Entry 2 :
"Hi there!" said the nord
"Hello!" gushed back Aelfric
Freedom! Sweet freedom! Aelfric felt like the time he had taken skooma with the other kids when they were nine , it was great .
Aelfric's eyes swept the room , it was a rather grubby inn , a small fire crackled merrily in the grate , he was hungary and tired and thirsty but didnt know where to start , or which to sate first.
"I'd like a room for the night , and a hot meal , ow and a glass of mead if you can manage ?"
The nord beamed " Ow of cource kinsman , just go dry your rags by the fire , ill have it over right away"
Aelfric sat at the small table , only one other woman was there - an attractive redguard , and she was eyeing him intensively . But Aelfric wasnt interested , he had to get to bravil and find her.
The food was decent , venison pie and potatoes . In his delirious state it was delcious and he ate with haste, only stopping to gulp down thick lashings of mead. The fire was warm , and the redguard was warmer . She flirted heavily and hinted at retireing for the night . Aelfric did indeed retire , but on his own . The room was tiny and the "bed" was little better than his prison one . Nevertheless he slept like a babe.
In the morning he left early to continue on his journey , the day previous he had swam the full breadth of lake rumare , gulping down icy water as he did . Then he had pummeled through the forests . Baurus had given him a map and he knew where he was going.
The thought i returnign to Bravil was not very enticing . He had spent his entire life there , hanging out with the gang . Smoking hooka' and norting moon sugar , getting off there heads with stolen booze . He had mostly done it just to be accpeted , but he had still enjoyed the experiance.
As he arrived in the city , which was , as ever, still grubby , morr memories flooded back . Living with his family in that tiny house ( it was occupied by a fence now , or so he had heard) , throwing stones into the canal . Blackmailign the counts son into giving them skomma , running around stark naked the lucky old lady and befouling her as a dare .
He slowly walked along the street , the tottering apartments loomed like dragons , like the stories his smackhead mother had told him when she wasnt off her head . He walked up to the lucky old lady and kissed her cheek , he hoped her luck would bless him today.
He climbed the staircases to her apartment , and knocked steadily on the rotted door.
It opended a crack , an orange eye glared out , it was hard to read the expression . But the door opended without a word .
City-swimmer was as dirty as she had ever been , dressed in stinking clothes , covered head to do in slimy canal water.
"Been swimming?" he greeted , knowing that she did indeed live up to her name ...
She went over to her dressing table , crouched and got out an old box , Aelfric noticed the county seal on it.
Nice box , where'd you get it?
"stole it" she croaked casually , her voice was harshended , he knew , by her constant drug using .
she neatly slid a rusty key into it , he knew what was inside , and was not suprised when she got out a thickly rolled hooka '
Turning it over in her ebbed hands she finally lit it and inhaled deeply , "oooo" she whispered and half closed her eyes , swaying.
Aelfric swept her tiny apartment , rot and mildew coated everything , the place was filthy , it had always suprised him people were happy to live in such filth.
He opended a bedside drawer and found the painting , they had had it done 4 years back , the 8 of them , in the middle was he , city-swimmer loitering at the back , and -
"you wont find her here , she's long gone"
Aelfric turned " so - you know where she is ? I heard about the robbery , what were you thinking!" he snapped , suddenly angry " You both could of died , and for what ? Lunch , fool "
She hissed and spat on the floor " just relax now will you ? Take some hooka' and ill tell you .."
"No thank you , i was never into that anyway , if you know where she is i'd like you to tell me , look ill pay - he showed a small bag of money - if you tell me "
City- swimmer looked very angry indeed , she walked over to her window and looked out at the castle " only place worth robbing you know , and its got plenty of skooma if you know where to look"
He sighed , his patience was waning , but then cuty - swimmer had always been like this , why she had taken a liking to her was a mystery , they were , he thought , not alike
But he was not pure , city-swimmer knew this , his father had been a drunk and they had hated eachother ,his mother had been a skooma addict and had crippled herself. He had spent most of his life in "the gang" and thus had had to get involved in many things he didnt feel comftable about.
"You never were interested after
she came along were you ?she facinated you , it was quite uncomfortable . she always did well for herself and I think you liked that , you resented us , thought we weren't good enough , wanted to better yourself , im disgusted in you"
It was true , swimmers togue was barbed but her word were true..
she had been an orphan , an increadibly pretty one , growing up he had never talked to her much , they were cut from differant cloth or so they say . She was always very pure , never interested in drugs or dancing or vandalism . And he had wanted to be like her , well at least wanted to impress her . She was talented and had got in with the right people . swimmer had never hated her , they got along well , but he knew she secretly resented her success ...
Then he had grown up and things had changed , he had put on muscle and a mand voice , and begun to like her a lot more than friends , when they were twelve they had first met : swimmer had invited her to her birthday party . she had been so beautiful...full of charm and wit , and instantly he knew he wanted her " im going to marry this girl" he has said
They had grown to be friends , but he sensed she didnt want any more than that and he , Aelfric , was a proud man and didnt want to damage their friendship, but then on his 17th birthday they had been out huntign togther and suddenly found his lips fastended upon hers . Over in a second but remembered for a liftime . They had never talked about it , not ever.
Aelfric wanted information and didnt want to get into an argument " look" he said " pass the hooka' over already and lets sit , then we can talk"
He knew that he had to do it in order for her to open up , he took the hooka' roll and inhaled deeply letting the white/blue scented smoke flow throw his lungs . It was intense , he felt those lips again...but then he blew out , blowing big rings as he did so and it was gone as quickly as it had came . City - swimmer actually clapped , "ow very good!" she cried .
"Yes , i said smiling , shall we walk?"
It was nice walking out in Bravil aelfric thought , the day was fine , they walked close to the canal , Swimmer said she was tempted to go in , Aelfric comprimised by dipping his toes in the filthy bilge...
"She ahh ...told me about the kiss... said it was wet" she giggled and , to stifle it , dived underneath , and boasitng her natural abilities was under for some time. Aelfric wasnt sure what "wet" mean in kissing terms , good or bad ? He had certainly liked it , he was suddenly worried he had been a terrible kisser.
"But she didnt love you , thought you were a friend , and was embarrased by what had happended , i dont think she is into nord men ...and once she went to kvatch..."
"What he said suddenyl , alarmed for he had heard rumorus of that place"
"she went not long ago , said she had a job to do , but i think it was an excuse to see that savilian matius.."
Aelfric felt a coldness creep through him , "whom is this man"
"A guard captain" and suddenly she looked almost aqs if to of been somewher else " one day he came to bravil asking for help at kvatch and she left the next day , she fell for him the moment she saw him , he was
very masculine ..."
Aelfric bit back tears , and got up suddenly . He pulled his shoes back on " thanks" he said thickly , turing away , but in his reflection he caught a reflection of city - swimmer whom , for once , seemed sympathtic.
As he climbed up the steep rocky slope she called " thats elf women for you, there like that , dont take it personally!" - but Aelfric did.
Here are some pictures :
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