I stuck around Riverwood for a few days dividing my time between making some potions and smithing up some better gear. Faendal said he would like to go with me when I entered Bleakfalls Barrow to find the Dragonstone for the Jarls wizard. His hunting gear would never work though if it is as dangerous as they were hinting at neither one of our gear would be suitable really. I have always hated the stiffer armors, but their is something to be said for a piece of metal that dents and doesn't allow a sword to slice cleanly through.
I had seen some Bosmer armor that I felt would work for Faendal's style of fighting, layered hardened leather over a cloth base that would allow for a full range of movement. As he was hunting more to prepare for the winter, there was more hide and leather to work with. He said he felt a little silly in armor, having always just worn hunting leathers. I told him that this was based on a ranger armor out of Valenwood, so hush.
I decided to give up some of my freedom of movement for protection, even though I used a sword it was generally as a last resort, but it never hurts to be over-prepared. But only some, I would only be doing the chest piece, the grieves were more restrictive to my legs than I wanted. I never could stand helmets so those were out also, I much preferred a mage-hood anyway... helped to keep the rain out of your eyes.
I'm afraid though that I am not that much of a smith, I don't like the sweltering heat of the forge. So I decided to go take a walk down the river and maybe catch some fish or something. I would be looking for herbs and any other ingredients that I could find. Find them I did, along with much in the way of trouble and no one to help, Tex had decided to make like a rug and lay about all day.
When I spied a Spriggan Matriarch, I gave her a very wide berth. Which would have been fine had I not run smack into a bear with her two cubs. I did the only thing I could think of, I backed up and when she followed, I dove off the ledge into the river. It wasn't deep, but I knew I would never make it to the other shore, so I planned to float a bit down and then climb out. That was a sound plan, except the Slaughter fish, that decided to start taking bites out of me. I then did the only thing I could, I climbed up on a rock that wasn't very far offshore and started sniping at both the bear and the slaughter fish, with my bow.
I got lucky when the slaughter fish bit one of the bear cubs and momma bear and both cubs went after it. I then climbed down from the rock and ran as fast as I could to a shallow point in the river, where I crossed over and walked up the other side of the bank. I stayed that night with a hunter, she was more than happy to share her dinner with me, in exchange for a bit of gossip.
The next morning I made my way back to Riverwood, Faendal found me entering the town and asked what had happened. He asked if we were going to go to Bleakfalls Barrow today, I explained that I had a little more work on both of our armor. His needed a little more re-enforcement in a couple area's and mine needed to be lace together and then fitted and maybe reshaped.
As it happened it was two more days before we started out for Bleakfalls, vampires had attacked the town in the middle of the night and Faendal help the guards fight, while I summoned a familiar and then set about healing the wounded. While I was not actually hurt in the attack, I did strain my wrist helping to pull a crossbow bolt out of a citizen that had gotten between one of the Dawnguard and a Master vampire.
It was a cool morning with the wind blowing out of the north, Faendal said that meant it would probably snow in the mountains. So we hurried up and left before the sun had more than cast gold streaks across the sky. We snuck past some bandits that were holed up in the watchtower, Faendal said we would have to come back at a later date and take care of them, or they would end up raiding the town, but for now, they were fighting with each other, so we went on our way.
What to say about Bleakfalls, well we encountered bandit's as we approached, but that was expected. Tex, who had decided to join us for this trip ran right up the steps and started attacking the nearest bandit. Faendal took out his bow and fired away at the most distant bandit, which left me to summon a flame atronach, having finally built up enough magic reserves and cast a couple fire bolts at the middle bandit and hit him with my shield and ax. It would be quiet sometime before I would be able to just use summoned weapons and shield, along with other magics.
We sneaked in through the huge door, which was very surprising until we realized that the bandits were arguing. We sneaked closer to the bandits and then Faendal and I both drew our bows and with a soft countdown, we loosed our arrows when Faendal said three. This did not kill the bandits, so I cast a quick summon spell and then notched another arrow as the bandits drew closer. Tex intercepted the male bandit and chewed on him pretty good, while my familiar when after the archer, harassing her while our arrows zipped across the room.
With those two down, we quietly made our way further into the barrow. A few rodents and a giant spider later and I was talking to a man who was caught up her web. He begged us to let him down and promised to share the treasure and power that was awaiting behind a door that he had the key to, as he babbled this, the only thing I really had a care about was that there was a locked door and he had a key. I could pick simple locks, but a key was always a good thing. So I cut him down and he ran, saying that we were stupid and he wasn't going to share.
Faendal asked if we weren't going to run after him, I shook my head no and told him that we didn't need to run into a trap of some kind by hurrying through. Sure enough, we ran into draugr that he had awoken and after we sent them back to sleep...hopefully permanently this time, we found the Dunmer, impaled on a door trap. I used the haft of a battle-ax to pull him off the trap and then into clear space. I then went through his pockets and pouch, laying out the items as I found them.
Faendal picked up the journal and started reading it and then he read a couple passages out loud that told us what we needed to know about the Nordic puzzle door and the Golden Claw I had found in his pouch. We made our way through more draugr and traps to stand in front of the puzzle door. As I moved the rings around on it, to match the pictures on the claw, Faendal pulled his bow and notched an arrow to be ready in case something was on the other side, even Tex was crouched ready to spring.
When I had the last of the rings turned and put the claw in the right spot and twisted it... at first nothing happened. Then deep within the rock, I could hear groaning and rock sliding against the rock. Then little by little the huge door slid into the floor. I had spells ready to cast, but nothing was there. We cautiously made our way into the main chamber, which was a huge underground cavern, with streams flowing through.
We made our way to the ancient wall that was there, neither of us could read it, but it started to glow and it almost seemed like I understood the chanted whispering, and then it was gone. Before I could ask Faendal if he had felt the same thing a draugr burst out of a crypt and stared at us, he used some kind of vocal magic, the words...it felt like I should understand them.... they knocked me off my feet. Tex was there jumping at the creature's face, which gave Faendal and I time enough to get to our feet. I cast a summon for my Flame atronach and then drew my bow. Faendal had already drawn his bow and was making a wide circle around the Draugr so I did the same thing, so that we were shooting at the creature from different directions, but not exactly opposite each other.
It was not a quick fight and Tex was wounded very badly, enough so that we lit a fire and set up camp and I placed my best healing spell on him. He was still weak, but given some food and rest, he would be fine. Faendal and I checked out the Draugr and found the Stone tablet that the court wizard wanted, along with several other items that would be of use. We then checked out the huge chest and both our eyes lit up at the loot inside.
While I set about cooking our dinner and placing our bedrolls around our fire, Faendal went back a ways and used my ax to break up some furniture for firewood, so that there would be enough to last the night. He then looked around the big cavern and found two more chests and brought the items back.
When we woke up, we put out the fire and then followed the steps upwards to the hidden door, which leads us to a natural cleft in the rock. Faendal and I climbed down, but Tex hopped around on the rocks for a good bit until he found a spot that he could manage, he would not let me make a harness and lower him.
Faendal said that as long as we were over on this side of the river there was an elderly lady that he wished to check on. When we got near her cabin, Tex took off, so the two of us dropped our packs and ran after him. We were just in time to see the Elderly mage freeze one bandit, but another hit her from behind and she dropped in a puddle of blue fabric. Tex with one long leap hit that bandit and drug him to the ground, where he never got up. The other bandit was slowly trying to move, but two arrows through the skull pretty much put him to rest also.
We went to the mage's cabin and found a letter to her sister, Faendal was surprised to learn she was a witch, not just a mage, and was actively recruiting for a coven. It didn't really matter, we packed up some of the items and made a package out of them and would use a coin or two we found to pay a courier to take it to her sister.
We had almost made it back to Riverwood when Tex let out a sharp bark and darted into the brush. At the thwap sound of a bowstring Faendal and I both dove in opposite directions, then rush forward as we recognized the sound of Tex's deep " I have something in my mouth" growl.
It didn't take a genius to figure out the uniform that the Argonian was wearing... assassin. Faendal drew his bow and started shooting arrows at him, I took the time to pull out a little flask and dipped an arrowhead into a very potent paralytic poison. I got close enough that I was in no doubt of my aim, I did not wish to hit Tex and fired...It took just a second and then the Argonian was frozen in place, while the poison did its work. Because I knew that it wasn't a painless death, I walked up to the Argonian and slit his throat. I then went through his pouch and handed the letter I found within to Faendal, without even opening it.
I heaved a sigh and ruffled Tex's ear's as he leaned his head against my hip. When Faendal finished reading the letter, for the second time.. he looked up at me with shock on his face. I nodded and told him I was aware that their was a contract out to have me assassinated, it was pretty long-standing. I told him I would be heading for Whiterun, to give the Stone to the Jarl's wizard, but that it would be best if we parted company now. I shook my head when he started to speak.. with great sadness I explained that if he were a known associate of mine, they would use torture to get any information he might have about me, he would never be able to live a normal life again. Any hope of marrying Camilla would end, as that would put her in danger also. That I think is what decided him and we opened our packs and he took the bulkier items and some of the gems that would fetch more gold, but it evened out to where we each would have a good sum. He would be able to afford a homestead if he really wanted one.
I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and headed for Whiterun.
~~~~
Something about the woman, something that wasn't quite right. I watched her as she ordered her dinner and a bath. As she came abreast of my seat it struck me what was wrong and I dove to the side and threw a dagger as she tossed one at me underhanded. Both missed their targets by a hair, I knew mine was not poisoned, I would not place a bet that hers wasn't.
I took stock of the woman, not young not too old... Bosmer. So probably excellent with a bow, but too impatient to wait out the blizzard to see if I would go outside. We circled each other, watching, waiting to see who would make the 1st move. I had all the time in the world, this was my home ground, though I had no real friends, their were those that I had done favors for, who would take my side. I glanced at the daggers in her hands and saw the tel-tale staining on the metal that meant she used poisons. I snorted as I recognized what had tipped me off, even if subconsciously, her gloves, they were thin of no use in the harsh winter cold. She jumped at the sound and decided to dart in and make a go of it. I stepped to the side and as she went past, knocked the blade out of her near hand. She twirled around and slashed at me, but I was already to far away for it to meet more than air.
I pulled a small chain out from around my waist and twirled it in small circles when next she darted in, I tangled her wrist, dagger, and all in the chain and then using my height and longer reach, threw a loop over her and yanked...hard. Someone should have taught her to counter that move, because as the chain tightened, instead of letting go of the dagger, she tightened her grip, which caused her hand and the dagger to twist, enough so that she caught herself with the edge of the blade... and thus the poison she meant for me, caused her own death.
The Inn Keeper handed me the letter that the woman had and offered me the coin, which I told him to keep... After reading this letter, I thought I might take the contract and end my own life, the bounty would be worth it.... chuckling I threw the paper into the fire.
I had seen some Bosmer armor that I felt would work for Faendal's style of fighting, layered hardened leather over a cloth base that would allow for a full range of movement. As he was hunting more to prepare for the winter, there was more hide and leather to work with. He said he felt a little silly in armor, having always just worn hunting leathers. I told him that this was based on a ranger armor out of Valenwood, so hush.
I decided to give up some of my freedom of movement for protection, even though I used a sword it was generally as a last resort, but it never hurts to be over-prepared. But only some, I would only be doing the chest piece, the grieves were more restrictive to my legs than I wanted. I never could stand helmets so those were out also, I much preferred a mage-hood anyway... helped to keep the rain out of your eyes.
I'm afraid though that I am not that much of a smith, I don't like the sweltering heat of the forge. So I decided to go take a walk down the river and maybe catch some fish or something. I would be looking for herbs and any other ingredients that I could find. Find them I did, along with much in the way of trouble and no one to help, Tex had decided to make like a rug and lay about all day.
When I spied a Spriggan Matriarch, I gave her a very wide berth. Which would have been fine had I not run smack into a bear with her two cubs. I did the only thing I could think of, I backed up and when she followed, I dove off the ledge into the river. It wasn't deep, but I knew I would never make it to the other shore, so I planned to float a bit down and then climb out. That was a sound plan, except the Slaughter fish, that decided to start taking bites out of me. I then did the only thing I could, I climbed up on a rock that wasn't very far offshore and started sniping at both the bear and the slaughter fish, with my bow.
I got lucky when the slaughter fish bit one of the bear cubs and momma bear and both cubs went after it. I then climbed down from the rock and ran as fast as I could to a shallow point in the river, where I crossed over and walked up the other side of the bank. I stayed that night with a hunter, she was more than happy to share her dinner with me, in exchange for a bit of gossip.
The next morning I made my way back to Riverwood, Faendal found me entering the town and asked what had happened. He asked if we were going to go to Bleakfalls Barrow today, I explained that I had a little more work on both of our armor. His needed a little more re-enforcement in a couple area's and mine needed to be lace together and then fitted and maybe reshaped.
As it happened it was two more days before we started out for Bleakfalls, vampires had attacked the town in the middle of the night and Faendal help the guards fight, while I summoned a familiar and then set about healing the wounded. While I was not actually hurt in the attack, I did strain my wrist helping to pull a crossbow bolt out of a citizen that had gotten between one of the Dawnguard and a Master vampire.
It was a cool morning with the wind blowing out of the north, Faendal said that meant it would probably snow in the mountains. So we hurried up and left before the sun had more than cast gold streaks across the sky. We snuck past some bandits that were holed up in the watchtower, Faendal said we would have to come back at a later date and take care of them, or they would end up raiding the town, but for now, they were fighting with each other, so we went on our way.
What to say about Bleakfalls, well we encountered bandit's as we approached, but that was expected. Tex, who had decided to join us for this trip ran right up the steps and started attacking the nearest bandit. Faendal took out his bow and fired away at the most distant bandit, which left me to summon a flame atronach, having finally built up enough magic reserves and cast a couple fire bolts at the middle bandit and hit him with my shield and ax. It would be quiet sometime before I would be able to just use summoned weapons and shield, along with other magics.
We sneaked in through the huge door, which was very surprising until we realized that the bandits were arguing. We sneaked closer to the bandits and then Faendal and I both drew our bows and with a soft countdown, we loosed our arrows when Faendal said three. This did not kill the bandits, so I cast a quick summon spell and then notched another arrow as the bandits drew closer. Tex intercepted the male bandit and chewed on him pretty good, while my familiar when after the archer, harassing her while our arrows zipped across the room.
With those two down, we quietly made our way further into the barrow. A few rodents and a giant spider later and I was talking to a man who was caught up her web. He begged us to let him down and promised to share the treasure and power that was awaiting behind a door that he had the key to, as he babbled this, the only thing I really had a care about was that there was a locked door and he had a key. I could pick simple locks, but a key was always a good thing. So I cut him down and he ran, saying that we were stupid and he wasn't going to share.
Faendal asked if we weren't going to run after him, I shook my head no and told him that we didn't need to run into a trap of some kind by hurrying through. Sure enough, we ran into draugr that he had awoken and after we sent them back to sleep...hopefully permanently this time, we found the Dunmer, impaled on a door trap. I used the haft of a battle-ax to pull him off the trap and then into clear space. I then went through his pockets and pouch, laying out the items as I found them.
Faendal picked up the journal and started reading it and then he read a couple passages out loud that told us what we needed to know about the Nordic puzzle door and the Golden Claw I had found in his pouch. We made our way through more draugr and traps to stand in front of the puzzle door. As I moved the rings around on it, to match the pictures on the claw, Faendal pulled his bow and notched an arrow to be ready in case something was on the other side, even Tex was crouched ready to spring.
When I had the last of the rings turned and put the claw in the right spot and twisted it... at first nothing happened. Then deep within the rock, I could hear groaning and rock sliding against the rock. Then little by little the huge door slid into the floor. I had spells ready to cast, but nothing was there. We cautiously made our way into the main chamber, which was a huge underground cavern, with streams flowing through.
We made our way to the ancient wall that was there, neither of us could read it, but it started to glow and it almost seemed like I understood the chanted whispering, and then it was gone. Before I could ask Faendal if he had felt the same thing a draugr burst out of a crypt and stared at us, he used some kind of vocal magic, the words...it felt like I should understand them.... they knocked me off my feet. Tex was there jumping at the creature's face, which gave Faendal and I time enough to get to our feet. I cast a summon for my Flame atronach and then drew my bow. Faendal had already drawn his bow and was making a wide circle around the Draugr so I did the same thing, so that we were shooting at the creature from different directions, but not exactly opposite each other.
It was not a quick fight and Tex was wounded very badly, enough so that we lit a fire and set up camp and I placed my best healing spell on him. He was still weak, but given some food and rest, he would be fine. Faendal and I checked out the Draugr and found the Stone tablet that the court wizard wanted, along with several other items that would be of use. We then checked out the huge chest and both our eyes lit up at the loot inside.
While I set about cooking our dinner and placing our bedrolls around our fire, Faendal went back a ways and used my ax to break up some furniture for firewood, so that there would be enough to last the night. He then looked around the big cavern and found two more chests and brought the items back.
When we woke up, we put out the fire and then followed the steps upwards to the hidden door, which leads us to a natural cleft in the rock. Faendal and I climbed down, but Tex hopped around on the rocks for a good bit until he found a spot that he could manage, he would not let me make a harness and lower him.
Faendal said that as long as we were over on this side of the river there was an elderly lady that he wished to check on. When we got near her cabin, Tex took off, so the two of us dropped our packs and ran after him. We were just in time to see the Elderly mage freeze one bandit, but another hit her from behind and she dropped in a puddle of blue fabric. Tex with one long leap hit that bandit and drug him to the ground, where he never got up. The other bandit was slowly trying to move, but two arrows through the skull pretty much put him to rest also.
We went to the mage's cabin and found a letter to her sister, Faendal was surprised to learn she was a witch, not just a mage, and was actively recruiting for a coven. It didn't really matter, we packed up some of the items and made a package out of them and would use a coin or two we found to pay a courier to take it to her sister.
We had almost made it back to Riverwood when Tex let out a sharp bark and darted into the brush. At the thwap sound of a bowstring Faendal and I both dove in opposite directions, then rush forward as we recognized the sound of Tex's deep " I have something in my mouth" growl.
It didn't take a genius to figure out the uniform that the Argonian was wearing... assassin. Faendal drew his bow and started shooting arrows at him, I took the time to pull out a little flask and dipped an arrowhead into a very potent paralytic poison. I got close enough that I was in no doubt of my aim, I did not wish to hit Tex and fired...It took just a second and then the Argonian was frozen in place, while the poison did its work. Because I knew that it wasn't a painless death, I walked up to the Argonian and slit his throat. I then went through his pouch and handed the letter I found within to Faendal, without even opening it.
I heaved a sigh and ruffled Tex's ear's as he leaned his head against my hip. When Faendal finished reading the letter, for the second time.. he looked up at me with shock on his face. I nodded and told him I was aware that their was a contract out to have me assassinated, it was pretty long-standing. I told him I would be heading for Whiterun, to give the Stone to the Jarl's wizard, but that it would be best if we parted company now. I shook my head when he started to speak.. with great sadness I explained that if he were a known associate of mine, they would use torture to get any information he might have about me, he would never be able to live a normal life again. Any hope of marrying Camilla would end, as that would put her in danger also. That I think is what decided him and we opened our packs and he took the bulkier items and some of the gems that would fetch more gold, but it evened out to where we each would have a good sum. He would be able to afford a homestead if he really wanted one.
I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and headed for Whiterun.
~~~~
Something about the woman, something that wasn't quite right. I watched her as she ordered her dinner and a bath. As she came abreast of my seat it struck me what was wrong and I dove to the side and threw a dagger as she tossed one at me underhanded. Both missed their targets by a hair, I knew mine was not poisoned, I would not place a bet that hers wasn't.
I took stock of the woman, not young not too old... Bosmer. So probably excellent with a bow, but too impatient to wait out the blizzard to see if I would go outside. We circled each other, watching, waiting to see who would make the 1st move. I had all the time in the world, this was my home ground, though I had no real friends, their were those that I had done favors for, who would take my side. I glanced at the daggers in her hands and saw the tel-tale staining on the metal that meant she used poisons. I snorted as I recognized what had tipped me off, even if subconsciously, her gloves, they were thin of no use in the harsh winter cold. She jumped at the sound and decided to dart in and make a go of it. I stepped to the side and as she went past, knocked the blade out of her near hand. She twirled around and slashed at me, but I was already to far away for it to meet more than air.
I pulled a small chain out from around my waist and twirled it in small circles when next she darted in, I tangled her wrist, dagger, and all in the chain and then using my height and longer reach, threw a loop over her and yanked...hard. Someone should have taught her to counter that move, because as the chain tightened, instead of letting go of the dagger, she tightened her grip, which caused her hand and the dagger to twist, enough so that she caught herself with the edge of the blade... and thus the poison she meant for me, caused her own death.
The Inn Keeper handed me the letter that the woman had and offered me the coin, which I told him to keep... After reading this letter, I thought I might take the contract and end my own life, the bounty would be worth it.... chuckling I threw the paper into the fire.
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