Graduation

four years had passed since I had completed the hunt and I was now a man, or at least i was according to the people of Skyrim. My formal training had ended, those who had trained below Galmar were graduating with flying colors and I was all the happier for it. The graduation ceremony was taking place within the small square outside the Palace of the kings and I was being graduated by Galmar Stone-fist himself!

Galmar had grown into a friend of sorts over the years despite how little the man talked, saving his words for orders and the jarl almost entirely, but my natural charisma and the fact that we were both adults of great strength (not that he knew that) had pulled our bond through

Even now as I was handed the ceremonial shield of the city guard, a reward to all those who had passed the grueling training he had put us through the man failed to give me a smile.

"Are you certain you won't join the Gaurd?" he asked, his voice as gravely as a pile of misshapen rocks as he stared me in the eyes, you would think he was trying to intimidate me but this was just how he talked "The Jarl always has use for good Nords".

"Technically I'm only a half Nord" I reminded him, giving a slight smirk as the large man frowned at my statement "imperial father, remember".

"Bah! Skyrim has more of a claim on you than your own blood at this point" The man rumbled, waving a hand. He shifted his shoulders slightly, adjusting the large stone hammer on his back "if i say you're a Nord, you're a Nord!".

"Still won't join the guard though" I shrugged, i gave a pointed look towards the giant doors of the city that led to the outside "I have places I want to see and things i wish to do," i said as i gave a nod.

"Fair enough" Galmar nodded in return, he gave a look over to the other men in training who were being handed shields of their own as their teachers congratulated them, indicating the end of the short graduation ceremony "every man has his own plans, just make sure they involve some good mead" he finished as he gave me a pat on the shoulder and walked into the great hall, leaving me standing alone in the small square.

Taking a deep breath of the cold air Í walked away, in the direction of Candlehearth hall.

****

Entering the large inn I was immediately assaulted by a pair of small gremlins, namely my twin siblings, Vibi and Froe.

"Rady!" Vibi yelled as she immediately launched into his chest, throwing her arms around his neck and hanging there like some form of giant necklace or chain "Are you a guard now! Did you meet the jarl! Did you get a shield!"

Froe, on the other hand, being the more tame of the twins simply grabbed my hand and began to pull me forward into the light of the fire as my mother soon appeared, carrying a bunch of bedding in a basket as she talked to Elda, the inn's owner.

Elda was, by all means, a good woman, having taken in my family upon our moving to Windelm she had offered to allow free residence in exchange for work, allowing my parents to find work as both a maid and a hunter, cleaning and supplying food to the inn.

"Come on you two, there's no need to bother your brother" mother scolded gently as she put down her basket and walked over, pulling Vibi off my shoulders and dusting the snow off my clothes before pulling me in for a hug "that's my job"

"But I want to play with Brother!" Vibi complained as she started to yank on one of my hands "he hasn't even told us about the ceremony yet!"

"Oh! That's a good point!" my mother started as she held me at arms reach giving me a serious look "what happened!?"

"All done! Graduated with perfect marks" I announced as I pulled my new shield off my back, unwrapping the leather covering it to reveal the blue color and mark of a bear's head upon the front, the symbol of the city "granted by Galmar himself!"

"And what did he have to say?" she pressed, clearly trying to get at something "did he ask you about anything"

"I'm not joining the city guard mother" I denied as I Gently pulled away and handed the shield to Froe who was looking at it with almost total reverence, Govi had been trying to get me to join the guard for years now, clearly not wanting to see me leave the city.

"Tsk" she scowled.

"Let the boy do what he wants" a voice emanated from the doorway as y father wlked in, practically covered in snow and carrying the body of an elk on his shoulders, clearly the hunting trip had been successful "every boy has dreams of adventure and glory, no point in trying to stop him"

"Not everybody wants to sail the sea of ghosts!" mother growled back, she had grown up on stories about Haknir Death-Brand and the many other pirate lords of the cursed sea so it was hardly surprising that she was opposed to the idea of her son going there.

"He'll be fine" Malatar waved off as he pulled the dear off his shoulder, dumping it on into the kitchen entrance, causing Eldato to give him a warning glare before she dragged it in for carving "we should be celebrating the fact that our boy has far more courage than either of us townsfolk" he smiled.

Interrupting before my mother could argue i jumped in "He's right, I'll be fine, I can fight better than almost anyone in the city, aside from the jarl and Galmar and-" I began before giving a smirk.

"I have a feeling the gods are smiling upon me"

(also just a thing i thought i should mention, the reason Radukar is a relatively nice person at the moment is due to both him having a good upbringing and not having the souldblight curse to deal with yet, he may change in the future, growing more bloodthirsty and extreme. But he will still be relatively "human")