had to explain myself to another guard when I got inside, but he was much more polite, saying that the Jarl was just finishing his supper.

"I have urgent news about an attack, by... a dragon."

The guard seemed to have heard the right people, because of what he said next.

"I was standing by when I had heard the court Wizard talking with another visitor about a possible attack. I'll go fetch the Jarl, you stay there."

I sat down at one of the small tables near the prominent throne at the back. I noted that hanging directly over that throne was a MASSIVE, pointed skull. From its shape, it looked exactly like I'd have expected a dragon's skull to look like. Before long, the Jarl, several other nords, an imperial(not a soldier), and a dunmer arranged themselves at the throne.

"The guard said that you were talking about an attack, by a dragon?"

"Yes, Sir. I've only just arrived in Skyrim, and I was at Helgen. The Imperials had captured Ulfric Stormcloak,"

"Humph, serves him right." I heard the dunmer mutter.

"Irileth, please..." Balgruuf said, and turned back to me. "You may continue."

"Yes. It seemed like they were about to execute him, but then the dragon attacked just as they had started with the prisoners. General Tullius felt that all the province needed to be warned, but it was his idea that the dragon would attack Whiterun next."

"You... saw this... dragon with your own eyes then?"

"Yes Sir. If its taken a lair around Helgen, Alvor believes Riverwood is in a direct position of danger, he asked me to petition for soldiers to be sent at once."

"Jarl," the imperial started, "we can't do that, Siddgeir will see it as a provocation, and that you're siding with Ulfric. For the good of your people-"

"Enough!" Balgruuf yelled "I am thinking of the 'good' of my people! I will never just cower behind my stone wall, as a dragon destroys my hold and slaughters the people! Irileth!"

"Yes, my Jarl!" The dunmer answered.

"Send a small detachment of men to Riverwood right away."

"Yes my Jarl." She quickly answered.

The imperial advisor, a bit miffed, commented "I'll just return to my duties."

"Yes, perhaps that would be best." Then the Jarl turned his attention back to me. "You, ah...?"

"Scarlet-Scale, Sir."

"Scarlet, eh? You survived the attack on Helgen, and from a dragon too..." He seemed to think for a moment, then, "so are you a sellsword then? I might have a job for you, related to the dragon, and old stories of dragons... Come, let's go talk with my court wizard, Farengar Secret-Fire."

He got up, and the rest of the Jarl's court dispersed. As he led me over, Balgruuf mentioned quietly to me.

"He can be a bit ah, 'difficult.' Mages, I'm sure you know, but I do value his expertise."

We walked to another small room set off from the main hall. A nord in dark blue robes stood there, apparently deep in thought over the book he was reading.

"Farengar, I think I've found someone to look into this matter of 'dragons' for you."

The mage lifted his gaze, studying me up and down, in much the same way as he had his book.

"Yes," he started "I had recently gotten a suggestion that they may become a serious concern. Thank you, my Jarl, it seems that you found an adequate able-bodied assistant, I'm sure that she will prove most useful."

"This is important now," Balgruuf emphasized "if these prophetic signs of the legends are coming true, then we need to know all we can about fighting the dragons."

"I understand, Jarl. Thank you for placing the proper priority to this issue. Goodnight."

I wasn't sure, but I think it sounded like he was actually being condescending to his own Jarl. Balgruuf grumbled his annoyance, and left, presumably for bed.

"Now," Farengar continued "what Jarl Balgruuf was referring to, is an object of importance to the old tales of dragons, something called a 'dragonstone.' I'm not completely sure if it actually is in the dangerous ruin or not, another may have looted it already. I need you to go find it, and return with it here. Nothing could be simpler for you, yes?"

Now he sounded condescending to me!

"You hadn't-" as I drummed my claws impatiently on his table "told me where this 'dragonstone' is supposed to be. I've also just ARRIVED in Skyrim, so I have to find my way around by my map right now, which only has the major cities, and a few of your towns on it." By now my claws were starting to scratch into the wooden surface of his table. "I also could just as well decide that I might be more 'interested' in other ways to apply myself as a sellsword. I've heard that vampire rumors have been circulating around for instance, so if you want a 'brute' like me to try one of these dangerous ruins instead, I'd suggest more politeness please."

"Ah... yes, straight to the point then, I prefer that actually. The ruin is Bleak Falls Barrow, it overlooks a miserable village to the south, Riverwood-"

"Yes I passed through it after Helgen. Why do you have such low opinions of others?"

"Many a nord or others have had low opinions of me. Is there anything else?"

"Yes," I replied "how much am I getting paid?"

"Ah," the mage replied "I'm sure that the Jarl will find an appropriate compensation. If he hasn't asked you about it, I would guess that you may discuss that when you finish. Now, I wish to return to my research, as my Jarl said, it is important."

"Very well then, I will look for rest in your inn, and leave for your stone tomorrow."

"Thank you."

The Bannered Mare looked like a nice enough place outside, until after I stepped through the door.

"Say it!" An imperial woman was screaming at the bard.

"How could I?" He answered. "Such a vision of loveliness as you should be cherished, as much or more than-"

"That does it, Mikael!!" And I ducked her flying tankard.

The woman started throwing punches at him, causing his lute get thrown out of his hand.

"What's going on?" I asked a guard sitting at the bar.

"Oh," she answered "the silly fool's tried too hard with flirting, once again... Don't worry about him, he's had this coming for a long time. I intend to enjoy the show."

The go-around kept up for maybe ten minutes, until the screaming woman had knocked him down, and kept her leg on his throat, not enough to choke him, but at least enough to render him helpless.

"Say. It. Right. NOW..."

"Very... very well..." he gasped "on my honor, as a nord, I swear I will stop flirting with you Carlotta. I'm... oww... I'm sorry."

"Thank you..." Carlotta said between her teeth, as she got up.

The barmaid was so amused with it that she replaced Carlotta's previous drink with another tankard for free, I think. Maybe the redguard herself had also been harassed. I brushed off the experience, though I felt like this Carlotta was a woman that I REALLY could identify with, even if she was a human. Having walked up to the inn/tavern owner, I asked her for a bed.

"Twenty septims, and its yours for the night. A double bed, up those stairs, and the food's a good price here too."

"Sounds good to me." I said "How much for some stew, bread, and an ale?"

"Altogether..." the nord added as she thought "I'd say another twenty coin."

"Alright," I rummaged in my coinpurse, drawing out a couple of my silver coins, laying them on the countertop. For my old pirates' treasure, my village shaman back in Argonia had taught me a special spell for stashing away loot, she said that she had learned it from a dremora pirate named Velehk Sain when serving as his first mate while harassing Morrowind. Thanks to that spell, I wasn't weighed down by it or anything else I could pawn off.

After I finished my meal, and ale, still enjoying its buzz, I walked over to Carlotta. She looked me up and down, as I thought she might.

"Yes?" She asked.

"That was QUITE the sight," I commented with a sly tone, "seeing that bard knocked around. Is he really that incorrigible?"

"Oh yeah. It's almost like once or twice a week, he boasts about how only HE would be able to 'thaw' my heart with his 'fire.' Humph! I'm never going to let any man come between me and raising my daughter..."

"No man?" She obviously had some history related to that. "Well, you had to have a man if you had your daughter. It's not a sore topic, is it?"

"Yes, it is, but I appreciate that you're asking if it is. When I was growing up, my mother didn't trust a lot of the boys that I played my children's games with, thinking back on it, I think I know why. She loved father dearly, but he was a guard, and... well, he was lost while trying to wipe out some bandits from one of their wretched camps. Then, I was all she had left of him. As for Mila, her father seemed like a nice enough man I could settle down with, though... a little restless. He said he had wanted to settle down, as he was getting too old for exploring tombs or such. The last day I saw him, he was excited about some gold mine he had started working, but I never..."

She was starting to sob now, so I rubbed my hands on her back, and gently hugged her.

"Hey," I said "if he was excited about something like that, I'm sure he wouldn't just walk away from you, especially you were having his daughter. But the world is a dangerous place sometimes, maybe that was it."

"I suppose." She had lifted up her head to look at me. "Though it seems that most of the men around me here see a prospect at having me to themselves, since its just Mila and I. So many times to turn them down, I'm starting to feel fed up with men you know? Like only another woman might understand me at times..."

"Yes, I know." I agreed, noting that she wasn't pushing my hug away "I also know what its like to have a temper like that. Back in Argonia, I heard of a joke said behind my back, that my parents hadn't named me for the color of my scales, but that it was for my temper. Look, if you want me to, I could try finding that gold mine and bring something back for you."

"That would help my produce stand in the marketplace..." she mused "I think he had said that it was in the mountains due south of the city. Not very far from a giants' camp, but they hadn't been giving him a lot of trouble. It would be very nice of you, and perhaps..."

Oh, I knew that look she was giving me. We were still hugging...

"I've rented the room upstairs," I mentioned "but, as another woman, I don't want to treat you the same as that Mikael, at least in 'that' sense. I'd rather you enjoyed companionship for its own sake."

"I know." Carlotta agreed "But as I said, maybe you understand better because you're a woman. You know what its like, getting propositions from men that you're tired of, right?"

"Yes, but I also like men too. Not all are like Mikael, though I think in this, it's a matter of your 'particular' interest, yes?"

"Yes..." Carlotta breathed in my ear. Oh I was getting moist already.

"Alright then," I pulled out my map "Jarl Balgruuf directed me to something his court wizard wants, said it was in a ruin, Bleak Falls Barrow, near Riverwood. Can you point it out? If your gold mine is near, maybe I'll be close."

"That's roughly about it." Her finger rubbed a mountain range just above Riverwood. "If you're going to want help with Bleak Falls, I'd recommend Uthgerd, she can fight well, and I take it you know that sometimes ruins don't just have traps, right?"

"Yes. If she's also a sellsword, do you think she'd have some particular way of getting paid?"

"No," Carlotta said "I hadn't ever thought I could afford it, so I didn't ask. Say, are you going to look for the mine as a favor, or is it a job?"

"As a favor." I clarified. "If Mila's father did find gold, then by all rights, its yours. I should probably find Uthgerd soon, since I'm sure you're right, I'd need help in the dark ruin. Is she here?"