18+ A home for Elsi (working title)

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KaitoGhost

Sea Sponge First Mate
WARNING: THIS FANFIC WILL HAVE SPOILERS IN IT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

A Home for Elsi
Chapter 1: Morthal​
The sun was just beginning to rise above the mountains, smearing the horizon with vibrant reds and yellows as the two women rode over the ancient cobbled stones of the Dragonbridge. They made for an odd pair; a mixed-blood warrior dressed in leather and steel, and a young Nord girl on the cusp of womanhood. The women rode in silence, enjoying the scenery while they leisurely traveled east, towards the city of Morthal, and a meeting with Steward Aslfur.​
The pair had made this journey many times over the past 5 years. It wasn't always this peaceful, however. A few short years earlier, Haafingar Hold was in turmoil, under attack by the Stormcloak army. Solitude was laid under seige, and anyone traveling the roads risked harrassment from the soldiers. The Civil War had finally come to an end 2 years ago, with Yarl Elisef's surrender, and subsequent execution at Ulfric's hands.​
Before the Seige of Solitude, however, there were the dragons. Led by the World Eater himself, they had returned from the void, bent on conquering Skyrim, and all of Tamriel. Travel between the Holds was exceedingly dangerous. That is, until Rolan appeared. Many Nords had risen up against the dragons, but only Rolan could truly defeat them. Only Rolan was Dragonborn. He led the counterattack against the scaled beasts, slaying them one by one, eventually driving even Alduin to flee. Rolan pursued him into Sovengarde itself, where he struck the final blow, and took the name Storm-Dragon.​
Now, the main roads were safe to travel. The women rode on in peace, though the half-elf, Ariella, still kept her guard up, her watchful eyes sweeping along both sides of the path. Though rare, bandit attacks were not completely unknown, and mercenaries like her didn't live long by being complacent. However, her young companion was lost in her own thoughts, oblivious to her surroundings.​
It was mid afternoon when they rode down the mountain path leading into the heart of Morthal, their horses footsteps echoing off the rocky slopes framing the roadway. The city had been one of the lucky few not hit hard by the War, due in no small part to Jarl Ravencrone. Ariella had alot of respect for the old woman, one of the few Jarls left who wasn't automatically prejudiced against her. Things had become more difficult for the Elves of Skyrim ever since Ulfric's victory.​
Today, however, they weren't the only visitors to Highmoon Hall. Tied outside were 3 horses, all bearing the sigil of a dragonskull, crossed with a battle ax. Rolan Storm-Dragon's sigil. Ariella grimaced, cursing under her breath.​
Ariella had taken a strong dislike to the Dragonborn, from the moment she had first met him. She had brought Elsi to Morthal to study magic under the local wizard, Falion, while she took a job at the local lumber mill. Two weeks after they had arrived, Rolan came to the city while on an errand for the Greybeards, and stumbled upon a nearby vampire commune. When Jarl Idgrod asked for volunteers to help exterminate the foul creatures, Ariella had jumped at the chance, having grown bored of simply chopping wood. She could still remember the way that Rolan had sneered down at her when she stepped forward, and his insulting comments about her mixed blood.​
When the group of would-be vampire slayers reached the entrance to the lair, however, only Ariella had been willing to follow the Dragonborn inside. After a couple of hours, they emerged into the daylight, victorious. In reward, Idgrod made Rolan a Thane of Hjaalmarch, and offered him a large plot of land in the moors north of Morthal. The arrogant warrior had scoffed at the gift, but accepted the title. For her part in the affair, Idgrod offered Ariella the chance to purchase the home of Alva, a local woman who had been turned by the master vampire, and had been slain alongside him.​
After securing their horses to a post, Ariella took moment to gather herself, while Elsi ran down the path to Falion's house, eager to see her old teacher. Walking up the steps, the elven warrior took a deep breath, bracing herself, before entering the doors of Highmoon Hall.​


*************************

Elsi raced along the boardwalk, dancing around a guardsman going about his rounds, and laughed with elation. It had been several months since she had last seen her friends, and she was looking forward to their reunion. Old Falion had promised to teach her a new fireball spell upon her return, and the young mage spent the next few months in eager anticipation. Not to mention all the gossip she needed to catch up on with her friend, and fellow student Agni. She could barely contain her excitement as she lept up the front steps of the little cabin the old wizard called home.

Elsi knocked on the door expectantly, and was answered with... silence. She knocked again, harder this time, and again, there was no answer. The young Nord tried to peek through one of the dirt smudged windows, but saw only shapeless dark. It was strange that neither Falion or Agni were home. Elsi ran a hand through her tangled mass of honey blonde hair, as a small knot of worry began to form in the pit of her stomach. Agni was a free spirit, apt to disappear into the nearby forests whenever she didn't have lessons. However, Falion rarely left his home, only doing so when one someone else kept a watch over the small cabin. Maybe something had happened to them... The young Nord girl anxiously hurried back down the boardwalk to the Moorside Inn.

The Inn was one of the better looking buildings in Morthal, having been completely rebuilt when the current owner moved in. The front deck was well kept, the dark varnish holding strong against the harsh Skyrim winters. The great gray stones of the foundation had been worn smooth by wind and weather, but the mortar showed no signs of cracking. Inside, the hearthfire was crackling pleasantly, spreading warmth throughout the entire hall. In a pot above the flames, fresh horker stew cooked, its scent waifting through the air. Wolf skins hung from several walls, the gray furs adding a subtle compliment to the ashen tree trunks used as pillars. Jonna, the proprieter, greeted Elsi with a warm smile. Jonna was Falion's younger sister, and a regular guest at his cabin. If anyone knew why it was empty, it would be her.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite apprentice mage! Welcome back, Elsi," said the kindly old woman. "You'll be wanting some of the stew? It should be just about finished." Jonna's cheery attitude caused Elsi to relax. The innkeep wouldn't be this upbeat if her brother had met with some terrible fate. And besides, she was hungry, and the stew smelled delicious.

"Thank you," said the young Nord, as Jonna dished up a bowl, "I haven't eaten since morning." Elsi took the stew gratefully, wincing slightly from the heat. She sat at a nearby table, blowing on the steaming dish to cool it. The Inn was deserted, so Jonna sat down next to her. Elsi took the opportunity to ask the question burning in her mind. "Where are Falion and Agni? The cabin looks deserted..."

The smile on Jonna's lined face faded as she answered. "They've gone to Windhelm, child, a month past now. The Storm-Dragon came with some men, looking to recruit magic users for King Ulfric's army. Agni, of course, decided to join them. My brother protested, but you know Agni. Once she set her mind on something... well, there was no changing it. So, Falion went with her. He said he wanted to keep an eye on her. He's teaching magic to Ulfric's new recruits now."

The stew had cooled sufficiently enough, so Elsi contemplated on the news while she ate in silence. Jonna sat with her for a while longer, but left when it became clear the young girl was lost in her inner thoughts.

Agni's impulsive decision did not come as a surprise to Elsi; Her friend had always been like that, after all. Falion deciding to follow her, on the other hand, was completely unexpected, as was King Ulfric's recruitment of mages. The King's dislike of magic was well known throughout Skyrim. He mistrusted mages to the point where he had almost never used them during the Civil War, so why was he suddenly so interested in them now? The more she thought about it, the more she became certain that there was only one possible reason; Ulfric was preparing for war with the Dominion.
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
Nice start! I really liked the description in the first sentence. It's crucial to have a good first sentence that interests the reader, and yours definitely interested me.

A couple of words of advice. Instead of having the paragraph at the beginning of when the story is taking place and who Ariella and Elsi are, try to incorporate that information into the opening scene(s) so that they're a part of the story instead of an aside. The same goes for the flashback of Ariella's sojourn in vampire hunting. The way it's worded, I think it'd be fine as part of the narrative instead of separating it as a flashback (at least, I assume that's what you were doing by italicizing that part). Showing versus telling, and all that.

Also... all hail to Ulfric, he is the High King!
 

KaitoGhost

Sea Sponge First Mate
Nice start! I really liked the description in the first sentence. It's crucial to have a good first sentence that interests the reader, and yours definitely interested me.

A couple of words of advice. Instead of having the paragraph at the beginning of when the story is taking place and who Ariella and Elsi are, try to incorporate that information into the opening scene(s) so that they're a part of the story instead of an aside. The same goes for the flashback of Ariella's sojourn in vampire hunting. The way it's worded, I think it'd be fine as part of the narrative instead of separating it as a flashback (at least, I assume that's what you were doing by italicizing that part). Showing versus telling, and all that.

Also... all hail to Ulfric, he is the High King!

Advice appreciated, and headed.


Also edited the existing parts a bit. Currrently working on the next part, will post it up when I'm satisfied with it.
 

KaitoGhost

Sea Sponge First Mate
O HAI


Finally got a real computer, so I figured I'd come back to this long neglected fanfic. Didn't really add anything new, just edited the first part up a bit. I'll be back with the next part hopefully soon. :D
 

Lady Imp

Rabid Wolverine
It's been so long since I read this the first time I don't even remember what it looked like to begin with. The rehash looks good so far though :).
 

A.Auditore

maybe...
and moar hooker? :eek:
 

A.Auditore

maybe...
why?
 

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