No Elves in Sovngarde, I've decided to to turn my "A day in Skyrim" adventure i Options

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Hey y'all! The "Today in Skyrim" thing made mee remember how MUCH I love writing, and how much better it is to not just write shutff and hide it. So the first post is going to be the old "chapters" combined along with the new one I just wrote. Feedback welcome, but remember, no one has seen anything I've written in over 8 years, lol

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Ah, erm...I checked the word count on chapter 5, and uhm...it's 4,500+ words. Lemme re-work this one...

Looks like I have about FOUR chapters, five inlcuding the one I'm working on. Dang, lol. That gives me a little bit of leeway I suppose.

(PSSSSST Grits, I'm reading your fanfic!!!!)

ALSO, before ANYONE points this out, "Joanna" was spelled like that at first because that is what her name is in the game. However, for every character I go to the wiki and check them and and her name is spelled "Jonna." I'm leaving it like that, for now. Don't let it take away from the story.
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I searched Morthal until I found Onmund. It was a fairly short search, considering I had passed him up once in my anger near the jarl's home. He was squatted near the water, studying a nirnroot. I squatted next to him, and he looked up.

"Oh. Hello."

"Is that any way to greet your wife?"

Onmund sniffed. "I suppose not."

He stood up, and I did too. I looked him in the eye. "Why didn't you come to bed last night?" He looked away for a moment, then back to me. "I was talking to Alva."

"Right. 'Talking' to Alva."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Onmund, you need to open your eyes, and look away from her perky breasts." He flushed angrily. "Joanna said-"

"Oh,what did Joanna say? That Alva is a tramp? That she uses her wiles to get what she wants from other men? That she convinced Hroggar to burn his family alive?" I balked at his tenacity, and he continued. "Well guess what, Kayla? You will often hear that from jealous females." He looked pointedly at me. "If you listen to everything the town gossip has to say, you'd be chasing everyone down with a claymore."

"Onmund, you need to-"

"No, Kayla, I'm tired of being your pet! I'm more than that, more than this!" He gestured to himself. "I am a student of the arcane arts, not just your housepet!"

Angry tears filled my eyes as he fumed, and a few townspeaple stopped to gawk. He continued. "Alva treated me like a person last night, like you never did!" He sighed and took a deep breath. "It made me realize that there is more than what you have to offer me."

I was stunned. "What are you saying, Onmund?"

"I'm saying I'm getting my own room at the inn. Don't go in there." he walked to the inn doors, leaving me stunned. "I'm going to go to sleep now, don't disturb me." And walked inside.

I had half a mind to leave him there. He was unhappy? Fine, let him be happy here with the pond sludge. I walked around town angrily, searching for an outlet. Something, anything to get my mind off the anger. Everyone stayed out of my way when they saw me. I spotted Hroggar on the edge of town and zeroed in on him.

"YOU!" He jumped, and gave me a terrified look. "GET OVER HERE NOW!" He backed away, slowly at first, then went into a full sprint further from the town. I chased him down easily, not being in my armor. I tackled him and pinned his arms behind his back, causing him to scream. I sat on his back and clamped his mouth shut with my left arm.

"Listen up, and listen closely," I whispered in his ear. "If you don't tell me everything you know about Alva, I will shove a fireball into your eye sockets. Got it?"

Hroggar nodded. "That also goes for screaming. If you scream, I will paralyze you and leave you out here for the trolls." He nodded furiously and I uncovered his mouth.

"Crazy elf!" he spat, eyeing me angrily.

"You're in no position to throw insults. However, I am in a great position to beat some answers out of you."

"I'd rather die than betray Alva."

"Really? You would?" I leaned in close to his face, and said "Right now, your precious Alva is bedding the entire town."

"No, she isn't! Let me up!" He began to struggle, and I pressed harder on his twisted arms, causing him to begin to screech. I covered his mouth again.

"Remember what I said?!" He mumbled something through my hand, and I uncovered his mouth.

"I can't help it if you're breaking my bloody arm! And I can hardly breathe!" I eased up on the pressure, and leaned back a little, allowing him to breath easier.

"Fair enough. Now, how do you know she isn't sleeping with anyone? Are you with her all of the time? Because if so, you're doing a terrible job at the moment."

Hroggar laughed. "I am with her when it matters. As we speak, she is slumbering. I protect her during the day, and at night, when she awakens, she allows me to sleep."

"...okay. Why?"

"Why what?"

"What would compel her to have protection during the safest part of the day, but not the most dangerous?"
Hroggar clammed up at this. Not even when I dug my knees into his back would he talk. My rage was spent at this point and I felt near tears from frustration more than anything. I was not good at torture. Threatening I could do. I could tell you six ways I would break your neck, but to actually do it? I didn't have the heart. I stood up and stormed off in the direction of the jarl's home.

I flung the door open and the jarl's bodyguard drew his sword. "Jarl Idgrod," I began, staying at the doorway in case the bodyguard decided I was too risky to not fight, "I would like to investigate the death of Hroggar's wife and child. I have reasons to suspect that Alva is involved, and would like a chance to prove her guilt or innocence."

The Jarl quickly regained her composure and replied, "I know you came here with your husband and have seen him cavorting with Alva. Is this accusation coming from facts or jealousy?"

Unable to answer quickly, the jarl nodded and said "That's what I thought. It is no secret that Alva has many men here under her thumb. But so far, no real evidence has come forth against her linking her to any criminal activity." The jarl looked me in the eye. "Come closer, elf."

I obliged and took a few steps closer, now aware of how imposing the jarl's bodyguard was. I couldn't believe how embarrassingly rash I was to have my first impression be as terrible as this one.

"If you believe that Alva has a hand in Hroggar's wife and child's demise, then investigate it." I felt hopeful. "But be warned," Idgrod leaned forward, "If you lay a hand on Alva or anyone else without provocation in this town, regardless of their reputation, I will punish you accordingly. Understood?"

I nodded and gulped. "Yes, my jarl."

"Good. Now be off."

I spun on my heel and left quickly. My gods-damned temper is going to get me killed or jailed. At least in Whiterun I am a Thane, and can get away with assault at least once, but here? In an unknown town in an unknown Hold? I'm scamp meat. I needed to smooth things over quickly and get in the jarl's favor.
I headed back to the inn to talk to Jonna and see where I could get started on the investigation. She pointed me to the burnt down house, and said "No one ever goes there no more. Folks say it's haunted."

"Haunted with what?" I asked, getting a bit nervous.

"Don't get spooked, now. No one has ever seen nothing, it's just a bit of superstition."

I relaxed. "Well, then I guess I can make my way over there." Jonna nodded and served Lurbuk a tankard of mead. He grinned at me(I think) and raised his glass before drinking it daintily. Uhm, alright.

I headed to burned-down house. Though no longer smoking, the smell of burnt wood emanated from the charred ruins. I began to pick through the wood. Hmm. Odd. Jonna said that Hroggar claims that the fire started by his wife spilling bear fat...but the area around the hearth was barely touched. The most scorched place was what seemed like the couples' bedroom.

All I knew of fires is that usually where the fire starts is the most burnt up, and the hearth was in great condition, other than a few scorch marks and fallen bricks. Did Hroggar burn his wife in their marriage bed, then leave his daughter to die? Did he use something to make the fire spread faster? How did he keep them quiet and complacent until they passed out from the smoke? Did he drug them? Tie them up?

I was at a dead end. I couldn't beat Hroggar into telling me even if I wanted to, and Alva was untouchable until I found evidence against her. Jonna has told me all she could. I'm out of options. No wonder the jarl told me to investigate this. There's no way anyone could figure this out.

Unless...I snuck into Alva's house while she was trying to bed my husband and every other male creature in the Hold. I would have to let go of my jealousy for an hour or so, play into her hands, maybe storm off outside. And if Hroggar was at the house, hope he was asleep.

I decided to pluck the nirnroot Onmund was looking at before, and head back into the inn. There wasn't much else to do here in this town besides drink, maybe read a book. I decided to read my favorite book, Thief of Virtue, and searched through my pack to find it. I checked the side pockets. Nope. Maybe under the spare clothing? Nope. I may have left it on the carriage. Sithis and damnation. I adored that book.

I laid on the bed, alone, and wondered what Onmund was thinking. Have I treated him like a pet? A lot of Nord men appreciated a strong woman, but maybe that was the folly in my thinking. I'm an Altmer, not a Nord. Maybe he expected me to be the one who stayed home, cooking and cleaning, maybe giving birth to children. This angered me a bit. I wanted children someday, but if he expected that from me, to be kept at home and be nothing more than a baby machine-

And maybe that was my problem. I was only thinking of MY feelings. Onmund was probably feeling the anger that I feel right now. He had said exactly what was wrong, but I refused to listen.

How am I supposed to fix this?

This post has been edited by Elisabeth Hollow: Dec 29 2012, 05:02 PM

[Acadian]

Ah, erm...I checked the word count on chapter 5, and uhm...it's 4,500+ words. Lemme re-work this one...
Looks like I have about FOUR chapters, five inlcuding the one I'm working on. Dang, lol. That gives me a little bit of leeway I suppose.

Oh, that's great progress! I often get quite a few thousand words out ahead before I even think about looking for episode break points. It does seem to help to have what comes next already written before you break things up and post.

Wow, great chapter

You're exactly right!

‘Fine, let him be happy here with the pond sludge.’
The perfect sentiment of a woman scorned. You captured Kayla’s hurt and anger very effectively. I know she wants to punch Alva in the mouth!

Yikes, not off to a good start with the jarl is right! She really does need to sort out her feelings first. Onmund doesn’t want to be a trophy husband/housepet and Kayla doesn’t want to be a baby machine/housepet. . . .