(One more day…) Carciel looked around the inn and sighed. (I feel a bit… uneasy in Whiterun… Like I’m unwanted or—)

 

“Something bothering you dear?”

 

“N-no, nothing more than usual Hulda.”

“Look,” Hulda said. “I know it may be rough here, but if anything’s bothering you—”

 

“I’m FINE!”

“Look here Breton,” Hulda said sharply. “Normally I don’t pry into the affairs of my customers as long as they pay and don’t bother the other guests. But the way you walk around here all brooding, and your… attire has been upsetting my other patrons.”

 

“Well excuse me then, I’ll try to be less ‘brooding’ then.” Carciel said, her mind elsewhere. She was worried about Niyleen, and this innkeeper wasn’t helping curb her anxiousness.

“It’s not just that dear,” Hulda continued. “There have been… rumors that you’re a wanted woman elsewhere in the land. Now it has no bearing on anything in Whiterun, but if these rumors were to attract any unsavory folk to my inn…”

Carciel rose to her feet angrily. “I thought you said you didn’t pry into your patron’s lives. Then stop prying!” she snapped. “Gods! First I was hounded by the guards at the gate because of the whole ‘dragon incident’, then your bard made multiple passes at me, now you won’t stop hounding me on baseless rumors!”

“But dear—”

 

Carciel sucked her teeth. “You Nords are all the same. You think because I’m smaller than you that I have to put up with whatever you want. I don’t want to talk so stop talking to me!”

“Besides, you think I want to be in this ale-ridden place with drunks galore, especially in the evening? You ignorant Nords need a crash course in manners before one of you dares to question a Breton’s actions, you uncultured swine.” Carciel paused realizing what she just said and inwardly sighed. (Wow… good job Carciel. Way to NOT be like all the other stuck up Bretons you know…)

“Hmph, another softgut trying to make a scene. It gets rather boring actually.”

Carciel spun around. “Who said that, you back biter!”

“Huh? You talking to me girl,” said an imposing Nord woman as she cracked her neck. On closer inspection she seemed to have just finished taking care of a would be assassin and was still itching for a fight. “I don’t think you want any of this. I’m more woman than you can handle.”

 

“You think some worthless talk is going to make me back down? I’d cut you down in seven seconds if you tried me.”

“You’d be dead in six,” the Nord said walking closer to her.

 

“U-Uthgerd! Please, stop this madness,” Hulda said frantically.

 

She raised a hand to silence her. “The arrogant little whelp insulted my pride as a Nord, Hulda. You know I can’t let that slide.”

 

“S-stop talking about me like I’m not right here!”

“Ah, you’re still here,” Uthgerd said smugly. “Look here small stuff, you think you can go blade to blade with me? I’ve beat all challengers that have come through this city and could probably beat anyone in the entire province bare handed. That said, I don’t think someone like you—”

“Screw you Nord!” Carciel said giving her the finger. “Nords… You’re all the same. Doing and saying whatever you want…” She began to think of how Lucari left without saying a word to anyone and her anger continued to rise.

“The time for this pointless talk is over. I don’t believe a word from your mouth, so why don’t you back it up if you have any pride you blabbermouth.”

 

“Finally the one thing we agree on. Come at me Breton!”

Uthgerd spread her arms leaving her defenseless. “I’ll even let you have the first blow. I can see that you’re just rearing to go so I’ll lift my usual bans. Fists, weapons, magic… I’ll even allow you to cry.” She laughed. “Let’s go!”

Just as Carciel unsheathed her blade, the doors to the in blew open and a frantic man ran over to the arguing pair. “B-breton…” he said trying to catch his breath. “People… gate… looking…”

 

“Finally off your ass, eh Sinmir,” Uthgerd teased. “Calm your balls and talk straight man. You’re about to be proving this bitch here right."

When Sinmir finally caught his breath he said, “There are some Hired muscle outside of Whiterun looking for you Breton.”
“I knew it…” Hulda said.

 

“There’s three of them. Two of them look like brothers, and the other is a really unsavory fellow that I swear I’ve seen before.”

 

“Y-you don’t say?” (Shit! They followed me all the way here!?)

Not wanting to have a fight before the real fight, Carciel sheathed her sword garnering jeers from Uthgerd.

 

“What’s this? All that talk and now you’re backing away?

 

“This is a pointless fight Nord,” Carciel said coolly. She was still rearing to go, but tried to restrain herself. “A fight between two hot headed women going at it isn’t even worth ten Septims.”

“You should probably get going Breton,” Sinmir said. “They said if you don’t show soon, they’ll start telling folk how much you’re worth and apparently the sum is truly outrageous.”

 

(Shit… now I HAVE to stop them or I’ll eventually be wanted here as well.)

“Thanks,” Carciel said.

 

As she walked past Uthgerd she heard her say, “Hmph. Another day, another softgut. The men aren’t worth their pair and the women, HA! To think that puny Breton would challenge me? First dragons, now this? The world’s gone mad I’d say.”

Carciel didn’t react to the Nord, but a thought did pass through her head as she exited from the inn, (This isn’t over Nord.)

On her way to meeting up with the trio searching for her, Carciel suddenly stopped. “What the hell are you doing Carciel,” she said in a low voice. “Picking fights? Bad mouthing Nords like that? What… was that?”

“That wasn’t even me. I don’t even think that way about my people or Nords…” Carciel looked downward and sighed. “Eoly told me to be myself, but ever since I parted from her it feels like something’s come over me. Like I’m becoming someone else…”

“Screw it!” Carciel said resuming her pace. “First things first, I’ve got some bounty hunters to handle.”

“Sinmir said they were outside of Whiterun… there’s no way he meant the Hold and not the cit—!!”

Quickly Carciel hid behind a wall as she sighted her pursers. Inwardly she cursed after realizing it was exactly who she thought it was: The Law-Bandit twins, Carlin—in the middle—and Torand—on the right—, and Capulus Sirengius the most shrewd bounty hunter in the province on the left.

“Ay Little Torand?” Capulus said looking over at the younger of the twins. “What’ll you think the Jarl’s going to give us for her? We could probably make triple that if we give her to one of my contacts.”

 

“Silence,” said Carlin said. “We will do as assigned. And if you try to screw us Sirengius, your head will lay next to hers.”

That’s what she feared. Carlin was a meticulous man that never did anything that was too risky. (They probably were told to bring me in dead or alive… And this bastard’s bounty’s have never spent a day in Cidnha!)

(So, how should I—!) Suddenly it began to rain and that put a damper on Carciel’s spirits. (Great… maybe now I’ll have a chance because of their heavy…that’s it!)

Carciel waited for the rain to pick up a bit before walking out of her hiding place. As she thought, she was instantly spotted by the trio.

 

“Brother,” Torand said.

 

“I know.” Carlin said. He addressed Carciel, “You made us wait criminal!”

Carciel drew her sword and said, “I got caught up. You know how you Nords are. Always inquiring, never learning.”

“I will only say this once, come without a fuss and I can guarantee your life… as far as Markarth.”

 

“Seems like a good deal,” Carciel said. “But I’ll take my chances. I still have things I have to do here on the outside.”

“So how do you want to do this,” Capulus said. “Circle? Arrow? Triangle? How about 3-Point or Gauntlet?”

 

“We’ll go with Circle obviously,” Torand said. “It’s the fastest and least—”

“We go with 3-Point,” Carlin said coolly. “This criminal is only a third rate threat with a first rate bounty. We won’t be losing to her no matter what formation we use.”

 

“But brother…”

 

“Ballsy,” Capulus said. “Unlike the rumors, but kinda my style. I’m in!”

(Thank the Gods all I did was run for the past month. They have no idea what they’re in for…) “Haa… Persistent bastards. Look down on me if you want.”

 

“Oh we will Lass,” Capulus said. “When we have you under our boots.”

Carlin signaled and the three of them wielded their weapons. “Let’s end this chase.”

The three of them rushed Carciel all attacking from the front. Their attacks were sluggish due to the rain’s effect on their armor and after evading the attacks from the brothers she rushed toward Capulus and tried to split him in half. Unfortunately at the last second he blocked minimalizing the damage.

“W-w-w-what the!? Capulus said. “This wasn’t what we were told! How’re you so strong lass—”

 

Again Carciel rushed down Capulus, this time swing at his head, blinding him.

Capulus’s screams were drowned out by the rain, and before either of the brothers could act, Carciel cut him down in one powerful final slash down the center of his body, putting an end to the Imperial.

(God’s he was annoying.)

 

A shout from her side made Carciel instinctively turn and swing. However, instead of meeting a weapon as she normally would have, her blade found it’s place in the younger Law-Bandit as she slit his throat, felling him instantly.

 

(Two down.) “Go Carlin,” Carciel said. “You’ve lost. You’ve always traveled in a group to cover your weakness in one on one situations. Just because you didn’t do a thorough investigation on your bounty, did you really think a first rate bounty like myself wouldn’t dig up dirt on my pursuers?”

 

“…ead…”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“You’re dead!!”

 

(Shit!) Carciel immediately got into a defensive stance.

Carlin pressed the attack, not letting Carciel get her footing, but his attacks were wide and frantic. He was desperate, and that spelled the end for him. (If he were coolheaded as usual, his chances would have been better. But,) Carciel disarmed him and just as she did with his brother, slit Carlin’s throat and let him lie in a pool of his own blood.

(I should have done this weeks ago,) Carciel thought as she sheathed her blade, but she knew it was better that she hadn’t. If she were to have done so in Markarth, her bounty would be higher, her threat level would have increased, and she might have been caught while fighting.

“But I guess everything happens for a reason,” Carciel said angrily. Her blood was pumping, and although she tended to only fight fights that had significant meaning to her, somewhere inside her she yearned for more.

“I’m glad my contacts didn’t deceive me before they completely turned on me, otherwise I’d be the dead one about now.”

As the rain cooled her off, she began thinking of why she was in Whiterun to begin with and her eyes wandered off towards the distance. “Eoly said to wait one more day, but I feel… uneasy.”

(I’m sorry Eoly.) Carciel couldn’t just stay still while her gut told her that Niyleen was in trouble. And so she started off towards Wormstone Lair.

(I hope I make it in time Niyleen…)