Chapter 03: Preparations

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Betad by morde24

The Guild of Gamers: The Vampire

Chapter 03: Preparations

Running through the forest, I grin as I dash between the trees of the massive woods, I've always loved the outdoors and Skyrim's natural beauty is something to behold. Instead of a few sparse trees (as was done in game to save processing power since it doesn't have to render as much), the forests here are truly immense, thickly packed with trees though not thick enough that some of the larger creatures would have trouble moving through them.

I'm here to test something, and pausing as I sniff the air, I grin and set off further into the forests, following the scent and sounds of hoofs.

I think the scariest part of my new speed isn't how fast I am, but how quiet I am despite my speed. I've always been light-footed, you need to be to get away with some of the stuff I've done, I could never overpower my targets before, and I couldn't always rely on drugs so sometimes I needed the element of surprise, hence why I had to get good at staying silent as I move.

But as I dash through the forests, the only real noise made is the sounds of branches and twigs being broken as I move. If I was trying to move quietly then I doubt most people or creatures would realise I was there until it was far too late.

But I'm not, and as I approach my prey it jumps in shock at the rapidly approaching snapping twigs and without a second of hesitation it jumps away from the small stream it was drinking from and immediately starts to flee in the opposite direction, deeper into the forest.

It's fairly fast, but not faster than me, and as I pursue it I slow down enough to drag the chase out, enjoying the wind on my face and body as I hunt my next meal.

I didn't want to have to explain wear and tear, or blood, on my new clothes, so I had decided to simply get rid of them while I hunted.

I want to know if animal blood can satisfy the urges dwelling deep inside me, and as the deer I'm hunting prances away in a growing panic I quickly gain on it and run past it, getting in its way as it tries to turn.

The moment it slows itself to try and change directions, I pounce, lunging forward with my dagger, not willing to rely on my fangs for the large creature.

I couldn't tell you where a deer's heart is located, so without any better idea I simply resort to brute force and aim for the skull, trying to stab it in the eye to get through to the brain.

I miss, its frantic movements throwing me off, and I'm not used to my own speed yet so instead I end up stabbing it in the side of the head instead, my dagger merely grazing it.

Undeterred, I regain my footing and as I prepare to try again, I find out a cool fact about deers.

Did you know their kicks really fucking hurt?

As it spins away, the fucker wastes no time in kicking me in the stomach sending me tumbling back with a pained groan, the deer running deeper into the forest as I lay there in disbelief.

That… didn't exactly go the way I hoped, but picking myself up I raise the dagger up and lick the sliver of blood from it, a grin growing on my face.

It's not as nice as human blood, but the warm sticky sensation still sends a shiver down my spine.

The hunt is on, and I don't take defeat well. Sniffing the air again, I grin hungrily at the smell of blood in the air.

Setting off after my prey, I can already feel my stomach healing, and this fucker won't be so lucky a second time.I was going for a quick and easy kill, but if I have to butcher that animal to get it to stop running, I will.

Hunting my prey down, I grin as I effortlessly move through the forest, occasionally a branch or bush hits me but I heal from the slight injuries in seconds, and the slight sting of pain as a branch whips me is kinda exciting.

The deer doesn't stop it's frantic fleeing, only speeding up when it notices me, but an old fact is quickly proven as I pursue it. Humans can't really outrun any animal, but they can outlast them and vampires are no different, the only difference is that I can both outrun and outlast my prey.

I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm the most dangerous thing around, hell I'm probably not even in the top five in this forest, but chasing the deer is certainly a thrill, the heady feeling of chasing down a prey that knows it doesn't have long for this world. As the deer starts to slow, so do I, could have caught up ages ago, but I'm dragging this out because I can.

Letting it make distance only to catch up again, getting close enough to touch it only to let it escape so I can start all over again. The Hunt is thrilling, as my prey finally gives up and slows to a halt, I decide I've had enough fun as I approach the creature slowly, deciding how I want to do this.

The deer has clearly given up, so aiming my dagger I thrust it up under the deers chin straight up into its brain, the force behind my dagger causing it to find purchase easily, the life leaving its eyes almost immediately.

I've had my fun, no need to drag this out any more, and pulling my dagger back I turn the deer onto its back so I can get a better angle before I sink my teeth into the furred neck, drinking deep of the animal's blood.

As I drink, something in me clicks and I have an understanding I lacked before now. Pulling back, I look down at my soft hands and focus, guiding my magic towards them and marvelling as my fingernails grow into long, sharp claws

Protean, a vampiric art that allows the vampire to truly embrace their bestial side. I unlocked my first vampiric art, and now I have an idea of just how I need to unlock more skills.

I might be mistaken, but if I got the bestial skill from feeding on animals, surely the others are similar?

Basically I'm gonna keep feeding on things until something unlocks.

Hearing a soft panting, I decide to try something.

I herded the deer this way for a reason, and picking up the deer with little struggle, I carry the corpse towards the sound.

We are close to the mine, and feeding the bodies of the bandits to the wolf pack worked, so why wouldn't I dispose of the evidence the same way. The last thing I need is rumours of bloodsuckers going around, even if I don't think Elder Scrolls vampires can feed on animals.

So heading towards where I can hear the wolves, I walk towards them with confidence as they quickly notice me, growls coming from a small cave as they start to filing out to take advantage of their number.

There's maybe a dozen of them, though I think more are inside, but it's one that makes me pause in my step as it strolls out of the cave without a care.

It's bigger than the others, and that's an understatement to say the least.

I'm almost six foot, and this massive beast is almost eye level with me as it stares me down, it's almost the size of a horse but the fangs and claws longer than my dagger make it clear that it's a much bigger threat than any horse.

Yellow eyes stare at me, and as I take the deer from my shoulder I toss it towards the clear alpha of the pack. I do believe that is a fucking Dire Wolf.

Sniffing at the carcass, it stares at me for a moment before taking a massive bite, removing the deer's head entirely, and heading back into the cave with as little care as it left it, the other wolves descending on the free food as I back away.

Now, one last minor issue.

I'm naked, covered in blood, dirt and grass stains.

Thankfully, nature provides and my explorations help me find a small stream that leads to a pool. I don't have any cleaning products but the cold water will do the job, and thankfully the pool doesn't count as running water unlike the stream itself.

It's not quite hygienic, but I'm also in a land full of unwashed Nords who smell like they haven't seen water in years. It's good enough for now.

Relaxing in the pool, I do find one slight issue with bathing in the woods, and with a yelp of pain I jump up and look down at the water as it slowly turns slightly red, blood leaking from my leg as I reach down and grab the small slaughterfish that had managed to sneak up on mem Its not fully grown yet, but it's jagged teeth are still extremely painful and it certainly had no problems tearing into my thigh.

A part of me starts thinking about how to carefully remove the creature without doing more damage.

The much larger part of me immediately tears the little fucker off my leg, ripping out some of its teeth in the process and doing more damage to myself as I violently toss the particularly angry fish at a tree.

I doubt it survived the impact, but if it did it can enjoy some time on land.

This world is rather dangerous, because even the non-magical wildlife are capable of doing some serious damage, and as I slowly pull the jagged teeth out of my thigh I pause.

Slaughterfish can't smell blood like sharks can, right?

Getting out of the water, I watch as a dozen more of the bastards come swarming down the stream, taking a deep breath as I go back to getting the teeth out of my leg.

Skyrim is a bit more troublesome when you aren't playing from your bedroom.

A huffing sound draws my attention towards the tree line, the sound almost mimicking a laugh as I stare at the massive wolf from before, just lounging in the trees watching me.

Standing up, it calmly moves to the mouth of the stream, sitting down in the water and casually making a feast of the slaughterfish, the only way out of the pool being back up the stream.

That… is a very smart wolf. It certainly doesn't seem to care when one of them attacks it's leg, calmly clawing it as it chews on one of the others.

Staring at the wolf, it gives me another look before losing interest and going back to its meal.

I have no idea how strong or smart that animal actually is, so with a nod I head away, most of my washing up was done, and I can clean up the blood on my leg later as the wound is already healing.

I think I've had enough of the forest, for tonight at least.

Taking a moment to pick up the probably dead slaughterfish, I toss the vicious little bastard into the air with my full strength sending it flying through the night sky.

Fuck you fish.

Next Morning

Messing with people is second nature to me, even when I don't get anything out of it I can't help drawing out reactions from people. Honestly I don't even really mind what kind of reaction, positive or negative, one can be just as fun as the other.

It's so easy to manipulate people too. In college I ruined a three year long relationship with some discreet stretching and a little bending over in the right place at the right time.

Well, that and some time and effort to make a dumb cheerleader develop an inferiority complex so she's massively overreact to her boyfriends wandering eyes.

She stole my homework, I stole her boyfriend without even having to sleep with the dumb jock.

I also slashed her car's tires, stole her phone and posted her nudes onto her Facebook page and blamed it on a rival cheerleader to start a war in the cheer team but that's a different story.

The point is that I enjoy fucking with people, whether it's lust or fear, joy or pain, I like seeing people dancing to my strings.

So even if I didn't think damaging Gerdur and Hod's relationship would help me, I'd absolutely do it anyway just so I could watch Hod fall deeper into my web.

Also, hurting their relationship hurts their son and I despise almost every single child in Skyrim, with a few exceptions.

By the Gods I hope that little brat Braith tries her usual bullshit with me when I get to Whiterun. She's on my list, up there with Nazeem and Heimskr.

Is it petty to wish harm on children over them being written as annoying in game? Yes.

That's not going to stop me, but I won't kill them or even hurt them physically, I do have some standards. I don't hurt children, once they hit the teen years they're free game because fuck teenagers, but below that I won't hurt them.

Doesn't mean I can't destroy their lives and tear their families apart, I have some standards, but not many.

Actually that reminds me, where the fuck has their son even been? I've been hanging around the house but while I've heard him snore I haven't actually seen him yet.

Listening as I sit up in bed, I frown as I realise I can't hear the heavy panting of the dog that follows him around, do all Nords get up so damn early?

I don't think it's even 8am yet and it sounds like everyone but Hod is out, and even Hod is cutting firewood or something in the backyard. As someone who despised the concept of waking up before eight for college, I find their early bird lifestyles disgusting and worrying.

Lazing around the guest room, I wait until I can hear Hod come back inside before I make my move, slowly getting out of bed.

Thankfully for my plan, most houses don't have many windows I guess glass is rare and expensive, because aside from Gerdur's house, there's maybe two more buildings with windows (that don't have glass either) and Gerdur's house only has a couple of windows in the bedrooms, so as as I hear Hod coming upstairs towards my room, I calmly walk towards the door and open it before he has a chance to knock, tilting my head in faux-surprise as he freezes in place.

"Oh, good morning Hod." I say innocently, utterly naked once again, his eyes wandering my body immediately as he shuffled slightly

"Uh, good morning? I'm just making food, and I wanted to see if you were awake." Hod says dumbly, making me smile.

"I am, as you can see, and I'd love some food. I was just reading up on some things before I truly get up and start my day." I explain, placing my hand on my hip and subtly posing.

"Right, I'll uh, it'll be ready soon." Hod mumbles, still staring as I smile.

Gerdur doesn't seem to enjoy sex, or at the very least she's too tired to want to get laid when she could sleep, which makes wrapping Hod around my finger all too easy. He's way too pent up.

"I'll be done soon, I want to finish my chapter." I say, turning and strutting back to the bed, his eyes on me the entire time as I take a seat and go back to one of the books Gerdur had lying around the house.

He stares at me for a few more moments before I glance back at him, raising an eyebrow and giggling as he quickly flees. Truly, a strong, brave nord.

As I smell the food being cooked, I close the book (marking my place) and head downstairs, not bothering to get dressed as I head to the table. Hod almost drops the food as he notices my state of undress.

"Gerdur's dress is… uncomfortably tight in places, I prefer to give my girls some breathing room. I can put it on if you'd be more comfortable." I explain, amused at how quickly he shakes his head.

"No! That's fine, you shouldn't have to be uncomfortable." Hod says quickly as he places the food down in front of me making me smile sweetly up at him.

As we eat, he can't take his eyes off me, but then I am his dream girl, quite literally since I made sure his nights were filled with nothing but me.

Gerdur dreamed of destruction, death and defilement, goblins, bandits and dragons alike turning her beloved village to a ruin, I barely had to do anything to make that happen. In her dreams, it was her failure that led to the utter destruction of her town, and it should push her to work even harder.

Leaving her even more tired than ever, and all the more grateful when her new best friend helps lift the weight on her shoulders.

"So, uh… what are you planning on doing today?" Hod asks, making me smile at his awkward question.

"I'm going to head to the Riverwood Trader, and get some well needed provisions, I can't stay naked forever after all, even if you clearly wouldn't mind~" I tease, making him look away uncomfortably. "Then I'm going to check out the bounty board Gerdur mentioned and talk to Alvor and Sigrid, as I'm planning on taking the quest to wipe out the goblins, and hopefully find Dorthe." I explain, making his eyes widen.

"Goblins aren't a joke, girl. If they capture you, you'll wish you died at Helgen." Hod warns quickly, making me giggle again.

"I know I'm not a big strong man like you, but I know how to take care of myself, and I'm stronger than I look. I have the strength and endurance of a Nord, the magical talent of a Breton, and my father was a ranger so I know how to survive in the wilds. Trust me, I can handle myself, but thank you for the concern." I say as I finish my breakfast, rising from the table.

"Ugh, magic? I guess those skinny Bretons need it." Hod grumbles, making me giggle.

"Oh, it's quite useful. I know a few tricks, like this one." I say as I make my Mage Hand bring my tiny pack downstairs, taking out the components for Unseen Servant and focusing my magic, the spectral servant taking the dishes away. "It's not the most useful in combat, but Unseen Servant definitely has its uses."

It looks like the village has a well, judging by the bucket of water sitting in the kitchen area, and as he watches the dishes seemingly wash themselves he grunts.

"Don't show Gerdur that one, she'll make you do all the chores with it then make new ones for the rest of us." Hod grumbles as I giggle, watching him stand up with a sigh. "I've gotta get to the mill, there's work to be done if we're gonna keep up with the other mills."

"Oh?" I ask, curious at the bitterness in his tone.

"Half-Moon Mill and Deadwood Mill, both in Falkreath hold, Half-Moon has been undercutting our prices for months and lumber is the Riverwoods main export." Hod explains, and my surprise at his words must have been apparent as he laughs. "I've had to listen to Gerdur talk about exports and contracts for years, some of her brains had to rub off on me."

"Ahh, I meant no offence… but are you sure you want to leave right now? It's just- you have a little issue." I say, my eyes flickering down to his crotch, making him blush slightly. "Well, not that little. Gerdur's a lucky woman."

"She sure doesn't see it that way." Hod grumbles as he adjusts his trousers, trying to hide the tent with the good old tuck method.

"Oh? Trouble in paradise?" I ask, making him pause. "Come on, you can trust me, you've both done so much for me, if there's any way I can help, I'd be happy to."

I've never used my Succubi charm before, but with him horny, barely able to look away from my naked body, and already on the fence about telling me, it's easy to push him over to my side of the fence.

"Nah, it's nothing like that, Gerdur is a busy woman, she works hard all day to help Riverwood and make her ancestors proud, she just doesn't have time for stuff like that. Feels like it's been months since I've even seen her naked." Hod admits, making me smile internally.

"Ahh, I guess my… casualness about nudity has been a bit of a surprise in comparison, and a bit of a treat given the way you stare." I tease. "It's no wonder you can't take your eyes off me, you must be so pent up~ that's not healthy you know." I say kindly, making him shrug.

"Ain't exactly my choice, it'd take a braver man than me to try and force myself on Gerdur, don't let her smart words fool you, she's a true Nord woman and she can take any man." Hod said, a hint of pride in his tone.

Hm, he does seem to love her, that is interesting.

"That's not what I meant, you Nord men are so quick to resort to force." I giggle, making him blink. "Why haven't you… taken care of your own needs?"

"What, touch myself like some elf?" Hod grumbles, insulted. "Not a chance."

What.

Rolling my eyes, I make a note that apparently masturbation is for elves. Whatever the fuck that means.

"You Nords get so stubborn about the strangest things." I deadpan, making him laugh.

"You're half Nord as well, and you're damn right we do." Hod agrees.

"True, I can be pretty stubborn when I feel like it. Do you want a hand then?" I ask, approaching him with a smile.

"Wait, you mean-" Hod says, eyes wide as I stop right in front of him, staring up at him with a small smile.

"I said I'd help in any way I could, and I meant it." I swear, my hand rubbing his length over his trousers as he groans, immense hesitation on his face.

"Gerdur-" Hod started, making me giggle.

"Is busy, and not interested in the pleasures of flesh anyway. It's not fair that you have to go without because she's tired, this is the best of both worlds." I say, my hand moving into his trousers and grasping his rock hard shaft, deft fingers gently wrapping around his sizable cock as I start to stroke him.

This is actually far more mean than it seems, because as he gives in and lets out a moan, the front door opens and I quickly draw my hand back as his eyes widen, his son and their dog walking into the house.

My own eyes wide, I give him an apologetic look and head towards the stairs, avoiding the teenage boy as Hod quickly fixes his trousers.

Sneaking up to my room, I pull Gerdur's dress on and gather my things, the gems from the bandit cave, the septims I have and my component pouch, tying it around my waist.

Heading back downstairs, I give them a smile as they turn to me.

"Oh, you must be Frodnar. I'm Raven, it's a pleasure to meet you." I say as if I wasn't jerking off his father moments before, Hod looks unhealthily pale as Frodnar turns to me, his eyes widening at the tight dress I'm wearing.

Typical teenage boy.

"Anyway, I'm going to go and get started, I'll be back later, Hod." I say, seeing no response coming from the teenager, and getting an awkward nod from Hod.

He's already struggling, now he's getting blue balled with the knowledge that I'll happily help him out, because I want to know how my succubi nature works and he's easy pickings.

I don't mind low hanging fruit.

Heading out, I school my expression as the sunlight starts to burn my skin, I only have a limited amount of time until my vampiric nature is revealed, my skin visibly burning under the sunlight, but the Gods are feeling merciful today as the thick clouds occasionally block the sun and let my body recover, lengthening the amount of time I can spend outside.

I made sure to memorise my route, wasting no time as I head towards the Riverwood trader. Riverwood is far larger in real life, but it's still small enough that I can easily make it to my destination in time, entering the store with a hidden sigh of relief.

I'm almost disappointed that Lucan isn't arguing with Camilla when I show up, I'm so used to it that it's strange to see the man I can only assume is Lucan counting coins instead.

"Oh, a new visitor. You must be Raven, don't look so surprised, word travels fast in a little village like this." Lucan jokes as he stands up, walking around the counter and offering me his hand. The store is larger than in game, something I'm starting to realise is likely going to be a common occurrence.

"That's right, are you Lucan?" I ask, making him smile as we shake hands.

"That's right, Lucan Valerius, owner and proprietor of the Riverwood Trader, a pleasure to meet you. I was expecting you sooner to be honest, I've heard about the tragedy up at Helgen, and that you lost your belongings in the chaos." Lucan says, hesitating. "This is a business, not a charity, I don't mind giving you a bit of a discount but-"

"I'm no beggar, and I'd spit on charity." I deadpan, placing my coin pouch on the counter as he lets out a laugh. "I carried a few gems in a hidden pouch on my old dress as well, so I can barter for what I need. If what I have isn't enough, I'll take what I can afford and buy the rest later."

"Ahh, a woman after my own heart. These are some fine gems, and they'll definitely get you some essentials. So, what do you need?" Lucan says, far warmer now that he knows I'm a paying customer.

"I'm an adventurer, or I'm soon to be one, so my needs are a bit more complicated than most, but I've made a list." I say, passing over a piece of parchment which he takes, raising an eyebrow. "If you have them in stock, I need everything on this list."

"Fine penmanship, rare in these parts. You're obviously well educated, another rarity around here. You're in luck, given that we are the stopping point between Riverwood and Falkreath, I keep a larger inventory of things like this, though I don't have any wands or staves, I don't have any vials either."

I need an arcane focus, my deeper delve into the book on arcana has made that clear. I should be able to bypass most of the material requirements if I have one.

"Manacles?" Lucan asks, pausing and looking up at me.

"Sometimes, adventurers have to take their targets alive, and while magic can help, I'm still a skinny Breton woman." I explain, making him nod.

"I don't have any, Alvor should be able to make them easily enough though. Same with the brass brazier, everything else I can sell you right now. As for the price, this is enough to pay for it all." Lucan says, taking two of the gems and pushing the others back.

Staring him down, I don't see any signs of deceit or greed so with a smile I take the others back and place them into my coin pouch.

"I'll round them all up, as for the clothes, my sister is upstairs and she can take your measurements, she's not as good at sewing as Sigrid, but Sigrid has been rather distracted of late. Poor woman." Lucan says, before taking a breath. "Camilla! Get down here."

A few moments later, the sounds of footsteps makes me turn and raise an eyebrow as a young woman joins us in the store, wearing a rather revealing red dress with a considerable amount of cleavage, a cute smile on her face as she approaches.

I can see why she has men fighting over her now that she's in front of me.

"Yes, brother?" Camilla asks, turning to Lucan.

"This is Raven, she's ordered some clothes. Three sets of common clothes and something she can travel in, take her upstairs and get her measurements." Lucan orders, making Camilla scowl ever so slightly before she smiles again.

"Of course, please follow me." Camilla says, turning and heading upstairs as I give Lucan a smile and a nod as he starts gathering the rest of my purchases.

Heading up into what must be Camilla's bedroom, she turns to me and looks down at my dress with a slight giggle.

"Yeah, I can see the problem. I doubt you'd fit into the clothes of any woman in Riverwood, at least not comfortably. You can take the dress off, it looks like it's squeezing the life out of you." Camilla giggles as I undo it, letting out a faux sigh of relief.

I don't breathe after all.

"Yeah, it's a gift in many ways, a curse in others." I admit as I strip down, Camilla giving me an approving once over as I do.

"I can fix that, making more space upstairs is easy enough and we have a decent selection of clothes to choose from. Any preferences?" she asks as she pulls out a measuring tape made of… something? It's definitely not plastic and I'm not quite sure what it's made from.

"Something that provides a lot of coverage but form fitting, I'm used to the sunnier weather of Cyrodiil and I certainly don't want to wear a skirt with Skyrim's weather." I say making her laugh.

"Tell me about it, it took me years to get used to it when me and my brother moved up here. Of course I thought it'd be an adventure, then he settled here and we haven't gone further than Whiterun since." Camilla sighs. "I was listening to you and Lucan talk, what made you decide to become an adventurer?"

"I like travelling, and it's a lifestyle that lets me travel and see the world while doing some good along the way." I say, making her sigh as she measures my body.

"It does sound wonderful, but Lucan loses his mind if I go any further than the bridge, not that he doesn't have a point, this land is dangerous." Camilla admits as she continues measuring me. "The closest I have to any excitement is a couple of local men fighting over me, all while my brother tells me that I should pick one, get married and become a housewife."

"Not interested?" I ask, noticing the bitterness in her tone.

"Sven is cute, and he's a good singer, but he's a mother's boy and a bit of a coward, plus his mother is a crazy old harpy. Faendal is talented, and his hunting stories are always exciting, but he's content to just hunt deer around the village and doesn't want to leave, and between you and me… the rumours about wood elf men are true." Camilla whispers, making me giggle. "I didn't sleep with him, but I saw him bathing in the river once and he certainly lives up to his people's reputation, for all the worst reasons."

"Oh? So you'd prefer a big Nord man? Or maybe you're interested in something a little wilder… got a taste for Redguards or Orcs?" I ask, making her giggle.

"Well, I can't say I haven't had dreams of being carried off and ravished by burly orcish raiders, but no, I prefer Bretons, Breton men are so handsome, all the benefits of elvish beauty with none of the… elvishness." Camilla admits.

"We Bretons are incredibly beautiful, not that you'd have any trouble getting a man with looks like yours." I compliment, making her smile.

"Heh, I'd have to meet one first, and Riverwood doesn't exactly have the best selection, but we went off topic. So, pants and long sleeved tops, probably some gloves as well, and some boots if you're going to be travelling. Three sets of common clothes, one set for travelling. It won't take me that long to get your travelling clothes done, I'll do those first." Camilla promises as I smile and get dressed again.

"Thank you, losing my clothes was a bit of a problem." I say, making her smile.

"I can imagine, don't worry they'll be ready soon." Camilla says. "I hope you'll tell me about your future adventures when you get the chance, I'll take any excitement I can get, second hand or not."

"Of course, but first I need to have an adventure, getting knocked out and almost set on fire doesn't really count." I laugh, and as I head back downstairs I spot Lucan talking to a large bearded man, who turns to me as I walk downstairs before turning back.

"I have some manacles, sure. Made a bunch of them for the militia. I'd have to make the brazier though, won't cost much, brass isn't that hard to work with." the man says. Ahh, this must be Alvor.

"Ahh, Raven, perfect timing. This is Alvor, our local smith." Lucan says, making him turn to me again.

"Oh! Excellent, I wanted to speak with him anyway, I plan on accepting the bounty you put on the goblins once I've replaced my equipment. I wanted to see if you knew any more details about them before I headed out. A well informed adventurer is a successful adventurer after all." I say quickly, his disinterested look fading almost immediately as he looks me over.

"You? Lass, I want those goblins gone more than anyone, but I don't want to send you to your death, or worse." Alvor says quickly, making me giggle.

"Don't worry, I'm far more dangerous than I look." I admit sweetly. "Risk is a daily thing in the life of an adventurer, my decisions are my own and so are the consequences." I say sagely.

"Aye, I can't argue with that. You need this brazier before you go out?" Alvor asks, making me nod.

"It's necessary to summon my familiar, and I'll need my familiar to increase my chances of finding your daughter." I explain easily.

"Hm, that's outside of my expertise but if it'll help you find Dorthe, I'll make it now free of charge. I only had some small jobs to do today, and they can wait. Come over to the smithy in a couple of hours, I'll have it ready and I'll tell you everything I know." Alvor swears, making me smile as he leaves, a package under his arm.

"I've got everything ready, but with the tent and bedroll the pack is rather heavy…" Lucan says, watching as I easily take the large backpack and put it on.

"Don't worry, I'm stronger than I look." I say calmly. "It had everything else on the list?"

"Yes, enough rations for ten days, more if you stretch it out, rope, two waterskins, some soap, a tinderbox, not sure you want the incense and herbs for but they're in there as well." Lucan assured me, making me smile.

"Then I'm one step closer to being ready to set out." I say happily.

"Listen, it's an unimportant thing but if you're planning on becoming an adventurer I thought I'd mention it. Thieves from Bleak Falls stole a family heirloom, if you want another job I'd pay a lot of money to have it back. It's far less important than the goblin problem, especially since Dorthe might be alive, but when you get back and if you want or need the work, keep it in mind." Lucan says, acting like the quest giver he is.

"Of course, an adventurer should never turn her nose up at paying work." I say. The completionist in me is more than happy to pay Bleak Falls a visit.

"Excellent, in that case my friend, keep the Riverwood trader in mind for all your adventuring gear needs." Lucan says happily.

"I will, and thank you." I say with a slight curtesy, keeping good relations with the important people in each settlement, and the owner of the only general store in Riverwood is certainly important.

Heading out, I immediately head back to Gerdur's house and let myself in, the house is empty anyway and I have time to kill while I wait for a couple of hours to pass.

I have a plan, and for it to work I need to take a nap first. No really, my plans are entirely based around taking a nap.

I promise.

Later

Arriving at Alvor's smithy as the sun starts to set, I knock on the door and I'm utterly unsurprised when it opens in a matter of seconds, a beautiful older redhead with slightly curly hair answering the door.

"Raven? Come in, come in. We've been waiting for you." the woman I can only assume is Sigrid says, practically pulling me inside.

Camilla dropped my travelling clothes off at Gerdur's house, so I've already changed into them instead of that damn dress.

The outfit reminds me of Triss from the Witcher, only lower quality. The pants are rather tight but that's obviously deliberate and not uncomfortable, so I should thank Camilla for that, since I think she understands me a little too well.

The white shirt is also rather tight, and the vest that goes over it has a bit of cleavage, tasteful but sexy. It also comes with a full length hooded cloak, perfect to protect me from the elements.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late, I decided to get some sleep and overslept a little." I explain as I'm led into a somewhat more modest house.

Still, being the only Smith obviously pays well as it's still larger than most.

"Sleep, in the middle of the day?" Alvor asks, overhearing our conversation as I'm led into a dining room, practically pushed into a seat.

"Well, if I can get my familiar tonight I'm going to set out immediately, I've been taught how to traverse the wilderness at night, and if there's a captive then a single wasted night could mean the difference between me bringing back Dorthe or nothing but bad news." I explain, pulling my hood down as his expression gets serious.

"You think she could be alive?" Sigrid asks, making me nod after a moment.

"I'm hoping for the best while preparing for the worst, it's only been three days right?" I ask, making Alvor nod.

"Aye, she snuck out of the village three days ago, and the militia heard her scream in the evening. I have your brazier, and I'll answer any questions you have." Alvor says, getting up and bringing the brazier from a chest. It's small, but I don't need a big one for what I'm going to be using it for.

"Firstly, do you know where the goblins are hiding out?" I ask, making Alvor sigh as I pull out a map I got from Lucan.

"No, we know which direction they are coming from, but there's too many caves in the hills, Faendal was attacked around here." he says, pointing to a spot a decent distance from the village. "They're coming from somewhere north of that spot, but we don't have the manpower to flush them out. Skyrim has its share of adventurers, but the war has the whole land stirred up, beasts are getting more aggressive, bandits are popping up more and more, I think it's all the bloodshed. Adventuring is dangerous, and the Companions can't be everywhere, plus they're damn expensive." Alvor mutters.

"I see, how often do they cause trouble, and how many have you seen?" I ask, making him sigh.

"They've occasionally stolen chickens or killed livestock, but they've never done more than that. Faendal says their numbers are getting high enough that their tribe is getting confident. Goblins are cowards, they'll only attack if they're sure they can win." Alvor says, making me nod. "Could be a dozen, could be three dozen. We don't know."

"Well, hopefully my familiar can help me find out more." I say calmly, not letting his words shake my confidence. If I look like I know what I'm doing, people will believe it.

"If you can get rid of the goblins, I've got a truly hefty pouch of coin for you. If you find news of Dorthe, I've got more." Alvor says, making me nod with a smile.

"And if I find her and bring her back alive?" I ask.

"If you bring my daughter back to me, we'll give you damn near anything." Alvor says seriously.

"Careful there, I'm a nice girl but it's dangerous to make an offer like that, I might just take you up on it." I say with a slight smile.

"If you bring Dorthe back, you're welcome to." Sigrid says, just as serious. "What was that fool girl thinking…"

"Last question, what does Dorthe look like? In case she isn't- well, you know." I say apologetically.

"Aye, you might need to identify what's… she's a young girl, of thirteen winters, she has long brown hair with some small braids. Blue eyes, fair skin, and she was wearing brown pants and a green top." Alvor says with a heavy sigh.

"Thank you, I know this must be hard for you. I swear, if she still draws breath then I will bring her back to you." I proclaim, that's a heroic thing to say right?

"Thank you, but please be careful, getting yourself killed helps no one." Alvor says as I smile.

"I will, now if you'll excuse me I have a familiar to summon and preparations to make." I say as I rise, giving them both a nod. "Good bye, and wish me luck."

"May the gods be with you, Raven." Sigrid says, making me smile. I'd really rather they weren't though.

Somehow I don't think the divines are going to like me.

Heading out into the night, the sun setting while I was inside, I take a deep breath and check my map one last time before I put it back in its case.

I told Gerdur I was going to go out tonight, and convinced her that I knew what I was doing, so with a deep breath I head towards the gate, giving the militia man a nod as he lets me out.

"Watch yourself out there, girl." he says as I smile at him.

"I will, and I'll be back." I promise as I head out into the forest.

Finding a small clearing on my way to the marked location, I pull out the brazier and put the charcoal, herbs and incense inside it.

I've read over the find familiar spell a dozen times, and as I light the fire I start the spell, I've fought long and hard over what animal I want the spirit to take the form as, and eventually the choice was obvious.

The Nords are a superstitious people, and I couldn't risk taking something with a negative connotation, but Skyrim lore takes inspiration from my world and some things carry over. My choice represents wisdom and guidance, and as the night progresses the fire finally goes out an hour later, leaving me worried as I look around the empty clearing for a moment.

As a hoot draws my attention, my frown turns into a wide smile, the moment I lock eyes with the bird calmly sitting on a branch, I know it worked.

I can feel the connection between us, and raising my arm the owl immediately flies down and lands on it, it's talons not digging in.

With that success, we have a quest to compete.

Bonus Scene - Dorthe

All her life she'd wanted to have an adventure, like the men and women in the storybooks. She'd never liked all the girly things her mother had made her learn, the feeling of hard metal in her hand while she worked aside her father at the smithy always felt far more natural to her.

With a dagger in her hand, she felt confident leaving the village because she thought she'd be able to handle herself, that the most dangerous thing she'd meet would be a wolf or a goblin.

Goblins had been the source of mockery by the adventurers she'd listened to, weak and stupid.

They forgot to mention that they came in groups of ten or more, and her dagger had not done anything as they rushed her, she'd barely had time to scream before they'd clubbed her over the head and carried her into the forest.

She hadn't known why she was still alive at first, waking up in a cave, with a metal collar around her neck that was chained to the wall.

She couldn't understand what the goblins were saying, their words harsh to her ear, but she understood taunts and jeers when she heard them.

She was well aware of the birds and the bees, her parents had a very active sex life and their house wasn't that big, she'd seen or heard them trying to give her a sibling countless times. She'd seen the way some of the village men looked at her mother, and she knew what they wanted to do to her, but something held them back.

As her main captor approached again, she shrunk back in fear from the cold grey eyes staring down at her.

"Now, now, there's no need for that." the rich voice said as the strange elf knelt down, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him, his hand as grey as the rest of him. "You should be grateful."

She'd thought he was a dark elf at first, but he'd been insulted at that.

"W-why?" Dorthe asked quietly, making him smile.

"Because I'm the only reason you're unharmed, more or less. My goblin… acquaintances have far more base desires for you, I'm the only thing preventing them from violating you, over and over again." he said, stroking her cheek. "I have far greater plans for you, you're going to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself."

Despite his honeyed words, despite the goblins lustful stares at her naked body, somehow she thought that she'd rather take her chances with the goblins.

"You should be honoured, for soon you'll be in the presence of Lady Mephala herself, but for now just rest, the ritual will be draining, you need to be at your best for it. Eat, rest and prepare yourself for greatness."

Leaving some food by her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and as she shuddered, she watched a small purple spider crawl out from under his robes and onto her body, stopping on her shoulder as it stared at her.