Undecided- Book 1 of the Dragonborn Knights Trilogy

Chapter 1

The story of one of the greatest, fiercest heroes of Skyrim started on just another day in Whiterun. The sun was shining, people were going about their business in the marketplace, and the charming Nazeem was going around bragging about his access to the Cloud District. Nothing was unusual, nothing was out of the ordinary. Maybe this normalness wasn’t a bad thing, but it was certainly boring. This was why Adrienne, the Nordic daughter of Jarl Balgruuf, and Catticus Finch, the Breton apprentice of Farengar Secret-Fire, were outside of the city racing their horses. Though, it wasn’t really much of a race, considering that Adrienne’s horse was younger and more suited for sport while Catticus’s was an old farm mare.

“Hya!” Adrienne called, laughing gleefully as she observed the considerable length between herself and her friend. It was never fair, but it was always fun. There was almost nothing more thrilling to Adri than victory. Meanwhile, Catticus urged her horse to speed up, though it seemed quite impossible.

“Come on, old Mary, come on!” she tried, already feeling the inevitable defeat. At least she was used to it by now. However, Adrienne wasn’t going to let the race be concluded so quickly, obvious win for her or not. She slowed her horse down to a steady trot, weaving behind the cover of the first layer of trees so Catticus wouldn’t spot her when she sped around the corner. A few hoofbeats later, as planned, Mary and her rider galloped by, unsuspecting of what was to come. Suddenly, with a shout of impending victory, Adrienne and Glacier shot out of the hiding place without a moment’s hesitation, closing the distance between the two horses and their riders slowly. The crossroads where the river coming from Riverwood split was in sight, and Catticus was already around the bend, passing Honningbrew Meadery with renewed vigor.

“I’m gonna beat you this time, Adri, accept it!” Catticus taunted loudly, twisting to glance at her friend, her short brown hair whipping around her head from her horse’s movements and the slightly windy day. Truly, it did seem as though the scholar would finally be victorious and that the noblewoman had judged her trick wrong. But just as Catticus had finally started to taste sweet victory, Adrienne slapped the horse with the reins. Glacier sped past Mary and Catticus at lightning-speed and closed the distance between Adri and her opponent with loud hoofbeats and by the time they had passed the farm beside Honningbrew, they were neck-and-neck. It was bound to be a tie.

“Not a chance, Cat!” Adrienne shot back with a smirk at her opponent, and just as they were about to reach the stables, she forced Glacier to jump the fence instead of going around it, reaching the yard of the stables before Catticus could even dream of doing so. Her horse reared up onto its back legs, seemingly neighing in victory, though it might have been in protest of the harsh ride.

“Haha! Sixty-eight wins in a row!” she whooped loudly, carefully sliding out of Glacier’s saddle and patting the animal’s side with a grin. She gazed over at Catticus who stood with her arms crossed and a sour expression by her mare.

“You cheated.” she spoke, before beginning to tend to her horse who seemed to be on the brink of exhaustion. Adrienne did the same. While they did so, a guard jogged up to the stables.

“Hail, Lady Adrienne, Catticus. You’re needed at Dragonsreach.” he told them, trying to catch his breath. The women set their saddles down on their racks and left the stables, telling Skulvar to finish tending to the horses before heading up to Dragonsreach. As they walked into the gates, they heard multiple ‘good day’s and other greetings like such  from the townspeople.

“Gee, I wonder what Balgruuf wants?” Catticus asked, running a hand through her wild, windblown hair as the two friends wandered through the Whiterun gates. Suddenly the usual obnoxious bragging of Nazeem could be heard. Catticus narrowed her eyes as she watched him insult Brenuin.