2 The Raid

Day 11

"Damn. Too much mead." I groaned as I woke to the sound of laughter and song. "Did I really sleep all day?" I couldn't believe how much they had made me drink the night before. After chopping wood most of the day I had absently mentioned I had never drank before when the inkeeper had offered to buy me a mug. Two other patrons had also offered to pay and have me try it. More than just trying it actually, rolling over I noticed a note on the bedside shelf.

"Last night was a riot. Your room is paid for tonight as well as the drinks from last night. –Orgnar" The innkeeper's name must be Orgnar, I thought to myself with a smile. The details of the other night where hazy but it doesn't seem like I gave anything away about my world or how I came here. My head felt like it was going to split open as I sat up and stared at the closed door that lead to the larger area of the inn. People where laughing and I could hear mugs being banged together in celebration. It was either the town getting together or a group of travelers that had stopped by for the night. Either way the noise made my headache all the worse. After getting out of bed I decided it would be best to try and get some air. I donned my robes and hid my dagger in a sheathe that I had made by the blacksmith the other day. It was made using a smaller belt attachment so I could hide it in my sleeves. The way it felt against my skin was something I would have to get used to, the uncomfortable heaviness and awkward way it brushed against my skin made me wonder how people in movies did it.

It took me some stumbling but I was able to make it out my room, say thank you to Orgnar and get past the celebrating groups of people. They looked to be imperial soldiers, celebrating a victory perhaps? There was no way of telling, as I had heard nothing about the civil war since coming to the inn. "I haven't really been here that long though." I muttered to myself as the cold night air hit me hard in the face. The town felt quiet as everyone was either in their homes or at the inn. It must be the tenth day since I woke up here? It seems like I have started to get a little rhythm going, over the past two days though. If I could keep my finances in check and maybe even become an apprentice at the blacksmith, I could save up enough money then travel to a larger city and buy a house. If I was within stronger walls and more guards then I would feel much safer.

It was then that I noticed the torches from the southern road. There seemed to be over a dozen. More imperials perhaps? It was hard to tell from the distance they where at. I stood there and stared at them for a while as I was trying to think of why so many people where together. A caravan perhaps or a group of traders who hired guards? It took a few minutes of squinting but I watched the way the torches moved until they were close enough for me to be able to make out rugged faces and drawn weapons. In a panic I charged back into the inn, my face pale and my breathing ragged from the cold air and panic. All those who where drinking and celebrating stopped to stare at me. Some looked more annoyed that their drinking had been interrupted than anything. "Bandits! A group of them coming from the Southern Road!" I yelled as panic coursed through me. Why now?! I thought to myself as I moved out of the way of the door as the inn began booming with panic.

The soldiers drew their blades, some stumbled out into the darkness while others were more nimble on their feet. Some of the guards from the southern camp must have seen what was going on and had already begun fighting the group of bandits by the time the imperials had gotten there. I stayed back at the inn and waited over by the innkeeper. My head was killing me, my heart was pounding so hard it might come out of my chest and I felt like I was on the verge of peeing myself. I had been frightened all the time while I was on the road but now I could see and hear the threat just a little ways away from me. Swords clashed, people screamed, and others ran about outside of the inn. The innkeeper had his hands on the mace just below his counter and my own hands where close together in case I needed to draw my knife. The minutes it took for the battle to end seemed like hours to me as I eyed the doorway.

When an imperial soldier came through the doorway I practically wet myself right there, but luckily I didn't.

"It's over now. We killed em." He said with a slight smile. But his facial expression changed as he held his side. Orgnar rushed over the supported the man. "I'm okay. Just got grazed is all." His face showed his pain but it also gave away that he was still drunk. The wound could be much worse as he wouldn't have felt it at first! I went over and helped Orgnar guide the man to the nearby table and set him down. Others began to file in. Some wounded and others just a little banged up. I did what I could to help get others to sit down and help Orgnar find cloth to bandage the wounds. Other people began to file in to help the soldiers and guards that survived.

"P-please give us a blessing." A young looking soldier begged as I moved around attempting to help in some way and keep myself from falling into a panic attack. I eyed myself a moment and realized it may have been the robes or something that made someone believe I was a priest.

"Erm. Well." I knew from experience with the games that the nine divines and the daedric princes pay close attention to the acts of mortals so I wondered if I would be punished for impersonating a priest. But the look in the young man's eyes where pleading as barmaid attempted to fasten a cloth around his bleeding leg. These people believed heavily in their gods and I would have to do the same in order to ask for a blessing for these men. I gathered up my courage and raised a hand to the young man. "I ask Akatosh and the Divines to bless these men. To give them strength and guidance in the times to come and to help heal their wounds." As I spoke I felt something within me. My body felt warm and power flowed from my hand and out towards the man and the inn itself.

"Your prayer has been heard." I could have sworn I heard a voice in my head. It felt deep and menacing but at the same time gentle and comforting. It was a difficult thing to describe.

The young man smiled and thanked me as he leaned against the nearby wall and slumped down to a sitting position. The other soldiers seemed to also feel at peace as their wounds where being bandaged.

It took me a minute to calm myself down from everything that had just happened. I sat at an empty table and sighed heavily. I just successfully did a blessing? I'm no priest! Why would they answer my prayer? What was going on here? I still had no answers to how I had come here and what I was supposed to do to get home!

Due to the hangover my head felt like it was going to split open on top of the stress of the situation. I did what I could to help the others with the wounded. Over time things began to settle down and Orgnar could see the exhaustion on my face. He thanked me for the help and told me a lot of people could have died without my warning. He said it would be best for me to get some rest especially given the celebrating the day before. I was confused, exhausted, and in a lot of pain. I only hoped that the initial danger had passed outside as I crawl underneath the furs on the bed. Why was all this happening to me? More questions just popped up by the day as I tried to live in this new reality.

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Day 15

A few days passed and things started to slow down a little after the bandit raid. The Southern road had been cleaned of the bodies and the dead had been buried in a new cemetery nearby. Though it wasn't pleasant, I helped in the burials and gathering of the bodies. I had vomited a few times, as I had never seen a body cut apart before. The games and movies I had seen never could have prepared me for what I saw. I did the honors of saying the last right for the dead and felt the same power of the blessing that I did the night of the bandit raid. It was strange, calling upon the Divines to bless and guide the souls of the dead. I never pictured myself as the religious type but I was starting to feel a calling here.

It was midday when I realized I was running low on gold again. My stomach growled as I dug into my coin purse for a few gold pieces to buy some food at the inn.

"Don't worry about it. Your foods on me today." The young soldier from before came up and put some gold on the counter.

"Oh. You don't have to." I said with a smile. It was good to see him up and moving again. I found out that he was younger than I was and joined the imperial army in hopes of ending the war that took his uncle from him. But he had never seen death nor killed a man until that night. He had been in a dark state of mind the last couple days but today it seemed that he was doing well.

"No please, I insist." He urged and bought himself some food as well. Bread, roasted rabbit, and water was brought before us. I dug right in to the food as it was placed, hunger getting the better of me. I hadn't eaten since the night before and even then it had only been some bread to settle my stomach from vomiting.

After finishing the meal and downing the water I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

"Thank you, I needed that."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to repay you even a little for the kindness you have shown us." He seemed very serious for one so young. It may have been from losing family or just the rough upbringing that must come with being born in Skyrim. "So you are a priest of Akatosh? It must be nice to have the support of the dragon god of time." I remembered that Akatosh was the head of the Nine Divines and he had been mentioned to be the dragon god of time in the books that where available in the game.

"To be honest. I just recently found my faith in the Divines, I had been lost for a long while." I thought that telling the truth would be better than lying, as it seemed that Akatosh had an eye on me. Or he must have noticed me at least for him to accept and answer my prayers, if it wsa actually him. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of a Daedra tricking me instead.

"Recently found or not. I'm thankful for the blessing of Akatosh. Though the other men in the detachment might not admit it, I know they're thankful as well." The young man fidgeted with his armor a moment then sighed. "We'll be heading out soon. We're rendezvousing with a larger force to try and build a fortress using Valtheim Towers as the center." It seemed that he felt uneasy about telling me the imperial's plan but there seemed to be a motive.

"That seems like a very strategic point. Now I'm not one for tactics or anything but those towers serve as a major point between Whiterun and the western holds." Orgnar cut in as he scratched his chin. He was in full support of the empire and interested in their movements. Orgnar had mentioned wanting to join the legion after the bandit raid in order to help defend his home but he also knew that he wouldn't want anyone else running his inn.

"The reason I'm telling is that I was hoping you would accompany us. The leader of our detachment was slain in the fighting a few nights ago. It seems like the others are in bad shape but want to keep moving. Having a priest with us might help boost morale. We could work out details later if you need payment but." The soldier was rambling, trying his hardest to get me to accompany him. I was trying to think of the towers they where mentioning. I remembered going through something that had been overrun with bandits on my way to walk to Winterhold in the game but... If the Empire was going to occupy the area it must mean that it must be cleared?

"I honestly don't know. I'm not one to intentionally put myself in harm's way. I'm kind of a coward to be honest." I said, trying to back out any way that I can without saying no. Even though it had only been a few days I had felt that I was starting to settle down in Riverwood. I hadn't been so afraid, even drank mead for the first time and socialized with the others in the small town.

"That's okay. We're not asking you to fight or anything. Just knowing that we are blessed by Akatosh would be enough to help boost our morale." He sounded desperate as he looked at me with the same pleading eyes that he had the night I first said a blessing.

"Let me pack what few belongings I have. When you move out, let me know." I said with a heavy sigh. I didn't want to at all but if I could help someone and get to know the right people, I might be able to find someone who could help me. I sat up, stretched then went to my room and began to pack my satchel. When I picked up the spell book I realized I had yet to read it. I had been worried that there might be something in there that I wouldn't want to see. Like maybe a time limit I have for existing here. Like I could die after a certain amount of time or something. Shaking my head I told myself that I would look at it when everything was settled at Valtheim towers or whatever it was called.

After I finished packing I walked out to find Orgnar with a small pack.

"What's that?" I asked with a slight tilt to my head.

"Just some food I prepped up. Figured you could use some rations. I doubt they have anything similar to my cooking at their camps." He said with a laugh.

"Thank you. You've been kind to me." I smiled as I took the pack of food and slung it over my shoulder with my satchel.

"It's not everyday that I get to watch a priest drink himself stupid." He laughed again though he did sound a little sad. Just then the young soldier came back into the inn with another in tow. They both smiled as the told me they where ready to move.

"Lead the way." I did my best to smile back, but doubt filled my mind as I looked out over all who accompanied me. A few wounded soldiers where still healing but they still wanted to travel anyway? There was maybe four of them who could fight and four more who still needed to recover. I patted the underside of my forearm to make sure my dagger was secure , adjusted my satchel and the pack so they where more comfortable, then followed the two out the door and onto the dangerous roads of Skyrim.