Sven's Lute

Sven had not long graduated from the Bard's college in Solitude, and he was now heading home to Riverwood, a peacefull town nestled on the White River south of Whiterun. After leaving Solitude, he travelled for a day until he reached Rorikstead where he decided he would sleep in the Inn and set off again in the morning.

As he walked into town, he noticed some Khajiit caravaners camping just outside the towns boundries. He didn't bother to speak to them as it was cold and he was hungy.

As he entered the Inn he overheard a conversation between the Inn's owner, Mralki, and a local named Lemkil. "Those damned khajiit are driving my customers away. No one would want to sleep here because they are scared the Khajiit may murder them in their sleep. " complained Mralki.
"That's just stupid. They sleep near my farm, and I've not had any problems with them. I even spoke to one. We shared mead over the campfire, and he told me of his homeland."
"Well I don't trust them. I've seen one of them snooping around outside the inn. No doubt wishing to steal the Red Lute". Mralki pointed up at a lute mounted on the wall. "Do you know how valuable that is? It's a one of a kind."
"Mralki, you shouldn't be so suspiscous. They are just hungry nomads, looking for a meal probably".
"Well you may trust them, but I have my doubts Lemkil. Now enough of this, and enjoy your mead".

Sven approached Mralki, wanting a meal. "Hello. My name's Sven. I'm a recent graduate of the Bard's college on my way home" Sven beckoned towards the general direction of Solitude. "We don't need a Bard here." said Mralki.
"I have no lute, so I can't sing. I was just looking for refreshment before setting travel for Riverwood again in the morning." said Sven "What have you got for a man so parched as me?" asked Sven cheekily.
"We have a good house mead, but if you've the coin to part from we also have some Black-Briar honey mead, straight from Riften."
"Well, I think I'll have the Black-Briar in celebration of my recent graduation." Sven placed the gold on the bar, and Mralki handed him a flaggon of Black-Briar mead. "So I overheard you have a problem with those Khajiit caravaners out there." said Sven after taking a sip of the mead.
"Damn right I do. Those filthy beggars are always hanging around outside the inn scarring all my potential customers" said Mralki angrily " A right nusence they are".
"Hmm. Have you ever asked them to leave?" asked Sven.
"No, I'd be too afraid they'd slit my throat in my sleep if I did. You can't trust their kind".
"Why don't I have a talk to them for you? If you put me up for the night I'll see if I can get them to move?" offered Sven "After all, I am a bard trained in the arts of speech."
"I was afraid to ask you. That sounds like a good deal. Alright, if you deal with them I'll give you a room on the house for tonight."
"We have a deal my good man." said Sven finishing his mead, and slamming his mug down as final exclamation point to the aggrement.

Leaving the inn, Sven looked at the sky and summised it was about 2:30 pm. He'd have plenty of time to deal with the Khajiit, and maybe show of his honed bard skills in the inn. Happily, smile gleaming at the easy room he had scored he walked down the road to the Khajiit camp. He passed Lemkil's farm where he saw Lemkil working. Sven thought it may be good to hear his side of the story. Walking over to the apparent farmer, Lemkil saw him coming and said "Hello traveller, what can I do for you?".
"Hello, my name is Sven. I saw you talking to Mralki about some Khajiit caravaners. I was wondering if you could fill me in?".
"I see. Recently some Khajiit have set up camp just down the road. Mralki says they snoop around and scare his customers away. I was trying to tell him that they are genuine folk, and aren't looking for trouble." explained Lemkil.
"Mralki has asked me to get rid of them. Do you think there is reason to?"
"Well I suppose, if you're a inn owner there's reason. Other then that, non not really. They usually keep to themselves, and I've had no trouble with them".
"Okay. I'll go have a talk with them and hear their side of the story" said Sven.
"I've got to get back to work. Those two daughters of mine give me no help!" Lemkil said grumbled while getting back to work.

Setting off down the road, Sven looked up at the sky and guessed the time was about 3 o'clock now. "Plenty of time" he thought.

When he reached the temporary circle of tents he saw two Khajiit sitting on log seats, one chopping firewood and another asleep in a tent.
"Hello friends. My name is Sven, I'm a bard."
"This one welcomes you Nord" smiled a kind Khajiit "please sit with us".
"You are very kind" said Sven sitting down on the log seat.
"Why did you come to see this one?" asked the Khajiit.
"The inn owner, Mralki, asked me to talk to you about scarring his customers away" said Sven.
"Scarring customers? How?"
"He says he see's you snooping around outside his inn. I overheard him say something about a 'Red Lute'?" said Sven.
"Yes. The lute belonged to that one's father" said the khajiit pointing to the sleeping khajiit "talk to him to learn more about it".
"Thank you. But you know what they say, 'let sleeping Khajiit lay'" joked Sven.
"This one will wake him up for you" the khajiit stod up and walked over to the tent and kicked the sleeping khajiit.
"W- who kicked me?!" said the now waking khajiit. The khajiit kicker laughed.
"Ha ha, very funny. Now I hope there was some reason to wake me?"
"This Nord wants to speak to you about the lute" informed the Khajiit kicker.
"Okay then. My name is S'hkar. Speak Nord." S'hkar said while getting up.
"Have you been sneaking around outside the local in?" asked Sven
"Yes. I'm trying to get my father's lute back from that theif Mralki. My father once stayed in the inn along time ago, and was robbed of his prized lute. It is my inheritance and I want it back".
"Are you a bard then?" asked Sven.
"Well, no. But it belongs to me none-the-less."
"What's so special about the lute?" asked Sven.
"IT BELONGED TO MY FATHER?! And it has some sort of enchantment." said S'hkar.
"If you get your lute back, will you be able to get back on the road?" asked Sven.
"Yes, we will. And then maybe we'd be able to make some money."
"What if I helped you? We go in tonight after dark and take it."
"Help would be appreciated. Maybe then I could pull it off. Two pairs of eyes are better than one" said S'hkar with a smile.
"It's settled then, tonight I will help you get your father's lute back." declared Sven
"It looks to be about 6. So if we wait about 2 hours it should be safe to enter. What do we do until then?" asked S'hkar.
"Have you ever heard the song "Ragnar the Red"?" asked Sven.
"No" replied the four khajiit.
"Then I will sing it. It sounds better with a lute accompaning it, but oh well".


The Nord and the Khajiit sung and made merry for hours until it was time to move out. Sven and S'hkar walked up to the inn and stood outside in the dark sumarising their plan. "Alright, Sven you go in the window on the right-side and I'll go in the window on the left-side. I'll slip in and unlock your window, so you'll have to wait for me to get in. Stay quite, and if there is any trouble I'll take care of it" said S'hkar. Sven gave and agreeing nod.

The two cat burglers snuck into their positions. Sven looked through the window into the darkened inn. He waited. And waited. The tension was killing him. He looked in the window, seeing nothing but darkness. Then out of the shadows snuck S'hkar. After a few tries, and broken picks, S'hkar unlocked the window and helped Sven into the inn. His eyes adjusting to the darkness, Sven started to see faint sillouettes of tables and chairs, and he made sure not to walk into any. S'hkar pointed up to where the lute was perched on top of a shelf, and moved towards it. He climbed up the shelf and grasped the lute. He started to climb down the shelf, but lost balance and fell to the ground with a thud. Very un-khajiit like. "Who's out there?! Guards! GUARDS!" called a voice from upstairs. Foot steps were coming from up stairs, and guards were banging on the inn's door. The two burglers turned to each other and both gave each other the same expression. RUN.

They jumped out the window and ran towards down the road to the camp. Luckily the guards didn't chase them. When the reached the glowing fire, they were both panting heavily.They looked at each other, then at the lute, then bothed laughed. "Hahaha, what a rush!" laughed S'hkar " I would love to see the look on Mralki's face when he discovers what we took."
"Hahaha, yeah. When I heard those guards I was more scared than a Horker in a mud-pit!" laughed Sven.
"Let's have a look at this" said S'hkar taking a closer look at the lute. "Do you reckon you could play that song for us again, now with the lute?" asked S'hkar, the other khajiit smiling.
"I think so." said Sven. "Oh there once was a hero named Ragnar the Red

Who came riding to Whitrun from ole Rorikstead

And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade
As he told of bold battles and gold he had made

But then he went quiet, did Rangar the Red
When he met the shieldmaiden Matilda who said;

"Oh, you talk and you lie and you drink all our mead
Now I think that its time that you lie down and bleed"

And so then came clashing and slashing of steel
As the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal'

And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no moooooore
When his ugly red head rolled around on the floor"

Sven felt refreshed after using the lute. "Its enchantement must have something to do with that" thought Sven.

"Yay!" "Woohoo!" cheered the khajiit.
"Thank you!" thanked Sven "Thank you".
"You are welcome to share our tents as long as you want Sven" offered S'hkar.
"Thank you. I don't think I'll be getting a room in the inn tonight." joked Sven.

The next day, Sven was getting ready for the rest of his journey to Riverwood. "I would like to give you the lute Sven. As thanks for such a blast of a time" said S'hkar with a smile.
"I would be honored to use this lute, thank you very much" said Sven as S'hkar handed him the lute.
"Good bye friend. If you ever see us on the road be sure to drop in and sing us one of your excellent songs".
"I will. And thanks again." said Sven as he walked off down the road.

After a brief stop in Whiterun, he finally was home. Riverwood was the same as when he left. Hod was still working the mill, Alvor was hard at work in the forge and Gerdur was still the towns "mother". "Good to be home he thought as he walked past the Sleeping Giant inn. He saw his mother sitting on the front porch and shouted "Hello Mother! I'm home."
He walked over to his mother, and as he did a stormcloak soldier entered the town with a stranger. "A dragon! I saw a dragon!" said his mother, Hilde.
"What is it now mother? If you keep going on like this everyone's going to think you're crazy." said Sven.
"It was bigger than the inn! It flew over the barrow!" claimed Hilde.
"Aren't you glad I'm home?" asked Sven
"Oh yes. Welcome home" said Hilde, not really caring.
"I'm off to the inn to show off my new skills. Maybe Orgnar will hire me fulltime."

As he passed the "Riverwood Trader" he stopped to talk to Camilla Valerius who he held close to his heart.
"Hello Camilla. I'm back from the Bard's college".
"It's great to have you back. I missed you around here Sven" said Camilla.
"Do you want to get a mead with me at the sleeping giant?"
"Sorry Sven, I'm off to see Faendal. Maybe another time"
"Oh okay. Another time then". Sven and Faendal were both after the heart of Camilla.

Passing Alvor's house he looked over to the mill and saw the stormcloak soldier and the stranger talking to Gerdur.

"He entered the Sleeping Giant inn and was greeted by Delphine. "Welcome home Sven" she said.
"Thank you. You and Orgnar don't mind if I practice in here do you?" asked Sven.
"No. It might be nice having a bard in here" she said with a smile "it might bring some color into our old inn".
"Thank you"

Sven looked at his new lute, and thought about the fun he had with the khajiit. He was glad to be home. The stranger from outside entered the inn, and Sven thought "first customer". He started to play and sing.

"Oh there once was a hero named Ragnar the Red
Who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead


And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade
As he told of bold battles and gold he had made

But then he went quiet, did Rangar the Red
When he met the shieldmaiden Matilda who said;

"Oh, you talk and you lie and you drink all our mead
Now I think that its time that you lie down and bleed"

And so then came clashing and slashing of steel
As the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal'

And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no moooooore
When his ugly red head rolled around on the floor".