“Did I just see you talking to Sven?” The wood elf asked Lurren as he walked by carrying newly chopped wood.
“If you did, it was a good trick.” Lurren said looking down at him from the stairs.
“Maybe not. Maybe…nevermind. But I would stay away from him if I were you.”
Lurren moved on down the stairs, “Sounds like solid advice to me. Good day.”
Faendal kept talking to Lurren. “There’s beauty here unmatched in all of Skyrim, to be sure. Maybe you’ve already met Camilla Valerius?”
“No, sorry, don’t know her. Well, gotta go.” Lurren tried again to get past him.
“Oh, she is being silly. Of course she did, what is she saying.” Vilja leaped forth to take charge of the situation.
“If only Camilla shared my affections. Or even knew about them.” The Bosmer wood elf sighed deeply as his heart ached. “Being the only male Bosmer in all of Skyrim that can and would follow her, just wish I could show her my love. If not for Sven poking his nose into my business.”
“Yeah, I know people like that.” Lurren remarked as she walked past him.
Faendal stopped Lurren by taking her arm, “”I’ve been thinking… maybe Camilla needs a little help seeing Sven for what he is. Could you… could you give her this letter, and say it’s from Sven? I think I’ve matched that Nord’s lack of cleverness perfectly.”
She looked down at the letter then back up at Faendal, “Let’s see here now…Sven…SvennySvenSven..ah, yes. The bard from the tavern.” Lurren removed the letter and agreed to it. “It shall be done.”
“Tell me as soon as you’ve given Camilla the letter.” Faendal returned to delivering wood to Alvor.
Vilja took the letter from Lurren’s hand and refused to let her into Riverwood Trader. “You aren’t going to break Sven’s heart, are you?”
“If you prefer I could break you! Now, please, give me the letter so I can hand it to the lady then be on my way!” Lurren had her hand out waiting for the letter to be returned.
“We can’t let you do that.” Vilja replied.
“We?” Lurren didn’t want to know who “we” really was.
Vilja used to her hand to show her committee consisted of exactly three people. Her, Nikolai and Thrynn. “As in we.”
“What difference does it make? One of them is going to be hurt so may as well be Sven. Besides Faendal asked first.” Lurren snapped her fingers for the letter to be returned.
“Bards stick together.” Vilja now had her arms folded along with her two other board members.
“What bards?” This was news to Lurren of plural bards.
“All the bards, even the college in Solitude would agree.” Nikolai offered from behind Vilja.
Lurren tilted her head to see around Vilja, “They got to you, didn’t they?”
“You must tell Sven about this letter and let him decide.” Vilja waved the letter in Lurren’s face.
“Let him decide what? He’s a bard, so everyone says. Occasionally he might time to do his job here at the mill. Probably thinks his ballads and sonnets are going to convince Camilla Valerius to marry him.” Lurren was pacing back and forth explaining the matter to the parole board in hopes they would release the letter into her hands.
“You leave me no choice then, I will tell Camilla myself.” Vilja moved the two men to each side and entered into the store.
Nikolai and Thrynn just stared at Lurren who finally flew her arms in the air and cried, “What?”
“Way to go sticking it to the bards, Lurren.” Nikolai said as he passed her to pick a flower for Vilja.
“And a kinsman as well.” Thrynn offered while carving on his wooden wolf.
Vilja came out of the store and declared Sven must be told about what Faendal tried to do. “Since I know you won’t tell him and I am the Thane of Whiterun, I will do the honors. Be right back, boys.” She blew kisses at Thrynn and Nikolai then glided on air over to the Inn.
Thrynn was facing the opposite direction of Lurren. He was leaning against the beam and she on the fence. “You know we are passing by Helgen.” He figured she knew but was concerned about how she might react. Whatever happened there affected her deeply.
Lurren looked up at his profile, he was so muscular and had a presence about him. “I know, Thrynn and thank you.”
He just looked down without answering.
“No!” Lurren told Vilja as she was returning with Sven.
“Isn’t it just exciting, Sven is coming with us.” Vilja had her arm locked in Sven’s as they approached.
“Absolutely not. He can’t come.” Lurren was adamant about this. Three of them were bad enough but four followers!
Vilja held onto Nikolai’s arm while bouncing up and down, “He’s a bard! A real Bard! He has trained in the Bard’s College. Oh, I feel so faint.” Vilja fanned herself to show how overwhelmed she was at such royalty among them. “He is only bard in Skyrim that will follow you! It’s simply mind-boggling…out of all of Skyrim…he is the only ba.”
“Enough!” Lurren shouted as she dragged one hand down her face. “Fine, just fine…only because I know, that thing.” She pointed at Thrynn without looking at him. “Will agree to it and so far, he tends to agree with not agreeing with me when he is always agreeing with you!”
The four followers replied together, “Huh?”
Lurren was furious with the group once again and only turned on one heel to head for Orphan’s Rock.
“This is so exciting.” Vilja was telling her harem while following Lurren. “Sven knows new songs and offered to teach them to us. However he did say, Thrynn, your singing might require extra lessons.”
Thrynn smiled down at Vilja and pinched her cheek, “If that is what you want, kitten, then it is what you get.”
Vilja giggled while fluttering one hand at him, “Oh, Thrynny.”
Lurren stopped suddenly in the road and flipped around. Something was wrong. She could just feel it, sense it, smell it…she walked over to her group and
counted heads. Then she moved Nikolai with Thrynn to one side and Sven with Vilja to the other. Her eyes stared down between the middle of her followers, “What are you doing?” She asked.
Lydia stepped forward, “I’m guarding my thane with my life.”
“Could you excuse me for a moment?” Lurren held up one finger then flipped around to glare at Vilja. “Vilja…could I speak with you for a moment?”
“Of course, it’s so nice that you and I can talk together. Don’t you think so?” Vilja danced into the campsite just outside of Riverwood. “Oof! That wasn’t nice.” She was rubbing her toe while Lurren demanded answers about Lydia.
“Why in the blazes is your housecarl following you? Just how many of you Skyrim people do you think I can take?” Lurren was beyond calm; she was in full pounce mode.
Vilja shrugged, “Unlimited. I am sure a lot of would want to follow knowing I am Dragonborn of Legend. Everyone would want a piece of the action to tell the grandchildren. My grandmother would not stop them from following nor would she want me to stop them.” She shook one finger at Lurren; “I know my grandmother would say the same about you. Especially with us being best friends and all.”
“Let me get this straight, you are saying that everyone in Skyrim can become a follower?”
“Well, yes…however, not everyone would be practical. Like the children. No, we would probably need to cast invisibility on them, which would make their mothers hate you.” She smelled the flower that Nikolai had picked her. “Just imagine having all the bards with you, singing at my victories, crying at my losses.”
“Trust me, I am already crying.” Lurren gave up and turned around to find the men had invited Lydia into the group.
Vilja skipped back to the party and cheerfully welcomed the newest follower then remembered of a point of interest for Lurren. “Up ahead on the left is a mine.”
Lurren smiled sweetly over her shoulder, “Good news, Thrynn…I think we found yours.”
Sven and Nikolai laughed at the silly joke but quickly stopped when Thrynn didn’t find it funny. “That guy can sure put a damper on a fun time,” Nikolai thought silently.
Skyrim and the Bandit Hunt 