Buffy's Book of Short Stories, Somewhere in Time Options

[Acadian]

Welcome to Buffy's book of short stories! Rather than another chronological saga, this will be a collection of independent (generally short) stories that freely span Buffy's long and ongoing adventuring career. She'll tell you a bit more about that choice of format in her prelude below. One feature of the format she has insisted on is that the stories are not directly linked, sequential or particularly interdependent. While I believe you will find them reasonably consistent with 'Buffy lore', I'm looking forward to what I hope will be quite a bit of freedom and flexibility. The format should also make it easy for any readers who join us in progress or return from an absence, to jump right in with the current story.

For those well-familiar with Buffy, I hope you will continue to enjoy the enigmatic elven mage as she presents selective peeks into her neverending adventures across Tamriel. It is easy for Buffy and I to become emotionally overwhelmed as we contemplate the kind, enthusiastic and encouraging support that many have graced us with over the years. And for that we are profoundly grateful. My fervent hope is that you continue to find our efforts worthy of your valuable time.

For those new to Buffy, please do not let her long history deter you from jumping right in and joining us. While her series of full books are available on the Acadian sub forum, their sheer size makes reading them a daunting prospect. Fortunately, our 'Executive Summary' thread on the same sub forum offers what I believe to be a very effective summary that can easily be read in one sitting per book.

Table of contents

- Hard Crowds and Dancing Whales (1 episode) – post #12
3rd Era. Buffy fills in for a sick bard at an Anvil tavern.

- Unfinished Business – Buffy and the Box (1 episode) – post #24
3rd Era. Buffy finally reports back to Sanguine after inflicting nakedness upon the Courtess of Leyawiin and some of her party guests.

- A Bard’s Tale (5 episodes) – posts #34-66
4th Era. Buffy receives some musical training at the Bards College in Solitude.

- The Case of the Missing Court Mage (2 Episodes) – posts #76-85
4th Era. Buffy helps locate an absentminded missing mage in the Riften area.

Prelude

"Acadian, I don't want to write about the Oblivion Crisis right now." Getting up from the desk, I climbed up atop the corner bookshelf and sat down. "I want to write about being ambushed in the Reach by a Thalmor patrol. Or my first encounter as a Slayer with the vampiric Count of Skingrad. Or how, after I managed to lose Azura's Star, we traveled through time to retrieve it. Or maybe about that time when-"

"Buffy," interrupted the paladin, "all those things can eventually be crafted into your larger, overarching plot such that they fit properly along your timeline."

I hopped to the floor. "No!" Both hands planted themselves on my hips as my chin lifted defiantly. "I want to write about those things when the passion moves me to do so, not wait until it 'fits' into some silly book that's so long and complicated we can never write it. Whenever I write something I want, you complain if it doesn't make 'perfect sense' or that it doesn't fit at this point in our 'chronology'. By the time most of the tales I want to share fit into your unmanageable plan, I've long lost the passion that motivated me to write about them!"

There was a long silence before Acadian dubiously remarked, "Are you proposing a book with neither plot nor timeline?"

"Exactly! I am not a plot. I am an elf who travels, adventures and explores - with you, of course." I spread my arms expansively and twirled all the way around once before seating myself on a corner of the desk. "What's hard to understand about that? And would you rather read a story that I wrote when passion moved me to do so, or one that I had to force myself to write in support of some silly timeline?" I softened my tone. "Look, Acadian, you and I can travel between worlds and even move through time together. Why do my stories have to be 'in order'? When a butterfly moves across a meadow visiting flowers, does she do so 'in order'?"

The old paladin chuckled. "Despite my years and experience, the ability to successfully argue with an impassioned woman continues to elude me. Your butterfly metaphor contains a simple logic that I cannot refute. I will never fully understand the. . . whimsy that drives your choices but, over the years, I have grown to at least appreciate it."

"Does that mean. . . ?"

"Yes," he replied. "You are the true source of our passion for writing. I shall constrain you with neither plot nor chronology considerations."

"Thank you, my paladin." I crossed my dangling legs, folded my hands in my lap and smiled. "I know that I can sometimes be a little, well, erratic or even elusive."

Acadian sighed. "Like a butterfly in a thunderstorm, my bowgirl."

"This will be fun!" I chirped.

[Acadian]

SubRosa- Heh, I couldn’t resist the reference to the Bards College quests that are all fetch and no sing! Thank you.

mALX- Thanks! I’m really trying to keep the prose parts very small so the focus remains on the songs. That’s why we only provided just a snip of Buffy’s Ulfric impressions. I very much agree about how talented Malukah is.

mirocu- Thank you for sticking with us, even though Skyrim’s civil war is somewhat unfamiliar to you. If you ever decide to tolerate Steam, the next song/vid does a wonderful job of showcasing Skyrim.

Lopov- I’m glad Buffy’s impression of Ulfic seemed to match your own. I’m sure you’re right that Buffy kept her opinions to herself while in Windhelm! Thanks!

ghastley- Thank you. You really hit the nail on the head regarding the civil war factions. Both have sound points and serious flaws and I think BethSoft did a good job portraying that.

Renee- How right you are! Buffy just wants to sing and adventure, not get civil war all over her. Yet, she does have strong passions and a big mouth. No worries about Ulfric – I’m sure he’d rather sleep with his horse than a wood elf.

Grits- Thank you! I’m so glad that my brevity didn’t shortchange Pantea. I couldn’t resist the irony of an elf seeing that the only path to a free Skyrim is for the humans to unite against the elven Thalmor.

*

In the last episode, Buffy sang ‘Age of Oppression’ and managed to convey quite a bit of what motivates the Stormcloaks.

We now present the final song of A Bard’s Tale.

* * *

A Bard’s Tale – Part 5

As I finished singing, Pantea nodded soberly. “Superbly done, Buffy. You convey little doubt that Ulfic and his Stormcloaks are devoted to both Skyrim and their cause. Congratulations on the amazing progress you’ve made.”

“Thank you both,” I said. “I so appreciate you helping me to improve and gain confidence singing to others.” I then managed a crooked smile. “So am I a bard now?”

“Not quite, little one,” Pantea replied, “but the Dean of Lute informs me that your progress with her has also been excellent.”

“I’m a mystic archer and, fortunately, my ability with a bowstring seems to translate to the strings of a lute quite readily.”

Pantea nodded. “Good. You will need it for your final exercise.”

“Final exercise?” I repeated.

“Yes, one that I hope you will enjoy. Buffy, I want you to now incorporate all you have learned and create an original song – one to inspire listeners and that reflects the wild magnificence of Skyrim. And you are to provide your own lute accompaniment. When you think you’re ready, you will audition for me. If I deem you prepared, you will then perform your song before an evening audience at the Winking Skeever.”

*

It was two weeks of hard work, sore fingers, countless drafts and several unsatisfactory auditions before the demanding Lady Pantea pronounced me ‘fit for public consumption’.

*

“Ladies and gentlemen,” began Lisette, “it is my honor to introduce the College of Bards’ newest songbird. Please welcome my lovely friend, Buffy.” She then sat down to join the audience.

The Skeever was generally receptive to bards and I was encouraged by applause as, with lute in hand, I made my way to the performing area.

“Thank you for that kind welcome.” There were now over a score of silent faces focused upon me, watching and waiting to see if I could deliver on Lisette’s promise. I felt the tendrils of uncertainty and self-doubt begin to wrap themselves around me. All this ‘newest songbird’ wanted to do at the moment was to fly away. I gulped.

Sensing my nervousness, it was Acadian who silently recited Lady Pantea’s words back to me, ’If and when I proclaim you ready for real audiences, you may rest assured that they will not find you lacking.’

The paladin was able to dispel enough of my fears for me to continue. “I am told that I have a gift for conveying images, impressions and memories via my singing voice.” I took a deep breath as I remembered my lessons on delivery tempo and not letting nerves spill my words too quickly. “The song I’ve prepared for you is a tribute to this ruggedly majestic and violent land we share. Since it is not possible to separate Skyrim from those of us who call it home, my song also features a woman I’ve had the privilege to travel with on several occasions. She is called the Lioness, for she epitomizes the untamable grace and power that characterize the very soul of Skyrim.”

After a few moments of introducing the melody by lute, I lifted my voice in song.

Music video. (Video is 4:48, but song ends at 3:30)