Mage (A Skyrim Fanfiction)

Chapter 29: The Cost of Hubris

A word of caution to those who do not particularly appreciate scenes of graphic violence: this chapter will contain more than a little of that, as well as a small amount of crude language. You have been warned.

That being said, to the rest of my less-squeamish readers, I hope you enjoy this chapter. (Also, I recommend you don't start the music until about just a little over halfway into the chapter. It ended up being far longer than expected.)

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The early morning mist cast an otherworldly gloom across the dull colored greenish-tan grass, contrasting greatly with the brighter colors of the slowly approaching dawn. Tangerine and lavender tinted the sky above the horizon, chasing away the dull bluish-grey, and the faint but persistent carnelian glow of the slowly rising sun returned some color to the dull-looking world the night created. The air was particularly heavy with the smell of recent rainfall and uncommonly damp earth, and at this time, only a few birds had resumed their daily melodies, though the insects made up for their absence with a slightly cacophonous din of their own. Drops of the previous night's rainfall still remained on several of the branches of the great hemlocks and other evergreens surrounding Falkreath Hold, as if their fronds were like hands, clutching at the droplets like pearls or some other valuable resource. It was a morning equal parts dreary and pleasant-though the guardsman posted out at the gate seemed to only be affected by its unpleasantness.

The young man in question was attempting to stamp out the slight chill that had been plaguing him since earlier that night, as the days were growing both shorter and colder as Frostfall approached, and it hadn't helped that the poor fellow had been duty-bound to stand out in the rain for a few hours too long. And, not only were his clothes damp and his muscles cramped, he found himself sorely in need of sleep, though his discomfort helped him evade that desire somewhat. Both uncomfortable and bored out of his mind, the guard had taken to observing a brightly hued grass-green grasshopper perched on one of the undercrossing beams of Falkreath's fortified bridge-gate, rubbing a leg against its forewings as it seemed to sense no signs of danger. It wasn't particularly interesting in any way, but it was more entertaining to watch than the unmoving road, so he watched it chirr idly, arms crossed as he leaned against the thick wooden post next to the gate. He knew his shift couldn't possibly be that much longer, and found himself growing more and more restless as time crawled along, eager to get indoors and get some much-needed sleep.

Suddenly, the cricket sprung from its perch as the sound of approaching footsteps reached the guardsman's ears. Standing to attention at once, he turned towards the sound, his mossy green eyes shining with relief upon seeing a similarly dressed individual moving towards him rather hurriedly. Judging by the unprofessionally disheveled state of their uniform and nervous gait, it was easy for him to guess just who had been sent to relieve him of watch duty. A tired smile flitted across his features as he greeted his rather incompetent friend, saying, "'Darich! About time you got your lazy arse out here. Wasn't sure how much longer I was going to be able to keep my eyes open. What kept you?"

"Sorry about that, Andor," the other guardsman replied somewhat sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck before continuing, "I think I overslept."

"That's an understatement," Andor replied with a good-natured laugh, raising a hand before Darich could apologize, "But it doesn't matter, honestly. I'm just glad you came at all. Else I might've fallen asleep out here, and then Eiláfr would've had my head for it."

"Honest, I think he would've gotten after us both, once he figured out someone else was supposed to be here. The man's obsession with order is concerning. But still, there's got to be something I can do to make up for this. I mean, I guess I could try to take the next watch a bit early, or something?"