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 4: The Road to Solitude

Chapter 4: The Road to Solitude

The Hunter of Blunders woke up early in the morning with the sun concealed by the thick surrounding cloud and fog. He felt refreshed and ready for the challenges of the day after eating the hard fought meal from last night. The ranger intended to travel north, to the city of Solitude.  He was eager to experience the unfamiliar city life and find an opportunity to sell off the little he had for some coin.

 The Hunter had originally intended to travel to Morthal in the south, however after experiencing the marshes and the horrors that dwelled within; it was not surprisingly he decided the grand walled city of Solitude, home of the Imperial Legion in Skyrim, would provide the security he craves. He quickly packed away his camp and began the Journey to Solitude. 

Just as he set off, he could see the Dragon from yesterday's conflicts flying in the distance where he had faced bear trouble, reminding him not to travel in that direction for the time being.

 

 

The Hunter decided it would be best to follow the roads this time as he was aware that further swamps and therefore further monstrosities lay in his way when taking the more direct route north. The solid footing of the paved pathways filled him with content after dealing with the waterlogged ground in the marshes.

 

As the Hunter of Blunders continued his journey, he soon came across a small fort. It had intrigued him the night before as he saw light emitting from the walls and strange noises disrupted his rest. The Hunter, keeping his distance, peaked into the entrance and discovered a skeleton guarding the fort. He stared at the undead creature, backed away and continued down the path. He was then reminded of his goal with the inspiring sight of Solitude.


 

 

After avoiding the fort, the Hunter expected this would be a much safer and uneventful journey, but he soon started to doubt this belief when a Dunmer farmer was spotted running from the devastating magic of a Thalmor Wizard.


 

 

The farmer ran for his life, stopping behind a small rock and using it for cover. He was exhausted as the Hunter of Blunders moved around undetected to support him. The Thalmor Wizard continued to unleash a hail of magic, burning and shattering the rock around the two new allies.

The farmer gave a quick glance to the Hunter, accepting that he was too critically wounded to survive much longer. He mustered what little strength he had left, proudly stating that he was a Dunmer and bravely charged at the Thalmor Wizard.

He rushed forward in the Wizard's direction with his axe raised; the Hunter of Blunders blindly followed him and witnessed the fatal ball of flames clashing with the Dunmer's body, pushing him several feet away.

 

The Hunter paused behind another rock with the sound of the Farmer's burning corpse ever so dominating. He would have usually fled by now, but after seeing what had happened to the farmer, he didn't want to face a similar end by exposing himself so openly to the wizard's magic. He took out his bow and watched on as the elf gave him a deathly stare.


 

 

The Hunter waited, hoping for a lull in the Wizard's powerful magic so he could take a shot. Fortunately, it was not long until this opportunity arrived and without thought, the Hunter quickly stood up, swiftly pulled back his bow and released a speedy arrow.

The Thalmor Wizard's upper body caught the arrow, and the magic suddenly stopped. The sheer force of the arrow pushing the wizard down to the road below.

 

 

The Thalmor Wizard was dead and the Hunter quickly ran over to see what could be found on the corpse. Eight coins were found, filling the Hunter with a sense of joy, especially after avenging the death of the unfortunate farmer. 

He continued his journey down the path before noticing Solitude Sawmill from the corner of his eye. He had seen enough of the road today, and a quick dash down to the river brought him closer to Solitude. The path to Solitude was not clear though. Thalmor Wizards were beginning to show the Hunter the true grasp they had over Skyrim and the Empire, threatening the outskirts of Solitude by attacking a petty looking sawmill. 

Lightning bolts and fireballs lit up the coastline as the workers who still remained alive cowered in fear.


 

 

The Hunter was aware he could not take on a group of Thalmor Wizards and decided it was best to avoid them. He took to the water, swimming below the surface as the destructive magic crashing into the sawmill lit up the water bed below.

 

Further down the coast, the Hunter left the waters and revealed himself on the coastline. He was unfortunate enough to be spotted by the Thalmor. The wizards quickly directed their fire towards the fleeing the huntsman as he desperately tried to reach Solitude's walls. A patrolling guardsman soon saw the conflict and began a futile attempt to protect the Hunter and the sawmill.

 

The Hunter continued to run, unaware if the Guard had survived or not. Nevertheless, he soon reached Solitude's majestic walls. He was relieved and was safe from Thalmor Wizards for now. It appears the Aldmeri Dominion is increasingly become more of a personal enemy of the Hunter.


 

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.

Chapter 2: The Persistence of a Titan

Chapter 2: The Persistence of a Titan

The Hunter slowly moved his way back down the Mountain, and stood in the very spot within the river where he had previously began his confident climb to the sanctuary of the bears. He remained shocked and quickly realised that he would have to be more realistic in what he take on for now. A mere goat, elk or rabbit can still provide this fellow with a fine meal and a method of practice for his bow and sword.

The Hunter of Blunders wisely crossed the river in the complete opposite direction, wading through the streams of chilly water with the mountain of his embarrassment out of his sight. As he awkwardly crawled out of the meagre river, he looked to his left to see a bandit engaged in combat with a powerful female Revenant. He watched on as the Revenant devoured her victim.

As the bandit's corpse fell to the grassy ground, the masterful female glanced at the intrigued ranger near the riverside before promptly sprinting in his direction. The Hunter quickly navigated across the river yet again, turned his tail and fled.

With the Revenant in pursuit, the Hunter suddenly came across a giant club-wielding brute further down the river. He quickly evaded the Giant and continued to flee from the pursuing wizard. This immense creature was clearly attracted to the bright lights emerging from the Revenant's hands and providentially intercepted the chasing women. 

This encounter was just to get even more remarkable with another uninvited guest. A dragon swooped down the Mountains above, turned its majestic head to its side and gazed down at the relentless battle below between the Giant and the Revenant. The Hunter joyfully looked on and couldn't believe his luck.

The Hunter remained, his inquisitive nature had got the better of him and he didn't use this as an opportunity to flee. The Revenant could see the threatening Dragon behind the big brute that stood in front of her and was wise to move when the Dragon unleashed a stream of scorching flames towards the Giant.

It was the last the Hunter saw of the Dragon as it flew away in the general direction of Morthal. This gave the Revenant and the Giant the ability to finish their encounter without outside influence. However, this was not to be a long lasting battle with the Revenant failing to dodge a mighty strike by the enormous creature, sending her broken body to a tremendous height before crashing to the ground.

Despite his previous pursuer now dead, the result of the Hunter's failure to take the previous opportunity to run soon became clear as the Giant turned its attention to the Hunter himself.

The Giant chased the Hunter for hours, the pursuit headed east towards the swamps north of Morthal and below the grand city of Solitude. It was in the swamps that the Hunter found the aid he desperately needed from an unlikely source. A small company of four Thalmor Wizards had set up camp within the marshy wetlands and we're soon alerted to the Giant.

They quickly prepared all sorts of magical weaponry from the conjuring of Flame Atronachs to the destructive nature of lightning and fire balls in an attempt to bring the great beast down. The Hunter was fortunate enough to be completely ignored by these usually aggressive elves as they concentrated on the much larger threat.

Despite their efforts, the giant creature appeared to be hardly affected by the Aldmeri Dominion's wide range of magical powers and used its sheer strength and size to bring the fight to them. One by one, it struck down the Thalmor Wizards with its trusty club. 

The once quiet marshy habitat was completely changed with Thalmor corpses littering the shallow waters and flames engulfing the swamp's dead trees. The Giant was victorious, and with the Hunter now out of his sight by taking the opportunity to flee this time, returned back to the riverside where he was once foolishly interrupted.

The Hunter continued to move through the swamps, looking for a place to set up camp and rest after an eventful yet unsuccessful day in the wilderness of Skyrim.