Cold stones and cold rivers. (Elder Scrolls RP, closed)

[Faclan]

(Just a thread with myself, Llau, and BetaW - sorry you fellow Elder Scrolls Fans D: , we still love you.)

4E, 200 - 23rd day of Frostfall, Middas. - Broken Diamond Holiday.

SPOILER: Click to show

Tekkals - i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac83/Christopher_Hyde/72850_screenshots_2014-12-01_00001_zpsf004cb91.jpg~original - just a link because inserting the picture shrunk it super bad.

Tekkals (Aged 24) - Argonian Dock-Worker
Windhelm Docks, early morning.
Another day, another Septim, hopefully more.

Shifting slightly on the stiff scaffolding that somehow constituted a sleeping square, according to the Nords, Tekkals held the blanket tighter to himself as he tried to keep sleeping. So far Skyrim had been completely what he had been expecting; racism, cold weather, and very few of his fellows. Hence the reason why he had originally intended to avoid Windhelm. His ship was supposed to just sail past the Nord city, keep going down the white River before ending up near Whiterun. But of course that had issues or else he wouldn't be clutching rag blankets now. Of course the Redguard crew waited untill they were right outside Windhelm before revealing that they were pirates. Forced to the back of the railing with a sword against his chest they gave him the option to try and fight, be a slave for them, or try to swim for shore. As only one of those options had any kind of future Tekk had dove off the side into the frigid water with the laughs of the Redguards behind him. So he had swam to the docks, the only thing he could see at night, and was pulled from the drink by a female Argonian who was finishing some tanning on a rack. Swam to the worse city he could have picked out of all of Skyrim...cept maybe Markath if the rumors were true. But Windhelm is where he found himself, drenched and nearly frozen with only the clothes on his back as all his money and his bow had been on the ship before he jumped off.

But that was nearly a month ago now, and since then he had been welcomed in with open arms by the Argonians in the city, and barely even noticed as a different 'scale-back' by the Nord guards. Scouts-Many-Marshes had told him to not even bother trying to ask the Nords for anything, and so he had mostly just talked with the other Argonians who 'worked' on the docks. If it could be called that. And the occasional ship captain who actually wanted to talk about their cargo rather than just shouting at them to unloaded it fast. He had asked them why they didn't just leave, or swim away. But it had only taken a short walk with Shahvee to be pointed out to the bandits and Stormcloaks soldiers visible on the road...so Tekk's hopes were mostly dashed and he now just focused on getting and saving what pay he could to try and get a ticket out of town.

But he was roused from the sleep he could get by a light smack on the snout as the all too familiar raspy, grating, skooma-ruined voice of Stands-In-Shallows shouting at him to get up! Sitting up as quick as he could the dull blue Argonian started to shift to stick his feet over the side before he was shoved out of the bed and shouted at once more to get up.

"Come on young-in! Its the celebration of the Broken Diamonds today! The Nords will take any excuse to drink so you'll need to be out there early so they don't get angry!"

By now Tekk had stopped trying to argue with the elder and just nodded as he grabbed the bed and pulled himself to his knees and then his feet as he stumbled towards the large table. Only Neetrenaza was still inside the Assemblage and he was already heading for the door, just giving Tekk a little wave before he shut the door. Dawns light peaking in as well as the cold breeze before Tekk managed to make it to the table as Stands thankfully moved over to his own place in the large room and started doing whatever it was that made him the same money they all made doing manual work. A few bites of stale but still edible bread and a quick drink of water all the Argonian had time for before he too moved for the door, giving Stands a last gesture before he shut and locked the door, slipping the key into his belt pouch before turning to face today's work.

Scouts quickly filled him in that he would be doing unloading today, and with just a little groan Tekk nodded and moved off to help his fellow move the crates about on the dock. The sounds of drunken rabble-rousing already leaking over the walls as Tekk just hoped they would stay in their own homes for once as he tugged his jacket a bit tighter and returned to the work...

[Llau]

Hakon (age 12) - Nord child orphan
Windhelm, Candlehearth Hall, early morning
Rise and shine to another morning of picking pockets and other shenanigans

He arrived in Windhelm a couple of days ago, after a long journey from Cyrodiil, and from Riften, where he followed the road north before winding up here. He would have stayed in Riften, since some man offered him a job in the thieves guild there, but he had no desire to join them even though he had the skills in doing so. He was a pretty clever little thief, but he would rather steal on his own time, and keep what he took. The only reason he traveled to Skyrim was to find his father, who left Hakon's mother sometime after the boy was born. Now, his mother has fallen into a fatal illness, and she told him to head to the nearest orphanage so they could take care of him for now on, but Hakon decided against it, and went looking for his father instead. The only thing he remembered was that his father lived up north in Windhelm somewhere. Once he arrived though, there was no sign of his father, and when he asked around, the adults told him that he might have joined the Stormcloaks, or died years ago. In other words, they didn't know where the man went, or if he was still alive. Now the boy wasn't sure what to do...continue to look for his father, the man who abandoned him and his mother when he was born, go back to Cyrodiil, or stick around. He was certainly capable of handling himself, and his mother taught him archery and how to protect himself with a blade - though, he only uses daggers because they weigh a lot less for him.

Hakon's eyes opened, and he stretched and groan in the bed he was able to rent for the night after gaining enough money to eat a warm meal and sleep in his own room instead of on the floor somewhere in the building...or outside. He rolled over onto his back, and gazed at the ceiling before finally climbing out of the bed to get his pair of shoes and bracers on, and threw on his warm cloak made out of wolf fur. Before leaving the room, he decided to take the bowl of apples that were in there, and throw all but one into his knapsack that had another pair of clothes and other items. He strapped the knapsack behind his back, and then gathered his bow and quiver, and strapped his two daggers around his belt before eating the apple and drinking the rest of his water from his water-skin. Once he was full and his thirst was quenched, he walked outside, and looked around. The brisk cold air was both refreshing as he breathed it in, but it was still pretty cold, even for him. He wrapped himself around with his fur cloak, and began to head outside of the city to cross the bridge. While out there, he looked out toward the left, where he noticed the dockworkers starting to work on whatever they were doing down there. There were a few Argonians working down there. Argonians, he never had a problem with them, or the other races that weren't Nords. The Dark Elf lady, he forgot her name, told him that he was in the wrong city since he told her he didn't hate her kind or any of the non-Nord races. <br><br>Sighing, he glanced down at one of the ships, and wondered where they would take him if he asked. "Hmm..." His light-colored eyebrows furrowed as the clouds started to cover the sky overhead for another round of snow. He shivered at a gust of wind, and then slowly, the snowflakes started to fall. This was great, he never seen snow, and it was calming to watch, but the cold really made it horrible. 

"I guess I'll have to get use to this...though, I liked it down in Riften..."

He coughed a couple of times, and then went back inside the city to head down to toward the docks. In the meantime, while he was walking, he started pick-pocketing unsuspecting people's pockets...mostly the guards, and those who were on their way to work for the day as he casually moved forward in silence. He was certainly like his mother, but sometimes he wondered who and what his father was like. Was he a thief too? He didn't know, and his mother never spoke of him, and with good reason since she seemed upset all of this time that he left her to care for Hakon on her own without much of a word as to why. Hakon figured he would confront his old man about that - if he were to ever find him.

[BetaWülf]

(Sorry, no sweet pic from me. Maybe later if I get the chance. Think big and forest green, with yellow eyes and brown hair, purple warpaint, nice tusks and no facial hair.)

Sarnar StoneFire(age 32) - Orc Warrior.
Windhelm, Hjerim, early morning.
Light reading and breakfast.

Sarnar's eyes lazily rolled open as the early mornings light caught the glass and shown warmly across his face and chest. He stretched his arms and legs whilst yawning before attempting to roll over to face the other side of the bed, only to roll off into the floor with a heavy thump. "Morning dear" said a soft voice from the bed above his view, "Morning" Sarnar said as tiredly got to his feet. He threw on his yellow shirt before putting his leather vest on over it and lacing it up the middle before pulling on brown pants, followed by fur slippers. He walked out of the bedroom as his wife got up and around, cautiously and quietly creeping down the stairs to the first floor. He selected a book from the shelf by the base of the stairs and moved into the dining room. He gingerly planted himself firmly in his favorite chair in front of the fire and flipped to the fifth page, a leaf serving as a bookmark from a previous reading.

He looked up from page six when he heard footsteps overhead, followed by a quiet shout and muffled cursing, his wife had woken the steward in an unkind manner apparently. Soon his wife(a Dunmer beauty beyond compare) came down the stairs and sat beside him in her own chair, followed by their grumpy steward(a flamboyant High Elf.) Sarnar continued to read for a long time as breakfast was prepared by Aynere(the steward), Kalsan(Sarnar's wife) was reading a comprehensive guide about child care. As much and as hard as they tried, they could not conceive a child of their own, whether the two races were incompatible or if one of them was infertile was unknown.

Once the meal was ready they moved to the table, the three of them chatting as they dined upon succulent bacon, drank fine mead, and ate fresh bread and fruits. Sarnar lived a good life, one he worked for years to achieve. He was born the son of crippled former-warrior who refused to die, his mother having died in childbirth to his younger sister. He was brought into the world in the Wrothgarian Mountains, growing up in every major place in Tamriel as his father wandered aimlessly. He became a mercenary, and a necromantic acolyte briefly, before becoming a true warrior and shrugging off his dark past like a ragged cloak that had a foul stink clinging to it.

He strapped on his steel plate armor and fixed the mourners hat(dew rag basically) over his long brown hair, his great sword strapped across his back over his thick bear pelt cloak, a pair of Orcish daggers on either side of his belt. He kissed his wife, patted the steward, grabbed a fist full of bacon and walked out the front door. He made his way through the city, chatting with the other citizens on his way past as he was rather neighborly. He nearly stumbled over some Imperial boy as he headed for the docks. He made his way down the stone steps to the waterfront and casually strolled past the Nords, nodding as he passed some Argonians. He looked at all the crates but couldn't find his shipment from the Northern coast, odd since it should be a large crate with holes in it.

"Excuse me sir, but have you seen a large crate around here? It has large holes drilled into it and it is... quite valuable" Sarnar said to a dull blue Argonian man he happened upon.

[Faclan]

(Its no prob BetaW, I didn't have a pic for Tekk til I saw Llau had one, so I quickly loaded up Skyrim to grab a pic . Also nice character BetaW, seems like the only proper adventurer here XD, I like the wife choice, made me daw.)

Tekkals - Argonian Dock-Worker
Windhelm Docks, early morning.
Being helped to stay moist.

Taking a moment to stop after nearly a hour of shifting boxes from ship to dock and from dock to ship Tekk raised his arms up and leant his arms back. Stepping aside to let Scouts slide past him and drop a box in and thanking him as he handed over a piece of jerky as the two Argonaisn quickly gnawed and devoured their own bits of meat.

"You really should spend more of your coin on food Tekk, I know why you save so much but you're running a thin line with how little you eat." Scouts mused as the Argonians stood at the end of one of the piers. Tekk just grumbled a bit as he wiped off his hand on his pant leg and then shrugged. Both Argonians looking over as a group of four Nords stumbled into the dock area, at least one bottle held by each of them, before turning back to each other.

"Maybe, but I should have enough by the end of month, one of the Dunmer I've been talking too has talked to the cart driver and has got me the price needed to get out of here. He may even be able to lower it so I may be able to get a feast for you guAHHHGH!" Wheeling his arms Tekk toppled off the end of the pier and into the freezing water of the Windhelm Docks to a chorus of laughter from the four drunks Nords that had run up to shove him in. At least Scouts hadn't but shoved as he stepped back from the end of the peir onto the boat behind him and just started to pick up more crates. Surfacing with his head feathers plastered to the back of his head Tekk glared at them, but when he saw the guards chortling too he just sighed and pulled himself out of the water once the Nords had left. Setting down the box he had picked up Scouts helped him up and did his best to wipe some of the excess water off of Tekks clothing as Tekk did the same before frost started to form on it. His scales were mostly clear of the water now but his clothing was drenched now, and the cold quickly bit into him and took hold.

There was a nice sized fire on the dock because of the holiday and Tekk quickly made his way over to it with a few shivers as he hopped from foot to foot beside it. But he carefully watched the guards as he saw them get more and more annoyed that he was doing work. But he kept standing there for as long as he could - spotting a young Nord with spectacularly bright hair enter the docks followed by a Orc in armor...Tekk suspected that the child was some kind of mage to have hair like that, or a demon - and that the Orc was probably cold in the armor unless the fur he saw sticking out was all over. But he vaguely remembered seeing the Orc walk around before in nice clothing so at least he seemed to be well off.

"Scale-Back! Get back to work!" There it was, just nodded a little Tekk rubbed his arms and turned from the new arrivals and moved back to grab some boxes with Scouts. The cold had been lessoned by his time by the fire but his clothing was still damp...but he needed to get moving if he didn't want the cold to get worse. He did however stop, box still in hand, when the Orc from the gate walked up to him. He tried to smile at him but could only manage a weak one before his teeth started to chattered a bit. But after setting the box down he was able to stop the chattering as he hummed a bit and looked around a bit before calling over to Scouts. "Scouts, where did the box with what we thought was an animal go?"

"Oh, over by the fire as the Captain had told us to do, I think we need to feed it soon but if its here to be picked up that solves that."

Spotting a few boxes over by the fire Tekk nodded at the Orc as he started to move over to it. "I'll ggget it for you Sir, one moment." Trying to smile again Tekk tried not to look at the drunken Nords, they were certainly enjoying the holiday, as he walked past them toward the fire. But he barely had time to brace as he heard the laughing again. But rather than shove they bodily lifted the Argonian up and hurled him back into the water.

"Back whar ya belong Scale-Back!" They slurred out at a good volume as Tekk surfaced again, spluttering and seeming in proper trouble until Scouts dropped his box and dove in to grab him and help the blue Argonian back to land...the guards just laughing more.

[Llau]

Hakon (age 12) - Nord child orphan
Windhelm Docks, early morning


One thing he didn't like, was people bullying those who don't deserve it. Worse, when the bullies were drunk, and he couldn't stand drunks either. He looked over to see the four drunken Nords laughing about about how it was hilarious to toss the Argonian dockworker into the frigid water after he entered the Windhelm Docks. Hakon frowned, disgusted by their actions. His mother taught him to act better than this, and the more he saw how his own kin treated those who were not Nord, the more he didn't care to linger in this city...or Skyrim. He looked on, clenching his hands into tight fists, and huffed a little, but glanced up when he saw the Orc move pass him to ask about a crate. The boy then watched as the four drunks walked back toward the Argonian, the one he figured was their target of their childish bullying from just before he arrived.

When they slurred at Tekk after hurling him back into the water, laughing once again at the poor Argonian, who Hakon thought was just making a life here. The boy's eyebrows furrowed, and his ice blue eyes glared at all of them, but he slowly grinned, feeling rather sly all of the sudden.

Hakon quietly approached them, pick-pocketing two of the men's cloth purse that held their coins without them even noticing. He then pretended to find something on the ground behind another drunk's feet, squat down just as the man started to step backward. The man gasped in surprised as he staggered back, losing his balance as he flipped over Hakon, and then landed with a big splash into the cold river. The boy slowly grinned over at the water for a moment, and then stood, holding one of his own coin. The other three drunk Nords quickly tried to pull him out.

"Better not fall," Hakon smirked, "Here, let me help you."

With that, he looked as if he was going to hold onto one of the men's shoulder, but pushed him ever-so-slightly forward, and watched as the other one fell just as the man in the water grabbed hold of his friend's hand that offered to pull him out. Now two of them were in the water, and the third drunk slowly started to catch on.

"Hey, you welp," The man slurred, sneering at Hakon. "What in the oblivion are you trying to do?"

"Oh, I don't know, sir," Hakon replied with an innocent smile. "I'm just trying to help. It's not my fault your friends are too drunk to keep their balance."

"Is that so?"

He nodded.

"You know what I think..."

"Ignore the kid and help me get them out of the water." Yelled the fourth man as he struggled to help the two out of the river.

"Stay there, welp. I ain't done with you yet."

Hakon just smiled, and then glanced over at Tekk.

[BetaWülf]

Sarnar StoneFire(age 32) - Orc Warrior.
Windhelm Docks, early morning.

Sarnar watched as the Argonian who was helping him could barely speak for the chattering of his teeth, he was obviously freezing. They headed over towards the crate with Sarnar's... acquisition in it but were rudely interrupted. Four drunken Nords grabbed hold of the poor Argonian and tossed him into the ice water. Sarnar's eye twitched. Before he could do anything the child from earlier moved into play. Sarnar took this time to pull the Argonian out of the water and wrap his bearskin cloak around him.

The child picked their pockets, then covertly placed himself behind one of them as if he was examining a rock or some such. The fool tripped backwards and landed with a splash, the other Nords quickly trying to help their friend. And one by one they 'magically' fell in too, save for the fourth one. The fourth Nord however had(astonishingly) caught on to what was happening and started towards the boy.

Sarnar placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop his progression "That is enough!" Sarnar said harshly with a glare. The Nord shrugged off teh Orcs hand and went take another step forward, but Sarnar returned his hand far more firmly to the mans shoulder. This time the Nord reacted poorly, taking a swing at Sarnar. The Orc leaned back and narrowly dodged the knuckles before shoving the Nord back, the Nord tried again and this time managed to get Sarnar to respond in a language he'd understand.

Sarnar caught his fist, retorted with a punch to the face, and finished by kicking the Nord in the chest. The others had managed to scramble out of the water at this point, Sarnar giving them the stink eye. "I'd recommend you three get your friend to a healer, I think I cracked his skull... and sternum...." Sarnar trailed off as he picked up the Argonian and moved him to the fire to dry, giving a nod to the boy.

"Are you alright...?" Sarnar said waiting until he was filled in on the name of the Argonian, before he turned to look at the boy "That was a brave thing you did boy, and the right thing to do"

[Faclan]

Tekkals - Argonian Dock-Worker
Windhelm Docks, early morning.
Finally friendly faces.

Clinging tightly to the green blur of Scouts Tekk just tried to focus on his grip as he could barely feel anything anymore from this second dunking. He had stayed in the water longer when he had swam to her from his old ship - but that was a month ago in slightly warmer waters and he had been hopped up on adrenaline then - and he had started to warm up before being thrown back into the water again. But as he finally felt stone under his feet to symbolize the steps of the dock he fell forward a bit to put his hands on the steps under the water as Scouts helped him crawl back up to the not wet wonderland. He did look up however when he found an armored green hand gripped his shoulder and helped him to his feet and then a thick weight put around his shoulders. Blinking a few times Tekk took a few deep breaths before his vision cleared enough so that he could see it was the Orc that was asking about the crate that had given him the fur cloak and was helping him toward the fire. Bowing his head to the Orc he smiled as much as he can before he went back to shivering and was helped over to the fire. "Tekkals s..s...Sir." He responded as he was prompted to and led across the docks.

It was during his stumbling walk that he looked around the dock and spotted the antics of the young Nord boy. Despite his condition Tekk couldn't help but chuckle a bit at him but that was about all he could do as he was finally deposited next to the fire. Scouts crouching down next to him and trying to ask if he was alright. But Tekk just nodded as he watched more and more drunks fall into the water as the young boy just seemed to run circles around them until all but one were feeling the pain they caused Tekk, making Tekk laugh again. But he quickly fell silent as the Guards and Orc quickly approached - expecting himself and possible Scouts thrown in the town dungeon for causing this. But then the Nords seemed to take swings at the Orc, and that didn't go well at all as one of them collapsed holding his face and chest and the Guards seemed to quickly take up a stance between the Nords and the Orc...and then took the Orcs side?

"Thats enough of that lads, you don't want to be tangling with Sir Stonefire, else Ulfric may get cross with you if you are able to see think. Go back to the warm taverns."

The drunks re-directed most of their glares to the boy instead of the Orc before they started to drag their slightly shivering selves out toward the exit to the docks and back into the city. Smiling a bit Tekk kept taking deep breaths before crawling a little to the side and patting a box lightly. "H..here is your package S..Sir Stonefire? I h..hope it's still in p..perefect condition." With that done he shifted back over to be sat by the fire as he turned to the young Nord and smiled a bit. "Thanks f...from you as well hatchling, not many would s...stand up for us. I would t...try to offer some payment for t..the help but I see you already h..have some from them. Impressive." Going back to breathing Tekk just smiled at them both as Scouts patted his shoulder and moved back to carry boxes - the guards seemingly giving Tekk some time since Stonefire was with him. Tekk just trying to rub his arms and warm himself up as he nodded at the Orc. "I..I'll give you your cloak back s..soon Sir and be out of your h..hair and back to work. Unless you want u..s to carry the box to your r...residence?"