Igrid II

Igrid relayed his journeys starting from the fantastic escape from Helgen to the heroic dungeon dive to find Jurgen's Horn. The old man smiled and listened, never drinking from his tankard though, Igrid only assumed that he didn't want to pull down the scarf that covered the lower part of his face.

The evening autumn wind was quite chilly, and getting colder with every minute.

After telling his tale, Igrid wanted to hear the experiences of the old man so he asked...

"Sorry for taking so much of your time old man. Could you tell me some of your own experiences? I'd love to hear about it..."

The old man showed mild surprise as he was never asked to share his own experiences. People oftentimes only like to talk about themselves, but he humored Igrid and began to tell his stories.

Over time, the broad smile on Igrid's mouth began to fade....the voice was the first clue, but the eyes and skin color...

'It all matches the description in the books...' Igrid was now sure, but he didn't feel disgusted as most people on Skyrim would be, but intrigued. He wanted to know more about it...

When the old man finished his latest story and took a long breath, Igrid couldn't hold it in any longer and quietly whispered.

"You're a vampire aren't you?...." his voice wasn't accusatory, but inquisitive, which the old man could sense as his shoulders that just tensed at his race's name slightly relaxed.

The old man stared deeply at Igrid for some time, making the young man nervous. But in the end, the old man only sighed and nodded slightly.

"....how did you know little one?" the vampire's voice was tinged with curiosity but a dangerous edge followed.

Igrid gulped slightly, only now realizing the situation he is in and what type of beast was in front of him. This wasn't a newly resurrected dragon surrounded by hundreds of armed soldiers, this is a silent killer, a beast almost unmatched in single combat.

"Well, it's in your voice.....you have a lisp kind've..." Igrid was honest, the fangs of the old vampire gave him a distinct lisp which was the first clue to Igrid.

The vampire stared blankly before he erupted in loud laughter...

"Hahaha.....I have a lisp?..." Igrid was a little embarrassed but still nodded.

"It's subtle, only a slight carryover at the end of sentences but I noticed. Then there is your skin and eyes..." just then, Igrid looked up and saw that the vampire's eyes glowed brightly but they held no ill-intent, only amusement.

"....and you're not afraid of me?" the vampire asked while tilting his head.

"No...I mean, I am afraid but I'm mostly curious...I have so many questions..." curiosity emanated from the young man's body as he greedily leaned towards the table, wanting to add a wondrous chapter to Whiskey's Adventure.

Without skipping a beat, Igrid continued to his next question figuring the vampire is in a happy mood and he should try his luck...

"Can I interview you? I'd love to ask some questions..."

The vampire's smile faltered slightly but after a minute or two, he nodded in acquiescence. He pulled down his scarf for the first time and showed off his fangs as he took a long sip from his tankard.

"You may ask your questions, but don't expect something grand. My life has been filled with loneliness and a lot of sleeping..." the vampire's melancholic voice resonated with Igrid, the young man knowing exactly what he should ask first.

........

"You weren't always a vampire were you?..." Igrid asked.

The vampire was uncomfortable with the topic, but he forced himself to move forward. This young boy seemed to be okay with his.....illness. The first human he's met which felt that way.....he guaranteed an interview, so he should oblige.

"No..." answered the vampire.

"I was a twenty-four-year-old man when I became a vampire and it was so long ago, I can't even remember the year. It's been so, so long...." the vampire's voice became listless and sad but he still waited for the boy's next question.

"Well, how did it come about?..." Igrid lacked tack if anything, but the vampire didn't seem bothered by the bluntness.

"There's a simple answer to that, I don't believe I want to give the first person to which I've told this story simple answers. I want to tell the real story..."

A pause settled between the two for the vampire to take a drink before he continued on...

"There was an awful tragedy...it was my younger brother you see, he died..." the vampire didn't seem sad, he seemed lifeless and stoic as if suppressing a mountain of emotions underneath his statement.

"....is it still painful?" Igrid asked timidly. He could infer the age of this vampire, and his brother's death was certainly not recent.

"Does it seem so? No, it's not painful...we were living in a town that was West of what is now Dawnstar. Very near the coast...."

"You see, my home had a lot to do with it really....my becoming a vampire and all but I'll come to that..."

"Myself, my brother, and our sister were living there on a farmstead we built with our own hands. It was big enough to provide and sturdy enough to survive the harsh Skyrim winters...we loved it there. Even when the harsh winter storms blew the roof off our barns and decimated our crops.....yes, we loved it."