Chapter 18: Growing the Crew IV
After a few days of trekking… Which was weird since I didn't think it took that long in in-game hours to get there… Is the world getting bigger? Anyways we made it there fairly uneventfully, except for some rowdy wolves that the Strange Girl girl quickly dispatched, with extreme prejudice. Once in Falkreath I decided to head straight to the Jarl's Lodge to get this over with…
"Oh perhaps someone useful has finally arrived." Jarl Siddgeir says while slouching in his seat of power.
"I am here about your letter. I am Commander Silvantus Malborne. What is it you would like to hire me for?" I say returning to my no-nonsense mercenary persona, which slightly confuses the strange girl.
"Oh. For some reason I didn't realize you were the same person all the stories were about… In any case, I need you to kill some bandits in Bannermist Tower, before I can approve you to purchase land in my hold," The Jarl says, slightly throwing me off at the coincidence of the locations being the same.
"I'll deal with it right away, Jarl Siddgeir," I say turning away to leave.
"See that you do." The Jarl says to me with obvious disinterest.
After I leave the hall the strange girl speaks up, "Why are you so different in there than out here? She thinks it is strange, no?"
"Is it strange?" I ask turning to Sofia and Jenassa.
"It threw me off at first Silvy, but I figured ya were doing it to keep up appearances with those higher-up people ta make us seem like a respectable organization," Sofia says with a shrug.
"I assumed you were acting with a purpose or intent, sera." Jenassa comments.
"Well… Yeah, but I'm not that different right? I'm still respectable, right?" I ask the two who look at each other before nodding quietly and walking on.
"Jenassa, Sofia, what does that mean?!" I say chasing after them as we head towards Bannermist Tower.
After following the road for a day we're forced to begin traveling through the wilderness. Nothing exciting happened until our second night in the wilderness when a bear stumbled into our camp while someone… Who definitely wasn't me… Fell asleep on watch.
It entered from the north, rustling through a pack of food, which woke me up which prompted me to shout, "Look out! There's a bear in the camp!"
Which quickly awoke the rest of the party, and garnered the bear's attention as well, who quickly began to growl at me with a low grumble as I approached with my bare fists because I always wanted to fist fight a bear! I charge in at the beast shouting, "FUS!" To throw the creature off balance as I bring my hands together before slamming them down on the bear's head.
Disorientating the beast, only shortly as it quickly recovers and roars back enraged at my thrashing it before charging at me. Forcing me to dive out of the way, but not before it slashed me across my side with a swipe of its claws, shockingly cutting clean through my armor.
"Fucking bastard!" I scream out in pain before using a heal spell in my left hand and using, shockwave, as I tackle the bear in its exposed side, throwing my armored shoulder into its side.
It's then several arrows begin to be launched from the opposite side of the beast, piercing its thick hide, but this only enrages it even more. Causing the bear to charge towards the location of the arrows, allowing me to catch a glimpse of Jenassa, Sophia, and the Stranger all with bows drawn darting between the nearby trees to avoid becoming a target.
While failing to lose the bear, they did prove to be an excellent distraction, allowing me to fully heal before charging behind the bear and leaping atop its back locking my arms in a death lock around its neck trying to cut off its air before it can throw me off.
After bucking, rolling, and desperately bashing me against a tree it finally begins to lose its strength before slowly falling to the ground as the last vestiges of light leave its desperate eyes.
"Whew," I sigh before beginning to use healing magic in both hands as I feel my HP slowly rise.
"So Silvy, anything exciting happens during your watch?" Sophia says with a smirk.
"Nope, nothing too exciting. Made me sleep like a bear." I laugh, causing Sophia to snicker.
Jenassa groans in exasperation, "Really? You are terrible, sera."
The strange girl however raises her hand to silence us as her ear twitches and a bush nearby rustles.
I lounge for my sword and prepare myself for another fight.
And from the underbrush… Emerges a little white fluff ball? What? I move closer to get a better look while lowering my blade, and upon further examination I realize it's… An albino bear cub? Wait… I turn to the bear I just killed… Fuck…
"Well, I guess it was a fucking bitch and not a fucking bastard," I say bending down to pick up the cub who struggles in my grass wriggling and trying to nibble my hand off.
"So, ya gonna keep it Silvy?" Sophia asks.
"It might make a good meal, like veal, sera." Jenassa comments.
"No! It is too cute and fluffy! Also, we killed its mother! We must take it in!" The strange girl demands.
"Hmmm… I have been thinking of getting a mount… And nothing says badass like ridding an armored bear into battle! It's settled, I'm keeping it!" I exclaim pulling it in close to cuddle it where it begins to bite my head doing 1 HP of damage.
"Are ya okay, Silvy?" Sophia asks with concern.
"Doesn't that hurt, sera?" Jenassa says with a look of confusion.
"Nah, just trying to think of a name for them… Maybe Jorris? Or Snowball?" I say thinking aloud.
"She thinks you should name them, Crimson, for its eyes." The strange girl suggest, causing the albino cub to stop gnawing away at my skull horns and tilt its head.
"Hmmm, do you like that name? Crimson it is then!" I exclaim happily before swaddling the cub and placing them on my back, before turning to my party, "Well, since we're all awake, let's make for the tower since we still have some darkness to cover our movements."
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