• Welcome to Skyrim Forums! Register now to participate using the 'Sign Up' button on the right. You may now register with your Facebook or Steam account!
  • Hey there, thanks for visiting our fan fiction section. You should only write stories that aren't related to your character's encounters, if you wish to write a story about your character please post an entry in your blog.

    Before reading or writing a story, please make sure to read this thread. Thanks, Guest, and we hope you enjoy this section.

MushroomGenius

Jarl of Fungi, Great Khal of the Mushraki
DebtToPayTitlecopy.png

"Shylara Honor-Bound." It's my chosen name. Why and how, you ask? Well let's just say it's complicated. No, mine isn't a story of abuse and neglect with me rising above it all to be the High Queen of Skyrim, those are just fairy tales that silly girls dream of. There are no gallant Knights on white horses coming to save me, nor would I want that. This debt to pay is my own, my family's. And believe me, it will be paid for in blood.

WindhelmSm.jpg

Chapter I -

I grew up in the perpetually frozen city of Windhelm. My family home, a beautiful three story residence in the Jeweled Quarter. Our house's opulence dwarfed that of the other high-born families, the Shatter-Shield's and the Cruel-Sea's. I won't lie, it was a great life. My father and mother both worked as goldsmiths, delicately crafting beautiful jewelry with the finest gemstones. Years before I was born, my father had inherited Mouseblood Mine from his uncle who he said had died and had no living heirs. The mine was not very prosperous at first, he said, nothing but small iron ore deposits, but further in, they struck gold. The largest strike ever is what the historians claimed. Our family immediately surpassed Markarth's Silver-Bloods as the wealthiest in Skyrim.

With money, oftentimes comes power, but from what I knew of him, my father was never power-obsessed or money-hungry. He constructed the best home he could within Windhelm's walls. He also grew up here, in a small home in the Grey Quarter. He described it as, "just one big room," where he and his family cooked, ate, and slept. There's some Dunmer refugees in there now I believe. Unlike the majority of Windhelm's Nords, my father had no issue with the Dunmer. He would often argue with Uncle Ulfric about them as they sat around chugging down mead.​
Ulfric001.png
Ulfric Stormcloak is now the Jarl of Windhelm, a childhood friend of my father's. They served in the Imperial Legion together, my father left the legion immediately when he inherited the mine. Uncle Ulfric continued on until finally deciding his views didn't agree with those of the Empire. After returning to Windhelm, he stayed with us for a short time before suddenly being thrust into the Palace of the Kings as Windhelm's new Jarl. Uncle Ulfric would visit father often late at night, they spoke about a lot of things that never interested me, politics, finances, city repairs, but when they spoke of battle my interest always piqued. I'd listen in from the top of our stairs until I fell asleep or my mother shooed me back to my room. My father described Uncle Ulfric as a fearless soldier, brilliant strategist, and inspiration to his troops. He was someone I always looked up to, though not by blood, we always considered him as family.

2012-07-27_00043Small.jpg

I never associated much with other girls my age. I spent more time watching Oengul War-Anvil hammer steel than playing dress-up. Nilsine Shatter-Shield and her best friend Muiri used to invite me over a lot, but they never did anything that interested me. My parents worried about me because I never really had many close friends. The boys weren't interested in hanging around with me and I wasn't interested in what the girls were doing. I made a lot of friends in the marketplace, unfortunately they were all grown-ups too busy in their day-to-day lives to pay me much attention.

2012-07-27_00048small.jpg

After Oengul got tired of telling me to get out of his way, I'd visit Niranye. I'd sit on the crates behind her stall and chat with her, she'd tell me stories of where she'd been, fascinating people she'd met, her life sounded so interesting and so appealing! She finally settled down in Windhelm, she said she liked it here, but, "you never know where the winds may take you." She and father were close too, he considered her a wise business partner and used her to distribute his jewelry throughout Skyrim, which of course, she got a percentage.

Talos.jpg

We were a devout Talos worshiping family despite the restrictions of the White-Gold Concordat. Mother especially was adamant about not giving up our faith, her brother was a priest at the Shrine of Talos in Markarth. He went missing one day, many suspected the Thalmor were behind it. Uncle Ulfric and father would always tell me stories about Tiber Septim and the glory that he brought to Nords. I would re-enact all of his famous battles down in our basement using broomhandles for swords and woven basket covers as shields. My father would often hear my grunts as I put my imaginary sword through foe after foe, he'd come down and pretend to be the opposing leader, sending swarms of brigands and sellswords at me. Those were my fondest memories.

When I reached the age of eight, father asked me if I wanted to learn this stuff for real. He told me I had exceptional balance, speed, and agility for a girl so small in stature. Of course I took him up on his offer! He asked Nils to craft us a couple of heavy wooden swords to train with. The sword was so heavy compared to my broomsticks. He said that was intentional, to help me build more strength. I was exhausted in the beginning, I kept wanting to swing that wooden sword with both hands, but my father wouldn't allow it. Within two months of daily sparring with him and a lesson every other day with Yrsarald Thrice-Pierced, I was making tremendous strides. When battling father, I definitely gave more than I got. He said he was going easy on me, but I think that was just his pride talking. Eventually, my father decided to hire instructors for me.

2012-07-27_00041small.jpg

Sparing no expense, my father imported teachers from all over Tamriel. My favorites were: a Redguard swordsman from Hammerfell, an Orcish shield-maiden from Orisinium, and a Bosmeri Ranger that lived and hunted in Skyrim's wilds. There were many more, all of them left impressed and with a few new bruises as proof of the skills they've taught me. By twelve, I was quite formidable. I'd practice sparring with some of Windhelm's guards in the courtyard using dull practice steel. Of course none of them wanted to strike me, the daughter of one of Windhelm's noblest families, but after getting repeatedly struck through their guard, their frustration set in and they started attacking. I can't honestly say that I won them all, but I surprised a lot of them. They'd often bet with each other who could last longer without getting hit. They'd even made a drinking game out of my sparring, they would end the night drunk off their butts and always in good spirits.

WithFatheratHearthSm.jpg

I lived a life of swordplay. It's what I would do almost all day long. My father reveled in my successes and always encouraged me when I'd have setbacks. We'd sit around the hearth just chatting, he would take our family sword off of the display above the mantle and let me hold it. It was a beautiful sword, crafted by Skyrim's finest smith, Vignar Gray-Mane of Whiterun. An obsidian-black Daedric Sword, "Ysmir's Fury" was its name. All great weapons should have a name is what my father told me. The Fury was exceptionally well balanced and razor sharp. It was light in my hand, lighter than my practice steel. I'd always look at father before daring to even swing it inside the house. He'd approve, warily. My father said the sword was enchanted, but because nobody was using it, it had lost its charge, it was safer to store in the house that way.

In a matter of days, the winds of fate would come swirling at my doorstep.

== End of Chapter 1 ==
On to Chapter II: A Debt to Pay - Chapter II | Skyrim Forums
 

Recent chat visitors

Latest posts

Top