A long house sat nestled among the trees, the windows shone brightly from the lights within & smoke issued from an opening in the roof. Firmly nailed to the door was a pictogram of a horned helm with a red X through it.
Inside the meat & mead flowed freely on the large table that was crowded by the various housecarls of Skyrim.
‘Did any of you reach an Overlook the normal way?’ asked Lydia, taking a healthy swig of mead. ‘Because I never did.’
The group shook their heads & few rolled their eyes.
‘2 days jumping & climbing when there was a perfectly good set of stairs a mile down the road.’ grumbled Rayya.
‘I don’t think the Dragonborn knows what stairs are.’ laughed Calder.
‘Perhaps we should show her.’
‘The shock alone would kill her.’
The table erupted in laughter.
‘Good in a fight though.’
‘Aye, if only she’d stop running through traps.’ said Jordis, shaking her head. ‘I barely made through some of those Dwemer ruins.’
‘Or accidently hitting you with her sword.’
A few of the housecarls nodded.
‘Some of those enchanted blades stung.’
‘I was so furious, I chased her through half of Blackreach.’ chuckled Gregor.
‘What about her habit of running into a room full of enemies?’ remarked Lydia.
As one, the group looked at the Whiterun housecarl.
‘Says the woman who runs full speed into giant camps.’ snorted Valdimar. ‘We’ve all heard the stories.’
‘What? I like a challenge.’ Lydia said defensively.
‘20 bandits is a challenge, rushing a giant is suicide.’
‘I’m still here, aren’t I?’
‘Indeed you are.’ said a hooded figure. ‘It seems you dislike this Dragonborn.’
The housecarls paused, realising how their words must seem to the stranger.
‘We do not dislike her. It’s just...’
‘We just wish she would be more careful.’ said Iona carefully. Though she could not see the stranger’s face, there was something familiar she couldn’t place.
The stranger flipped back her hood.
‘Then pass me some mead & let us discuss my faults.’ said the Dragonborn.
