- Sundas, 21st of Morning Star, 4E 201 -
I've stopped off in a little village called Rorikstead. The evening light was settling in and I was only about halfway to Solitude. No point traveling in the dark where I can lose my way or run into nasty denizens of the night.
I may not be a stormcloak yet, but today I felt like one. While trotting Kili along the road I spotted a another party. I approached them carefully and slowly, unsure of their business. As I got close I realized the man on horseback was a noble and his imperial bodyguard was walking ahead of him. I chatted with them briefly, then moved on.
But I wasn't done with them yet. My father's blood still stains my heart, even if I rarely write about it. I think about it daily. At night I dream of the day I can repay his innocent debt. Up until now I had only run into patrols or prison parties with several imperial soldiers in their ranks. But this was different. This was an easy target and a single guard. Both would feel the sting of my loss today.
I trailed them from a distance for a good half hour. I wanted to weigh my options and think this through thoroughly. I also wanted to have a solid plan for the attack. Something that gave me the best advantage possible. I decided a high ground, concealed attack would be best. A place that would allow me to take out the noble with my first arrow, and then put two or three arrows into the bodyguard made his way up to me.
After pushing past them I cut back over to the road and scouted ahead of their path. I spent nearly an hour riding ahead to look at outcrops and hillsides, then riding back to check on the progress of my targets.
After several such trips I finally found the spot. It was perfect. It was a large rock outcrop that rose up right next to the road. One particular rock jutted out, putting me nearly over the top of the road. There were two routes up along the back flanks of the rocky mound. One had plenty of cover, the other was mostly exposed. I would want to wait until they were just past me before launching the assault. This way the soldier would spot the exposed path and choose that one to reach me. The plan was set, and just up the road I saw them appear.
I crouched down away from the edge of the rock. I didn't want them to spot me before they arrived. Full surprise was essential. From my bag I pulled two health poisons. One glazed and arrow and the other my mace. The final piece of the plan was set. I waited.
With Kili tucked out of sight back in the trees, the noble and his guard approached without suspicion. As they passed on the road below me I slid quietly out onto the rock, readying an arrow for my mounted target. The shot was more complex than I had anticipated. Being above my target left me a bit less to work with, and with the movement and the constant angle change I was running out time trying to line up the shot.
My finger relaxed and the arrow leapt from the string. The rider's horse shrieked in pain as my arrow just missed and struck it's neck. So much for surprise. The noble jumped down from his injured horse and drew a dagger. The imperial drew his bow. Both rushed for the path up the hill. I was about to have a really bad day.
Knowing my next few shots with the bow had to hit, I focused that much more. My first struck the noble in his ribcage, but he kept running. I sent a second through the air and this one was enough. He fell dead as the frenzied bodyguard bolted past the him.
Somehow through all of this the legion soldier was moving quickly and firing arrows at me. I had already dodged a pair while shooting my own arrows at the royalty. Now I continued to dodge them and return the solider's shots. My first missed. I was rushing my aim. Time was still of the essence, but so was landing arrows against his armor. My second arrow found it's mark.
I managed to score another hit but now the imperial was no more than fifteen paces from me. At any moment he would be drawing his sword and making the fight a lot more personal. As he rushed in I found the ability to get one last arrow off, and it struck him hard in the chest.
The soldier dropped to the ground, not dead, just badly hurt. I wasted no time and switched to my poisoned mace and sprung at him. My steel rained down as he attempted to rise, and with the smashing of metal he was done. I could scarcely believe it, but I had just bested an imperial soldier.
I stood there, catching my breath and smiling a large nordic smile. I ... Hrisskar of Helgen ... son of Hrisskar the Second and grandson of Hrisskar Flat-Foot of Seyda Neen ... had just killed an legion soldier. Just a few months ago I could barely kill a wolf or a mudcrab. I had never before that even considered that I would one day possess this kind of skill and ability. Bless you Talos for blessing me such.
Eventually I stripped their bodies and tucked them in a discreet spot. No need to draw undue attention to my deed. The noble's horse was already long gone, so that wasn't a concern either. I tucked the imperial's armor under a blanket on Kiri, as well as the noble's expensive clothing. I would have to be careful where I tried to sell these things. Not just anyone walks into a shop to sell imperial armor.
But Talos wasn't finished blessing me yet. A few hours later as I traveled along the road I came across an orc. I dismounted and introduced myself to him. As it turns out, he is smuggler .. a skooma smuggler. He expressed much interest in the imperial armor and weapons, but he barely had thirty gold pieces in his pocket. I wasn't about to sell the imperial's gear for a mere thirty gold.
But as we continued haggling I noticed the orc, in addition to his bottles of contraband, had two very special-looking flasks. I asked what they were and he explained that they would greatly bolster one's health for a minute or so. When I pressed him further he assured me that the effect was well worth the five hundred gold he wanted for both. So we did a bit of trading. I purchased his special flasks and he in turn purchased the imperial armor and weapons. How serendipitous.
And that is how today unfolded. I'm not sure who the noble was, but if he was with an imperial guard then he had already chosen his side. I may get no credit from the stormcloaks for my deed, but I already feel I was paid in full. For the first time since I fled Helgen I can think of my father and smile. That alone was worth everything today.
