Siege of Skyrim

Chapter 2

Lucas's stomach growled. It had been two days since he had last eaten, and he felt like he was digesting himself. Living the life of an outlaw was tough, and unfortunate reality that he had had to learn the hard way. He looked at the bow he had fashioned himself, little more than a long stick with several stands of frostbite spider web as the drawstring, and at the self fashioned arrows, sticks with sharp pointed stones tied to one end, hawk feathers to the other and held in a flimsy leather case. He realized then why he was starving. He had no good weapons, his bow and arrows being as effective against animals as throwing a stone at them would be. The only way he could kill something with it would be by hitting its head or finding an already wounded animal;  both of those things being a rarity. He also had no stealth skills to sneak up on his prey. 'I am a useless outlaw' he thought to himself.

Lucas was no longer the bard from Falkreath. His previously short hair now reached his shoulders and was greasy, ripe with dirt and grit. His once short, neat beard was now full face and roughly cut with Lucas's makeshift shaving kit (little more than a sharp stone). His face was covered in grime. No, Lucas was most definitely not the bard from Falkreath anymore. He reasoned it would have been easier to go north to Markarth rather than northeast to Whiterun. He sighed and lay back on the grass, hoping that it didn't rain.

The wind changed direction abruptly, the breeze bringing the sounds of a nest of Rock Warblers, chirping the song for which they were named, voices and, most enticingly, the smell of roasting venison. Lucas's mouth watered at the thought of the rich, juicy cut of meat. He wanted it. He was already an outlaw wanted for "capital treason against the Empire" which, Lucas thought, was a little harsh; all he'd done was hit a general with a lute. But still, he was wanted for treason so stealing a cut of venison was nothing. He picked up his crafted bow and arrows, despite knowing that neither would be any good against the voices were grrr to be spotted, and set off towards the mouth-watering smell.

The voices were growing louder and the smell of the meat git stronger. Lucas peered over a rock and found himself on an overlook. Below him was a cave, with several small tents outside. There were four men out here: one asleep in a tent, one chopping wood near the entrance to the cave, and two more sat on stools by a large fire with a spit on which the venison was roasting. One of the men got up and walked into the cave. If Lucas was going to take that meat he'd need to be careful. He took his bow from his back, knocked an arrow and drew the strung back. He aimed at the woodcutter.

'I can't do it' Lucas realized, as he took away his arrow. 'I can't kill a man just for some meat.'

Lucas put his weapon down, and dropped down into the camp, landing with a crash in a bush.
"Huh? Wha' was tha'?" He heard one of the men ask. "Probably nothin'." Another responded. Lucas picked up a stone and hurled it across the camp site, where it landed with a loud crack and splash by a large puddle.
"There's someone around 'ere." The man by the fire said, before getting up to check. Lucas darted forward and reached for the meat. Just as he was about to touch it he felt something on his back.

"Now ain't this a surprise." The woodcutter said, his axe blade pressed against Lucas's back. Lucan was breathing heavily, not daring to move. The other man came back.
"What you got there, Ulmuk?" He asked.
"Some Imperial. Wants our venison."
"Wanted our venison, didya?" The man asked. Lucas swap l swallowed and nodded. The man stood up and walked over to the venison. He produced from his belt a shortsword and cut a strip from the juicy cut of meat. Lucas couldn't believe it. One moment he thought he was going to be hacked in half with a woodcutter's axe, now it looked like he was going to be fed by these men. The man returned and crouched down in front of Lucas, and Lucas could see the man's features more clearly.

He was an Imperial with a strong Colovian accent that Lucas had been too scared to notice before. His nose was broken in numerous places and he had several scars on his face. His eyebrows were thick and chestnut brown, the same went for his hair and he had a short stubble on his face. Lucas guessed from Ulmuk's name and deep, growling voice that he was in Orc. The man held up the cut off meat and dangled it in front of Lucas. "You wan'ed our venison, righ'? Take it." The Imperial said. Lucas reached for it, and the man snapped it away. The two men broke into laughter.
"Good one, Tallus! That never gets old." Ulmuk laughed. Tallus looked at Lucas.
"You see, in our lil group we don't take kindly to people tryna steal our stuff. He grabbed a fistful of Lucas's shirt and pulled him upright. "So, what do we do wit' you?" Tallus said. He threw Lucas across the camp. "How about I stab you through the heart and let Ulmuk split your skull with his axe?" Tallus suggested advancing on Lucas.

The man was nearly upon him now, and Lucas looked around for any means of defense. He seized a sharp dagger from a tree stump and got up, only to be knocked down by Tallus. The man bent over Lucas, sword raised. Lucas scrambled for the dagger and spun around, thrusting it upwards.

Tallus gasped in shock as the dagger penetrated his chest. Blood ran down the blade and Lucas's arms, dripping onto his face. Lucas shoved the dagger deeper in, and the man crumpled as the dagger pierced his heart. Lucas scrambled up onto his feet and picked up Tallus's sword. He jumped to the side as Urmuk charged at him with a roar. He smashed the sword across Urmuk's shoulder blades and the Orc fell. The sleeping man awoke, and looked around woozily. He was a Dunmer, and he hurled a firebolt at Lucas. Lucas dodged it and stabbed the elf four times, killing him. Lucas stepped back and the sword dropped from his hand as he realized what he had done. Three men lay dead in the clearing, three men dead by his hand. Breathing heavily, he picked up the sword and dagger, snatched the venison and ran back to his campsite. But he didn't feel like eating anymore.