Then I Took An Arrow In The Knee

Chapter 4

"Shor's bones, that door looks creepy."

The entry way to Bleak Falls Barrow indeed did have bandits, but thankfully none of them were dark elves, otherwise Flames wouldn't have been any good. The air was thin up here so it was harder to breathe. If it wasn't the creepy atmosphere, then it's this near hyperventilating breathing of mine that's making me want to leave.

I opened the doors and stepped inside trying not to make a sound. There were more bandits up ahead and skeevers litering the ground. There was a Nord on the ground aswell, presumably another bandit, and another on an ancient Nord table the same.

I couldn't reach the two that survived from this distance so I took out my bow shot them both. I gave myself this small victory because I'm slowly getting better with the bow. Maybe there's a spell to conjure a bow from thin air. There's conjugation spells for everything nowadays.

Further into the barrow, I was sneaking around a blind corner and found the supposed leader. Surely he must have the claw. Before I could draw, he moved forward. I followed him for as far as I could while staying hidden to stay undetected. I watched him step toward a lever in the middle of the floor and flip it.

Not a second later, darts from around the entry way that I was standing under shot out and killed him on the spot. I was shocked to say the least. Of course there would be traps in a place like this! No where ever else would you put traps that kill people in a place filled with people that are already dead!

I searched the man like I had done the others. But still no claw. It looks like there are still bandits ahead of me if it isn't here. Up high on the wall infront of me there were two symbols, a snake and a whale/fish thingy. There was a space in between the two where it looked like a piece had broken off, and it just so happened to be right near the dead man's feet.

Another snake...

I looked around for a place to apply the symbols and I found it to the left of the symbols up top and against the wall. They were turning stones with three sides, an animal on each side. A snake, a bird and the mystery aquatic animal.

I put each into their place and set a silent prayer as I made my way to the lever. Sending one last please to the divines, I flipped the lever and moved before anything could happen.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the gate that stood intimidatingly in front of me opened without me being turned into a pin cushion. I walked through and looked through the surrounding area for valuables or things that will be helpful later on.

I continued on, taking out a few skeevers along the way. It wasn't too much further when I noticed that there were spider webs galore. I felt a prick in my mind, as though seeing the spider webs should have reminded me of something.

I walked on, I could have sworn that I heard something from around the corner, so I crouched down to avoid detection. The spider webs covered the doorway, and there was no way that I was just gonna walk through it.

I got my bow out again and let loose one arrow. It didn't even put a hole through it. I tried twice more and finally got through.

When I saw what was inside... I wish I hadn't gone into this place at all...

A frostbite spider the size of a horse and carriage combined just spinned its gigantic self from the ceiling. I was still crouched so I don't think it saw me. There came screaming from the other side of the room. A dark elf was stuck to the doorway by webs. He had to be appart of the bandit group that took the claw.

Backing up to around the corner I allowed my self to stand and shake myself of my nerves. Fortunately, the spider was so larger that there's no way it could squeeze through. I could snipe it from behind the doorway.

If I do well and sniping it enough, I could even become a bad ass sneak thief. No one would be able to see me coming.

But, of course, I had to get my priorities straight. Spider first, then mage, then bad ass sneak thief... Lovely...

I crouched down again and popped around the corner and took position by the door. I knotched an arrow and took aim.

It's time to get to work, I'm gonna be here for a while.