- Morndas, 23rd of Sun's Dusk, 4E 201 -
My eyes are filled with tears as I write this. It's just after midnight and I'm exhausted but deeply happy. I just had a wonderful meal of cooked salmon and mead. I cooked the salmon myself, and it was delicious. I actually helped myself to more than I needed, but I don't care. I'm happy ... and I have much to write about.
Ironically enough I'm writing this after flipping through the journal of a Telvanni named Lymdrenn. It made for a good read with my dinner. A glimpse into the history of the fall of House Telvanni during the argonian invasion of Morrowind. Given the ending of the journal I suspect their may be an heir living in Skyrim.
But anyways, enough about that. I must explain the tears in my eyes and the jubilation in my full belly. You see, I returned to the shipwreck today to have it out with the bandits holed up there. On the way I came to a tiny island and was attacked by a pack of wolves. It was good that I took one of them out with an arrow before they noticed me. There were three altogether and having to fight two at once was hard enough. By sheer chance or the divine grace of the gods, I just happened to notice a helmet and a book stashed inside a fallen tree next to the dead wolves. I was on this very island a week earlier and had walked right past the items.
The book is a nicely bound historical account of an ancient Dwemer battle, and upon reading it I gained some new ideas on how to fight while wearing my heavy armor. The helmet was just an old iron helmet and I nearly disregarded it. But thank the stars I picked it up. As it happens, the ordinary-looking old helmet is a magical helmet. Donning it seemed to give me more power while using my bow. It's a bit less protection than my nice steel helmet, but the magical element is worth the trade I think. So I took it and left my steel helm on the island, under the tree, for some other lucky fool to find.
When I reached the shipwreck I was freezing from wading through the icy water. But I couldn't just build a fire to warm up or the bandits would surely spot me and come running. Instead, I blocked out the freezing pain in my limbs and I climbed up on the rocks overlooking the shipwreck.
On my last trip the bandits had come from nowhere and surprised me. Not this time. This time I was going to be prepared. So I clamored as quietly as I could over the rocky ridge and surveyed the area. There was a blazing campfire just below me, and it was tempting beyond any treasure I could think of. My toes and fingers ached to be closer. But I wasn't seeing the bandits .. anywhere. Had they left for good? Not likely considering the fire. Had they spotted me already and were hiding and waiting for me to let my guard down? Doubtful, being that they were bandits and had me nicely outnumbered. Were they just out hunting or thieving and on their way back? Had a sabre cat come along and killed them? Had they contracted some foul disease and just died in their sleep?
I waited for a good twenty minutes and finally my body could take no more. I was frozen to my core and shaking violently. If I didn't get dry and warm soon I would die from the cold. I was no longer in any shape to fight, but I had no choice. So I shuffled down the rocks to the fire and crouched next to it for a good half hour.
Once I was dry and warm I was ready to search the area for the bandits. I had a knot in my stomach given that I didn't know where they were. I couldn't allow them to catch me off guard again. In preparation for whatever lay ahead, I poisoned my mace with a paralyze potion and five of my arrows with my remaining frostbite spider venom.
After surveying a bit more I was perplexed. I couldn't seem to locate any bandits, but I was sure they had to be around. The barrels near the fire had contained fresh apples and potatoes. I'm smiling at that thought right now. How fitting that I warmed myself at their fire while eating their food.
I finally decided to climb back up the front half of the shipwreck, as this is where I drew the attack from previously. It felt somewhat foolish, but I didn't know what else to do and wanted to make sure I at least had the higher ground again.
This time, however, I proceeded up the old planks much more carefully. As I reached the top where the ship was broken in half, I noticed that there was a second camp on the other side of the wreck. I quickly set an arrow into my bow and scanned the area. The poison glistened on the arrowhead, hungry for a target. But I saw nothing ... nothing but a pair of beds, some crates and boxes, some barrels and another fire with a stew pot over it. If I wasn't perplexed before, I certainly was now.
The snow and poor light of approaching dusk made it difficult to make out any detail, but I strained my eyes nonetheless. And then ... suddenly ... accompanied by a sick feeling in my stomach, I spotted a tall barbarian with an axe on his back. Amazingly enough he had been standing right near the fire. I had even looked right at him. But the conditions were horrible and I hadn't seen his shadow for what it was. I did now.
I scanned intently, trying to locate his accomplices, but I saw no one else. I decided that perhaps the snow and dim light was keeping me concealed this time, and I should take full advantage of that while I could. With a careful touch I sent my arrow into the axeman's back. As he turned I already had another arrow ready and let it fly. This one dropped him to the ground in a heap.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement by the water, and the vague figure of a woman with a bow emerged from the shadows. I ducked down to avoid her first shot, but wasn't quite fast enough. A moment later I poked my head up to return the favor but she was ready and managed to hit me again. For a minute or so I hid from her on the deck of this old ship, trying to figure out how to outmaneuver her. I was injured badly, and likely couldn't take another of her arrows.
But she was a smart one, and while I sat on the deck debating she was already outmaneuvering me.
Sheer luck saved me from taking the third arrow. I quickly sidestepped to my right and popped up to check her position, only to have an arrow miss my head by the width of a finger. To my surprise, the arrow had come from behind me. I spun around just in time to dodge the bandit's fourth shot. I set my own arrow in place, assuring it was a poisoned one, and let it fly. Too quickly. My aim was just barely low and the arrow struck the railing of the ship instead of her chest. I cursed my hastiness, and stepped to the side to avoid another shot. I quickly grabbed another missile from my quiver. This one found her, and the poison seeped into her blood.
One arrow later she was floating face down in the water, and I was frantically searching for the third bandit. As I remembered, he was a huge nord with a comparable warhammer. He was going to be the real challenge and I had to figure out where he was. But a half hour later I had gone through the second camp and even into the surrounding hills and couldn't find him. I was certain he had to be around, but now it was well past sunset and I was craving some food and rest.
I decided to check out the shipwreck itself. I'll be truthful. I didn't want to. My imagination was running wild with the thought of all the types of ghosts and ghouls that could be locked up inside. To my surprise, though, as I reached the doorway to the upper cabin there stood the giant nord. Apparently these were his private quarters. At first he didn't notice me, so I prepared an arrow for his back. But I just had to take one more step to ensure my shot wouldn't catch on the doorframe, and he heard my boot touch the wood.
I panicked and let the shot fly and it cut right between his knees without touching him. The battle was on. In the dead of night I sprinted off the ship and around to the front of the ship. I raced up the deck and turned to find the brute. He was below me, and seemed unsure of how to get up where I was. I made use of my position and managed to get around fourteen arrows into him, with the last remnants of magika in my bow running out.
Out of arrows I had no choice but to confront him directly. I considered my voice of fear, but I hadn't come this far just to run away yet again. No. Tonight was my night. Talos was with me. Victory would be mine.
I set toward him with my mace at the ready. He was eager to crush me with his hammer, and that was his undoing. I moved in close and as he swung the huge hammer I quickly backed up out of it's way. I could feel the air from the swing brush across my face. In an instant I bolted to him and struck him with my mace. He was already in mid-swing again, but the moment the mace touched his skin the paralyze potion took effect. Like an old statue he tipped over into the salty water and I set upon him with vicious strikes. After three or four strikes I retreated and prepped the mace with another paralyze potion.
The stupid barbarian rose from the water and banged his hammer against his chest, taunting me to return to the fight. I did. And again he swung his great two-handed death-hammer, but again I was just able to avoid it's fury. Another strike from my mace and he was rigid in the water once again. I struck at him mercilessly, willing him to die with my hand and my mind. And that he did. While still locked in paralysis the fourth strike finished him off.
In the hours that followed I stripped the bandits and searched their camp. I only wish I could put my happiness into words right now. I have plenty of food, a bed to rest in, a whole slew of armor and weapons to sell, and I located the helm that the jarl wanted.
Perhaps even better, the bandits had a small boat that they used to get around the islands. This is the true treasure of the day, as it will allow me better access to the islands. Most of the islands I've discovered I can't reach because there's no shallow path to them. I'm pretty certain this goes for the island with the wraith on it too. But now I can go to any island I want. Who would have ever guessed I would value rickety old boat more than a chest of gold and jewels?
My eyes are failing me now. I don't know if it's the long day I've had or the effects of the mead, but it's time to put this bandit chief's bed to the test. For the first time in a long time I feel I've earned a good night's sleep.
