Early morning with the Apples
Even though Ulfgar's sleep was deep, it was nowhere close to peaceful. He was plagued with strange visions of his childhood. The times he had running around the Solitude streets, avoiding any Imperial soldiers stationed there and the Jarl. The time he found a girl trying to stand up against the local thugs that were around his age of ten. How he had helped her out and soon became friends with the newcomer. Lastly was a dark figure that took them out of the city and gave them a home and a family far south in the hold of Falksreach. The most vivid and frightening vision was the girl with tears running down her face and a knife in her hand on the hilt of a knife plunged into his chest. Feeling the knife plunge into his chest pulled him from his sleep. Bolting straight up, Ulfgar wondered where exactly he was. Slowly the memories slide into his mind and pulled away the visions from his sleep. He lifted his right hand up his chest and felt a small scar. The old wound hadn’t healed correctly after getting infected about two days after being stabbed. He looked out the small window up to his left and saw that the sun had not yet lightened the starry night. With a low moan he pushed himself off his hay pile and took a look around at his surroundings. Down on the ground level of the barn was a water trough that he didn't notice the first time he had passed through. Ulfgar climbed down the ladder and walked towards it. The calm, clean water seemed to be calling his name as he began to get closer to it. Walking up to the water he could see the beaten up reflection of himself. His brown hair had grown down to his shoulder and his beard was scewered by the two jagged scars running up his chin. He felt the scars again as he remembered his run in with his first troll. It would have killed him if he had not fixed his armor at a nearby mine. Done with looking at his reflection, Ulfgar tossed water onto his grime covered face and also some onto his chest. He then pulled out a steel dagger he never took off his body and began cutting his hair down to a more reasonable size for in town. The hairs few down into the water below, clumping together after touching the water. Watching through the falling hairs, he watched as his long hair turned into the short cropped hair of a war horse. After removing what hair he could from the water, he walked back to the loft and began going through his pack. Digging deep into the pack he found exactly what he was looking for, a small stone about the size of his hand. With his steel sword in hand, he began running the stone slowly against the blade's edge. With each stroke of the stone the nicks on the blade were smoothed out and formed back into one solid edge. The dark world that he woke up in slowly changed with his blade, filling the world with color and light while the shadows pulled back from the morning sun. Not soon later did a rooster sing its morning song. Other animals began joining in with the melody while he continued to focus on his task at hand. The noises from outside grew louder as the door was opened by a dark silhouette.
"I see I don't have to wake you up." Applejack stated as she walked into the barn.
"A good morning to you too. I guess this can wait for latter." Ulfgar replied as he tossed the sword and stone back towards his pack.
"We got breakfast cooked up at the house. Just remember the rules." Applejack said as she leaned up against a wooden post.
"No weapons and respect those housing me. Sounds just like when I was traveling." Ulfgar replied as he slipped his helmet on and headed down the ladder.
"Good, maybe you can tell some stories of your travels." Applejack hinted at as he got off the ladder. "Also I think you can leave the helmet behind, I don't think we are going to get attacked anytime soon."
"Let’s just say it makes me feel comfortable. Just like you and that hat of yours. As for stories I have plenty of them to share if you don't mind to some raw parts." Ulfgar answered as he began heading over to Applejack.
"Maybe later, my stomach is just growling for what Granny has cooked up!" She said as she pushed herself off the pole.
"Speaking of Granny, what is this ‘apple bucking’ thing she mentioned yesterday?" He asked as they began walking out of the barn.
"I still can't believe that she thought about that! Anyways it is a competition between a good majority of farmers in Equestria. The competition goes from one farm to another as the honor of holding the competition. This time we are holding the event, the farmers should be here about a day or two from now."
"What about the pears?"
"They are just a bunch of hot headed pear farmers. They won the competition the last few years and had the idea to shove that fact in our faces." Applejack answered with a tired voice.
"They sound no different than the drunks back in Skyrim." Ulfgar commented as they stepped onto the porch.
Applejack almost stopped in confusion before the thoughts of yesterday began to flow through her head. "Ah think it's going to be hard for me to get used to you being from Skyrim." She said as she opened the door.
The smells of fresh baked pastries and the sweet scent of apples wafted out of the doorway as the door opened. Ulfgar was entranced by the smells coming from deeper in the household. The sturdy feeling of the house reminded him of his childhood and the feeling of being secure. Idle conversation floated with the smell and supported his feeling.
"So what do you think of the new guy? I think he’s pretty nice for someone not from around here!" The voice of the child from yesterday said in a voice filled with excitement and drowsiness.
Ulfgar followed Applejack on a short trip through the house until a kitchen with a table in the middle appeared around a corner. The three others were sitting at a table with food steaming on the table. The smell just made him stop in his tracks as he stared down at everything there.
"Are you alright there sonny?" Granny Smith asked as he just stood still.
"Yes, I just haven't had a good warm meal without having to worry about being attacked since I was in Solitude." He replied not realizing he wasn't watching what he said.
"I never heard of Solitude before, must be way up in the north. Now come over here and eat up. We need you ready for work today and the competition soon!" Granny Smith said as she patted an empty place at the table.
"Not a lot of people know of the area I come from, being separated from the rest of the world by mountains and tundra." He replied going along with the flow.
"So why are you still wearing that helmet? Did you sleep with it on!?" Applebloom began shooting off questions.
"No, I just have worn this helmet for so long and through so much, I just feel odd without it on in a strange area." Ulfgar answered as he began looking at the surrounding food.
Before he could touch any of warm food lying out in front of him, a dog starting to bark outside. Ulfgar suddenly felt himself becoming filled with energy and devoid of emotions. Despite the calls of the elderly woman in the green dress and the child he would have sat across from, Ulfgar headed back outside. Heading outside he could see a group of three walking up looking as if they had just bought the land. He could see one of them had what looked like a horribly deformed green apple on his shoulder. Ulfgar made his way off the porch and slowly walking towards the group of people. They were pointing at things on their way up to the farm and bumping into each other as if they had just walked out of a tavern.
"What's your business here?" Ulfgar flatly asked as the group had gotten closer.
"We're here for the Applebucking Competition and some fun until then! Now where is the Cider?" The largest of the group shouted out.
"I would suggest you go back and wait until then. Drunks are never any good." Ulfgar shot back as he continued towards the three.
"Oh? And who are you to be messing with the Pears!?" He shouted back almost tipping himself over.
"I am a guard from the northern tundra who has dealt with drunken men to frost trolls. Now turn back around before anything bad happens to you and your friends." Ulfgar replied with a voice as cold and harsh as his old homeland.
"Maybe we should just come back later for the competition... Come on Bartlett!" A woman about the same age as Applejack tried to move the big man.
"Come on Sweet-Roll, Let your cousins show you a good time! We don't get to see you much when you're in Canterlot with your dad." The other man tried to persuade the woman.
"I've got this! I mean how hard to knock some sense into this tin-head?" The man called Bartlett shouted out as he stumbled towards Ulfgar. "Now stop moving around so I can hit you!"
Ulfgar just stood there as the man began stumbling towards him "Tin-head?! You obviously know nothing about armor or anything close to it!"
Now both Bartlett and Ulfgar were heading towards each other with very similar intents. Bartlett was drunk and wanted to show some form of dominance. Ulfgar just wanted to beat this man senseless for having the mere idea of being a drunk, running around town for 'fun'. The two collided with each other with fists flying, the calm countryside was soon filled the sounds of the hands against metal and the sound of other people rushing towards the outbreak.
"WOAH THERE! What is going on here!?" Applejack shouted out as she stormed towards the two.
"I, am teaching this man who the Pears are!" Bartlett replied, with bloodied fists and a bruised face.
"Teach? you only have been slapping me!" Ulfgar shot back from behind his helmet.
"That is what you think..." Bartlett replied slurring his last few words. Giving the Nord a push to make a point.
"Don't you push me!" Ulfgar shouted out as he pushed the arms off to the side.
Bartlett just released a drunken chuckle and gave another push. "Why, are you just going to tell on me?"
"I heard that some men can use their armor so well that it becomes a weapon in their hands. Let’s test that out..." Ulfgar said as he pulled off his helmet.
With the helmet off he took a quick look at the empty eye slits staring back at him. A quick movement with his hands he gripped the helmet by the eye slits and slammed the sturdy helmet into the Pear's head. The big man fell down with a soft thud and didn't move. Taking another look at the helmet, there was now a nice dent right near right eye slit of the helmet. He tossed the helmet off to the side and moved towards the pile of the man called 'Bartlett'. Ulfgar bent down and began picking the pile of drunken muscle onto his shoulders.
"What was that for!" The other man shouted out.
"I have found out from my years of guard work that drunks that are knocked out are always the easiest to handle. Now, can you show me where I can set this drunk down?" Ulfgar stated moving towards town.
"Um, right this way. I guess you could place him in their motel room." The woman replied.
"I got my eye on you though." The other man stated as they made their way into town.
"Just relax Anjou, he is just trying to help out. You even said yourself that Bartlett had a few too many." Sweet-roll shot to the man as the Apple's families house disappeared over the hill.
The trip was silent for most of the time. Anjou stayed behind him while Sweet-roll just walked quietly in front. Ulfgar did not mind the silence except for when he his stomach started rumbling when they had gotten to the edge of town. Sweet-roll had finally slowed down enough to where he and her were walking side by side.
"I'm sorry for my cousins. They are not the brightest of folks but they always take care of family, such as me." Sweet-roll apologized, rubbing the back of her neck.
"No need to worry, I am the same way about my family. Even though there have been some rough feelings between me and them." Ulfgar replied carefully choosing his words.
"Really, I hope things straighten out with them. My dad doesn't really like me hanging out with my cousins much." Sweet-roll quietly said.
"Yeah, hopefully... The name is Ulfgar by the way." He said after drifting off in thought.
"Nice to meet you. Strange name you have there though. Where did you say you were from again?" Sweet-roll replied with a small smile on her face.
"I come from far in the north where the winters are harsh and almost year around. I have been traveling since I lost my job." Ulfgar admitted shifting the weight of the man on his shoulders.
"Wow, losing your job and having troubles with your family. No wonder you seemed a bit short tempered back there." She replied while trying to envision herself in his position.
"You don't really think about it when there is so much happening around you. Like being attacked by a frost troll as you're heading through a mountain pass. That is how I got these scars here." Ulfgar said as he tilted his head a bit.
"Oh, that looked like it hurt." She commented before blushing and looking down towards the ground. "Here's the building here, Room 102"
"You got a good head on your shoulders Sweet-roll. I respect those who are like that. Maybe some other time we can talk." Ulfgar said as he stood next to the door.
This just made her blush even more as she opened up the door. Inside there was two beds, a dresser, and a chair in the corner. Ulfgar dropped the body on one of the beds and made his way out. On the way out Anjou bumped into him, looking down at the man he saw anger in his face. Now done with the drunk Pear problem, he headed back for what breakfast was left and a full day of work. The quiet walk gave him time to think about things. Heading back to the farm he reminisced on the old memories of what good memories he had of his family. In the distance, the Apple family farm emerged from the other side of a hill. 'Other than the drunk, this day is going along pretty well!' Ulfgar thought to himself. As the house grew larger he could see Applebloom sitting out on the porch swinging her legs. When she saw him walking up, she got up and started towards him with a bag in hand.
"Hey mister!" She shouted out.
"Hello Applebloom, what's this?" Ulfgar replied.
"I saved you some food from breakfast! What happened to your face?!" She shouted out as she leaned in closer to look at his face.
"This came from a nasty creature from my travels. Would have killed me too if I had not had fixed my armor earlier." Ulfgar answered as he knelt down to look inside the white bag.
"By the way what's your name mister?" Applebloom asked as she handed over the bag.
"Ulfgar, thank you for these Applebloom!" Ulfgar replied as he gave her a pat on her shoulder.
"Also Big Mac and Applejack are out in the fields. She seemed upset when she went out. Well I got to be going now Ulfgar, Granny is teaching me how to make apple pies today." Applebloom said before running towards the house.
Ulfgar stayed where he was for a few moments. "I guess I might have gone a bit too far with using the helmet." He said to himself.
Walking up to the barn, the door was ajar. Inside he could see that everything seemed fine. climbing up to the loft he could see that his helmet sat there in front of his bags. A book laid on top of his pack opened up to the inside cover. A black hand showed with the title on the next page, 'A kiss sweet mother'.