Jarl Balgruuf the Great, the Jarl of Whiterun had just returned from his trip to Solitude after meeting with the High King, "Good morning my Jarl, how was your trip?" Proventus greeted as Jarl Balgruuf walked through Dragonreaches doors.
"It was the same as all the other times, now tell what has been happening in my hold." Jarl Balgruuf said as he walked up to his throne, "Well..." Proventus trailed off, "Well what?" Jarl Balgruuf questioned as he sat down, resting his head in his hand.
"A mercenary who has been taking care of the bounties regarding the bandits has caused quite a few scenes." Proventus explained as he avoided the Jarls gaze. "Explain." Jarl Balgruuf calmly demanded. "Every time he returns to the city, he is covered in so much blood it covers his armour from head to toe." Proventus explained with a visible shudder at the memories.
"And how has that caused any scenes?" Jarl Balgruuf asked, he was puzzled on how mere blood caused such a scene multiple times. "It's not just the blood, he also carried in the head of a bandit chief as proof of him completing the bounty once." Proventus said in a nervous voice, not wanting to remember the sight of the dismembered head.
The Jarls eyes widened, "And after that the people seemed to realise how he got covered in blood in the first place." Proventus explained further. "What is this mercenary's name?" Jarl Balgruuf asked expectedly, "Varan Kynor."
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"Varan Kynor, the Jarl would like to speak with you." A guard said once they saw Varan, who was once again covered in blood after clearing out another bandit camp. Varan just stared at the guard for a moment before walking forward, heading up to Dragonsreach.
Once he was at the doors, he pushed them open like he had several times before, but this time he was greeted by Proventus personally, "S-sir Kynor, the Jarl is ready t-to see you." Proventus said with a stutter once he saw the state Varan was in.
Varan just nodded his head and Proventus lead the way to the Jarl, who was sitting in his throne waiting, once the pair got there the Jarl was the first to speak, "So you are Varan Kynor." The Jarl said as he looked up at Varan, finally understanding why him being covered in blood made him more intimidating.
"I see you have just come back from completing a bounty." Jarl Balgruuf said as he watched some of the blood drip of Varan's helmet, "Yes my Jarl." Varan's deep muffled voice said as he lowered his head, causing more blood to drip off and onto the carpets, "How many bandits where there?" Jarl Balgruuf asked, still looking at the blood rolling off Varan's helmet.
"23 bandits my Jarl." Varan answered, his voice causing Proventus to tremble slightly, "Where there any survivors?" Balgruuf knew it was a stupid question, but he wanted to see how Varan would respond.
Varan was quiet for moment as he raised his head and stared at Balgruuf, "No, I left no survivors, even if they begged for their lives, I still killed them." Varan's response caused the hall to be silent, many looked at him as he continued to stare at the Jarl, no one moved as the imagined the scene of Varan cutting down a bandit as they begged for mercy.
Jarl Balgruuf's were wide as he stared at Varan, and even though he couldn't see his eyes, he could still feel Varan's cold gaze. "I see..." The Jarl mumbled to himself as he rested his head in both his hands, "Come back to me after a few hours, I will reward you then and give you a new quest." Balgruuf said as he leaned back in his throne. "Yes, my Jarl." Varan said as he turned around and left.
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Varan was walking through the streets of Whiterun, the city's residents moving out of his way as he did so. As he was walking, he saw a large dead tree in the centre of the cloud district, and before he knew it, he was sitting down on a bench that was closest to the tree.
As he saw there, a gentle breeze of wind blew past him, and with it came memories, memories that he wanted to forget, memories of that day, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not forget that day, the day that changed everything for the worse.
As he sat there, the memories coming like a never-ending wave, it started raining. It was if the heavens themselves felt his pain and cried in his stead. But he did not cry, he just sat there as the rain washed away the blood on his armour and the memories came flooding in. And there was nothing he could do to stop them.
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Once the rain came, the citizens of Whiterun ran to their homes or the Bannered mare for shelter, but Varan just sat on that bench as the blood on his armour washed away and he remembered his past, a past he wished he could forget.
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A young Nord boy with shining black hair, eyes blue like the sea, and skin so fair it who make elves jealous was running through a forest with a toothy smile on his face, his innocent laughter filling the silent forest.
"Come on Valor! You will never catch me!" The young boy yelled with excitement as looked back and saw his older brother, a tall Nord man with the same shining black hair and deep blue eyes as him running after him, "Yea right Varan! Just wait till I get my hands on you!" Valor yelled with laughter as he chased his little brother.
The two brothers ran like this for a few hours until Valor caught his little brother, "See? I told you I would catch you." Valor said as his deep voice was filled with laughter, Varan laughed as well, "I know you would, but I almost beat you." Varan laughed as well. The forest was now filled with the happy laughter of the two brothers.
Valor lifted his little brother onto his shoulders, "Come now, Syrran is waiting for us by the cabin." Valor said with wide smile as he started walking.
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The rain had only gotten worse, but Varan did not move from the bench as he just placed his head in his hands, the rain bouncing off his helmet as more memories came to him.
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The two brothers made their way through the forest till the came across a cabin, Varan hurriedly climbed off his brother's wide shoulders and ran towards the cabin with a smile. "Syrran!" He joyfully yelled as he ran to the woman who was standing by a table, she too had the same hair and eyes as the two brothers.
Once Varan got to her, he hugged her, his head only reaching her abdomen due his height, "Hey little brother, I see Valor caught you again?" Syrran asked as she hugged her little brother back, "That's right, though I did have some trouble this time." Valor said with a laugh as he walked into the cabin. "Is that so?" Syrran asked as she looked to Varan, who was smiling.
"Well then, you guys are just in time for lunch." Syrran said as she let go of Varan and grabbed the food that was on the table.
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"Why?" Varan mumbled, he muffled voice filled with pain.
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As the three siblings were eating, werewolf burst through the door, Syrran screamed as she grabbed Varan while Valor grabbed his sword, but before he could do anything the werewolf bite his neck, killing him instantly.
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"Why?" The pain in Varans voice only grew.
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Syrran tried to run with Varan only for a second werewolf to burst through the window and tackle her, "AAAAAHHH!" Varan screamed in pain as the werewolf's claws dug into his face, separating him from his sister, "Run Varan!" Syrran yelled out before she too was killed.
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"Why did I run? Why did I survive and not them?" Varan asked no one as the rain only fell harder, the pain in his heart was great, but Varan couldn't bring himself to cry. Despite all his pain, despite seeing his brother and sister being killed, Varan could not cry.
And it killed him inside.