The Skyrim Adventure

Chapter Five

Chapter Five -

 I knew I should have bought some supplies from Riften before I left, but I just wanted to go and not be in the sights of my Uncle anymore. I didn't know where I was going, only that my feet kept walking for a day and a half, it seemed they have a mind of their own and had control of my body. However, my stomach was starting to protest and my feet had to eventually listen. I stopped dead in my tracks, taking in my surroundings for the first time since I left. I was no longer on the path but in a dense part of the never-ending forest, the morning frost trickled off the trees and the mountain flowers began to open up to the morning sun's rays. The air was crisp and cool, just like every morning in Skyrim. In the distance, I heard the rough, echoing call of a Stag Deer, this is my cue. Sliding into a hunters stance, I glided silently over the crisp grass and knotted tree roots, following my instincts and using my powerful hearing. I know I am close. Crouching behind a dense patch of bracken, I saw it, the Stag was magnificent, huge and majestic, its antlers were large and slightly twisted like tree roots, its breath came out of its nostrils in a puff of frosty air. Quickly and silently, I grabbed my bow and restrung it with deft paws and slid out a single iron arrow and notched it in preparation, waiting for my moment. Like a sabre tooth tiger, I stayed still and silent, until the Stag moved towards me, it sniffed the air and then lowered its head to have a mouthful of grass... My arrow flew from the bow and hit the stag in it's side, lodged between its ribs. It cried and gurgled but fell to the floor, struggling to get back to it's feet. I burst out of the bracken, withdrawing my iron dagger and slit its throat quickly, effectively silencing the deer.

It was almost late afternoon when I finally skinned and cut the meat off the carcass, the only things that was left were the bones, still stained with blood. I cracked off the ribs and started to shape them into crude looking arrows and eventually made 15 of them as the others were too brittle and cracked. I turned towards my small campfire and checked on the small slab of venison which was cooking on a hot rock. Digging through my bag, I found a medium sized vial of salt and set about drying the rest of the meat and placing them into clean cloths ready for tomorrow. I rubbed some herbs onto the cooking meat and began to eat it once it had done. When the meal was gone, I extinguished the flame of the campfire relying on my furs to keep me warm and my nocturnal sight to see any dangers. It was only early evening but I was tired and it was getting dark, so I huddled  into a small ball on my sleeping roll and drifted into a light sleep.

It was dawn when I woke, I expected to hear the sounds of sizzling meat and my family laughing and chattering together, but I remembered that I was alone, nothing but the pine trees and moths to keep me company. Sighing deeply as the sinking feeling in my heart increased, I rose from my sleeping mat and rolled it up back into my leather pack while grabbing some dried meat from yesterday and slowly chewed, not tasting it. Once I was ready, I left the small clearing in the trees and through a narrow animal path, heading east. As I walked, I pulled out a small whet stone from my pocket and started to sharpen my iron axe until the edge was sharp enough to cleave a skull in two.

As the day went on, I noticed the dense forest became thinner, letting the light from the sun flood in and warm my skin and bones. I even caught a few glimpses of a large river and in the distance I saw a gigantic mountain, I know this mountain my mind screamed in delight as I recognized it as 'The Throat Of The World' where 'High Hrothgar' sits and holds the renowned Grey Beards, Masters of the ways of the Voice. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that I was near Ivarstead, a small settlement where I can hopefully get some supplies using the gold my mother gave me and supplies that I have gathered while I was out here. My steps felt lighter as I trotted down to the riverside and followed it for a while until I saw the unmistakable sight of a bridge crossing over with a path leading directly to Ivarstead. That is when I heard it.

"Help! Someone help me!" A woman screamed

Further down the path, I saw a young woman being cornered by three Frostbite Spiders, the black eyes sparkled dangerously as their eight legs seemed to blur as they chased the brunette lady into the bushes heading my way. I drew my axe silently with my right paw and prepared the spell 'flames' with my left paw, it sparked and spat warm tendrils but didn't hurt my skin.

"Help!" She screamed again, closer than before.

I heard the unmistakable sound of the Frostbite Spiders screeching as they chased her towards me. I crouched in wait as she ran closer, I could feel the vibrations of each footfall on the ground. My chance had arrived. As she ran past me, I stepped out from my hiding place in the path of the Spiders, they hesitated for a moment but charged towards me with great speed. Lifting my left paw, I let loose a cloud of flames, coating their twisted bodies and shrivelling them up like raisins. Two had died but the larger one crawled towards me with utter determination, the flames singing its armoured body.

"Night Night" I whispered as I brought down my axe sharply in between it's many eyes and sharp pincers. Green goo spilled out of the wound as I pulled out the axe, the Spider no longer twitched or screamed. All thoughts of the young girl was forgotten as I pulled out a few empty vials and busied myself with collecting their valuable venom from their crispy and shrivelled pincers until I heard a small cough and I realised that it was the woman, standing still behind me, a single scratch spilled down her arm and staining her yellow belted tunic.

"Thank you so much for saving me, I thought I was going to die for sure. My name is Farstred, daughter of Boti and Jofthor at Fellstar Farm in Ivarstead and who is my saviour if I may ask?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she took me in.

"I am Zaraya, ex-merchant of the Za'ar Clan. You say you came from Ivarstead? Could you take me there?" I introduced myself politely, sheathing my iron axe and extinguishing the flames in my paw.

"Of course! Are you a pilgrim on an adventure to climb the 7,000 steps to High Hrothgar?" she asked as she lead the way down the path, giving the dead Forstbite Spiders a wide birth as though she expected them to jump back up and take another snap at her. I followed her closely as I answered.

"No, I'm just looking for supplies, food and a place to rest for a few days"

"Oh, well I can help you there. I'm sure my parents would allow you to share our food and house, after all, you did save my life" She smiled at me as she led the way.

In the distance I saw a small column of smoke which turned out to be Ivarstead, a small milling town with various buildings dotting around the place, Inn'ss, farms, houses, you name it. I smelt the delicious scent of a pot roast spilling out of the smoke coming from the chimney in the Inn and heard the  sound of wood being chopped and grind-ed, the laughter of children and the merry song of drunken people in the confines of the Inn.