Chapter 10: Sworn North

Chapter 10: Sworn North

The Hunter woke up early in the morning after a restless night. The terrifying dragon that brought destruction across the northern coast was still vivid in his mind. He had a feeling that the dragon was still alive and managed to kill the rest of the Stormcloak soldiers.  He was therefore very focussed on leaving the area, avoiding trouble and finding somewhere safe.

The Hunter had originally intended to head to the city of Winterhold to be free of the Imperial Legion; however the attack on the ship clearly disrupted this plan. The dragon attack had also pushed him west, further away from the city.

He decided it would best to follow the road to see where it would take him. Unfortunately it wasn’t long until the Hunter came across some trouble. He glanced through some trees up ahead and saw 3 figures walking along the road.

Three bandits slowly walked along the road in a single file line. The Hunter quickly stopped moving along the path, and rushed into the trees in attempt to evade the group. He crouched down in a patch deep snow and hid behind a thin pine tree.

 The Hunter carefully watched the three bandits as they continued on their journey. His hope of remaining undetected was soon lost however, when the Orc at the back of the group suddenly stopped. He unsheathed his sword and looked into the trees. The bandits had managed to spot the Hunter. The Hunter had one hand on his bow, expecting some combat, however, instead of immediately attacking, they told him to back off. The Hunter, surprised by the tolerant bandits, quickly took their advice and backtracked up the path.

The Hunter walked up the path as the bandits carefully watched. When he reached the top of a small hill, he turned around and looked down at the bandits. They had taken a turn off the main road, heading down towards the coast.

Clearly forgetting his original goal of escaping the region, the Hunter was interested to see where these three bandits were going. He climbed up a rocky hill that looked down on the path and stalked the group. The Hunter was unsettled as the path had several large spots of blood stained on the cobble stones. Where ever they were going, the signs weren’t looking good.

The bandits suddenly stopped again on the road. The weapons were raised once more and the Hunter moved back to ensure he wouldn’t be detected again. Fortunately for him, it was clear that this time he wasn’t the one who had alerted the bandits. He moved further ahead in an attempt to discover what was in front of the bandits.

The Hunter repositioned and soon discovered a massive sabre-cat guarding a lair full of corpses. The beast was enormous and the Hunter suspected the bandits intended to kill the creature in order to sell its majestic pelts or take the head as a trophy.

After a short stand-off between the sabre cat and the three bandits. The cat charged down from its lair with its massive paws thumping on the ground with each step. Two of the bandits rushed forward while the other stayed back with a bow in hand.

One of the bandits was killed almost immediately from the opening blow. Her body crashed to the ground following a terrifying strike delivered by the sabre cat. The Orc survived the first blow and remained in the fight as the other bandit continued to fire arrows in the direction of the large creature.

The fight was gruesome yet concluded relatively quick. The proud sabre cat soon succumbed to the wounds created by the bandits and collapsed to the ground.

Following the death of the cat, the bandits appeared to abandon the corpse of their companion who had died at the start of the battle. Her corpse lay alongside the dead creature, resting on its soft fur. The Hunter was puzzled as they didn’t even bother to loot the lair of valuables, nor pay respect to their dead comrade.

As the bandits walked away back towards the main road, the Hunter took out his bow and fired a shot into a bandit’s arm, feeling sorry for the dead creature and the abandoned bandit. The injured bandit covered her wound and looked around to see where the arrow came from. The Hunter was soon spotted up on the rocky hill and the two remaining bandits rushed towards an enemy they wished they’d killed earlier.

Fortunately for the Hunter, his height advantage up on the hill soon proved to be the decisive factor in the battle. He quickly delivered another shot that killed the bandit he had shot earlier and managed to fatally wound the Orc before he could climb up the hill.

With all three bandits now dead, the Hunter carefully climbed down the rocks onto the path where the battle with the sabre cat took place. The soles on his boots were soaked with the blood of his enemies after accidentally falling next to the corpse of the bow bandit.

He slowly walked over to the corpse of the sabre cat, taking the valuable pelt before heading up to the lair. The lair was littered with the bodies of various creatures. Bloodied bones were scattered across the ground while blood was stained on the rubble of a destroyed watch tower.

The body of a Stormcloak soldier was found too.  The Hunter wondered whether he was part of the same group of Stormcloaks who were in combat with the Legion last night. It was probably best for him to have died at the hands of a sabre cat rather than being annihilated by the dragon like his fellow comrades. Interestingly, he had a book about the designs of locks, something that would come in handy the next time the Hunter comes across a settlement.

After looting the lair of the sabre cat, the Hunter headed back up to the main road and continued along the road as he had originally intended. It was clear he was reaching warmer climates as the volume of settled snow slowly decreased the further he travelled across the road.

Unfortunately for the Hunter, the road always seemed to lead to hostile areas. A battle appeared to be occurring in the distance. It was the Forsworn, attacking a band of bandits.

The Hunter was surprised to see the Forsworn so far north. His geography knowledge wasn’t the best but he thought the Reach, the homeland of the Forsworn clan, was much further south.

The battle was fierce yet the Forsworn clearly outnumbered the feeble bandits. Countless archers appeared from the tall grasses while a handful of Forsworn warriors rushed towards the bandits.

 

After a lengthy yet gritty battle, the Forsworn spared no mercy on their foes as they executed the last of bandits. The Hunter remained hidden in the trees, hoping to avoid the ruthless Forsworn warriors after seeing what they are capable of.

As the battle concluded, the skies quickly clouded over and snow began to fall over the battlefield, showing how north the Forsworn had come. One warrior carefully checked the body of one of his fellow warriors before heading south with the rest of the group.

The Hunter had witnessed the Forsworn in combat and it worried him. He will have to make a decision on whether or not to head south into the Reach soon.

 

Chapter 7: The Anchored Treasure

Chapter 7: The Anchored Treasure

Following the dramatic, yet costly escape from the Castle Dour Dunegon in Solitude, the trouble the Hunter of Blunders witnessed in the city gave him a new appreciation of the wilderness. He soon found himself a nice quiet location to sleep and let the night sky pass just outside the city, near the harbour. 

An early morning was necessary for the Hunter, who still had a heavy bounty in the Haafingar hold for attempting to steal from a wealthy clothing store and recklessly killing two guards of the Imperial Legion during his escape. He intended to travel east towards Stormcloak territory, hoping the diminished influence of the Empire around cities such as Dawnstar, Windhelm and Winterhold would give the Hunter a better sense of safety.

The Hunter took to the rocks on the eastern outskirts of Solitude, looking out across the Sea of Ghosts and the surrounding coasts to plan his travel route.

He couldn’t help but notice a group of Thalmor Wizards on the opposite side of Solitude bay, reminding him of his previous encounters with the Second Aldermi Dominion and its agents. It demonstrated the tight control the Thalmor unofficially maintained across Haafingar Hold.

Despite the Hunter’s unwillingness to engage in another battle with his infamous enemy, one was guaranteed when a Thalmor Wizard, lurking beneath the rocks undetected, suddenly unleashed a burning ball of flames directly towards the Hunter. 

Just like the Thalmor encounter during the journey to Solitude, the Hunter made good use of the cover provided by the rocks, avoiding the brunt of the damage delivered by the Altmer Wizard.

The battle appeared to be reaching a stalemate with the Wizard’s magic absorbed by the rocks and the Hunter’s arrows often missing the target. Both seemed frustrated with the lack of success, especially the Hunter, who steadily climbed down the rocks in order to get closer to his foe.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long until the Hunter was within striking distance with his blade and the Thalmor Wizard appeared helpless with his little dagger in close combat. Unable to parry the Hunter’s attacks any longer, the Wizard was soon victim to a fatal stab.

With another Altmer of the Aldermi Dominion defeated in combat, the Hunter soon began to realise his combat skills were improving and a new sense of confidence engulfed him. The body of the elf was left where it fell as the Hunter continued to increase the gap between himself and Solitude.

The Hunter was clearly eager to leave the hold but he constantly found himself distracted the randomness of the wilderness. In one such case he came across a sturdy ship anchored by the coast.

Solitude was still easily seen from a distance yet the ship intrigued him. He pondered on the treasure he could discover within the interior of the vessel. A ship bursting with treasures found across all of Tameriel’s coastlines and enough food to maintain a well fed crew for many days at sea. The Hunter was aware that there were only two corsairs stood on the top deck of the ship.  They were fortunately only lightly armed and poorly protected.

The likelihood of coin and food was too good of an opportunity to pass up so the Hunter advanced towards the boat. With the confidence of killing a powerful Thalmor Wizard still fresh in his mind, the Hunter quickly annihilated the ill-prepared pirates, leaving two bloodied and lifeless bodies on the wooden planks.

Luck appeared to be on the Hunter’s side as the corsairs within the ship had not been alerted to the violence outside. As the Hunter slowly sneaked down the wooden steps and deeper into the ship interior, drunken songs about mead and a life of sea could be heard, blocking out of the noise of his footsteps.

He soon noticed two corsairs in a small room nearby to the set of stairs he had just walked down. They appeared to look very similar, both with golden hair and a similar facial structure. It was assumed by the Hunter that they were siblings as their singing continued to echo the halls.

The Hunter realised that he had little chance of successfully sneaking past the two brothers so the only option was to silence them. He took out his bow, grabbed an arrow from his quiver and stretched out the strings. 

Like a flash of lightning, a single arrow flew through the air and punctured a devastating wound in the neck of one pirate. The force of the arrow pushed his head down; smashing it into the wooden table he sat at.

His assumed brother quickly stood up with his weapon unsheathed, eager to investigate and challenge the mysterious killer. However, both men never engaged in swordplay with the Hunter quickly revealing himself to the petrified pirate and releasing another fatal arrow.

The drunken songs had stopped and Hunter continued to explore the ship further. He knew that other corsairs lurked in other areas of the ships as their footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the wooden ship.

He soon came across a recently awoken pirate, who unexpectedly walked directly from his bed to a room where the Hunter was searching for coin and food. A battle soon occurred with the Hunter becoming ever more ruthless with his kills.  

A few swift sword moves exhausted the pirate. It was not long before he found himself backed against a wooden wall with a deep wound across his left arm. He slowly raised his sword in one last act of defiance before a final move left the pirate in a pool of his own blood.

Continuing down the lower levels of the ship, further pirates met a similar ruthless end at the tip of the Hunter’s blade. His experience battling Thalmor Wizards and the Imperial Legion were clearly paying off.

The Hunter eventually reached the last room of the ship. It appeared to be the Captain’s cabin as it was incredibly well decorated and smartly furnished. The finest food and drink was on display on several tables and shelves throughout the cabin.

However, the Hunter’s appreciation of the room would have to wait as the Captain attacked in one last attempt to save his ship from the Hunter’s greedy hands. Nevertheless, just like the Captain’s massacred crew, the orc was no match against the Hunter.

The Hunter was victorious. The success was welcome considering only a day ago the Hunter stood inside a Solitude jail cell. With enough food, coin and supplies in the ship for the Hunter to last for many months, the Hunter decided it would be best to relax here for the time being. 

After a period of comprehending what he had achieved, the Hunter looted a key from the corpse of the ship captain, and used it to open a footlocker that contained even more treasure.  

Today, he was certainly no blundering fool.

Chapter 3: The Macabre Marshes

Chapter 3: The Macabre Marshes

Following the gruesome battle across the marches between a hardy giant and the wise wizards of the Thalmor, the Hunter of Blunders decided it was best to begin searching for some much needed food after the challenges of the day from bears, dragons, giants and powerful mages. He was craving for a meal and clearly weakened from the harsh conditions the region provides. The situation looked bleak.

The Hunter got a true sense of just how sinister these marches unintentionally feel when a single broken and withered corpse of a Thalmor Wizard silently cut it's way through the murky waters. There was no doubt that this one of the Wizard who fell victim to the Giant's destructive club earlier in the day.

As the sun continued to descend and the lack of natural light continued to diminish, the Hunter of Blunders came across further strange objects within the Morthal marshes while persisting with his search for food. There appeared to be mysterious large blocks of ice, floating in the cool waters as if they once formed parts of a larger object.

The Hunter put his inquisitive nature aside, leaving the blocks of ice well alone, remaining focussed on his search for food. However, it was not long until the nature of these blocks of ice soon became clear. In the distance stood a large creature of Daedric origin, a rare Atronach formed through the element of air. It stood beside two corpses of frostbite spiders that it had clearly crushed to death. The Hunter wisely decided to keep his distance and avoid the rare creature. A tiresome chase wasn't what he needed.

He was soon reminded of his previous encounter with a Giant when one was spotted in combat with a foolish bandit. The Hunter pondered on whether it was the same Giant that had killed the Revenant and the four Thalmor Wizards. He assumed it was that familiar Giant and a small sense of sympathy for the enormous creature was endured by the Hunter as it had yet to find a way home due to more disturbances.

The Hunter's sights of an Air Atronach, frostbite spider corpses, bandits and a giant, suggested that these creepy wetlands were full of life, however he had yet to come across anything to fulfil his hunger. Fortunately, his search was shortly over when a lone goat was spotted shifting and turning in the thick grasses. A couple of arrows from the Hunter's bow brought down the little goat on a ever-growing ice sheet. The Hunter was overjoyed with his catch and eagerly moved in for a closer look at his meal. 

However, the Hunter's joy was cut short when suddenly an arrow not of his own flew out from the mist and hit the corpse of the unfortunate goat. A Redguard bandit revealed herself, aiming her bow at the frustrated huntsman.

The Hunter turned and faced his new foe, surprisingly trusting his sword and shield over his bow. He crouched down next to his claimed meal, deflecting and dodging the arrows of the advancing bandit. A fight for the goat ensued.

The bandit grew impatient at the lack of effect her arrows were making and soon desperately charged down to face the Hunter in melee with hope of claiming the goat for herself. She struck him with such power, speed and finesse with her meagre iron dagger, clearly showing her desperation for the contested goat.

Fortunately for the Hunter, it was a rare cause in which he was more than capable of defeating this opponent. After a short struggle, the bandit eventually fell to the ground and succumbed to her wounds. The Hunter of Blunders stood next to the goat and the now dead bandit. He quickly searched her body and came across three coins. The Hunter was elated that he had not only finally got himself a meal but also discovered his first few coins in a long time.

Overjoyed with his night time success, the Hunter set up a small camp using supplies picked up from the Thalmor Wizards, enjoyed a fine meal, and sat beside a small fire as he pondered on what Skyrim holds for him tomorrow.