//------------------------------// // Apple Bucking Eve // Story: A Tale of the Misplaced Guard // by CyclicStoryWriter //------------------------------// Apple Bucking Eve Ulfgar's eye twitched involuntarily at the thought of a child being able to sneak up on him. In his own defense he had other things on his mind but that did not stop himself from mentally kicking himself. Applebloom stood with her hands behind her back, waiting for an answer. Applejack on the other hand looked to be fumbling with an answer in her mind while on the spot. Her cheeks turned a light rose red as she tried to find something to say. Ulfgar mentally sighed to himself as he stepped up to the stage. "How did making apple pies go?" Ulfgar asked hoping his instincts were right. "Oh, it was fun. Maybe you can learn some time!" She replied, seeming to move past her first inquiry. "Possibly, after this competition. It sounds like I'll have to keep my mind sharp for it." Ulfgar continued as he began to mentally smile. "That's right, tomorrow is the Competition! Maybe we can call it Pear Bucking this time around!" She replied as her child's imagination began taking over. "Hold on Applebloom, just because they are jerks doesn't mean we do the same to them." Applejack said as she noted what her sister said. "But Applejack..." Applebloom began. "No buts! You saw how the Pears were acting yesterday. Do you want to look like that?" Applejack questioned before her sister could say anything to come back with. "The girl didn't look bad, she even wanted the other two to calm down!" Applebloom countered with desperation. "She is actually a cousin of theirs. Lives in Canterlot with her father, who does not agree with the pears." Ulfgar commented seeing the sibling battle escalating. "Really? Maybe Twilight has heard of her. She came from Canterlot just the day before Nightmare Moon returned." Applejack said with relief in her eyes. "Next time I see her I'll ask. That is if she allows me any time to talk about something else other than where I came from." Ulfgar replied after he let out a chuckle that turned into a sigh at the mere thought of what could happen. "Don't worry about Twilight, she means well. She just hasn't yet developed her people skills yet." Applejack tried to assure him. "Anyways, I think it's about time for some lunch. No one can work on an empty stomach!" "That sounds good, hopefully I won't miss out on the food this time around." Ulfgar commented as he followed behind Applejack and Applebloom. They walked through the orchard back to the peaceful farmhouse. The girls seemed to be chatting up in the front but it seemed to be about how Applebloom made an apple pie and other such things. Ulfgar had to nod his head to the two ladies as he saw how close they were. Back in Skyrim, siblings always seemed to fight with each other for a wide variety of things. It was rare to find any two siblings that actually didn't bother each other. These two in front of him, even though there were a few sibling battles, they were thicker than thieves. The sight almost dragged him into another memory. Along with the two girls in front of him, another group of figures was walking along beside them. Snow fell heavily onto the two cloaked figures and the light of some unseen stars seemed to be shining down on them. The figures turned their head back to show a soft, curious face along with a long strand of hair falling down out of her hood. Her lips moved but no words were spoken. Ulfgar did not need to hear the words to know what she was saying. She was speaking his name in a whisper that could destroy mountains. His name seemed to be bouncing off every single object on the way to the farmhouse. The snow seemed to grow and began coating everything with a heavy sheet of virgin snow. He could feel the snow falling down on him and filling him with a deep sense of cold and acceptance. Silence was the one thing that did not come with the falling snow. His name seemed to be growing in volume as it blocked out the sound of the birds and the rustling leaves. The storm began to grow to such size that Ulfgar could barely see the two Apple girls in front of him. Even though he could not see them, years spent in similar storms allowed him to be able to somehow know what was there without actually seeing it; a sixth sense of sorts that he had stashed away. With the apples still in front of him the other woman's face seemed to be staring at him as if waiting for some answer. "What is it that you want?" Ulfgar hissed to the two quiet, cloaked figures. "A guard like you shouldn't be out in a storm like this without his helmet." She replied with the corners of her mouth pulling into a smile. "I would have it but some drunk brute made me use it in order for him to 'relax'. Ulfgar replied as his voice began being drained of emotions. "You need to be more cautious Ulfgar, after you joined the guard your skills have been slipping. Your small victories on the road are nothing compared to what you use to go up against with only a dagger." The woman replied after a light chuckle. "I have been training for the day I can finally complete my own contract. I have not forgotten what she did to Rostei." Ulfgar replied as an ember of his rage begin to grow. "No need to get upset. You might make our father disappointed in you." She said as she pouted. "What father, mine died before I could remember." Ulfgar replied as his rage was diluted with confusion. "He is our father like we are brother and sister, Ulfgar. Ever since you left the brotherhood he has kept an eye on you. Isn't that right father?" She replied after a light chuckle. Now the other figure turned its head to reveal a hood filled with the darkest of shadows. Swirling around in the body-less cloak. Two eyes appeared quickly and stare towards Ulfgar. He did not need any explanation as to who the woman was mentioning. The two glowing eyes the color of blood continued to stare into him as an ominous voice spoke. "Long has it been since you have been home Ulfgar. Long has it been since the contract that was falsely made against two of my children; one fulfilled and the other still in motion. For you I have but one contract to fulfill, kill the treacherous child of mine that has strayed from the ways of the Brotherhood. I will leave you here in this place until the time has come to fulfill this contract. When it is time, I will bring you back home." The figure turned its head back around while the woman spoke again. "It is not every day that you receive a contract from the Dread Father himself. Oh and Ulfgar, don't let a little thing like a Daedric blade scare you. Maybe it was placed there for a reason." She said that and turned her back around and walked with the Dread Father into the storm. Ulfgar suddenly the storm was turning from bad to worse as he found himself lost within the snow storm with no indications of where he was. It even seemed like Applejack and Applebloom had been consumed by the storm. The sun that once shined down on him was hidden behind the thick clouds of the sudden storm. Once again he could hear his name being whispered all around him. He threw his hands over his ears to stop the noise. It did nothing as the whisper turned into a shout that seemed to be accusing him of some wrong he had committed. He felt himself being smacked as the storm dissolved away from sight. "Ulfgar, snap out of it!" His senses began returning to him as he realized where he was. He now stood at the edge of the orchard. Applejack was standing out in front of him with a look that was a cross between panic and confusion. Behind her he could see the farm house with Granny Smith sitting on the porch. "I...I think I'm fine now." Ulfgar replied as he brushed her arms off of himself. Are you sure, just a little bit ago you were talking to somebody that wasn't even there? Now you have me wondering what exactly my friends and I found in the Everfree Forest." Applejack asked with a questioning look in her eyes. "I'm fine, it was... just some memories catching up with me." Ulfgar reassured her with a small lie. He could tell that she knew it was a lie. "We can talk about it later if you want." The newest addition to his reply seemed to ease her a bit as she backed up a few steps. They continued their journey to the farm house with only the noise of Applebloom asking her sister about his condition. The trio moved into the house and into the kitchen he was in this morning. Applejack moved towards a large white box with two door handles on it and pulled one open. From inside a light turned on showing the wide variety of food placed within little shelves inside the white box. After a few seconds he could feel a cold, soft breeze brush up on his legs. For a brief second he could’ve sworn that he was falling back into some type of trance or memory. That thought was swept aside as Applejack closed the door to the white box and a stronger breeze pushed into him. Applejack held a multitude of things in one of her arms as she placed the items aside on a counter top. Curiosity got the better of Ulfgar as he walked up to the giant white box that was about his size and opened the door that Applejack had just closed. Inside he could see a glass orb shining a bright light onto the contents of the shelves. The cold breeze that he had felt before began blowing into him. Slowly he closed the door and stood there for a few seconds. He continued opening the door and closing the door until Applebloom took notice. "Whatcha doing there Ulfgar?" She asked as Ulfgar was entranced by the magical white box. "What is this thing? It seems like there is some magic running through it." Ulfgar replied as he backed away from the magical white box. "You mean the refrigerator?" She replied in a questioning look as the discussion caught Applejack's attention. "This thing seems to be able to stay cold on the inside even if it is a warm day." Ulfgar mumbled to himself in an attempt to wrap his head around what it was. "Are you telling me you don't have refrigerators back where you came from?" Applebloom asked. "The weather helps a lot with preserving our food and the salting out meats help as well." Ulfgar replied as his head was swirling just trying to understand this white box. He began his way out when Applejack called out to him. "Where are you going? I almost got the sandwiches done." "To grab something to drink." He simply replied as he began his way out of the farm house. "Where are you headin' sonny?" Granny Smith asked as he stepped out onto the porch. "Just grabbing something to drink." Ulfgar replied stopping at hearing her voice. "You know we have milk and water in the fridge, don’t you?" She replied looking at him through squinted eyes. "So much is going on that I need a little mead to help me along. Not to mention that mysterious white box you have in there." He replied as he headed towards the barn. The trip was short and he quickly found himself shifting through his stash of items. Within the piles of weapons, armor, and various other items he found his small pile of honeybrew mead that he got from the local meadery before heading inside the walls of Whiterun. Ulfgar spent a little bit of time with the mead back in Skyrim and this batch that he had his hands on was the best he had ever tasted. Grabbing one he headed out the barn door and uncorked the mead. A quick swig of the bottle and the golden contents flowed smoothly down his throat. His mind felt like a large burden had been pulled off his shoulders. Passing Granny Smith again he raised his bottle and nodded towards her. She let loose a small chuckle as he stepped inside the house. Ulfgar re-entered the kitchen to find the two sisters happily eating some sandwiches. Applebloom smiled and waved at him with a mouth full of food while Applejack gave him a quizzical look. "What's that you got there?" She asked after swallowing what she had in her mouth. "Just some mead, all of this picking apples by kicking the trees and white magical box that is able to hold a part of winter inside itself is running my mind up a wall. It just seems to add to the feeling of a potato..." He began explaining. "...In a treasury. Well maybe tomorrow will make you feel just fine with the flood of farmers flooding in. There always seems to be something happening when everyone arrives." Applejack finished for him before taking another bit of her sandwich. "Take a seat here and have a bit, I'm sure you'll like your's." Ulfgar didn't need to be told twice as he pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. In front of him laid a sandwich with white bread, lettuce, tomato, and some sort of meat. He lifted up one of the two slices of his sandwich and took a bit out of it. The flavors inside the sandwich seemed to explode inside his mouth. He had tasted all of these things back in Skyrim but here, the flavors seemed to be exaggerated. Delight danced across his mouth as he relished in the meal. "I take it you like it?" Applejack inquired fully well knowing the answer from his face. "These are the freshest things I have ever tasted!" Ulfgar replied, smiling, as he began to think. "You know ever since I arrived here; I think I have smiled more than back in my old homeland." "Are you pulling my leg?" Applebloom as she stopped mid-bite by the seemingly absurd statement. "Seriously!?" The voice of Pinkie Pie shouted out from directly behind Ulfgar. Ulfgar nearly choked on his second bite from the second sudden appearance of the super hyper Pinkie Pie. "Afternoon Pinkie, want some lunch while you’re here?" Applejack offered, seemingly oblivious to what had just happened. "No thanks, I ate before I got here. Is it true what you said earlier?!" Pinkie Pie replied as she turned her attention back to the Nord. "I am very serious, just as real as you somehow always pop up out of nowhere." Ulfgar replied after clearing the blockage in his throat. "Oh that; my Pinkie senses told me something was happening here and so now I'm here! If what you’re saying is true then I better get right on that party of yours!" She replied ending the last statement as if it was the most important thing in all the land. With that she gave a quick wave to the Apples and headed out the door. Ulfgar strained his ears after the door shut but could not hear the slightest sounds of her departure; no wood creaking under her weight or sounds of rocks grinding against each other as she walked away. He got up out of his chair and took a look out the window. No bright pink person was walking anywhere away from the door. It was as if she just opened the door and disappeared off to where she was before or some other place yet unknown to Ulfgar. 'Seems like the girl has the laws of the world wrapped around her finger...' Ulfgar thought to himself before taking a good, deep drink of the mead. Heading back to meal at hand, he was glad the meal in front of him, that seemed to be exploding with flavor, took his mind off the mysterious pink woman. "You seem to be going through that mead there pretty fast..." Applejack began with a slightly concerned tone. "It is the only thing keeping me sane right now. Only problem is that I don't have any harder stuff if anything else happens." Ulfgar replied with deadpan voice as he began getting back into his sandwich. Applejack gave him a quizzical look before finishing up her sandwich. Applebloom finished up her sandwich and headed off somewhere else in the house to 'wash up' after her meal. The door opened and Granny Smith began moving along the long hallway. "Hey Ulfgar, once we get these apples picked maybe we can head down to town and sell some stuff. I can sell my families apples like usual and you can sell the stuff you said you wanted to get rid of yesterday." Applejack offered as she swallowed her last bite of her sandwich. "That sounds good, I mean what exactly I’m going to do with all the dwemer gears I have." Ulfgar replied as he began relaxing as the natural laws began sliding back into place. "Ah, you two look so sweet there. Don't let this one get away, he looks like a keeper." Granny Smith replied as she passed by the kitchen door. "Granny!" Applejack shouted back as her cheeks turned slightly red. Ulfgar on the other hand looked at his current bottle of mead and began draining the rest of the bottle's contents down his throat.