Dorcas, Meeting Rigmor

Dorcas, Meeting Rigmor

      As I got up, I looked for Rose, a sudden sinking feeling in my gut. But Rigmor needed my attention so I had to buck up and see what she needed. She asked after her things, and I said they were fine, that her cuirass had been damaged and that I had taken it to Riverwood to have it repaired. She said that must have been what Rose meant when she said she had to see a man about some armor work she had done.

     My gut started to feel much better knowing that she was in Riverwood on an errand. I asked how long she had been gone, and Rigmor replied about an hour. That was when I started to get scared for Rose. I told Rigmor that I was going to look for Rose and see if she had run into trouble. She got very concerned about her own situation and as I knew she was right to be concerned, I could not leave Rose hanging if I could help her.

     I told Rigmor, that sometimes you had to risk everything because it was the right thing to do. She accepted my answer without complaint and wished for me to return unharmed. I went and swam across to the far bank since Rose had taken the rowboat. I saw it as I passed the fishing camp below the standing stones. Then on I went into Riverwood.

     I had just gone through the open gate when I saw three men coming toward me, one wearing Rigmor's cuirass. I made sure my sword was loose in its sheath to make a swift draw. As I stopped a few feet away, the man with the cuirass identified himself as Morion. I knew of him as the Jarl of Falcreath's nephew. He made a few wisecracks and said the price for my not joining Rose in a Thalmor dungeon was one hundred gold.

     After I told him I knew the cuirass did not belong to him, he upped the price to one thousand. I was not even going to give him one much less one thousand, seems the rotten fruit did not fall far from the rotten tree. I told him as much and he told his henchmen to get me. I drew my blade and without hesitation, slit one man's throat open till the bones of his neck showed through the cut. I returned the blade to my front to parry a strike, then took the opening he gave me and ran my blade between his ribs, cutting his heart in two.

     Morion thought he had me there, and did not even have time to realize his mistake as I slid my blade sideways, out of the second man's body, and spun around. I raised my blade just a bit and it went clean through his neck. I watched as his head rolled over into the dirt road and a chicken walked up to it and started pecking his eyes. I smiled and saw Rose's friend come from the smith's exclaiming that I had killed them.

     What did he expect, they grabbed Rose and gave her to the Thalmor, they got off light. That was when one of the dogs that ran around in the road came up and peed all over Morion's head. That made me laugh, Hedren thought I was laughing at him and asked what to do about Rose. I told him to go about his business, that I would see to getting Rose out of that dungeon. He looked at me for a few seconds, nodded his head, and went back to the forge. Just as well, if he had the guts to insist on going with me, I would have to knock him out and tie him up somewhere.

     He may be good at fishing or working a forge, but he did not have the spine to pick up a sword and fight to save his friend? I did not want him anywhere near me. So I went back to Rose's camp to find Rigmor picking flowers. As I asked her what she was doing she got defensive about it. I could really have cared less, it was her business. I just did not want her to undo mine and Rose's work in healing her. But if she felt well enough to stand up, and walk around picking flowers, then we could make plans on how to get Rose out of Thalmor hands.

     I knew that I would need help, that what few sword skills I possessed would not be enough to keep both myself and Rigmor alive inside of a Thalmor dungeon. I took a moment to find a peaceful place and asked Rigmor to give me some room, which she reluctantly did. I guess she thought I was going to walk away and disappear. What had she gone through in her life so far to cause such thoughts to surface? I kneeled and prayed to my real parents, to ask for their help.

     In my prayer, I laid out my fears, my hopes. That I knew what I wanted for my future but also that I knew Akatosh and the other Divines had put me here for a reason, and I needed help to take care of what they wanted me to do. I waited, wondering if they had even heard me, if they even cared, if they were actually my birth parents, when a patient male voice spoke to me.

     "Dorcas, my child, I must ask that you not seek to see me with your eyes, you are not yet ready for what you would see. But yes, I come to aid you as you requested. A chest has been placed for you and you alone, just to the south of Riverwood, next to the river. Lord Akatosh is pleased with your humility and your strength in equal measure. And so has gifted you with the contents of that chest. Go and find it, claim the blessing that resides within. And know that all of Aetherius watches and stands with you.

     You have made your mother and me very proud of you. You will be given a chance to send word to your adopted family as to your health and safety, send word to them as you will, that they too know their daughter does the will of the Gods, and that the Gods stand by her in her time of need."

     I then felt a subtle kiss on the crown of my head, "your mother sends you this blessing and I add my own as well. Fare thee well, and go with the Gods' grace." I stood up, feeling better than I had in quite some time. I went to Rigmor and asked her to follow me. When she asked where we were going, I replied that I needed to go to a spot just outside the south end of Riverwood, and then I was going to take her to Angi's to put together a plan to rescue Rose.

     I seemed to know exactly where to go, and there was indeed a chest behind a fallen tree, sitting there. I went to it and opened it, amazement on my face at what I saw. Armor, robes, light, and heavy, several different weapons, and about twenty or so spellbooks. Rigmor could not believe what was in that chest. The armor and weapons were those forged by a god, and so powerful.

     I picked out a set of 'hide' armor and put it on, then selected a longsword, greatsword, and bow. I then took the time to learn all of the spellbooks. A wide range of useful spells from 'candlelight' to a superb damage spell, and an armor spell. I put the rest back into the chest and heard it lock as I closed it. Somehow I knew I could come back and find everything still here.

     I looked at Rigmor and said, "let us go to Angi's now. We have a friend to rescue."

     The trip to Angi's was not too bad, taking things easy, stopping frequently to rest. Sometimes hanging back to watch wolves get themselves into trouble with a cave bear out to go fishing. I swear though when we got there and started up the hill toward the campfire, Angi reacted more like a mother bear than I had expected. I remembered how it was with mama and us kids, I understood then that was where she was coming from and toned it down. I still do not take well to threats, even well-intentioned ones. I went on to Rigmor's tent and sat in the chair next to her bed. She then explained how she and Angi had met and I understood her reaction.

     I resolved to be a bit more lenient with her in the future, there will likely be enough misunderstandings with other loudmouths and braggarts that will come to blows, I do not need to start something with someone protecting another. While Rigmor took a well-deserved nap, I went in to apologize to Angi. She took it well, and spoke about her past for a little bit, enough that I could better understand her reactions. If I ever come across those Legion drunks, there is likely going to be fewer of them walking Nirn. I did not tell her what happened to me just after the ambush I was caught up in, but I think she sensed a kinship with me, sisters in misfortune, that kind of thing.

     I went back to Rigmor's tent and used the bedroll to catch some sleep myself. Woke Rigmor just after I woke and we started out for Fort Black.