Enika the Strange (called such once by her mother at age eleven when she asked a question about dragon reproduction, and since then could never get rid of the name) was very proud of her position as a guard in Windhelm. She got to work hard and keep people safe. Her patrols were quiet more often than not, as Windhelm wasn't a high-crime city, it wasn't like she lived in Riften, but the work was good and rewarding.
She prided herself on being a good guard. She was fair, and often willing to listen to both sides of a conflict before deciding who to arrest-- provided nobody died or had a weapon in-hand.
And unlike many of her fellows, she was not the type to dismiss a crime just because there was a Dark Elf or Argonian or someone who was otherwise not a Nord reporting it.
In all, she was well-liked by most of Windhelm for her fair treatment of the law-abiding and just treatment of the law-breaking. Even though most of the citizens couldn't exactly pick her out of a crowd what with the helmet and all.
It was on a fairly warm night (warn for Windhelm, anyway) that one of Enika's superiors ordered her to the Grey Quarter.
"I've had at least three complaints about some noise from the Corner Club there," he said, looking annoyed. "Go break it up or at least get them to quiet down."
Well, it was something to do. It took her mere minutes to get down to the Corner Club, and she stepped halfway through the door.
The sight made her pause. Enika had never seen the Dark Elves quite so... festive before. Most, if not all, of Windhelm's Dunmer were inside, drinking and dancing with one another, telling stories, and making a bit of a mess of the place that even the owner didn't seem to mind. It must be a very special occasion.
She had no idea what sorts of holidays the elves might celebrate, but it didn't really matter. She had to at least get them to quiet down.
"Hey," she said, fairly loudly, when it seemed nobody had noticed her entering the building. She stepped all the way inside and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look intimidating, professional. "I don’t know what's going on in here, but you lot have to quiet down. I don't want to have to break up... whatever this is."
A pause, then the guardswoman added, "What... is this?"
"We're celebrating Azura," the merchant Sadri answered, eyeing Enika suspiciously. Usually the guards didn't ask questions. Usually they just came in and put a stop to the festivities.
"Why?" Enika asked. She'd never quite understood the Dark Elves' fascination with the Daedra. The Dunmer didn't usually talk about it an the Nords didn't want to listen anyway. So Enika was usually just confused.
"Well, why do you celebrate Talos?" Malthyr, the elf who worked at the Corner Club, if Enika's memory served her, asked as he passed by on his way to another drink.
That gave the Nord pause. "Fair point."
"Care for a drink?" he asked as he got his own. "It's a celebration."
"I'm on duty!" She suddenly got... loud, then felt embarrassed. She hadn't meant to yell, but she'd always had an issue with accidentally getting louder than she'd meant. "I'm working," she said, at a normal volume.
"It's a holiday," Ambarys Rendar (the innkeeper? Enika thought so) said from the counter.
"Not my holiday."
"But a holiday still. You seem a decent sort. Take a break for half an evening."
Enika considered this. Surely it would be all right. And moreover, the prospect of a drink was tempting. She was always dutiful. Her superior were unlikely to suspect she was goofing off if she only did it this once, and only for a little while. They'd more than likely assume she ran into something to do during her patrol.
"We have good mead," Sadri helpfully supplied, and well, that made Enika's decision for her.
"Get me tankard, please," she said.
And that was about where the night started to get interesting.
F!Hold Guard/Several Grey Quarter Dunmer - Happenstance [1/?]
Enika the Strange (called such once by her mother at age eleven when she asked a question about dragon reproduction, and since then could never get rid of the name) was very proud of her position as a guard in Windhelm. She got to work hard and keep people safe. Her patrols were quiet more often than not, as Windhelm wasn't a high-crime city, it wasn't like she lived in Riften, but the work was good and rewarding.
She prided herself on being a good guard. She was fair, and often willing to listen to both sides of a conflict before deciding who to arrest-- provided nobody died or had a weapon in-hand.
And unlike many of her fellows, she was not the type to dismiss a crime just because there was a Dark Elf or Argonian or someone who was otherwise not a Nord reporting it.
In all, she was well-liked by most of Windhelm for her fair treatment of the law-abiding and just treatment of the law-breaking. Even though most of the citizens couldn't exactly pick her out of a crowd what with the helmet and all.
It was on a fairly warm night (warn for Windhelm, anyway) that one of Enika's superiors ordered her to the Grey Quarter.
"I've had at least three complaints about some noise from the Corner Club there," he said, looking annoyed. "Go break it up or at least get them to quiet down."
Well, it was something to do. It took her mere minutes to get down to the Corner Club, and she stepped halfway through the door.
The sight made her pause. Enika had never seen the Dark Elves quite so... festive before. Most, if not all, of Windhelm's Dunmer were inside, drinking and dancing with one another, telling stories, and making a bit of a mess of the place that even the owner didn't seem to mind. It must be a very special occasion.
She had no idea what sorts of holidays the elves might celebrate, but it didn't really matter. She had to at least get them to quiet down.
"Hey," she said, fairly loudly, when it seemed nobody had noticed her entering the building. She stepped all the way inside and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look intimidating, professional. "I don’t know what's going on in here, but you lot have to quiet down. I don't want to have to break up... whatever this is."
A pause, then the guardswoman added, "What... is this?"
"We're celebrating Azura," the merchant Sadri answered, eyeing Enika suspiciously. Usually the guards didn't ask questions. Usually they just came in and put a stop to the festivities.
"Why?" Enika asked. She'd never quite understood the Dark Elves' fascination with the Daedra. The Dunmer didn't usually talk about it an the Nords didn't want to listen anyway. So Enika was usually just confused.
"Well, why do you celebrate Talos?" Malthyr, the elf who worked at the Corner Club, if Enika's memory served her, asked as he passed by on his way to another drink.
That gave the Nord pause. "Fair point."
"Care for a drink?" he asked as he got his own. "It's a celebration."
"I'm on duty!" She suddenly got... loud, then felt embarrassed. She hadn't meant to yell, but she'd always had an issue with accidentally getting louder than she'd meant. "I'm working," she said, at a normal volume.
"It's a holiday," Ambarys Rendar (the innkeeper? Enika thought so) said from the counter.
"Not my holiday."
"But a holiday still. You seem a decent sort. Take a break for half an evening."
Enika considered this. Surely it would be all right. And moreover, the prospect of a drink was tempting. She was always dutiful. Her superior were unlikely to suspect she was goofing off if she only did it this once, and only for a little while. They'd more than likely assume she ran into something to do during her patrol.
"We have good mead," Sadri helpfully supplied, and well, that made Enika's decision for her.
"Get me tankard, please," she said.
And that was about where the night started to get interesting.