Sel, Chapter 3 Options

[Dantrag]

I was soon accepted into House Redoran, and my mother was pretty proud of me. Probably too proud. I didn't go to Athyn's class anymore, being too busy as councillor Venim's page. Or, at least until the fiery councillor died, and was replaced by his brother. All young hirelings in the House had to spend five years in a councillor's service, and I was no different. Close to the end of those years, my fourth, to be exact, I wondered why I was even in the House; I got no money for my service, being a page, and my family needed money. I should have gotten a job. There I was in Bolvyn's manor, getting fed and clothed while my family starved. My own damned fault. I paid for my selfishness.

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I'll put the actual story here in a while; I just needed to start this back up.

This post has been edited by Dantrag: Feb 8 2006, 02:47 AM

[Dantrag]

It's late, I'm not tired, so I'm listening to some Iron Maiden and writing some Sel.

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It didn't take long for Arsyn Venim to give an emphatic 'no'. Or, that was what Sel wished he had said. What he actually said was much more eloquent and pointless. "Your darling sister is not a pledged Redoran, nor is she a servant, and therefore I am forced to give you leave to escort her to her proper home." He could have saved minutes of Sel's time as well as his own if he had just said, "Take her home." or "No, she isn't allowed here." Maybe Arsyn was as cold-hearted as his brother was.

Damned nobles. Sel thought. Always trying to sound smarter and more important than you.

He strapped on his new sword --he reminded himself to look at it later-- and got his sister ready for the trip home. He didn't mind though, as it got himself out of the morning prayers. It was a wasted hour spent praying to Vivec, Sotha Sil, and Almalexia; from what Sel could see, they were just attention-craving brats not worthy of being called a god at all. Especialy not after the Nerevarine had exposed them as frauds. Any group of people that required you to pray to them everyday for a certain amount of time was a little full of themselves. Redoran and their Temple ties. It made him want to go Telvanni sometimes. Even if it meant reading spell books all the time. At least when he got back Retin would probably be there too.

He opened the door to his house and said hello to his mother, but he doubted that she heard him over her own relieved rambling over Vysi. The incident taken care of, Sel gave another good-bye and returned to the city and the nobles.

"What did you get with your gold?" Retin asked just as Sel walked through the door.

Please look like you cost a hundred gold. Sel thought as he unbuckled his sword belt and laid the sheathed sword on Retin's lap. "That."

"Damn." Retin said in awe after pulling the sword free. It was of finely crafted silver, and had a fierce green glow around the blade. The leather-bound hilt fit a dunmer's hand perfectly, and the sword's balance was without flaw. "How in Vivec's name did you get this for a hundred gold?"

Sel smiled at his luck. This would allow him to get away with the other things he sold to give his family money and dresses. "I traded my old sword, a few daggers, and my bow along with the hundred gold."

"Still...you got this pretty cheap." Retin said, still surprised.

"The merchant said something about a curse, but I think it's just a superstitious old geezer." Sel said, making something up to explain the gap between his wallet and the cost of a sword like that.

As soon as the word 'curse' was uttered, Sel's new sword had found its way clanging to the floor.

"It's not really cursed." Sel chided, picking it up and placing it back in its scabbard.

"I'm not taking the chance." Retin replied. Not wanting to think about a cursed sword in his room, Retin changed the subject. "So how was your vacation?"

"Fine." Sel replied, hanging the sword belt on his bedpost. "Nothing special, but it was relaxing."

"I got two nix-hounds on the hunt." Retin boasted. "Only my cousin Arsyn Venim got more."

"Cousin Venim?" Sel asked. "He was your uncle last week, and I think he and Bolvyn were your brothers a few years ago." he added with a laugh. Retin made too much of his relation with the councillor, and used it as a bragging right. Sel found it funny that the relation always changed.

"Well, I read the family tree wrong." Retin said, thinking it a good save until he realized that Sel was saying it with him. I guess I already used that one. Retin thought bitterly.

"Don't we have to go to the practice field?" Sel asked, looking at how far the candle burning beside his bed had shrunk.

"Yeah, wait up." Retin said, hurriedly getting out of his expensive clothing and into some more fitting to a sword fight.

"Alright." Sel said, leaning against the door after strapping his sword on.

Retin buttoned his shirt and grabbed his small axe as he ran out the door. They were going to be late. Again.

This post has been edited by Dantrag: Feb 8 2006, 02:55 AM