Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20140429222522/@comment-24449631-20140501171436

It was so quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the air escaping his nose, it tickled a little, that was all. Rowan had his eyes closed, so he could hear the water acoustics even better. Eventually after a few sort seconds he opened his eyes and looked up.

The light of the sun danced on the surface of the lake. Smudge-shaped figures twisted and turned around in the waves above him.

As he felt his throat get tighter, he realised it was time to come up for air.

He wasn’t that deep under, so a few swings up and he had reached the surface.

The transition from the underwater calmness to the windy surface was marked by a splash and a gasp for air.

Rowan quickly rubbed his eyes and breathed through his open mouth. He shook his head swiftly to sway off any hairs from his face.

As he opened his eyes and he had recaptured his breath, he looked at Viktor and Arní at the side of the lake.

“Come on get in” Rowan beckoned, holding his left hand above the surface.

The two naked Nords just stood there at the side.

“It looks cold…” Arní said as he held his arms around his shoulders, to shield it from the cool early spring breeze

“It is” Rowan replied as he was treading in the waters

“Ah why not…” Viktor sounded as he walked back and prepared for a cannon ball.

“Watch out!” He shouted as he ran up to the edge and launched himself forward. Forming a ball with his body and landed into the lake with a big splash, some of it hit Rowan, who again swayed with his head.

Some of it also hit Arní who jumped away a bit. He obviously didn’t like it.

After a few milliseconds, Viktor surfaced as well.

“Ah, man! You weren’t kidding… It IS cold!” He said while he blew some of the water out of his mouth.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan smiled and looked back at Arní.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Come on…” He sounded.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní hesitated.

<p class="MsoNormal">Now, also Viktor turned to skinny Nord.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, come on… Get in, ya big baby” He mocked.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní looked at the two but he had already made up his mind.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sorry guys, but not today… It’s just too cold…” He said as he skipped some rocks, back up to the place where the Nords had left their clothes.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Milkdrinker!” Viktor shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní didn’t respond, he just simply put on his clothes again and walked off.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll get him back…” Viktor decided as he wanted to swing back to shore.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Nah… Leave him be” Rowan decided as he held Viktor’s arm.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Come on… Let’s swim a bit, otherwise you’ll get really cold.” Rowan added.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sigh. Alright. I think, he’s grown soft after his time with those mages in Winterhold…”

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní walked the southern path.

<p class="MsoNormal">A bit angry with himself.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Damnit Arní!” he said to himself.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How are they ever going to respect you if you can’t even be trusted with such a menial thing…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Sigh…

<p class="MsoNormal">“No Matter”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll just, find some of those ingredients for that potion I’ve been working on.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Luckily they weren’t any rare potions but things you’d easily find in The Rift, if you were willing to walk a bit off the beaten path.

<p class="MsoNormal">“let’s see here…” Arní rumbled around in his satchel for the recipe of a medicine against rockjoint. If that book was correct then some Scaly Pholiota would be the perfect reagent.

<p class="MsoNormal">He then put the recipe away again, and started looking.

<p class="MsoNormal">''Scaly Pholiota could mostly be found on dead trees so… He needed to look for trees with brown leaves or without them. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">Some trees in the Rift just don’t survive Skyrim’s winters. Even if it didn’t snow. Arní knew that all too well, considering he grew up here. Though it had been some time since he had seen his homeland again. He had been studying in Winterhold for the past two years now. And had only returned for a short time before he would continue his studies at the College.

<p class="MsoNormal">After some time he had found what he was looking for at the foot of some tree.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ah, finally.” He sounded. It had been more of a chore then he had anticipated.

<p class="MsoNormal">He took out his hunter’s knife, ready to cut it off the tree until he suddenly heard something from somewhere in front of him but the tree blocked his view.

<p class="MsoNormal">He sat up, and tried listening to the sound. Careful he didn’t make a sound.

<p class="MsoNormal">…

<p class="MsoNormal">Nothing.

<p class="MsoNormal">''Must’ve been an deer. Probably ''

<p class="MsoNormal">Which was odd since there were little to no deer around here at this time of year.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní started to get a bit nervous.

<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps it was wolf. Ironically he was trying to find a medicine against Rockjoint, would be pretty stupid if a wolf took him to Sovngarde. Considering he’d ever get there…

<p class="MsoNormal">He started cutting again, only faster. He wanted to be done with it.

<p class="MsoNormal">*crack*

<p class="MsoNormal">He stopped again and sat up again. A branch cracked. Only this time the noise was closer to him than before.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Nord got up.

<p class="MsoNormal">A wolf would’ve let out a growl by now, so it wasn’t that either.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní slowly moved around the tree with his hunters knife in the hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hello…” He asked. Less confident then he wanted to sound.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Who’s there?!” He asked in rapid succession and also a bit louder.

<p class="MsoNormal">…

<p class="MsoNormal">Nothing.

<p class="MsoNormal">All he could see behind the tree were bushes of the autumnal forest and the mountains behind them.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní lowered his knife.

<p class="MsoNormal">Was it all his imagination? He started to wonder.

<p class="MsoNormal">For a few seconds he stood there. A bit unsure about whatever was going to happen.

<p class="MsoNormal">Suddenly the sound of an arrow being released from its bow could be heard, right in front of him. A cold shiver went down the Nord’s spine but before he could do anything he felt it pierce his throat. Which miraculously hadn’t cut any nerves or crushed his cervical curve.

<p class="MsoNormal">“-urk!” Arní grabbed for his neck. As he stumbled back on the ground. Where the arrow, that got stuck in his throat, pinned him to the soil.

<p class="MsoNormal">He couldn’t breathe but didn’t panic. He was in too much of a shock to actually panic.

<p class="MsoNormal">From his uncomfortable position he looked down to the bushes in front of him and saw Imperial soldiers appear from behind them.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní still had the hunters knife in his hand. And didn’t let go. Clinging on it as he was clinging on for dear life.

<p class="MsoNormal">Once one of the imperials got close enough he mustered all his strength and threw the knife at one of the Imperials.

<p class="MsoNormal">Sadly, even that wasn’t enough and the Imperial was quick to dodge this dying man’s last throw.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arní felt he was suffocating on his own blood and felt tears welling up in his eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">Not out of sadness but because, for a moment there, he thought he saw Sovngarde. It was beautiful.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Nord gladly closed his eyes and left his earthly body.

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m going out” Rowan said as he swam back to the shore.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Aw, why?” Viktor asked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s getting late, and I promised my Ma I would help with supper.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh ok…” Viktor said as his mouth sunk under the surface.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan got up from the lake, the evening was even more chilly but he could manage. As he quickly skipped to the rock where there clothes lay.

<p class="MsoNormal">He quickly put them on, to get rid of the cold evening breeze. His hair was still pretty wet and plastered against his skull.

<p class="MsoNormal">“See ya!” Rowan shouted to Viktor in the Lake.

<p class="MsoNormal">

"Ja! see ya..." Viktor replied and started to swim again.

As he was walking back to Riften:

"Hmmm..." Rowan looked up.

"Those clouds are getting pretty dark..."

"Maybe a storm is coming..."

"