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Gremlaith Ulfricsdottar and the Lay of the Black Mask
Topic Started: Nov 17 2017, 12:03 AM (628 Views)
Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Chapter 4: Another day, another den of iniquity

The wince from Talos this time was more along the lines of a slap. “Enough, damn you! I don’t know what you want of me, and I don’t care. I ply my trade - oh sure, turn your nose up at it. Well, it’s what I do. If you don’t want to look at it, GO AWAY!”

I grumbled under my breath. Truth, this lay was slim pickings most of the time. Drunks had little coin for the taking - as they spent it all on drink obviously. I sat in the room staring glumly at the future. I either had to find a real job and accept spending my life to the beat of the master’s drum (and probably a whip too) - or I had to come up with something truly expansive when it came to crime. So far, all I’d managed was petty grift. Petty being the operative word - mostly I could barely afford to eat, and certainly I couldn’t afford drink.

I wandered down to the Solitude docks just at dusk. I’d had enough of the high and mightiness of the “capital” of Skyrim. I wondered if I could find a ship to somewhere - someplace which might give me more options.

The Red Wave was hove to in the largest berth. And it looked as if they were making up to shipping out on the next tide. I walked up the gangplank and spoke to the woman wearing the fancy armor.

“I’d like a berth with you, wherever you’re bound. I’ll take the night watches, and holystone the decks while doing so, just to get out of Solitude - and to learn a trade.”

She looked me over in contempt I thought - but I curbed my reaction. If I wanted to ship with the Wave, I couldn’t start with killing the mate.... Eventually, she made a nasty comment about my smell and my clothing. Again I held my tongue and my temper.

Finally, she shrugged. “Well - stow your gear below. I’m Sabine Nytte - first mate. You’ll answer to me for doing ill - or for doing well. For your sake, you should try for the latter. And TAKE A BATH.”

That was the beginning of my second hell (the first being my life before and just after Mam died).
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Out of a fry pan.. into a kettle... nice read!
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neildarkstar
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Who'd have thought Hell would have so much water... :)
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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*snerk* Thanks Sis and neil!
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Kane
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At least the pirates are clean! Being cooped up with filthy swashbucklers would be infinitely worse.
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Serethil
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Very true, Kane - though from what I recall of the crew of that ship, only Sabine is likely to look clean. And that's because she wears steel plate.... Thanks!
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Serethil
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Chapter 5: And as Hells go....this one bids fair to break the records

Six moons into this berth, and I’m like to knife Sabine Nytte. Regardless I bathe more often than anyone else aboard - including the First Mate - she still makes her snide remarks. And her hair.... well, I bet she hasn’t washed it in a couple of years....

Neither here nor there though. The biggest issue is that most of the crew are male (logical) - and they all seem to think I’m fair game as a bed-warmer. I think this is because the other women are higher rank than they are.

So here I am again, in the brig, and hung up like a side of meat - because I killed Devr Nolgott the cook’s helper, after I woke to find him atop me pumping away but getting - thankfully! - nowhere. Damn it Talos. If you want to meddle in my life, couldn’t you just help me out with crap like this?

Apparently not. So - three days in brig, and of course when they cut me down I won’t be able to move for another one.... not to mention the whip-stripes on my back that are hot with wound-fever.

So, once they cut me down.... I need to get out of here. Somehow. Before they kill me. Of course right now, we’re at sea, headed for - hmm.... where were we going? Oh. Right. Windhelm. The last place I ever want to be.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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... ouch! thing's aren't always as good as one could hope... good read!
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Serethil
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Thanks Sis! Grem is.... different (I mean to me). Her stuff comes in bits and pieces just now. Not sure where things start to gel. Eventually.... she'll - um - do something major probably!
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neildarkstar
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Interesting though! As either a role player or a writer, I always find it difficult to get inside a woman's head during times like that. I had trouble enough just writing the cage episode for Goldie's finale.

Oh, BTW, that all actually happened... You know, locked in the cage the staring jailer, etc.... I just couldn't seem to get a proper fix on it.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Well.... I have a lot of.... stuff to draw on.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Chapter 6: Windhelm - the armpit of Skyrim....

Eh, yah - I expect you understand that I won’t ever be fond of this place for various and sundry reasons. Leaving all that out of consideration - well, Windhelm is like your granny who breaks wind every third word.... and the smell is more than you can stand but you can’t offend her by gagging.

I stopped by the Temple to pay respects. That hoity-toity priestess turned up her nose at my ragged clothing, suggesting I do something honest for a living. I might have killed her once. But by this time, I’d already had way too much time hanging - and didn’t want to chance a real gibbet. So I spat at her feet, gave the bowl at the statue’s feet some gold, lit a candle, and spat at her feet again on my way out.

I needed to get out of this misbegotten city as soon as possible. Of course, since I’d just given my last gold to the temple.... I felt Talos prodding.... ‘Shut up! You’re not helping, AND anyway you’re not real. Leave me be, damn you!’ I refused to consider the supposition that he must be real since I was talking to him....

I walked out of the city gates to find a couple of miscreants rousting Ulundil who owned the stables. He’d never done me harm, so I slithered up behind the first one and knifed her efficiently; by then, the carriage driver had belted the other over the head with a hunk of wood. Ulundil staggered to his feet holding his head and his left shoulder which had a knife in it.

“Where were the guards, then?” I asked.

“They keep trying to shake me down, and I won’t pay. So.... they don’t think they need to help when thugs they likely hired themselves attack me.”

What a lovely city you left, father dear. “Ulundil, there’s probably some way to get help with this?”

He shook his head. “I tried. And they came in the night. They took Arivanya, and at first I thought they’d ask for ransom. But I’ve never heard from anyone - and she’s never returned.”

Oh Talos. Not only does Ulfric have much to answer for, SO DO YOU.

“Do you have any idea where they might have taken her?” Grem, you idiot WHAT are you DOING?

“The khajiit were here just then; they said the men dragged her north. But no one at the farms saw anything....”

“I’ll see what I can find out. No promises - I might not find anything. And she might....”

He shook his head as tears sprang to his eyes. “I.... know. But if you find anything.... well, I’ll be grateful.”

So for the night I curled up in the hay in the empty stall, and tried not to think about how hungry I was. I slipped out early enough that I could grab a bit to eat off the farms up the north road.
Edited by Serethil, Dec 23 2017, 09:12 PM.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Hoping for the best!! nice read..she does live in a very harsh world after all.
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Serethil
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Thanks Sis! You know.... I'm getting some very - odd - vibes about this story. I'm pretty well convinced it's not.... going where I thought it was....
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Lapuaboy
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Grem is certainly a tough girl in tough times in dire straits! :)
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Serethil
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She is, isn't she? Thanks Lap!
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neildarkstar
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A good read and an interesting character... :thumb:
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Serethil
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Thank you neil!
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Serethil
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Chapter 7: Stealing from the farms left me feeling - odd

- but at least less hungry! I wasn’t sure what this strange feeling might mean, but pushed it aside impatiently. I did stop at the north-most farm, Holly Frost, to talk to the couple digging roots and shocking wheat - backbreaking labor it was too.

“Good folk - I am trying to find a woman taken from the stable in Windhelm. Did you by chance see her with men holding her captive?”

The woman paled, and the man shook his head quickly. “We canna help ye. Please, just be abaht yer business.”

Hmm. Well, obviously they knew something, but short of carving them up I wasn’t going to learn what it was! So I turned away, only to have the woman whisper before I got out of earshot - “keep north, not so far as the Rest.” Then she hurried inside the house, followed close by her husband. They slammed and barred the door with finality.

Short of Refugees’ Rest, the only other place out this way - unless they were talking about the old Sacellum of Boethiah, and let us sincerely pray not! - was the oldest of the farms out this road, the one nearest Yngol’s burial place. But why.... oh. Well. If the owners had lost it, or died, or left for warmer climes.... then probably it was a bandit outpost by now.

‘Grem, what are you getting yourself into?’ Well. I knew that didn’t I? So why the question, silly girl? Because I can’t seem to make myself believe that I’m planning to do something altruistic.... not to mention dangerous.
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Areial
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:clap: LoL... she'll only be able to fool herself for so long.. and the revelations might be.. staggering!
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