Brielle was having a terrible week; she had been attacked by a troll, beset by bandits, chased by a flame atronach and nearly devoured by a dragon. Finally, as she had been staggering back to Whiterun in a desperate bid to get somewhere safe, she had been robbed. Robbed!
She couldn’t begin to explain it, except that she’d run out of food the day before and even foraging had not managed to fill her belly. There had been quite a few bandits, and she’d expended all of her magic quickly due to her fatigue. They had taken her hard-won septims, any of her gear which was worth more than a few coins, and left her there.
Whiterun was only a day or so from where she was attacked, but she was tired, battered, bruised, and in desperate need of coin when she stumbled through the gates.
Things were comfortingly normal. Adrianne worked at her forge. A few guards patrolled. There was nothing out of place in this little town, and for a moment, she allowed herself to think that things just might be looking up.
Then her stomach rumbled, and she was reminded of her very distinct lack of coinage.
Adrianne glanced at her, blatant appraisal in her gaze. She saw Brielle’s state, maybe even noticed how light her knapsack was.
“Brielle,” Adrianne said, her hands still moving at her work as she tanned a leather. “You alright?”
“Oh,” she said, not quite sure how to put her feelings into words. “Um…”
“I see.” Adrianne managed a small smile. “You need things. Check inside the shop.”
That was as clear a dismissal as she was going to get, but it hadn’t been what she expected. It wasn’t a dismissal exactly. It was… she wasn’t sure what it was. But she’d been sent inside, and so inside she went. __
The interior of the shop was considerably dimmer than the exterior, and it took Brielle’s eyes a few moments to adjust. She blinked a bit.
“Welcome to Warmaiden’s.” Ulfberth greeted her, “Now you, my girl, have definitely come to the right place.”
“Ulfberth!” She greeted, trying to sound enthusiastic without letting any of her desperation seep into her voice. “I have a few things I was hoping to trade.”
“Well get over here and let me see what you’ve got.” He said. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she could see him assessing her, much like his wife had mere moments before.
“Just a few things,” she said, rummaging around in her pack. Out came an iron dagger, a rusty mace, a worn longbow, and a few forks she’d managed to scavenge.
As he examined the items she’d set on his counter, his brows crept up. His lips pursed, and it was clear from his face that he couldn’t believe that this was all she’d brought to bargain with.
“Brielle,” He sighed, a long-suffering, weary sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and then looked at her once more. “I can’t give you more than twenty-five septims for all of this.”
“I’ll take it!” she said, not even trying to haggle the price up. “I’m sorry, Ulfberth. I don’t mean to waste your time over little things, but I really need to buy some equipment, and I don’t have any other options. The other merchants don’t buy weapons. Please. I’ll do anything.”
“I may be able to offer you a solution to your problem.” He said at last.
“Whatever it is, yes.” She desperately latched onto his offer; Ulfberth and Adrianne had always been honest with her, offering prices that were more than fair and seeming to care about her personally.
“You might regret that, Brielle.” He warned, his face serious enough that she paused. “It’s not your… typical solution.”
“I don’t see that I have much of a choice, Ulfberth.”
“If you’re certain,” he still hesitated, as though he were concerned, and Brielle paused. Was his solution really so terrible? It was true that Ulfberth and Adrianne appeared to be upstanding citizens, but she of all people knew that appearances could be deceiving.
“Yes.” She said, trying to feel as certain as she sounded. There were so many things which could go wrong, agreeing to an unknown bargain for the sake of some food.
“I’ll hold you to your word then, but first, let’s get you fed.” __
Shopkeeper -- Ulfberth/F!DB, Adrianne/F!Db -- 1a/?
She couldn’t begin to explain it, except that she’d run out of food the day before and even foraging had not managed to fill her belly. There had been quite a few bandits, and she’d expended all of her magic quickly due to her fatigue. They had taken her hard-won septims, any of her gear which was worth more than a few coins, and left her there.
Whiterun was only a day or so from where she was attacked, but she was tired, battered, bruised, and in desperate need of coin when she stumbled through the gates.
Things were comfortingly normal. Adrianne worked at her forge. A few guards patrolled. There was nothing out of place in this little town, and for a moment, she allowed herself to think that things just might be looking up.
Then her stomach rumbled, and she was reminded of her very distinct lack of coinage.
Adrianne glanced at her, blatant appraisal in her gaze. She saw Brielle’s state, maybe even noticed how light her knapsack was.
“Brielle,” Adrianne said, her hands still moving at her work as she tanned a leather. “You alright?”
“Oh,” she said, not quite sure how to put her feelings into words. “Um…”
“I see.” Adrianne managed a small smile. “You need things. Check inside the shop.”
That was as clear a dismissal as she was going to get, but it hadn’t been what she expected. It wasn’t a dismissal exactly. It was… she wasn’t sure what it was. But she’d been sent inside, and so inside she went.
__
The interior of the shop was considerably dimmer than the exterior, and it took Brielle’s eyes a few moments to adjust. She blinked a bit.
“Welcome to Warmaiden’s.” Ulfberth greeted her, “Now you, my girl, have definitely come to the right place.”
“Ulfberth!” She greeted, trying to sound enthusiastic without letting any of her desperation seep into her voice. “I have a few things I was hoping to trade.”
“Well get over here and let me see what you’ve got.” He said. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she could see him assessing her, much like his wife had mere moments before.
“Just a few things,” she said, rummaging around in her pack. Out came an iron dagger, a rusty mace, a worn longbow, and a few forks she’d managed to scavenge.
As he examined the items she’d set on his counter, his brows crept up. His lips pursed, and it was clear from his face that he couldn’t believe that this was all she’d brought to bargain with.
“Brielle,” He sighed, a long-suffering, weary sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and then looked at her once more. “I can’t give you more than twenty-five septims for all of this.”
“I’ll take it!” she said, not even trying to haggle the price up. “I’m sorry, Ulfberth. I don’t mean to waste your time over little things, but I really need to buy some equipment, and I don’t have any other options. The other merchants don’t buy weapons. Please. I’ll do anything.”
“I may be able to offer you a solution to your problem.” He said at last.
“Whatever it is, yes.” She desperately latched onto his offer; Ulfberth and Adrianne had always been honest with her, offering prices that were more than fair and seeming to care about her personally.
“You might regret that, Brielle.” He warned, his face serious enough that she paused. “It’s not your… typical solution.”
“I don’t see that I have much of a choice, Ulfberth.”
“If you’re certain,” he still hesitated, as though he were concerned, and Brielle paused. Was his solution really so terrible? It was true that Ulfberth and Adrianne appeared to be upstanding citizens, but she of all people knew that appearances could be deceiving.
“Yes.” She said, trying to feel as certain as she sounded. There were so many things which could go wrong, agreeing to an unknown bargain for the sake of some food.
“I’ll hold you to your word then, but first, let’s get you fed.”
__