Chapter 25 - An Ambush
[A/N: There is a new channel #vote on Discord, There is a vote about the civil war now, go check it out, much better than the old one.]
[A/N: A side novel for this novel was made for the special +18 scenes, Skyrim: Sexual Adventures of Jon Dare. This novel is family friendly again.]
[A/N: Bjarnna will be changed to Bjorna, apparently Bjarnna is a male name and the female version is Bjorna.]
[A/N: The last chapter was unedited the first few hours, it's now edited to the best of my current ability. Enjoy]
************************
"..... Hilda?"
The woman stiffened in here place and was surprised to see me, silence took over but someone spoke.
"Hmm? Hilda? You know aunty" Bjorna reacted.
I was taken aback! What aunty? Wasn't she your mother just a while ago? I couldn't say that as it was still confusing, I just pointed between the so-called mother and daughter while making a dumb "eeeeeeh!"
"Hehehe! look at yar dumb face lad! pretty much confusin' me an' dat she-troll." The woman said, "Oi am much prettier ya know! Hehehe!"
What the hell with this lady? She looks like Hilda? But the accent is so out of place?
"You are not Hilda?" I asked.
"Poor lad! Oi told 'er to visit ya every uonce in e while! Figured you'd forget how she looked like." The woman said, "Anyways. Name's Skadi, Hilda's me oldar sista."
I was processing this event but it felt like my brain was having a hard time keeping, just more headache for me.
"Wasn't Hilda the one who taught you fighting after that day?" Wulfur tried to remember, I didn't really tell him the truth about her.
"Mhm." I nodded.
"What? Aunty taught you fighting?" Bjorna yelled.
"Believe it er not, this lad got lucky an' Hilda saw talent in him." Skadi said.
"But how did you recognize me?" I asked as I wasn't sure just yet.
"Yer ma told Hilda yar comin' to town, Hilda told me to keep an eye ya." Skada spoke while finding a seat.
"This, still is, confusing." I sighed to myself.
"Ya don't need to worry! Ya 'll see Hilda in year, she told me she'll be bringin' ya to the sermon, don't die till then." Skadi was still talking in that manner.
"Yeah thanks, Still it's strange to see how much you resemble each other." I said making a wry smile.
"Lair! Hilda's the older one, she's like giant besides me, Oi am a bit shorter, and she acts like a bandit and drinks all day." Skadi said, somehow I could feel that she is very close to Hilda.
"And you act like a pirate." That was Bjorna. I kind of see that this girl was suffering for some reason.
"Stinkin' brat, who's the pirate?" Skadi retorted.
There was a bit of argument but I think I passed the trauma.
"One question please, are there any more sisters I should be aware of?" I had to ask that one.
"Nah! It's just me, Hilda, and a dozen brothers." She said.
"A dozen!" I yelled.
"Hahaha! Look at yer dumb face." Skadi laughed.
The trauma came back.
***************
"So, ya all came here to buy somethin'?" Skadi said.
"Jon wanted cats." Bjorna said.
"Cats? Big ones?" Skadi asked.
"Well, it happened like this....." Bjorna started to tell her the story from when we entered the shop.
Skadi was laughing but I didn't want to remember that experience once again.
"Ya had it hard lad!" Skadi was amused, "But that won't do. If ya want a beast then wait until ya see Hilda."
"Why?" I asked.
"Hilda's arrangin' somethin' good for ya, Oi don't want ta spoil the fun, but it's better than anything we normally sell." Skadi said.
"Is the word cat anywhere in its description?" I asked.
"Just look forward to it." Skadi sighed.
Okay! If it's Hilda then I won't argue.
"About yar friends here, did ya see anythin' you fancy?" Skadi asked the trio.
Looking at Battle-Born, he puffed his chest and said, "I am no milk drinker, if a beast can't fight then what use do I have for it?"
"If a beast can fight, it'll eat a brat like ya once it's hungry. If ya want a beast, then ya have to raise it from the time it was born." Skadi gave a cold reply.
Battle-Born was taken aback and didn't argue, he started thinking about it.
"What about ya big boy? Which do ya fancy?" Skadi turned to Wulfur.
Wulfur said "I....." and his face turned stiffened. Poor guy! What were you thinking about just now?
Skadi noticed and frowned, then she noticed Bjorna face turning red, she glared back at Wulfur.
"A bear!" Skadi said, "If ya can't raise a bear then ya 're no good."
Rest in pieces my brother.
"And ya lassy?" Skadi turned to Svidi.
"I really have nothing I want." Svidi was about to cry.
"Come on you can do better." Skadi insisted.
"But I don't want a beast." Svidi was about to cry.
"Fine, ya can have a fox." Skadi decided.
"And ya 'll have a hound." Then she told Battle-Born.
Seriously now! How do you do business like this?
Speaking of Wulfur, as he was not speaking. I pointed at him and asked Skadi "About the bear thing…"
But I was cut in by her "The biggest bear cub I find is his."
Let's hope it will be a panda, as pitiful and gentle as Wulfur.
I sighed for god knows how many times this day!
Skadi led us to a place where we found small foxes, Svidi picked a white snow fox.
Jon Battle-Born didn't have it hard, he could choose a pup of a bear-dog, if this thing grows well it will be scary.
"Next year, ya drag yer friend here with ya." Skadi said.
"Next year I'll be in Winterhold and he will be staying here." I said.
"I'll figure something out." Wulfur said, brave as ever.
"Fine by me." Skadi said.
"Excuse me! Does your shop offer a 'cat therapy'?" I asked something that was on my mind.
"Oi don't know what's that lad." Skadi asked.
"You see, in my past life people would go to cat-therapy places to sit with a lot of cats for a day and get healed by how fluffy and cute they are." I said.
"Oi could use some of that miself, but what's with that past life?" She asked.
"Jon believes in past lives and dragons ma, it's just a joke he says." Bjorna said.
"Good to believe in something while ya 'er still young, I used to believe there is a dragon living on High Hrothgar when I was young." Skadi said while looking to the space.
Okaaaaay!
Let's not confirm that point.
"Anyway, It was nice meeting you Skadi, it really took me by surprise." I said taking our leave, "I am all beaten up after the match today."
"Fine lad, don't get yourself into trouble." She said, don't know what she meant by that but she looked at me right in the eye.
I am planning to make an upheaval though.
We said our farewells and left the shop.
Wulfur looked back at the direction of the shop few times.
"We traded few pets with some coins and Wulfur's heart, sounds like a good bargain to me." I said teasing him.
Wulfur didn't reply but he walked to Battle-Born, "I am taking your horse."
"Where to?" Battle-Born asked.
"I'll go to the horsemanship contest, I'll go first." Wulfur said and ran.
We looked at each other then sighed, it's not going to be easy from now on.
**************************
[A/N: 3rd Person POV]
After Jon and co left, Skadi looked at Bjorna and asked her about what does she think of Jon and his friends, Bjorna's impression on them was good but when it came to Wulfur the girl was stuttering in words, it made Skadi smile.
Then she started asking about Jon, the strength he showed today in the fight was amazing for a youth in his age, he was unusual and his ideas were really strange, in her opinion, he was a dangerous foe to face either with a weapon or not, she was a veteran brawler and she could wrestle with even bears, yet she didn't think she can win against his style on equal strength.
"Better grow up lad, aunty wants a fight." Skadi was smiling like a beast.
"Did you say something ma?" Bjorna overheard something and asked.
"Nah! Nothing." Skadi said.
"Enough slacking then, go do your chores, or no booze for you tonight." Bjorna yelled at Skadi.
"When did ya be my ma?" Skadi was complaining about her daughter.
Skadi went up but she looked at the place where Jon was standing and remembered something.
"Dragons! … hmm!"
**************************
[A/N: 1st Person POV]
I was quite in a strange mood after meeting with Skadi and Bjorna, they were very good people, and other than Hilda, this was my first time meeting relatives.
Seems like the clan I hail from is pretty much wealthy too, thinking about it, I still don't understand why they had to let go of me?
The 25 years old me doesn't care, but the 15 years old does.
Was I carrying some sort of secret? Did they know that there is a possibility in the future that I may become a Dragonborn?
I am not sure about that myself but the thing that happened seemed big and I don't think I will know unless I hear them.
Me losing to my emotions yesterday and showing a shocked face was truly beyond my ability, I really liked Hilda and never minded her at all, But Skadi was really different now that I think about it, I haven't seen Hilda and stayed with her only a week, no matter what my emotions are I don't think I can remember her appearance now that well.
Let's focus on being better for now, I can't protect myself from a troll, how can I be of any use with my current strength? I slept on these ideas.
*************************
A day passed, Wulfur made a good record yesterday, as he had a lot of steam to blow off.
It was my turn today so I took the horse and headed to the track, I had a long sword on me so I was prepared.
The track starts from the first gate of Solitude, going down the road, passing the stables, turning left to the docks direction, galloping over the docks, crossing the bridge over the big warehouse under Solitude, then galloping all the way to Solitude Lighthouse, someone will ride behind me to record my time and see how many targets I hit.
The leaderboard had the three top records with the college at the first place, followed by the 'Companions second team' and 'White Plains', the team that was supported by Jarl Balgruuf.
This was unexpected to many. The college didn't look that good in physical arts but the surprisingly made the highest score, and it was not Rusning, it was a girl named Jolma, the reason was her initiate ability to cast spells in a very fast rate and she had a good amount of Magicka too.
The girl really was like a machine-gun who can shoot the same Apprentice level spells twice in a second from one hand, that was the college for you.
It was rumored that she could hit the target at least twice before she passes it while speeding with the horse.
Problem is, some targets were really close to each other so most riders will need to slow down and make a hit but she would spam spells like crazy while riding fast.
The time between her and Vilkas from the second place was a challenge to beat.
It was my turn and I was riding on Battle-Born's horse.
It was your typical Skyrim horse, big legs, large butt, dumb face.
It wasn't that slow but I didn't like it.
I have ridden horses in my past life and they were Arabian horses. Tall, fit, strong and beautiful. This thing was barely as fast as a camel.
Its name was 'Meatloaf', and don't ask me why.
I was at the start line and a man came with a horse after me. This was the judge of the race, he would record how many targets I hit and record the start time on the sundial near the start line and the finishing time on the sundial near the last line. He nodded and told me "anytime now."
I held the reins tightly and pressed on the horse with my legs with a "Hya!"
Leaning my body forward while the horse starting to gallop, I could feel the fresh air on my face.
Down the road through the stables there was a hanging target, it was a sand sack, a 'Lightning Bolt' spell in my right hand made it explode.
Canceling the spell, I turned to the left after reaching the turning point.
There was a target concealed in the corner but a spell can get it easily and so it was.
Galloping again and hitting many hanged targets easily, the ground targets started to appear, I switched to the sword and started taking the down.
Reaching the bridge I could see three targets in the same spot, one hanged, one on the left and one on the right.
That was going to be hard, I didn't speed up but I sheathed the sword, shot the left and right with magic then unsheathed the sword once again, stood on the saddle and slashed at the hanging target.
I could hear the man riding behind me saying "Nice!"
The next challenge was after the bridge, I could see many ground targets left and right.
Recalling some TV Show scene, I sheathed the sword and switched to 'Bound Sword' on both hands.
I made and upper slash while rotating my arms a full circle with every slash, every target was hit successfully.
[A/N: Like the Dothraki rider from Game of Thrones S7E4]
I really wanted someone to get that on camera.
Nothing hard came after that and I could reach the Lighthouse with no problems.
After passing the finish line the man jumped down and ran to the sundial installed on a platform under the sun.
He took a charcoal pen and made a mark then looked at the other marks and checked the note of the target record in his hand.
"You took the second place." He said.
Damn! Seriously! That girl from the college was better than me?
"Fine! I am not even dissatisfied." I said.
"You have done well, see you at the group duels my boy." The man said and left away.
I was in a good mood so I stood to watch the sea for a while then rode and headed back.
While I was riding I felt the air change and my 'Alarm' spell made a 'tek tek' sound in my head.
An Enemy! But where?
I looked in the front and in the back but know one was there.
'tek tek tek'
Three times? That close? I galloped forward but I could see nothing.
I made a detect magic spell and I could see a reaction from the roadside under some boulder.
I didn't think and fired a 'Lightning Bolt'.
The only reaction I got was an arrow flying at me.
Act now! Think later!
I don't know how many enemies but the ambush they prepared didn't work and it seemed the have no plan B.
Amatures! Let's catch them.