Somewhere in The Rift

Bandit: "What... How…?"

Bandit: "By Talos! What the fuck are you?"

???: ...

Bandit: "No! Stay back! Get away from me!"

Bandit: "Spare me, please! I’ll change my ways! I swear I’ll never attack another soul!”

Elsewhere…

“Damn it, my head!”

“Where am I? What am I doing here?”

“Dinok Al Ruth”

“What’s that noise? It sounds like chanting…”

“What in oblivion is that?”

“No! Stay back!”

“!!!!”

“Ko Rifton fen evgir do sos ahrk dinok kiin”

“WRITHE IN DESPAIR, CHILD OF KYNE! FOR A DARK FATE AWAITS YE!”

“A nightmare … the same one from before. That’s the fourth time this week.”

“What was that creature… What did it all mean… Damn it, I can’t understand this at all!”

"Hnng"

"Whew! That was heavier than I expected it to be. It was the last one for today though, right?"

Temba: "Yes, that'll do Arius. Now if only I could get someone to deal with those damned bears..."

Arius: "I can handle it if you’d like. I am fairly decent with a blade and I do have some-"

Temba: "Arius… are you alright? You look unwell, as if you’ve got a bad case of the Rattles.”

Arius: "I-… It’s nothing. I just have something on my mind, that’s all."

Temba: "I doubt that with how you’ve been working yourself to the bone lately. Relax and take the rest of the day off. Maybe you can see Wilhelm at the tavern for a drink. I’m sure a strong ale will help take your mind off things."

Arius: “But-”

Temba: “Don’t worry, I can have someone else handle the bears. With the number of adventurers on the road these days due to the war, I’m sure I’ll be able find someone to lend me a hand in no time.”

Arius: "I… Thank you."

Arius: (muttering) “Why can’t I get it out of my head. That place. That thing. Is it a memory of ages past? Or perhaps…”

Wilhelm: "There you are Arius! Done with whatever errands Temba had you run, I take it? Well no matter, take a seat and I'll have Lynly bring you something to drink."

Wilhelm: "You okay there, lad? You look terrible, almost as bad as when you first stumbled into here three months ago. Far less bloody though.”

Arius: "It’s nothing too serious, I probably just need to speak with that healer you mentioned the day before, that famous one from Anvil. You said she’ll be staying in Shor’s Stone, right?"

Wilhelm: “Well The Silver Nymph was supposed to arrive in Windhelm a few days ago but it was a no-show. I reckon it’s those pirates on the Sea of Ghosts that are behind this. They’ve been hitting trading vessels pretty hard for the last few months."

Wilhelm: “If you’re looking for someone to talk to about those nightmares of yours, I’d say you should go straight to Riften. These things are bad omens, I’m sure the temple of Mara will able to make sense of them.”

Arius: “Riften… Rifton. No, there’s no need for that. I’m sure this is just a bout of homesickness, nothing a little more work to keep my mind busy won’t solve.”

Wilhelm: Well, if you’re looking for work I’ve got something over here…

Wilhelm: “Some of the Jarl’s guards gave me this yesterday. Looks like something’s been attacking travellers on the road. The guards think it’s most likely a pack of wolves. Things ‘ve  gotten so bad that the Jarl’s put out a bounty on them, 50 septims a head.”

Arius: “Some wolves? Seems a bit much, don’t you think? I’m sure the local hunters would’ve thinned them out in due time.”

Wilhelm: “Aye, that’s true, but there’s a little more to this than meets the eye. The attack sites are completely barren save for the blood, some strands of wolf fur, and the occasional trinket or two.”

Wilhelm: “Poor bastards, the guards haven’t even found their bodies yet. With the war and all, they can’t spare the men to conduct a more thorough search either”

Arius: “I see. I’ll take a look at the attack site they mention here. If all goes well there’ll be something to lead me to their lair.”

Wilhelm: “Something about this smells fishy, lad; don’t take any risks.”

Arius: “I’ll be careful. I’ve no intention of dying here, let alone at the jaws of a couple of filthy mutts.”

Somewhere on the road to Riften

Arius: “The last attack happened in this area. It might be a good idea to start looking for anything suspicious.”

Arius: “Is that… blood?”

Arius: “It’s fresh. This must have happened recently. But there’s no sign of any wolves here.”

Arius: “An arrow? Maybe we aren’t dealing with wolves after all.”

Arius: “More blood. I can smell it nearby.”

Arius: “I need to hurry. I can’t afford to lose their trail.”

A few minutes later…

Arius: “That’s them! I need to hide”

Bandit 1: “Why are we doing this again, Boss? Wouldn’t it be better if we attacked larger caravans? We’d get much better coin than the scraps we’re getting off these wretches.”

Bandit Chief: “And then we’d have the eye of guard force on us. Besides, no one’s going to believe that a couple wolves took down a whole caravan.”

Bandit 2: “Well I think we should take on a larger raid. The Septims we’re getting from this bitch can barely pay for the next round of ale.”

Bandit Chief: “Shut it! You’ll do as I say, unless you want a boot up your arse. Once your done dumping the body, get down and double-check where we hit this lass. We don’t want the guards catching on to our operation here.”

Arius: “So, they’re the ones behind these attacks. I need to get back to Ivarstead and tell the guards about this.”

Arius: “No. If I leave now, there’s no telling how many more victims they’ll claim before the guards finally decide to take action. I need to do something”

Arius: “Die! Bandit Scum!”

Bandit 1: “What the fuck?”

Bandit Chief: “Get him!”

Arius: “???!”

Bandit Chief: “You’re gonna pay for killing my men! I’ll tear you limb from limb!”

Arius: Fuck. This one is tougher than the others. Faster too.

Bandit Chief: “Weak and pathetic! Any last words before I send you straight to Stendarr?”

???: “How about Back Away and Lay down your arms.”

Bandit Chief: “Aaagh!”

Arius: “What the-. Who?”

???: “And here I was thinking I’d have a quiet and uneventful trip. No trolls, no sabrecats, and no bandits.” *Sighs*

???: “A foolish thought in retrospect. This province is crawling with more bandits than fleas on a hound.”

Elyna: “Here’s the deal: You can step away from the lad, lay down your weapons, and live to see tomorrow. Or you can die. Your choice.”

Bandit Chief: “Bitch! I’ll take my time with you when I’m done with your friend over here!”

Bandit Chief: *ROARS*

Bandit Chief: “What the-!”

Elyna: “Death then, really? *Sighs* Why do they always have to be so stupid?”

Bandit Chief: “Aargh!”

A Moment later…

Elyna: “You’re lucky I arrived when I did. A few moments later and you would have had a hole in that skull of yours.”

Elyna: “Now let’s take a better look at you. Hmm, that bruising looks bad. Although that’s to be expected, you did take quite a beating back there after all.”

Arius: “I’m fine. I just- Damn! *Winces*”

Arius: “What in Oblivion was that bastard made of? He hit as hard as a cave troll and twice as quick.”

Elyna: “Hold still. I have a few spells that might be able to help you out here.”

Arius: “!!!”

Arius: “The pain. It’s gone! Well, most of it anyways.”

Elyna: “You’re not completely healed yet, but with a good night’s rest and a healing potion or two, you’ll be back to normal in no time.”

Arius: “Who are you? Why did you save me?”

Elyna: “Why did I save you? Well, I don’t really have a reason in particular. I guess it just seemed like the right thing to do.”

Elyna: “Now hold on tight to my shoulders. Ivarstead’s not too far from here; we should be there by sundown.”

Arius: “What are you-! I can walk just fine on my own.”

Elyna: “You’ll overexert yourself, which will cause those wounds that I tried so hard to heal to reopen.”

Elyna: “Just relax. We’ll be there soon enough.”

Arius: “…”

A little while later in Ivarstead

Lynly: “Wait here. I’ll be back in a moment with another potion. I’m sure Wilhelm has a few somewhere down in the cellar.”

Arius: “I’m fine, Lynly. Just a little sore, that’s all.”

Elyna: “You’re quite lucky that a bit of soreness is all that’s wrong with you. Bandits like the one you fought don’t play around. If I hadn’t intervened when I did, you would most likely not be sitting here right now.”

Arius: “Well I’d like to thank you for saving me back there. I definitely owe you one for this, Miss...”

Elyna: “Nightglow. Elyna, Nightglow. Arch-…, er, travelling wizard, at your service.”

Arius: “I’m Arius. An adventurer of sorts. Or rather an aspiring one, I guess. I’ve mostly been doing odd jobs here since I arrived. Anything to put some coin in my coin purse.”

Elyna: “An Adventurer, eh? You certainly seem the part. The way you took down those bandits was quite impressive for one with your… lack of experience, even if their boss did prove a little too troublesome for you to deal with alone.”

Arius: “Er, thanks. It was really nothing special. I was just fighting to survive, that’s all.”

Elyna: “I see. Regardless, you seem to be a capable fighter. If you were serious before about owing me then there is a job I might have for you. If you’re interested, that is?”

Arius: “A job?”

Elyna: “It’s quite simple, really. I am currently on a journey to Riften at the behest of a friend. While I am confident in my own abilities, an extra pair of hands and eyes would certainly be helpful.”

Arius: Riften… that creature mentioned the city. Whatever’s happening in the dream must be related to it in some way. And yet…

Wilhelm: “What a coincidence! The lad was just talking about his plans to head there. This seems like a win-win for the both of you.”

Arius: “Wilhelm!”

Arius: He’s trying to make me to get those dreams checked, isn’t he? Well, I guess it’s better than ignoring them and hoping they’ll go away eventually…

Arius: *Sighs*“Very well, I’ll come along. Provided that the pay is good that is; I do need something to keep the food on the table after all.”

Elyna: “You needn’t worry about the coin. 3300 Septims on the completion of my task, with food and board paid for by myself while travelling. I’m sure that will be enough for you?”

Elyna: “And now that everything’s settled, you should get some rest. We’ll leave early tomorrow, at dawn. Try not to be late and be prepared, out journey is not likely to be an easy one.”

Elsewhere in Shor’s Stone

Filnjar: “Sorry pal, I’ve never seen a feller like that in my life.”

???: “Really” *Sighs*

???: “What rotten luck! It seems like no one else in Skyrim has either. I’m beginning to think this was a fool’s errand all along…”

Filnjar: “Hardly anyone passes through Shor’s Stone these days with the mine being the way it is right now. You’d honestly have better luck in the capital, Riften. If there’s some place a traveler is bound to head, it’s there.”

???: “Another dead end, and yet I mustn’t lose hope. They’re somewhere in this gods-forsaken province, I just know it.”

???: “Riften… perhaps someone might have seen them there.”

The following morning…

Elyna: (Muttering) “What’s taking him so long! I told him to be ready by dawn.”

Elyna: “Finally, there you are! I was beginning to think you were having second-thoughts about this journey with how long you were taking.”

Arius: “I’m sorry. I was just making some last-minute adjustments to my armor. Considering how much of a beating it took yesterday, I thought it would be best if I tried to mend it.”

Elyna: “That armor looks a little flimsy. You should definitely pick up something a little more… sturdy than this breastplate of yours.”

Arius: “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Elyna: “We should make haste and depart. Riften awaits us.”