A Wood Elf in Windhelm, Stranger in a Strange Land? Options

[haute ecole rider]

Welp it has been a few years (yikes, almost EIGHT??) since I last posted anything in the Fan Fiction forum. I've taken up writing once again now that I have a couple of voices talking in my head once again. I hope y'all enjoy this one . . .

Sundas 17 Last Seed - Candlehearth Hall

“Child!� Lili turned her gaze toward the source of the voice. “Get that mangy mutt out of here! And go home to your parents!�

Here we go again. Lili lowered her hood to show her face, lean, sharp featured and highlighted by slanted eyes. She lowered her hand to touch the dog’s ears, just as pointed as her own. “Forgive me, ma’am,� she kept her voice soft, pitched to carry across the room to the Nord innkeeper behind her counter. “I’ve traveled from across the sea. This dog followed me from the docks. I seek food, a bath, and a bed for both of us. And I assure you Star has been cleansed of any fleas or lice or other vermin. But if you wish,� she half turned to the door behind her, “I’ll go seek lodging somewhere else.�

“Wait!� The woman stepped from behind the counter and approached Lili, gesturing her to step into the pool of light from a nearby sconce. “Forgive me, given your size I thought . . .�

“I take it you don’t see many Bosmer here in Windhelm,� Lili countered softly. “It’s an honest mistake, ma’am.� She looked down at Star’s bright blue eyes. “I can pay for both of us, but I also have a pair of fat salmon -� she held up two fish from beneath her cloak “- I fished up off the docks this afternoon. If you’ll let me use your kitchen for a little while, I can cook it up for us.�

“Salmon?� The woman exclaimed. “Nonsense! Nils!� She called over her shoulder down the hallway extending to the rear of the inn. “My name’s Elda Early-Dawn, I run this inn.� She glanced warily at the black and white dog. “We typically don’t serve dogs in here . . .�

“I’m Lilisfina. That’s why I offered to cook for the both of us,� Lili assured her. “I did clean him up before we came up from the docks.�

“Wait, isn’t he the stray dog the Argonians feed from time to time?� Elda put her hands on her hips. “He’s not filthy, is he?�

“Not anymore,� Lili smiled at him and ruffled his scruff. “I made sure of it.�

Elda narrowed her eyes at the slight Bosmer. “How?� She leaned down slightly and sniffed audibly. “He doesn’t smell fishy, or wet.�

Lili sent a faint wave of restoration magic down his body. Elda gasped and hastily stepped back. Her hand crept to her throat and grasped a small amulet.

“I’ve been traveling all over Tamriel as healer,� Lili explained softly. “And learning as much as I can from fellow healers and mages.�

“Magic?� Elda exclaimed. “Goodness! Not here, nothing dangerous like that! That’s all best kept up at the College of Winterhold.�

Lili pulled the coin purse from her belt. “May I pay for a room, a bath, and the use of your kitchen, ma’am?�

A scruffy man appeared at Elda’s shoulder. “You called, ma’am?�

“Give Nils the salmon,� Elda took a deep breath and met Lili’s gaze. “You can have your choice from our menu, if you want to give that dog something other than fish. We’ll put the salmon on our menu for tonight, or you can have it prepared your way for yourself.� Lili turned to the wizened older man and held the fish to him. “As for the room and the bath, it would be ten drakes for the room and three for the bath.� Her gaze flickered to the dog. “It’d be extra if you bathe the dog too.�

Nils hefted the fish thoughtfully, then grinned in satisfaction at their weight. Lili smiled back, then turned to Elda. “The dog won’t appreciate the bath, but if you have a nice mutton bone left over from that stew I smell cooking he wouldn’t mind that.�

“That’s nice salmon, mind,� Nils exclaimed softly as he met Lili’s gaze. “Salmon my way, salmon your way, or our mutton stew?�

“Let me try the stew,� Lili answered. “I’ve had nothing but smoked fish on the way here.� She counted out the drakes and handed them to Elda. “And here’s three for the bath, and twenty for two nights in the room. Would that be acceptable?�

“Of course,� Elda exclaimed, palming the coins into the purse at her waist. Here’s a woman who knows the value of a good coin. “Follow me, ma’am.� She turned and followed Nils into the back hallway. While he continued down to the rear of the structure, Elda stopped at the first door on the left. She drew a key from her pocket, unlocked it and swung it open. “Does this suit you and your dog?�

“He’s not really my dog,� Lili remarked as she stepped in. “But he decided to follow me.�

“Likely because you fed him,� Elda muttered as Star followed after Lili, his white tipped tail waving over his back as he explored the room with his nose. “Well, do you want your bath first, or eat first?�

“It’s cold outside,� Lili set her pack onto the bed, “and it will take time to get a hot bath ready. I think I’ll eat that stew first.�

“And what would you like to drink?�

“Mead?� Lili asked. “I’ve heard so much about it, and I’d like to try some.�

“Mead it is!� Elda nodded emphatically. “Mind you, be careful with it until you get used to it.�

“I’m Bosmer,� Lili smiled. “Grew up on jagga and rotmeth.� Elda pulled a face. She’s actually tasted jagga or rotmeth?

“Head upstairs, and I’ll have Susanna bring you your meal,� she nodded at Star, “and a bone for that dog. He’d better behave himself!�

“Thank you very much, ma’am,� Lili cast a lock spell on her bag, then followed the Nord innkeeper out. At the taller woman’s gesture, she headed up the wide stairs to the main hall above.

The large space, tucked beneath the high steep roof, took up the entire length of the inn. A large flagstone hearth, its chimney holding up the centerline of the roof, took up the center of the room. The part of the room adjacent to the open stairway held three tables, all three occupied. Chairs were placed along the walls and around the fireplace. On the other side, to the rear, a slender Dunmer plucked at a lute, a plaintive melody drifting from her long fingers.

“Hello!� Another Nord woman, this one a bit younger, her abundant curves highlighted by a rather lightweight outfit, approached Lili. “I’m Susanna the Wicked. Have you already ordered something to eat or drink, ma’am?�

“Elda will be sending something up shortly,� Lili replied. “I’m Lilisfina. You don’t seem very wicked to me, Susanna.�

“Are you new to Skyrim, ma’am?� Susanna tucked her tray beneath one arm. At Lili’s nod, she leaned down slightly to speak softly. “Here in Skyrim, nicknames are meant to be ironic. They call Elda Early-Dawn because, well, she sleeps late most days.� She nodded at a slouched Nord, his winter cap askew over his ears. “And Rolff Stone-Fist, because he has a glass hand. Jaw, too, to tell the truth.� She touched the side of her nose with her finger. “I didn’t tell you that.�

Lili smiled back at her and mirrored her gesture. “Tell me what?� She looked around the room again.

“You’ll have to share a table with one of those men,� Susanna straightened up. She eyed Lili thoughtfully.

“Which one do you suggest?� Lili asked. “I don’t want to inconvenience anyone.�

“Hmm, the black beard nearest us is Captain Lonely-Gale. He’s nice enough, but he’s being - aggressively - pursued by a certain spinster. That makes him cranky when she’s been on him, and she should be coming in here soon.� She shook her head warningly. “Not good company then.� Her gaze shifted to the front wall. “The older gentleman in the left corner behind the stairwell is Adonato Leotelli. He’s a writer, and when he’s writing . . .�

Lili took in the bent head, the quivering quill and the sheets of parchment scattered across the table. “Resents any distraction?�

“And did Elda say you could bring your dog here?� Susanna tipped her head at the Skyrim Husky, who regarded the room from his seated position at Lili’s side. “Because Leotelli will complain about misbehaving dogs, barking and panting and breaking up his concentration.�

“He’s not my dog,� Lili corrected. “But I understand what you mean. I definitely wouldn’t want to interrupt the creative process.�

Susanna snorted softly. “Now that big one with the shaved head and fierce face,� she indicated the man in the opposite corner, scratched iron glimmering in the candlelight with each slow breath, “Stenvar’s a sellsword. Strongest sword arm in the North, if you believe him.� She regarded him with a fond expression. “He’s rough, and looks like an absolute brute, but I assure you, he’s a good man to know. He won’t mind your - the dog, either. If he’s got a temper, I haven’t seen it yet.�

“How would he feel about sharing a table with an Elf?� Lili asked. Susanna glanced sharply at her. “Oh, I heard Rolff Stone-Fist and one other man giving a Dunmer lady a hard time before I came in. Sounded like there’s a fair bit of resentment about them here in Windhelm.�

Susanna laid a finger on her lips. “We can talk about that another time, Lilisfina.� She waved toward the mercenary’s table. “Go on, sit there. I’ll bring you your meal right away!�

Lili and Star wove their way between the chairs toward the indicated table. She noticed the round shield and war axe leaning against a chair at the side of the table, then the hilt of a zwei-hander over the sellsword’s shoulder. He raised his blue gaze from his mug as she stopped beside the chair opposite him.

“May I?� Lili rested her hand on the back of the chair in question.

“Of course,� Stenvar straightened his shoulders slightly and waved his free hand in open invitation. As she took her seat, he clenched his hand and tapped his iron cuirass in greeting. “I’m Stenvar.�

“Lilisfina,� she put her palms together in front of her own chest and nodded once. “My pleasure.�

“Are you certain?� Stenvar’s voice rumbled softly, his eyes glinting with good humor. “I’d argue the pleasure is mine. It’s not often I get a beautiful lass ask to sit at my table.�

Lili regarded him thoughtfully. “Somehow I get the feeling plenty of beautiful ladies do more than just sit with you, sir.� She kept her tone light and soft, and lifted her right brow in challenge.

Stenvar grinned, then shook his head with a chuckle. “Not as many as you’d think, ma’am.�

[haute ecole rider]

No pictures this time, sorry!

@Acadian: I think you hit the nail on the head when you said none of them are new to adventuring. Though this trio came together from disparate locales, I wanted to show that each of them are experienced in their own ways, even if it's to provide comic relief (in Star's case). And you'll see just how profitable this venture is in the following installments.

@Sage Rose: Trust you to come up with an appropriate moniker for Sten's letters to his Ma. I did want to show him as a good son in his own way - I've always seen him as a family man trying to support others by his mercenary work. I use a mod called One With Nature (have done so for quite some time) to turn giants and mammoths into allies (love it when they come to fight the Bonestrewn Crest dragon) and to make horkers and a few other beasties friendly. I do leave the predators alone, but in this story you won't always see the pathological behavior the game gives you. While dead humans don't taste like fish . . . not sure what the horkers will make of it - Lili won't give them the chance to find out!

@ghastley: The reason for Einar's death will become clear in today's installment. I'm sure Leifgard would use the woodcutter's axe that's at the camp if he needed to.

@treydog: For a squishy mage with no weapons and no armor, Lili sure can handle herself in a fight! I'm glad you and others like the Stenssives that start his episodes. Since I'm switching POV's in this story, I find it helpful to help me get inside his mind and remind myself to see things from his viewpoint.

@Grits: Yup, Star turns out to be quite the (comic) battle dog! I enjoyed writing Sten's POV, and yup, Lili is very observant of Sten (and Star)!

In the last installment, Lili, Sten and Star had a rousing, blood-warming fight at The Winter War. Now we see the aftermath, and find out what happened to Leifgard.

*******************************

Morndas 18 Last Seed - Return to Windhelm

Stenvar placed the wrapped body next to that of the fisherman in the bottom of the dinghy. He glanced over at the raft of dead bandits tied to the small boat’s stern. “It’s still afloat.� He turned to watch Lili as she broke down the remnants of the camp and gathered stones. “What are you doing?�

“Building a cairn to keep these supplies,� Lili responded. “In case someone else comes along and needs to camp here.� Many’s the time I’ve been grateful for such cairns.

“Do you intend to do that every time, or bring home dead reaver?� Stenvar straightened his back and glanced at the sky. The sun stood over the western mountains, and clouds gathered in the east and north.

Lili stood up and brushed the sand from her hands and sniffed the wind. Storm? “Depends,� she answered. “The fact that you knew who that bandit leader was suggests that it might be worthwhile bringing the others back too, for potential identification.� She lowered the fur from her face enough to grin at Stenvar. “That might be worth extra, as long as this wind doesn’t mean another storm.�

“It might,� Stenvar moved to the dinghy and set the oars into the locks. “Let’s get going, it would be nice to get back to the docks before dark.�

“Yes,� Lili agreed and helped him push the small boat into the water. She slipped into the stern and motioned Star to lie at her feet. Stenvar took his place between the oars and maneuvered the dinghy into the main channel of the estuary. As the rope between the boat and the makeshift raft tightened, Lili twisted around and sent a spell into the raft.

“What did you do?� Stenvar exclaimed as the boat shot forward on his stroke.

“Feather spell,� Lili replied. “Makes it float better, and that in turn makes it easier for you to row.� She huddled further into the fur cloak. “You’ve been busy today, Stennvar.�

“I’ve had harder days than this,� Stenvar muttered. He took a deep breath on another stroke of the oars. “Mind you, I do appreciate that spell.� I know you do, Stennvar.

The sun slipped behind the western mountains as they drew up alongside one of the smaller docks. One of the Argonian dockworkers turned toward them and waved, then put his hands around his mouth and hailed them.
“Yes, we would like a little help,� Lili called back. “I’ll pay you for it!�

In response three of the dockworkers leaped off the parapet into the water and surfaced next to the raft. “What iss thiss?� Tongues flickered. “Dead?�

“Reavers from The Winter War,� Lili responded. “Do you know the best way to handle them?�

A fourth Argonian knelt on the dock above them. “I’m Neetrenaza. Let’ss lay them out for the guard to examine,� he gestured toward the head of the docks. “Are you claiming bounty on them?�

“I’d like to talk to Brunwulf Free-Winter,� Lili lifted the bundle containing the steel armor and personal items from the fishing camp toward the waiting hands.

“You sshould have the guard fetch him to come look.� The Argonian set the bundle to one side and gestured for Stenvar to hand Star up to him. “And the dog, too? Are you keeping him?�

“He’s welcome to stay with me as long as he wants,� Lili responded.

Stenvar chuckled. “He’ll stay with her as long as she keeps feeding him!�

“That’ss usually all it takess,� the Argonian laughed. Star barked once, and stood beside the bundled gear as Stenvar knelt beside the two bodies.

“These are not bandits,� Lili assisted Stenvar in lifting one to the dock. “One of these is Stenvar’s comrade, and the other is the old fisherman - Einar?�

“Leifgard and Einar?� The Argonian murmured something to one of his comrades, who ran toward the warehouses. “You’ll want to bring them to Arkay, then?�

“Yes,� Stenvar responded gruffly. “Want to see to them right away.�

“Shavee’ss getting the cart for them,� Neetrenaza waved toward the warehouse and the approaching vehicle. “And we’ll get the resst of thesse banditss laid out for Free-Winter.�

Stenvar pulled himself up onto the dock, and Neetrenaza reached down a helping hand for Lili. They stepped back as the other dockworkers began tossing the bandits onto the dock. Stenvar and Shavee gently loaded the two corpses onto the cart, then Stenvar placed the bundle beside them.

Lili stopped beside Neetrenaza. “That’s four of you that helped me, right?� She reached for her coin purse in her pack. At the Argonian’s nod, she counted out several coins. “Here’s four drakes for each of you,� she said. “I hope that’s enough for the work you’re doing.�

“That’ss more than the Shatter-Shieldss pay uss,� one of the other Argonians exclaimed. Lili glanced at him.

“Who?�

“Torbjorn Shatter-Shield,� the other said. “He clingss to every drake!�

“I’m Lili, I don’t think we’ve met,� she said. “You are?�

“Sscoutss Many Marshess,� the Argonian responded. “I ussed to train sscouts, before eventss brought me here.�
Lili glanced around the gathered Argonians as the last reaver came to rest with the others. “None of you make this much unloading a ship?�

“That damned Shatter-Shield ssayss an Argonian’ss labor iss only worth a tenth of a ‘proper Nord worker.’ My people are not sslavess!�

“Hmm, that’s a shame,� Lili murmured. They’re not slaves, but it looks like they are treated as such. Shameful. Stenvar caught her gaze and shook his head slightly. She passed a few more drakes to Neetrenaza. “That should bring it to five drakes for each of you,� she said. “I have no idea what a ‘proper Nord worker’ is worth, but I hope that comes close.� She smiled at the dockworkers. “Thank you again for all your help. I will likely be back here with Brunwulf Free-Winter to look at the reavers.�

She joined Stenvar at the cart and cast another feather spell on the cart itself to make it easier. They maneuvered the cart toward the steep street that led up to the large gates that separated the waterfront from the rest of the city. Like the main gates at the front of the city, these had a smaller postern door that was just wide enough for the cart. Star followed them into the city and moved to stand beside Lili.

“Would you like to take them straight to wherever the dead are honored for burial?� she turned to look up at Stenvar. “I am not familiar with funeral customs here.� Burial? Cremation? Sky?

“Every city in Skyrim has the Halls of the Dead dedicated to Arkay,� Stenvar eased the handles of the cart down and took a deep breath. “Helgird is in charge of the one here, and I believe she’ll be in the graveyard. I’ll ask her to take them in.�

“I’ll pay for their funeral,� Lili touched his hand briefly. “Let’s go.� She renewed the feather spell as Stenvar picked up the cart handles again and drew it forward. As the darkness gathered in the growing dusk, she cast a mage light that followed them and lit the path before them.

“Hello,� a gruff voice reached them out of the darkness. “I’ve been told an Elf and a sellsword brought back a winter harvest for me.� His grey beard emerged out of the darkness as the old Thane stopped beside the cart.

“Hello, Thane,� Lili nodded. “Yes, the Argonians are laying them out for the guard. You can find them on the waterfront.�

“Good, I’ll take a look,� Free-Winter nodded. “Where can I find you?�

“I’ll come back once we take care of these two,� Lili gestured toward the cart. “Say, a bell or so?�

“Sounds good,� Free-Winter gestured farewell and moved off toward the waterfront.

The sky glimmered with stars by the time they reached the graveyard in front of the Halls of the Dead. A slender form clad in a monk’s robe rose from among the stones and moved toward them, her thin face gleaming within her raised hood.

“Helgird,� Stenvar greeted her.

“Stenvar,� the woman responded, her gaze on the cart behind him. “I didn’t know you were in the habit of bringing bodies back.�

“This is Leifgard,� Stenvar touched the leftmost, bulkier bundle. “He died of exposure in that storm a few days ago, out at that fishing camp of Einar’s.�

Lili saw a slight flicker pass through Helgird’s gaze. “And Einar?�

“Here he is, as well,� Stenvar indicated the other wrapped corpse. “We think he sought shelter in the wreck near there, but the reavers there killed him.�

“Damn reavers,� Helgird’s voice slid through clenched teeth. She’s not fond of outlaws. She looked at Lili. “And what of them?�

“Dead, too,� Lili responded. “We made certain of it. They’re on the waterfront.�

“I expect I’ll be seeing them soon enough.� She moved to the door that led to the sunken Halls. “But tonight, we will take care of friends. Bring them in.�

With the aid of Lili’s feather spell, Stenvar carried each corpse inside after Helgird. Lili followed him after the second one down into a crypt. Great age seeped from the worn stones around her. Some of these carvings look like the ones near that altar we stopped at. Helgird caught her interested gaze.

“This was originally built thousands of years ago by the ancient ones for their dragon cults. The draugr have been cleared out, but these crypts are still being used for their intended purpose.�