He
spotted her grayish skin from a distance and immediately knew that she was of the appropriate race for his collection.
Helsa Braal, a loyal of Vigilant of Stendarr, had just killed a flame atronach, rumored to be created by some elderly woman living close to Riverwood. Her name was supposedly Anise and Helsa was on a mission to put an end to her profane experiments. But
behind Helsa's back something far more sinister was approaching, determined to get her untainted soul. The magic struck her and Helsa knew that a soul trap was cast on her. She pulled out her trusted mace, the very same with which she killed the flame atronach, and turned around to face
the threat. She expected to see the old woman but her attacker was not a woman and not even a...before she could finish her thoughts and defend herself, the bound dagger struck her neck and
Helsa's essence was sucked from her body and a black soul gem in her killer's hands was getting filled with another unlucky soul.
Within a few minutes Helsa was stripped of her robesand new
Vigilant of Stendarr was standing next to her. A bit unusual Vigilant he was and he knew this very well, but for what he had in mind, he was certainly dressed more appropriate than before.
.
.
.
A sunny day in Riverwood it was, when the Vigilant of Stendarr was approaching it, passing
the old bridge, the only safe point to cross the White River and get to Riverwood. Not many people were outside when he arrived to town. Local drunk Embry was sitting on a bench outside the Sleeping Giant Inn and noticed someone in robes coming to the village but he couldn't care less about who it was. He or she or whatever it was, won't buy him a mead, that's for sure. It never happened. Damned stingy travelers!
The Vigilant of Stendarr passed the inn and headed down the main road until his cold eyes caught something on his left -
Riverwood Trader.
"Well one of us has to do something!" said Camilla Valerius to her stubborn brother Lucan who refused to do anything about the golden claw that was stolen from them.
"We are done talking about this, Camilla!" He dearly loved his sister but sometimes she was just as annoying as their late mother, Arkay bless her sould.
"
Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!" Camilla didn't give up just that easily. She knew very well that her brother could afford to pay some adventurer to retrieve the claw that's been a trademark of their shop for years.
"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief-chasing!" Lucan was losing his nerves. His sister really didn't know...then he noticed a new customer in his shop, a wizard by his look. He must have stepped inside as he was bickering with Camilla. He surely hoped that their argument wouldn't discourage him from buying anything he got on display, really.
"
Oh, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that."
"
Stendarr's blessings upon you, Imperial," said the Vigilant and put his smile on display, one which Lucan didn't like at all.
Both Lucan and Camilla often saw Vigilants passing through Riverwood and from time to time they did business with them but they didn't know that they extended their membership to Khajiits as well. Not that it bothered them - a customer was still a customer, no matter his race and profession.
"
Your... wife?" asked the Vigilant as Camilla passed him.
"Emm...my sister," replied Lucan, hoping that the Vigilant'd be more interested in his goods than in his sister. There were already Sven and Faendal competing for her hand, and he didn't another adventurer to send her stupid letters. Especially not the one with fur. Not that he was a racist, of course.
"Perfect from the bottom to the top," said the Vigilant and
approached Camilla that was beginning to feel uneasy as the dark Vigilant was looking at her.
"Fair lady, allow this humble servant of Stendarr to give you this
flower, which I picked today down by the river...as if my God granted me a vision that I shall be blinded by your beauty today."
"Thank you," said Camilla, took a thistle branch from the Vigilant's hand but then looked down, to an empty tankard in front of her. She didn't like the sight of the Vigilant, not because he was a Khajiit but she could hardly look him into his eyes and remain calm. Besides, she noticed that unlike most Khajiits, this one didn't speak in third person. An old Khajiit that she knew when she was a child, once told her, that this was a trait of Khajiits that were shunned from their clans.
And now," said the Vigilant and stepped to the counter,"what do you have for sale, Imperial?
Surely not anything Daedric, eh?"
"Everything I've got on display, really."
Lucas felt slightly uneasy as the Vigilant was browsing his goods, as he was searching for something of Daedric origin which would give him a reason to confiscate the item. Of course Lucan wouldn't allow this to happen, he was a merchant and he had rights to sell any item but still, he didn't feel too confident going against this Vigilant. However, he noticed that his customer was mostly interested in spells because he paid special attention to old magic tomes.
"I won't make you richer today," finally said the Vigilant and returned tomes to Lucan.
"
Well then I better get back to cleaning the store. What a mess." said Lucan, hoping that the Khajiit would now leave his shop. In case he forgot where the door was, he'd gladly show him.
"Stendarr is ever watchful, Imperials. Remember this." With these words Vigilant left the shop, obviously still remembering where he came in. Both Lucan and Camilla sighed with relief.
"See, sister? You can't even trust Vigilants of Stendarr. This one was odd. And you'd want me to pay these...these adventurers to retrieve our golden claw. Bah!"
.
.
.
Faendal, a wood chopper and a skilled archer, couldn't in his worst nightmare imagine that the hooded Khajiit which was
staring at him as he was carrying firewood to Alvor's place, was thinking about how nicely will his soul fit in a black gem.
Eyes of the soul collector sentenced Faendal to death.