Cru aimed his bow from behind a large rock. Three bandits stood outside the entrance to Bleak Falls Barrow. They seemed to be waiting for something. He looked at the tip of his arrow and smiled slightly. He was happy to have bought some steel arrows from Riverwood Trader. He focused on his target again. He pulled the bowstring a little tighter, held his breath, and released.
The arrow struck one of the bandits in the back. He fell to the ground and dropped his sword. He didn't move. Cru was already preparing another arrow. The other two bandits drew weapons and searched frantically for the source of the shot. He fired at another bandit, hitting him in the left arm. He yelled with pain just as he saw where the arrows were coming from. He began running downhill toward his shooter. The third bandit had a bow, and was preparing to return fire. Cru fired another arrow at the sprinting bandit, striking him in the chest and killing him.
The archer near the Barrow returned fire and ducked behind a rock. Cru took cover just as the arrow passed over his head. He nocked another steel arrow, stood up and fired, as did the bandit. They both missed. They exchanged a few more arrows, each of them ducking behind cover after every shot, causing the other to miss. He's not coming out from behind that rock. Time to change strategies. Cru put his bow on his back, and grabbed his sword and shield. He stood up for a moment to draw his opponent's fire. He blocked the arrow with his shield and sprinted up the hill. The bandit fired again, and missed. Before he could nock another arrow, Cru was on top of him, lunging through the air and stabbing at the heart of his enemy. He fell against the rock he was using for cover.
Cru sheathed his weapon and gathered valuables from the bodies, including some replacement iron arrows from the archer. No claw. He looked at the large double doors at the entrance of the barrow. He drew his sword again, walked toward the stone doors and slowly opened the one to the right. He stepped inside the cold barrow, and closed the door as quietly as he could.
He could hear voices across the room, and he could see the orange glow of a fire beyond a stone pillar in the middle, reaching up to the ceiling. To the right of the pillar was a short stone platform, just tall enough to hide behind if he crouched. He sheathed his sword, and withdrew his hunting bow and a steel arrow. He crouched low and creeped over to the stone emplacement. Standing over the fire were two figures clad in leather armor, one armed with a large sword, the other with a bow.
“So what if that dark elf wants to venture ahead,” said the man. “Let him.”
“But what if Arvel doesn't come back?” replied the woman. “He has the claw.”
Aha!
Cru aimed his arrow at the archer first. He held his breath. He aimed at her head, and fired. Instant death. The other bandit jumped back in surprise and wielded his two-handed sword. He attempted to run down the corridor behind him, but before he could escape, an arrow struck him in the back, and he fell to the ground with his sword still in his hands. Cru waited to see if any more would arrive to see what the clatter was all about. No one came. He armed himself with his sword and proceeded toward the fire.
The archer was a female, probably a Breton. She was weathered, but not very old. She had seen her share of fights. The man was a very strong Nord. The size of his arms suggested that blocking an attack from his two-handed sword would not have been pleasant. Cru was glad he took him down from a distance. He gathered gold and valuables from the bodies.
Next to the fire, there was a chest. He attempted to open it, but it was locked. He remembered that he had bought some lockpicks from Riverwood Trader, figuring he'd rather have them and not need them, than need them and not have them. He was thankful he made that decision. After several minutes of fiddling with the lock, he managed to open it, to his great pleasure. Inside was more gold, a healing potion, two shiny garnets, and a sword. It was an orcish sword. It was almost as long as his steel sword, but was crafted from a stronger metal, and it was razor sharp. Surprisingly, its strange blade design, which sported a dark blade that curved back and forth on one side about four times up to the tip, fit fairly comfortably in his sheath.
Cru looked down the long corridor that one of the bandits tried to escape through. It was dark and dank, and he felt as if there was a mysterious energy emanating from deeper in the barrow. He drew his sword and proceeded cautiously. It was quiet. He could hear every step he took as if it were as loud as a mammoth stampeding through the barrow. He traveled for what seemed like hours, taking every step as if he were trying to avoid waking a sleeping giant. Sweat was dripping off his brow, and he was gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his fingers started to ache, and he had to ease his grip. Why am I so nervous?
“Huh? What was that?” A panicked voice spoke from around the next bend. Cru didn't realize he had spoken outloud. He bit his lip, frustrated with himself. He backed up against the wall, hoping whoever was around the corner wouldn't notice him right away if they approached. He heard footsteps, and the sound of a sword being drawn slowly from it's sheath. “Who's there?” The voice spoke again, this time with more confidence. “Where are you? Come out or I'll kill you!” The man moved closer.
As the footsteps grew louder, Cru reared back with his Orc sword, hoping to lunge toward his opponent and kill him with a single stab. The footsteps grew louder. Louder. They stopped. Cru could hear the man breathing, and saw the vapor from his breath in the cold air reaching around the corner. The man took another step forward, and Cru could see the tip of his sword. He took another step, and Cru could see his body.
Now!
He stepped out and lunged all at once, surprising the bandit. As sword prepared to meet flesh, the bandit turned and moved his shield in front of his body, deflecting the attack just in time. Cru stepped back and prepared his sword and shield. The bandit scowled at his attacker and made an angry groaning sound. He had scars all over his face, and was wearing a full set of studded leather armor. He obviously had some combat experience, and his eyes showed no fear.
“You're dead!” The bandit charged forward and swung, much faster than Cru anticipated. He managed to stop the strike with his shield, and pushed the bandit back. Cru stepped forward, and shield bashed at his opponent, pushing him back and knocking him off balance for a moment. He swung his sword, but the bandit recovered in time to step back, causing him to miss. He stepped forward and swung again. The bandit blocked with his shield. Before he could counter, Cru swung again, two more times. The bandit blocked both strikes and pushed back with his shield. He attempted a strong swing, but Cru effortlessly stepped to his right and dodged. He hit the bandit with his shield again, this time even harder, nearly knocking him over. Cru took the opportunity to swing as hard as he could, cutting deep into the chest of the bandit's armor. Blood seeped out of the gash.
The bandit turned sideways and knelt, staring at the ground in surprise. He saw the blood dripping from his chest, and felt it with the fingers of his sword hand.
“How dare you! I'll kill you!” He started to stand up. Cru moved forward, stepped behind the bandit and smashed him in the back with his shield, pushing him into the wall. Before he could recover, Cru ran his sword through the bandit's lower back. The sword protruded from his gut. As Cru removed his sword from the bandit's body, he watched him fall to the ground and drop his weapon.
This was a seasoned warrior, and I didn't even get scratched. He knew the warrior stone had something to do with it. He wondered how much power the stone held, and how much effect it was really having on him. He stood a moment, unfocusing his eyes while he thought. He shook himself, sheathed his weapon, and looted the body for valuables. He did not find a golden claw. He took what he could, drew his sword again, and proceeded further into the barrow.
The deeper he went, the more tense he felt. He soon entered a large room with a lever on a platform in the center. Ahead of that was a metal gate, blocking the way. He looked around, and slowly approached the lever. He sheathed his sword, and gripped the lever in his hand, figuring it would open the gate. He pulled it toward him, and he could hear a mechanism activating. After a few seconds, the lever returned to it's position, and was then struck with an arrow. Cru jumped back and drew his sword, looking at the direction he suspected the arrow came from. Just as he did, more arrows began peppering the area around the lever from all directions. He stepped further back and looked around, realizing that they were coming from holes in the walls and ceiling.
“Well, this is new,” Cru said outloud to himself. He arrows stopped firing. He sheathed his sword and looked around the room, wondering how to bypass the trap. To his left were three stone pillars, about half his height, and a few feet wide. Each of them bore the symbol of a different animal. One snake, one bird, and one whale. He touched the snake pillar, and looked behind them. He saw that the pillars had three sides, each side bearing a different animal. Each pillar had one snake, one bird, and one whale. He further examined them to find that they could be rotated, and figured this was the key to proceeding. He rotated them experimentally a few times.
Giving up on the pillars, he looked around the room. On the floor to his right was a chest. He opened it to find it disappointingly empty. Looking up above the gate, he noticed shapes etched into the wall. There were three images faintly visible, lined up side by side. On the right he could make out the shape of a whale. Both images to the left looked as though they resembled the snake on the pillars. Thinking he had solved the puzzle, he went back to the pillars.
He rotated the pillar to the left and in the middle so that they showed the snake, and the pillar to the right so that it showed the whale. He approached the lever. Pulling hard, he jumped back to avoid being caught in a trap. Another mechanism activated, but no arrows came. The metal bars on the gate sunk into the ground, opening the way. He stood there a moment and smiled. Another mechanism activated, causing him to stop smiling. He moved through the gate. Just as he passed through, the bars quickly returned shut, trapping him on the other side. Cru spun around and saw the gate shut. He immediately grabbed and shook the bars.
“Damn! No way out.” He gave up on the gate, and proceeded deeper into the barrow. I might as well keep going. If there's a way out now, it's further ahead. He drew his sword and continued.
Water dripped from the ceiling in various spots, and he could see the roots of trees protruding through holes in the ceiling and creeping down the walls. Some of them spread a few feet across the floor. Looking at all the roots as he walked, he suddenly felt a strange tickling sensation all over his face.
“Aah!” He jumped back, realizing he had started to walk straight into a giant cobweb, covering the entire entrance to the next corridor. His heart began to pound, and he frantically checked the walls, floor, and ceiling for spiders. He began to sweat, and his muscles became tense.
“I hate spiders,” he muttered fearfully and angrily. Seeing no threats in the room, he sighed despondently, realizing the only way to go was through the web. He sliced at it until it was clear and peered down the dark corridor. His sword and shield raised, he proceeded forward. He soon approached a set of downward winding stairs. He continued without stopping, knowing that if he stopped, he might as well be a spider's lunch.
He could hear scratching and scurrying noises at the bottom. His heart pounded even harder, and he began to sweat. His skin felt cold, but he was burning up inside with anxiety. He saw a dark figure scurry past the bottom of the stairs into the next room. His eyes widened and he gripped his sword and shield tighter. He took another step. He heard nothing. He took another step. He proceeded slowly, one step at a time, checking every time for activity. He could barely see, as the only light available was from small cracks in the ceiling high above. He reached the bottom step, and something darted out of the next room and scraped the wall to his left.
He saw the silhouette of a dog-sized creature by the wall, and without hesitating, he screamed and charged forward, swinging his Orc sword as hard as he could at it. Striking it's body, he then swung repeatedly, slashing at it over and over until he was sure it was dead.
When he stopped and heard no more activity, he stepped back and listened, shaking with a strong mixture of adrenaline and fear. Focusing his eyes on the creature he killed, he started to chuckle, then laughed loudly. It was a skeever, a giant rat. Their bites can carry disease, but other than that they weren't much of a threat. He laughed a little longer until he remembered that there was still the possibility of some oversized spiders running around. He took a breath and looked down the hallway that the skeever jumped out from. He stepped forward, listening for the sounds of spiders.
The arrow struck one of the bandits in the back. He fell to the ground and dropped his sword. He didn't move. Cru was already preparing another arrow. The other two bandits drew weapons and searched frantically for the source of the shot. He fired at another bandit, hitting him in the left arm. He yelled with pain just as he saw where the arrows were coming from. He began running downhill toward his shooter. The third bandit had a bow, and was preparing to return fire. Cru fired another arrow at the sprinting bandit, striking him in the chest and killing him.
The archer near the Barrow returned fire and ducked behind a rock. Cru took cover just as the arrow passed over his head. He nocked another steel arrow, stood up and fired, as did the bandit. They both missed. They exchanged a few more arrows, each of them ducking behind cover after every shot, causing the other to miss. He's not coming out from behind that rock. Time to change strategies. Cru put his bow on his back, and grabbed his sword and shield. He stood up for a moment to draw his opponent's fire. He blocked the arrow with his shield and sprinted up the hill. The bandit fired again, and missed. Before he could nock another arrow, Cru was on top of him, lunging through the air and stabbing at the heart of his enemy. He fell against the rock he was using for cover.
Cru sheathed his weapon and gathered valuables from the bodies, including some replacement iron arrows from the archer. No claw. He looked at the large double doors at the entrance of the barrow. He drew his sword again, walked toward the stone doors and slowly opened the one to the right. He stepped inside the cold barrow, and closed the door as quietly as he could.
He could hear voices across the room, and he could see the orange glow of a fire beyond a stone pillar in the middle, reaching up to the ceiling. To the right of the pillar was a short stone platform, just tall enough to hide behind if he crouched. He sheathed his sword, and withdrew his hunting bow and a steel arrow. He crouched low and creeped over to the stone emplacement. Standing over the fire were two figures clad in leather armor, one armed with a large sword, the other with a bow.
“So what if that dark elf wants to venture ahead,” said the man. “Let him.”
“But what if Arvel doesn't come back?” replied the woman. “He has the claw.”
Aha!
Cru aimed his arrow at the archer first. He held his breath. He aimed at her head, and fired. Instant death. The other bandit jumped back in surprise and wielded his two-handed sword. He attempted to run down the corridor behind him, but before he could escape, an arrow struck him in the back, and he fell to the ground with his sword still in his hands. Cru waited to see if any more would arrive to see what the clatter was all about. No one came. He armed himself with his sword and proceeded toward the fire.
The archer was a female, probably a Breton. She was weathered, but not very old. She had seen her share of fights. The man was a very strong Nord. The size of his arms suggested that blocking an attack from his two-handed sword would not have been pleasant. Cru was glad he took him down from a distance. He gathered gold and valuables from the bodies.
Next to the fire, there was a chest. He attempted to open it, but it was locked. He remembered that he had bought some lockpicks from Riverwood Trader, figuring he'd rather have them and not need them, than need them and not have them. He was thankful he made that decision. After several minutes of fiddling with the lock, he managed to open it, to his great pleasure. Inside was more gold, a healing potion, two shiny garnets, and a sword. It was an orcish sword. It was almost as long as his steel sword, but was crafted from a stronger metal, and it was razor sharp. Surprisingly, its strange blade design, which sported a dark blade that curved back and forth on one side about four times up to the tip, fit fairly comfortably in his sheath.
Cru looked down the long corridor that one of the bandits tried to escape through. It was dark and dank, and he felt as if there was a mysterious energy emanating from deeper in the barrow. He drew his sword and proceeded cautiously. It was quiet. He could hear every step he took as if it were as loud as a mammoth stampeding through the barrow. He traveled for what seemed like hours, taking every step as if he were trying to avoid waking a sleeping giant. Sweat was dripping off his brow, and he was gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his fingers started to ache, and he had to ease his grip. Why am I so nervous?
“Huh? What was that?” A panicked voice spoke from around the next bend. Cru didn't realize he had spoken outloud. He bit his lip, frustrated with himself. He backed up against the wall, hoping whoever was around the corner wouldn't notice him right away if they approached. He heard footsteps, and the sound of a sword being drawn slowly from it's sheath. “Who's there?” The voice spoke again, this time with more confidence. “Where are you? Come out or I'll kill you!” The man moved closer.
As the footsteps grew louder, Cru reared back with his Orc sword, hoping to lunge toward his opponent and kill him with a single stab. The footsteps grew louder. Louder. They stopped. Cru could hear the man breathing, and saw the vapor from his breath in the cold air reaching around the corner. The man took another step forward, and Cru could see the tip of his sword. He took another step, and Cru could see his body.
Now!
He stepped out and lunged all at once, surprising the bandit. As sword prepared to meet flesh, the bandit turned and moved his shield in front of his body, deflecting the attack just in time. Cru stepped back and prepared his sword and shield. The bandit scowled at his attacker and made an angry groaning sound. He had scars all over his face, and was wearing a full set of studded leather armor. He obviously had some combat experience, and his eyes showed no fear.
“You're dead!” The bandit charged forward and swung, much faster than Cru anticipated. He managed to stop the strike with his shield, and pushed the bandit back. Cru stepped forward, and shield bashed at his opponent, pushing him back and knocking him off balance for a moment. He swung his sword, but the bandit recovered in time to step back, causing him to miss. He stepped forward and swung again. The bandit blocked with his shield. Before he could counter, Cru swung again, two more times. The bandit blocked both strikes and pushed back with his shield. He attempted a strong swing, but Cru effortlessly stepped to his right and dodged. He hit the bandit with his shield again, this time even harder, nearly knocking him over. Cru took the opportunity to swing as hard as he could, cutting deep into the chest of the bandit's armor. Blood seeped out of the gash.
The bandit turned sideways and knelt, staring at the ground in surprise. He saw the blood dripping from his chest, and felt it with the fingers of his sword hand.
“How dare you! I'll kill you!” He started to stand up. Cru moved forward, stepped behind the bandit and smashed him in the back with his shield, pushing him into the wall. Before he could recover, Cru ran his sword through the bandit's lower back. The sword protruded from his gut. As Cru removed his sword from the bandit's body, he watched him fall to the ground and drop his weapon.
This was a seasoned warrior, and I didn't even get scratched. He knew the warrior stone had something to do with it. He wondered how much power the stone held, and how much effect it was really having on him. He stood a moment, unfocusing his eyes while he thought. He shook himself, sheathed his weapon, and looted the body for valuables. He did not find a golden claw. He took what he could, drew his sword again, and proceeded further into the barrow.
The deeper he went, the more tense he felt. He soon entered a large room with a lever on a platform in the center. Ahead of that was a metal gate, blocking the way. He looked around, and slowly approached the lever. He sheathed his sword, and gripped the lever in his hand, figuring it would open the gate. He pulled it toward him, and he could hear a mechanism activating. After a few seconds, the lever returned to it's position, and was then struck with an arrow. Cru jumped back and drew his sword, looking at the direction he suspected the arrow came from. Just as he did, more arrows began peppering the area around the lever from all directions. He stepped further back and looked around, realizing that they were coming from holes in the walls and ceiling.
“Well, this is new,” Cru said outloud to himself. He arrows stopped firing. He sheathed his sword and looked around the room, wondering how to bypass the trap. To his left were three stone pillars, about half his height, and a few feet wide. Each of them bore the symbol of a different animal. One snake, one bird, and one whale. He touched the snake pillar, and looked behind them. He saw that the pillars had three sides, each side bearing a different animal. Each pillar had one snake, one bird, and one whale. He further examined them to find that they could be rotated, and figured this was the key to proceeding. He rotated them experimentally a few times.
Giving up on the pillars, he looked around the room. On the floor to his right was a chest. He opened it to find it disappointingly empty. Looking up above the gate, he noticed shapes etched into the wall. There were three images faintly visible, lined up side by side. On the right he could make out the shape of a whale. Both images to the left looked as though they resembled the snake on the pillars. Thinking he had solved the puzzle, he went back to the pillars.
He rotated the pillar to the left and in the middle so that they showed the snake, and the pillar to the right so that it showed the whale. He approached the lever. Pulling hard, he jumped back to avoid being caught in a trap. Another mechanism activated, but no arrows came. The metal bars on the gate sunk into the ground, opening the way. He stood there a moment and smiled. Another mechanism activated, causing him to stop smiling. He moved through the gate. Just as he passed through, the bars quickly returned shut, trapping him on the other side. Cru spun around and saw the gate shut. He immediately grabbed and shook the bars.
“Damn! No way out.” He gave up on the gate, and proceeded deeper into the barrow. I might as well keep going. If there's a way out now, it's further ahead. He drew his sword and continued.
Water dripped from the ceiling in various spots, and he could see the roots of trees protruding through holes in the ceiling and creeping down the walls. Some of them spread a few feet across the floor. Looking at all the roots as he walked, he suddenly felt a strange tickling sensation all over his face.
“Aah!” He jumped back, realizing he had started to walk straight into a giant cobweb, covering the entire entrance to the next corridor. His heart began to pound, and he frantically checked the walls, floor, and ceiling for spiders. He began to sweat, and his muscles became tense.
“I hate spiders,” he muttered fearfully and angrily. Seeing no threats in the room, he sighed despondently, realizing the only way to go was through the web. He sliced at it until it was clear and peered down the dark corridor. His sword and shield raised, he proceeded forward. He soon approached a set of downward winding stairs. He continued without stopping, knowing that if he stopped, he might as well be a spider's lunch.
He could hear scratching and scurrying noises at the bottom. His heart pounded even harder, and he began to sweat. His skin felt cold, but he was burning up inside with anxiety. He saw a dark figure scurry past the bottom of the stairs into the next room. His eyes widened and he gripped his sword and shield tighter. He took another step. He heard nothing. He took another step. He proceeded slowly, one step at a time, checking every time for activity. He could barely see, as the only light available was from small cracks in the ceiling high above. He reached the bottom step, and something darted out of the next room and scraped the wall to his left.
He saw the silhouette of a dog-sized creature by the wall, and without hesitating, he screamed and charged forward, swinging his Orc sword as hard as he could at it. Striking it's body, he then swung repeatedly, slashing at it over and over until he was sure it was dead.
When he stopped and heard no more activity, he stepped back and listened, shaking with a strong mixture of adrenaline and fear. Focusing his eyes on the creature he killed, he started to chuckle, then laughed loudly. It was a skeever, a giant rat. Their bites can carry disease, but other than that they weren't much of a threat. He laughed a little longer until he remembered that there was still the possibility of some oversized spiders running around. He took a breath and looked down the hallway that the skeever jumped out from. He stepped forward, listening for the sounds of spiders.
