Survivor (A Skyrim Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Two

The night was dark and cold, but my determination kept me warm. I had waited in the market until everyone had packed up and gone home, the lights in the houses put out and no life to be seen on the streets. Only a couple of guards stood sleeping here and there.

I reached the stone house of Indarys, the dreaded place of which I served, and went straight to the servant's basement where we all slept. Though I had been here a long time, I hadn't managed to make any friends who could escape with me. They all seemed to want to keep to themselves.

All were asleep and a mixture of loud and soft snores bouncing around the room. I went to my little corner and pulled back my bedroll, revealing a slightly loose wooden plank of the flooring. With a bit of a wiggle and tug it came out easily enough.

 This was where I kept the minimal amount of belongings I owned. I admit, they're rather ordinary objects but when they're the only thing you have they tend to hold a bit more sentimentality.

I just about managed to fit my Orcish bow in the gap when I arrived, along with a quiver of about fifteen arrows. I had found it on the road in Ivarstead outside our farm when I was young. No one came to retrieve it so I took it and practiced secretly when my parents weren't about, which was more often than not.

I also had a jeweled necklace Mavaryn had decided to give me on one of his rare generous days, as well as a small pouch of gold to show from my years of service. I grabbed my belongings and exited the room, intending it to be the last time I do so.

No one should have been awake, but I still made sure to creep up to the master bedroom. If I do bump into anyone, I would have to either persuade them to come with me or kill them. There are some here who would sell me out for a chance to be in Indarys' good books... That's if he even has good books for his servants.

The heavy oak door creaked opened with a push, with Indarys fast asleep in his bed right opposite. It was hard not to smirk at how easy this will be. My freedom is just with the firing of an arrow.

I suddenly remembered the potion Cicero had left, the one he threw in the fountain earlier that evening. It was still somewhere in the pocket of my apron that I still had on. I fished about for it and twisted the stopper, then very slowly poured drips onto the head of my arrow, careful not to get anyone my skin.

I strung my bow, pulled and aimed.

The apple of his throat subtly bobbed up and down as loud, quaking snores erupted from his drooling mouth - A perfect target.

Breathe...And loose.

The arrow flew through the air as a grey blur and landed on target within a second. Mavaryn opened his eyes wide and shocked with just enough time to see his killer before his world turned to darkness.

A thin trickle of blood ran down his grey throat from where the arrow was lodged. I hadn't got any blood on me so far, so I wasn't willing to sacrifice that for the sake of an arrow.

My lips turned up into a malicious smirk; I couldn't really stop it. Who knew revenge tasted so sweet?

To add to my good evening, I thought I might loot a bit of the Dunmer's belongings. I had never been well paid for my work and as he's dead now all of the jewelry and septims that must be stashed away somewhere had no further use to him.

I left the door open and almost skipped down to the front door. There's no doubt that the guards will add everything up. Indarys with an arrow in his throat, his room stripped raw of riches and my sudden disappearance – It didn't take a genius.