Many many thanks to you all, I'm so glad you're all reading and enjoying...Always a good thing...
...Thank you...
But most espescially, a huge thank you to Acadian...As I knew there was going to be a magic repair hammer involved, and I've always thought that Buffy's conjoured repair hammer was such a cool idea, I sought - and received - permission for a subtle Buffy (reference) cameo in that last part...So, thank you very much Acadian, much appreciated...
A brief recap...J'Zirlo and Wulff Olfsson had been sent undercover to the Companions (a kind of Skyrim Fighters Guild) to try and get their help for the overarching Knights' mission in Skyrim. Sadly, in just over a couple of hours, at least two of the Compaions elders have found out their secret. Having confessed all to the Blacksmith - Eorlund Grey-Mane, J'Zirlo is now en-route to talking with the not-quite-leader-but-really-is-really of the Companions, Kodlak Whitemane.
Thank you...
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I managed to reach Jorrvaskr without anyone new discovering that Olfsson and I were Knights of The Nine. Which seemed to be a feat worthy of congratulations in itself. Although, we will allow that this may only
be because there was no one to be seen between the blackmith’s and the longhouse.
I paused by the doors, breathed deeply a few times to calm myself, and then walked in.
The smell of wood-smoke hit me as I entered the long room beneath the upturned longboat. Someone had obviously rebuilt the fire-pit in the middle of the room with fresh wood and coal. I followed a patch of smoke - as it belched forth - up to the roof and through a cut-away section of the hull, which had then been covered by a small raised roof structure, with large space for the smoke to get out of the sides. Presumably they were thinking they were unlikely to need the ship after so long then? And did it not get cold with a giant hole up there?
“Hey! I know who you are!” shouted a somewhat drunken voice.
Oh, for the sake of The Nine!
“Yeah, you’re my new best drinking buddy.” said an approaching Nord. The one I remembered as being called Torvar; Tall and bearded man, seemingly in a perpetual haze of something. He reached me and grabbed me in a ferocious bear-hug. “Aaahhhh, there it is.” He said. “Where you headed buddy? Come grab a tankard, we’ll talk shop.”
“Shop? You have a shop too?”
“HAAA!” he grinned. “Good lad. Nah, me and Athis,” The Dunmer from earlier, “were discussing your fight with Wolfshead.”
Talking of which. “Ah yes, indeed...Where is Wolfshead, by the way?”
“Er...I think he went off with Aela and Skjor.”
“Skjor?”
“Yeah, you know?...Small chap?...Always looks like he’s thinking of the best way to bite your head off?”
“Oh yes, I remember. That was what Farkas called him.” I said and Torvar nodded with a grin. I then said, “Well, my...Buddy, please will you forgive Khajiit, he has to see the Kodlak.” and I bowed my head.
“Fair enough. Fair enough.” He said, raised his tankard in salute, then turned and walked away. He said over his shoulder. “Come find me and we’ll see who would win in a drink-off, Nord versus Khajiit. Oh yeah.”
“Well, he likes you.” Said a voice at my shoulder. I believe I lost another one of my supposed nine lives at that point.
“Aaaah!...Friend Farkas! Yes...So it seems. Um, we are on our way to see the Kodlak...Though I have to ask...Which way is it?”
Farkas looked at me for a brief while with his head tilted to one side, frowning. “Well,
friend, I’ll show you. But at some point soon, we will talk. Come on.”
Friend Farkas walked off to the left and presently, I followed him.
We had just passed the end of the long tables when there was a thundering of feet along said tables and a “Kcheeeyaaaah!”
I spun around, only to find myself landed on by a rather fast travelling Nord woman. I then found myself pinned down on my back, with her astride my chest, her strong arms holding mine down on the floor. We
could have gotten up, we suppose, but...Well...We will allow that it wasn’t exactly an
unpleasant sensation, put it that way. As it were...
Nadja of the colourful curse bent down and said in my ear, “I don’t normally do this sort of thing, I usually just ignore the new blood...But you and Wolfshead, you’re different, you make me want to...” and then she listed the many and varied things that we had made her want to do...In detail...Not all of which I believed were possible...Then she sat back in a place that perhaps we would not have wanted her to - in public at least - and then finished her taunting by grabbing my hands and placing them around her waist. Then she stood up and walked so she was stood almost directly above my head, she said, “Remember, Whiterun girls like it a bit Plain, but Markath girls like it deeper.” and walked off over my head.
I
still have no idea what she meant.
Farkas chuckled and dropped an arm so as to help me up.
“Wow...Smooth moves lover-boy.”
“Um.” I countered expertly.
“Ha-ha.” Farkas smiled and walked off, “Come on. It’s down these stairs.”
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We descended the stairs and went through the doorway at the bottom into a stone built, barrel vault. It travelled for some distance down to a set of large doors, which at this point, were open. Beyond those we could see another, smaller set of doors beyond a small-ish hallway.
It appeared that where we stood was a common room of some sort. There were tables and chairs to each side, along the length of the room. To our immediate left there were a few comfortable cushioned chairs and sofas, along with a few bookcases. On the opposite wall was the door to a bunk room.
“Oh yeah,” Farkas said, following my gaze, “I put your pack in there when I showed Wolfshead around earlier. Come, I’ll show you.”
As I followed him into the bunk room containing a goodly amount of beds, I said to friend Farkas, “Our new...Um...Buddy, Torvar said he went off with Aela and Skjor. Any idea as to where?”
“Not exactly, no. Probably it’s taking on a Bandit Chief somewhere, but if Kodlak sent those three off together, I’m pretty sure it was for a reason.”
“Ah, nevermind, Wolfshead is a big boy now, we are sure he will keep himself in the amount of trouble he has been accustomed to.”
Farkas smiled. “With
those two? I wouldn’t worry about his getting bored any time soon.”
I realised there was a presence at my elbow. I looked down into the eyes of an old woman. Eyes which flashed brightly with mischief.
“Hello new boy,” she said merrily. “I’m Tilma.
They,” she said pointing to Farkas, “call me Tilma the Haggard...And yet expect me to pick up their cr@p covered armour every time they come back...Hmmm?” she winked at me as Farkas looked away embarrassedly. “Now, they don’t think I listen, but I do, so if you need to know some dirt on anyone, I’ve got it...For a price of course.” She smiled a wicked smile that we suspected had broken many hearts, a few moons ago, granted. “I’m looking forward to finding out
your secrets...” Tilma trailed off with a question in her expression.
“J’Zirlo. J’Zirlo of New Kvatch.”
“Oooh, long ways from home aren’t you Kitty? Nevermind, we’ll keep you warm at night.” She said and patted my behind.
What
was it with these Nords?
Tilma winked at me and then walked off, back to whatever duties she had.
“Wow, you’re
good.” Farkas remarked and chuckled some more for good measure. “Come on, he’s down here.”
We walked towards the opened doors at the end of the room.
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This post has been edited by McBadgere: May 5 2012, 07:08 AM