Ch. 7: Reality check

Volfir found himself seated among the group of guards that were kind to him, a sense of being appreciated and treated rightly reminding him that this is the life he has never had, and one he is fighting to create

After looking for his companions in the guard barracks, Volfir was lucky to find them all waiting for him there. Deciding to spend some more time together, the guards started teaching the kid more about life, giving him advice on how to behave, avoid trouble, properly drink without getting drunk quickly and how to choose the right people to travel with

Vosnyak, Leif, Knut and Henrik all tried teaching the kid about women, but Volfir always squirmed his way out of those conversations, feeling uncomfortable with the topic and disturbed by the men's more than vulgar words that seemed to always flow out when talking about the fair sex. The boy however always listened intently to Erikur and Gerd, about honour in battle, about the divines, how to survive in the wilds and how to keep yourself warm. The conversations were lively and light, making the men lose track of time, so when they noticed the setting sun, it was decided that it was time to finally get on with their lives

"Are you sure you are not coming back with us kid? The city is overwhelming, perhaps it would be better to start off slowly, there's always work to be found in Riverwood" asked Erikur, his tone serious, as he wanted to get his point across to the kid he came to like

"Mhm, I want to stay here, thank you all for looking out for me" replied Volfir in a full sentence, his voice tinged with respect and gratefulness, while rasing his hand for a handshake slightly surprising the guards

"Oh! The kid is looking and behaving less like a draugr day by day!" exclaimed the ball of energy by the name of Vosnyak, his neck and face full of red marks the men explained as hickeys, not like Volfir understood why they were there any better, simply remembering to label them as such in the future

*Thud*

"Geck-" Vosnyak bit his tongue after getting hit by Gerd, making everybody, even Volfir, laugh at his expense

"Muuu" while the young man started sulking, he was still the first one to jump up to Volfir and grab his arm in a handshake, while radiating an aura full of happiness, then came the rest and after a few more minutes of farewells, Volfir found himself standing behind the huge wooden gates, leading into the city, as he watched the group of men walk off into the distance in two columns, one riding their horses, the other doing so on foot.

The teen looked at their backs, with the red setting sun, drizzling rain and thin mist setting in a certain mood, he found himself remembering everything he has been through... He was a child called Volfir, a name given to him by parents he wished to forget... He is Volfir, a survivor who managed to escape the clutches of a forced labour filled life, He is Volfir, who survived in the mines, where countless adults and other teenagers died along the way. He IS Volfir who lived through the draugr massacre! Fate smiled upon him and he felt like this wasn't the end of his lucky streak, as he was going to utilise his new knowledge and skills to earn a living and live a life with no regrets

When the guards disappeared from Volfir's view and the gates into the city closed, the boy turned around and started walking towards the missives board, full of determination that his life was only going to get better from this point

-Two week later-

A teenager once filled with determination, aspirations and dreams, now aimlessly wandered through the bustling and vibrant streets of Whiterun, a city that had become his new home. As he walked, his thoughts were consumed by a sense of disillusionment, as if his hopes for a better life were slowly slipping away from his grasp... He counted the number of nights he spent after Erikur and the rest left for Riverwood and could not be more disappointed with himself for gaining hope

And just as Volfir was on the verge of surrendering to the sense of abandonment, already planning to catch a ride to Riverwood, his eyes caught sight of a new missive on the notice board. Quickly walking up and taking it down, he was hoping for another drawing, providing him a direction from which he could inquire more about the job.

Drawings were much more common than text, but it didn't mean that the job would be easy or suitable for an inexperienced teenager. Thus the current state of Volfir, he has spent much more than he earned, making the kid a little desperate to find a stable source of income because there was a high competition among the couriers and warriors who took jobs from the missives board

Volfir inspected the taken down notice and was surprised to find the drawing of a very familiar symbol, 'A wolf head... The Companions? What can they possibly need..?' he thought confusedly, while his mind automatically took him towards the picture of the beautiful woman he saw around a week ago, making his cheeks go slightly red, as he started flailing his arms around in an attempt to get rid of the image

'What's wrong with me!' Volfir felt angry at himself for losing his composure whenever he had to think about that woman, but was forced to dismiss his state as he remembered the job notice, 'Something to do for the Companions will definitely bring more opportunities even after I finish the job, I can't let this chance go to waste' the boy concluded and started sprinting towards Jorrvaskr, hoping nobody beat him to it or turn him away from the job at a glance of his underdeveloped body

-Scene break-

Volfir was standing in front of three older Nords, two of them showing either confused or irate expressions

"What do you want tidbit, bugger off" spoke up a mean looking middle-aged Nord, his shoulder lengthened hair as white as snow, just like his well kept beard. The man was wearing well fitted leather armour that was lined with fur, a necessity in the cold environment of Skyrim

"Although I do not agree with the choice of words" started off another middle-aged Nord "but you seem to be in the wrong place", this one however was blind in his left eye, while a patch of short hair was starting to recede oh his head. He was clean shaven, perhaps a sign of his service-related habits, just like the proud and straight gait he had while showing off his heavy, wolf ornamented armour

"He shouldn't bugger off Arnbjorn, nor is he in the wrong place Skjor, can't you two see the notice in his hand?" chimed in the third man with a calm and authoritative voice, fitted in the same armour as Skjor, he stood firmly in place, towering over the others with his bulky figure. Although formidable, the Nord was showing signs of aging, his blonde hair turning over a shade of grey

"What? Harbinger... you can't be serious" started arguing Skjor, but fell quiet as the older Nord opened his mouth to speak

"We have posted the notices and agreed to take the first person that came... the divines have spoken and this child will be the person to complete the assignment" was the verdict

"Very well..." yielded Skjor

"Hrumph" while Arnbjorn grunted with evident displeasure

'What a weird bunch, should I leave?' thought Volfir in a joking manner as he watched the whole scene play out in front of him

"What's your name child?" asked the Harbinger

"Volfir" answered the teenager with a stoic expression, his voice steely and cold while his whole body and mind was ready to do anything to earn the respect of the Companions. He has already been in Whiterun for over two weeks, it's impossible not to hear about the legendary group of warriors and their members. Especially Kodlak Whitemane, the current Harbinger, also known as the Beast of Whiterun for his imposing presence and achievements on the field

All three men nodded in affirmation, some doing so reluctantly, but still liking the kid's guts, even if there was nothing else to look at

"At least he's got the spirit" commented Skjor, the words being a confusing mix of praise and disapproval

"What's up with your get-up lambshank? Do you even know how to use the bow?" Arnbjorn started firing off question after question , mostly mocking the teenager, but Volfir kept on ignoring the sarcastic and mocking words in a detached manner, only answering those he deemed important. This action was increasingly grating on the mean looking Nord's nerves

"Answer when spoken to, milk-drinker" the man grabbed Volfir's face from under the chin, forcefully meeting their eyes, the azure blue and the black glares intensifying by the second. Ever since he first saw the man's unsatisfactory gaze towards him, he understood that trouble was only a matter of time, but he didn't expect a respected Companion to lay hands on him

But Volfir was no pushover, so even if it was a respectable and renowned Companion, he would not let that somebody humiliate him, he was no longer an ill child that was stuck in the mines, spending his feeble life force with every swing of a heavy, iron pickaxe. He was somebody who learned of honour and its great meaning in Nordic culture... so the boy, using his short and nimble body to his advantage, slightly raised his leg, doing so covertly, and hit one of the man's knees with fast speed, making him visibly wince with pain and slightly stumble

But as the Nord applied more pressure on the hold he had of Volfir's face and raised his hand in order to hit the boy, he was promptly and physically stopped by both Kodlak and Skjor who were not happy with the scene on the side, but didn't interfere in the scuffle until this point, probably interested in the outcome due to the teenager not speaking up or letting out sounds of pain

"Are you out of your mind Arnbjorn?-" were the words of Skjor who was feeling baffled by what was about to occur in front of him, while holding the man's raised fist

"Stop what you are doing" gravely spoke the old man, while strongly gripping Arnbjorn's hand that was holding Volfir's face, "Your aggressive and bloody tendencies have been going out of control recently... watch yourself" he warned while meeting the glaring black eyes of the white haired Nord, who in turn shook his hands free and started going away, mumbling curses under his nose, making Kodlak shake his head in disappointment

"Good thinking, the kick could have been better though, I would have shattered his kneecap in your stead" Not paying any attention to the leaving figure of Arnbjorn, Skjor was already busy giving advice, or simply complaining - Volfir couldn't understand, as he let the words go over his head, while fixing his pained jaw

"You have come looking for work, yes?" asked the Harbinger as he looked over the teenager in front of him from head to toe, the boy didn't offer a verbal response, just slightly nodding his head in agreement

"You still looking for it after this incident?" the man asked again, not letting his thoughts show. Volfir spared a quick glance towards the last place where the man named Arnbjorn was seen, then nodded again. As he told himself before - he couldn't waste this opportunity

"That's a good man, now listen here" Kodlak showed a slight smile

"The Companions have recieved a generous request for a dungeon sweep, an ancient nordic ruin, close to Riverwood, so we require some porters for loot purposes" he started explaining, while Volfir occasionally nodded along in understanding, the action becoming quite repetitive

"Is it the Embershard mine?" asked Volfir with a grave face, betraying his emotionless mask with an almost whispering voice. Both, Kodlak and Skjor, raised their eyebrows, as a realisation dawned upon them, they exchanged a glance and a nod, then turned their attention back to the teen in front of them

"It's not, but it is related... We are going to the North Skybound Watch, one of its tunnels leads to the Embershard mine, until recently that is..." said Skjor, as he watched Volfir's expressions turn complicated before vanishing from his face once again

"Back to the matter at hand then, we had three porters, but one of them was killed this morning and we have to leave in a few hours, thus the notice and recruitment, speaking of which..." he finished talking and gestured with his head towards a number of people walking up towards Jorrvaskr, each holding a notice in their hands

"I'll talk to them" spoke up Skjor, "Go get ready kid, I suggest you eat something before we leave as well. See you in front of the gates when the sun goes behind Dragonsreach, which shouldn't be long" added Kodlak, letting the boy know he got recruited

"Okay" replied the boy, ignoring the incredulous looks directed his way by the people standing in front of Skjor, and left Jorrvaskr grounds, his mind full of different thoughts and his aim being to grab a bite to eat first and pack up later

-Scene break-

The sun was setting off in the horizon, it was a while back when it passed behind the Dragonsreach, so according to the Harbinger's words, Volfir was waiting near the second gates, watching the city's smith by the name of Adrianne Avenicci do her work

The woman greatly helped maintain his equipment for a fair price, for that he was extremely thankful, even if he didn't show it. Since coming to Whiterun, Volfir's equipment hasn't changed much, he mostly bought essentials such as a comfortable bedroll, attaching it to his traveller's backpack, new foot wraps and periodically - arrows

As he was watching her forge a steel sword, he noticed a big group turn a far corner and start moving towards the gate, making him turn his attention in their direction. The sight of armoured and moving Companions brought a still to the streets, as kids and adults stopped what they were doing and watched the warriors move towards the gate while showering them with praise as they passed by

Even Volfir felt his heart start beating faster, an outcome of his rising excitement, as the men and women neared his positions, most eyeing and evaluating him

"Ah, if it isn't the jester I told you about some time ago, Farkas" voiced the suave young man that Volfir remembered from his first encounter with the Companions

The teen didn't move or greet the group, letting his eyes wonder through the figures of the formidable and known warriors of Skyrim, until his gaze met the gray eyes of a dark red haired woman, who, felt like, was looking straight at his soul until Volfir broke off his gaze in a bit of a panic

"I don't expect that you have a horse, so you will ride with Njada who is standing right there" the man named Skjor broke Volfir out of his state, while pointing to a woman dressed in hide armour

"Why should I let this milk drinker ride with me?" disagreed the Nord female

"Because you are still a whelp and we have no time to spare" chimed in the whitehaired Nord, with whom Volfir recently had an altercation with, in a no-nonsense tone of voice

The teen noticed that Arnbjorn was fully ignoring his presence and the absence of Kodlak Whitemane, but didn't comment on either, opting to take his backpack off the ground and swing it over his shoulders, while moving to stay behind the woman named Njada

"We get to Riverwood by morning of the next day, rest there until the sun is high and then move towards the North Skybound Watch, I am Vilkas by the way, you should do well to remember that" started explaining the young suave man, who coincidentally happened to be right next to Njada, who stayed silent, as the group started moving towards the Whiterun stables outside the city's walls

"And I am Farkas, Aela and Vilkas may make fun of me in the future, but you shouldn't take it to mind, they are good people" introduced himself a young man who looked almost like a copy of Vilkas, just a bit bigger and with shoulder-length hair

Volfir nodded in both understanding their destination and in greetings and acknowledgement, before he had to turn his head around in order to look at the person who voiced the question, "You hunt, kid?" to which Volfir quietly mouthed "Mhm" in affirmation

"Hmm... the name's Aela and if you wish to hunt with me, your feet need to be quick and your eyes quicker" she said, Volfir felt like wanted to talk with her more, but his attention was grabbed by more people introducing themselves to him

"I am Volfir, I am an apprentice level hunter, I can cook and I know some herbs" a few minutes later it was the teen who introduced himself to the group, making his skills known in order to be properly assigned tasks

"Okay that's good, none of us really knows how to make proper food, so you'll do that when the need arises, here's an empty sack for your porter job later on" commented Skjor, as he took out an empty sack out of his own backpack and put it into Volfir's outstretched hand

"Now then, let's mount our horses and we go" said Arnbjorn, his voice tinged with impatience and boredom