Markarth Fourth Era, Year 202

Kleppr: Welcome! What can I get you?

Storm: A drink and I'll need a room for the night, got something free?

Miner: Don't giver 'er nothing Kleppr, she's a Forsworn bitch!

Storm: That was some time ago, sir, so keep your trap shut!


 

Miner: What're ya gonna do? Tell your shaman and put a curse on me?

Kleppr: It's not worth it! And I don't want to clean more blood off the floor!

Storm: Take my advice Klep, don't get involved, we can sort this out like people. Not animals.



Storm: And you? Whatever you call yourself? I could put a curse on you. What do you want? Pain, instant death-



Hunter: Mind your words. We don't kindly to those who want to take our home in the Reach

Storm: Oh for the sake of all the gods...



Storm: Just. Piss. Off. I don't 'ave time for this.



Miner: No. You piss off. And if you come back, make sure you bring your husband since he'll actually do something-

Storm: I don't-



Miner: Oh right! I forgot, you forsworn don't do that. You'll fuck a beast over a man!



Miner: In fact how many things do you lot fuck?



Miner: I'm sure it's too many to count! Wolves, bears, trolls and - 

Storm: Shut up.


 

Miner: What's wrong? Hit a sore spot? 



Storm: Say that again, I dare you



Kleppr: Don't be getting hasty, now. Don't do something stupid, or I'll call the guards



Storm: Fine, but I'll leave rather than stay here with that meat-head

Storm: And I guarantee that he'll be first.
 

Storm: Why do I even stay in this city? It ain't a great place. Vlindrel Hall is a mess and I've gotta live at an inn owned by people who'd gladly see me hung drawn and quartered.



Storm: I thought I'd get used to it. What a fool I was. I never should've run for Markarth, I should've gone the other way to Whiterun or...anywhere that wasn't here.



Storm: And the people here won't ever get used to me, not while they have the King in Rags in Cidnha Mine. It can't be for much longer.



Storm: Just a couple more jobs and I'll be free of this place. Or maybe the old King in Rags will do me a favour and drop dead soon enough.



Storm: But it's still a lot of time. I'm lucky if I even get a job dealing with skeevers, never-mind something that actually pays well.



Storm: Maybe the priestess here can help. I'm sure the divines wouldn't look down on me like anyone else.



Storm: Or maybe it'll turn out that the divines look down on everyone. Equal amounts of prejudice for everyone.

 

Sometime later...



Guard: Hey you! Stop!



Storm: What is it now?



Guard: There've been some nasty rumours about you. Some say there's some truth to them. 



Guard: There had better not be any truth to them. We don't want your kind here, we already have our own problems with the imperials nearing our gates.



Storm: Oh and what would my kind be? Huh? Foreign? Unwanted? Forsworn? 



Guard: The criminal kind. If there's truth to the Forsworn rumours though, it'll be off to Cidnha Mine with you, along with the rest of your kind.

Storm: I haven't done anything criminal and I don't want to spend time with the Forsworn as much as you do. So I've gotten your message, can you leave?



Guard: I can leave but from now on, assume your every move is being watched. 



Storm: So no different from before then...

In the Temple of Dibella...



Senna: Anything I can help with daughter?



Storm: Not your daughter.



Senna: We're all the daughters of Dibella and what am I but her mouthpiece? I ask again though, what do you need help with?



Storm: I just need to get something off my chest.



Senna: Then say it. The lady and I will listen.



Storm: Why does the past need to be so important? Why is it that I can barely ever get any escape from it?



Senna: I'm afraid I don't have answer for that, daughter.



Storm: Nobody ever seems to...

Senna: Maybe it's not something we're meant to know.



Storm: So even the Divines like to avoid questions?

Senna: Maybe there's another way to tell you.



Senna: Think about when you were a child. You played with someone, you were happy. Think about that time.



Storm: That life seems so far away...

Senna: It does, but think about it.

Storm: Fine. I must've been ten summers old. My...friend was eight. We were playing hide and seek. Turns out we were quite good at it, well she was. I couldn't find her from midday to dusk, even my parents who were...experienced hunters couldn't find her.



Storm: By the Gods our mother was ready wring our necks when we got back. I might've got told off and scalded for being 'so irresponsible with her.' But I remembered never being so happy looking for her, it was all one big game to us. And that's all it needed to be, no worries about attacks, beasts or worse.



Senna: The past isn't all bad, is it?



Storm: I suppose not.

Senna: So what happened to your friend?



Storm: That doesn't have such a happy ending...



Senna: I see.



Senna: Feel free to use the shrine here, I'll be nearby if you want some more help.



Storm: Thank you, but I'd quite like to be alone now.



Storm: Oh my sweet sister...



Storm: How did we fall so far apart?


Some time later...



Storm: Better get back to the inn before Klepp sells my room to someone else.

Storm: Only a few more days now...



Storm: Hopefully, I'll feel a little better after some rest.



The next day...



Storm: There's your coin, in full.

Kleppr: Lovely...might even keep my wife quiet for a while



Storm: Good luck with that Kleppr. And thank you.



Kleppr: Wait! Someone from the Warrens came up and said they want some help. Something about a rat problem.



Storm: I'll check it out, thanks.

Kleppr: No problem.



Storm: Still nearly a miracle though.



Storm: Nobody ever wants to give me a job.



Kleppr: Maybe your luck's turning?

Storm: I hope so.
 

That night...



Storm: Huh, it's quieter than normal, I thought the smelter would still be going. Can't complain though.



Storm: Hey I came about a rat-...oh. Great.



Guard 1: You were told you weren't wanted here,



Guard 2: Your kind killed my mother.



Guard 3: Our sister too and one your witch bitches took Olvar's tongue.



Guard 1: You'll get out of here, if you know what's good for you.



Storm: This is great but what's good for me is to stay here and work. I'll pay you.



Guard 3: The only thing you'll pay in is blood.

Guard 2: Blood for blood.



Storm: At least you didn't suggest something degrading...



Guard 1: Get out, or we'll kill you here. And bodies don't get found in the Warrens



Storm: At least let me stay a day longer.

Guards: No!



Storm: Fine, I'll come quietly. But keep your hands to yourselves. 

I can't believe it has been nearly a year since I last posted here. Doesn't life just fly by? So what happened before? Honestly, I burnt out. I made too many things too quickly and lost it. So I took  break, a year long break. I hope to be more consistent and I hope I can pace myself too, so that we don't get another year long hiatus. Either way, I know my story-telling isn't up to scratch considering its been a year, but I hope you enjoy it.

As always, feel free to give me feedback on anything and I hope you're all doing as well as you can in these trying times.