The Elder Scrolls: Equestria

by Talvox

Chapter 2: Lock Pick

I landed right next to the fire. The Nordic ponies jumped back in fright.

“You’re looking for me, right? The Thestral with the Cutie Mark of a White Wisp? Well guess what: You found me.” And, with that, I spread my wings, and flapped with tremendous force, and the fire extinguished. My eyes instantly adjusted to the abrupt absence of light. I could see. And they couldn’t.

I spotted one of the ponies trying to light a torch, but I stopped his efforts by turning around and bucking him in the face. A solid THWACK! and he staggered back, hooves around his head, trying to soften whatever pain I had caused.

The pony I recognized as the one who asked Iron Shield what they were doing here was blindly swinging his sword around. I unsheathed my sword, and flipped it in my mouth so I had a better grip on it. I swung my sword to meet his flailing sword, and I disarmed him with a clash of metal on metal. Then I turned around to buck him, using my wings to help balance me. I bucked him right in the side, and he collapsed, writhing in pain. Disarming him must’ve broken a few teeth.

I turned around, and Iron Shield had managed to succeed in what the first pony had not - He had lit a torch, and could now see me. He had a shield attached to one of his forelegs. I had never fought an opponent with a shield before. At least, not a good one. However, this pony was Nordic, and probably a mercenary if he was looking for me.

Iron Shield drew his sword and charged me. I spread my wings quickly and flapped with all my might, and I shot into the air. He tried to slash me with his sword as I shot into the air, but missed one of my forelegs narrowly. I dropped down behind him and moved my head to attack him with my sword, but it slammed into his raised shield, and dug into it. I pulled it out and stepped backwards.

Iron Shield wasn’t fooling around. He meant to take me out, by killing me, or by knocking me out. I wasn’t keen on either. Luckily, the other two ponies were still writhing around in pain. I figured that once they got over their pain, they’d rush to help Iron Shield, and I’d be outmatched and outnumbered.

I jumped as Iron Shield tried to take a swipe at my legs, and then spread my wings to fly again. I bucked his head and sent him tumbling backwards in the torch light. I flipped the sword around in my teeth so I was holding the blade, and smacked one of the ponies in the head with the butt of my sword, and he fell unconscious. I flipped the sword back around in my mouth. Iron Shield had recovered from my little flight trick.

He eyed me with newfound respect.

“Say, fancy a trip with us to Elsweyr?” he asked through his sword, muffling and distorting his voice. “It’d make it easier on us both.”
“I’d prefer not to,” I said, speaking through my sword.

Fighting recommenced. The pony that I had bucked in the face was bleeding through his nose. I think I broke it, but he was still occupied, so I turned my attention back to Iron Shield. He was charging at me, his sword raised. My sword met his, and a there was a loud CLANG! I hadn’t managed to disarm him, and my mouth felt jarred. I noticed that his sword had a gash in it where mine had met his. He hadn’t noticed, but that told me that I should be able to win this fight.

He swung his sword at me again, and I ducked and slashed at the foreleg that didn’t have a shield. I had finally scored a hit. His fur armor was cut open and his left foreleg gave way. He was now partially kneeling. He raised his shield defensively. I bucked at it, and it cracked. Even if these Nordic ponies were mercenaries, they weren’t very well equipped.

Iron Shield was back on his hooves, though limping slightly. I turned my head, right eye facing Iron Shield. I turned my head with dizzying speed, and my sword hit his shield again. The shield exploded in a flurry of wood shards, and he fell back, onto his haunches. I turned around and bucked him in his head, and disarmed him as well as knocked him out. I turned to the other pony that had a bleeding nose. He had recovered, and was looking scared.

“When they awake again, tell them to get out of the Black Marsh. If you do, I might just spare your lives,” I said through my sword, which was still raised. I was bluffing. I had no intention of killing them, but he didn’t know that. After all, I had just taken out two people in about a minute and a half..

The pony nodded energetically, fearing for his life.

“Doesn’t look like you’re using that armor. I don’t think you’d mind if I take it?” I said. The pony nodded exuberantly again, and began taking his fur armor off. I fought this battle without any armor, but even fur armor would help me in my journey. He tossed me his fur armor, still looking terrified. I sheathed my sword, and put the armor in my saddlebags.

I spread my wings, and flapped downwards with force, extinguishing the torch, and flew up into the night, and left the camp in darkness. I rather think I made an impression on the poor pony. I flew off over the Marsh’s trees, until I was flying above the path, and I slowly began to descend.

I landed on the ground with a soft thump, and began trotting down the path again, not sure where it was leading me. My thoughts turned to what the pony had said about taking me to Elsweyr, but going there seemed like a stupid idea, especially if they were trying to bring me there.

My encounter with the mercenary ponies taught me one thing: Not everypony in Equestria is friendly. I’d have to keep that in mind if I wanted to live for any amount of time other than 3 seconds. I still hadn’t put the fur armor I’d gotten from the mercenary pony who managed to stay conscious, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. I may have acted tough back at the camp, but in reality I’d been scared. But the fact that I’d won the fight proved that I could handle myself out in the world.

The path that I was travelling on should lead me to Cyrodiil, where I could go to Leyawiin, and rest for a little while. Even if the fight had drained me, I could still certainly walk for a distance. If I had to, I could use my wings while I gave my hooves a break. Just so long as I didn’t fall asleep mid-flight.

The sun had slowly been climbing in the sky, and I had to rest. Even if we didn’t like sunlight, sleeping during the daytime in the Marsh is a surefire way to get yourself killed. The path I’d been walking on was covered with dust, and grime. It looked like it hadn’t been used in a while, and I was probably right about that. I wasn’t even sure if this path even led to Leyawiin. I’d probably just end up going to Canterlot instead, even if it was a longer journey.

Whatever the case was, I was tired, and needed rest, but I couldn’t stop to sleep in the Marsh willy-nilly, that’d get me killed. If I was going to sleep, I’d need to find a place where nopony could find me, or locate an Inn, but I doubt there was any Inns nearby.

My hooves were sore from all this walking. I lifted one, while I continued trotting, which stopped the throbbing for a little, but then switched hooves. I was walking 3-legged down the path to give my hooves a break. Eventually part of me remembered I could fly, and I spread my wings and took to the sky, and all of my hooves felt a little better. I flew above the path for what felt like days.

It had only been a few hours when I saw more signs of life. Friendly or enemy, I couldn’t tell. My experience with the Nordic ponies came to mind, and I moved to fly close over the treetops. It was a group of Zebras. And they had Thestrals chained up like prisoners behind them.

I figured this was a good time to use my fur armor. I landed in a tree that looked fairly stable, and was, thankfully; I undid the straps of my saddlebags, grabbed the fur armor, and pulled it on. I pulled my saddle bags back on, and redid the straps. I tried to spread my wings, but realized this armor was made for earth ponies or unicorns. I facehoofed, and used my sword to cut out the armor around my wings. Carefully. After a few minutes, I had managed to create openings for my wings. I spread my wings, and flew after the Zebras, who hadn’t been camped, but were travelling along the path.

Part of me wondered what in Oblivion were the Zebras doing with Thestral slaves? I figured that they were trying to restart the slave business again. I didn’t like that one bit. I took to the skies again, and flew over the Zebras, and dropped down in front of them. There were 5 ponies; 3 Thestrals, and 2 Zebras. The Zebras had iron armor. And I had fur armor. I guess it was a good idea to take the armor after all.

“What do you want, Thestral?” one of the Zebras asked.
“For you to let those slaves go,” I said with clenched teeth.
“No can do. We need these particular ponies,” the Zebra said. That stopped my reply, which left my mouth open. I closed it quickly, then asked, “What in Oblivion do you need these specific ponies for?” I asked, with anger, but more curiously than angry.

I mentally slapped myself, realizing I should be less curious, but still, part of me had to wonder.

“None of your business. Now get out of my way if you don’t want to join them.”

I pulled my sword out. I guess actions speak louder than words, because these Zebras both pulled out shortswords. One had a shield equipped, but the other raised a hoof and little flames appeared.

They had fire magic spells. Damn.

I pulled my sword out and flew up as the shield Zebra charged me, while the Zebra with the fire spell shot flames at me. I managed to escape the shield Zebra, but the one with the fire spell managed to set my left forehoof on fire. I panicked for about 3 seconds then regained my senses. I patted my forehoof against my chest and used my other forehoof to pat the fire out. Eventually I won, but not before the armor had burnt and weakened. It wasn’t a too bad spot, but still, my hoof felt hotter than the other three.

The fire spell Zebra was shooting flames at me from down below, while, the shield Zebra was circling around beneath me. The Thestral slaves were chained together, and had little mobility. I had to take out the fire spell Zebra out first, before I could stand a chance against the shield Zebra. I dived at the fire spell Zebra while his Magicka was regenerating. He scrambled out of the way, dropping his shortsword in the process. I stabbed his left flank, and he stumbled, his left backhoof giving way. I charged towards him, and, with hesitation, stabbed his middle. I pierced his Iron armor, and he fell sideways, bleeding heavily. Soon the dirt path was covered in blood.

Something slammed into me, and realized I had forgotten about the shield Zebra. He knocked me over, and put one of his forehooves against my neck, forcing me to drop my sword. He flipped the sword around in his mouth, and had it aimed to stab my face. I could see the anger in his eyes, like I had just mortally wounded his brother. Which I probably had, considering the circumstances.

I’m going to die. I was struggling, just well enough to throw the Zebra off me. Then something interesting happened. The Zebra’s head fell, the sword aimed at my face. I moved my head, and the sword dropped into the ground. I got a side view of his head, and realized there was a sword sticking out of the back of his head. It was now just dead weight on me.

I pushed the dead Zebra off me, and his armor clanged against the ground. I looked up to see my savior, and it was one of the Thestral slaves. She had unlocked her shackles, grabbed the sword from the other Zebra, who was still alive, but just barely, and had thrown the sword with deadly accuracy right into the Zebra’s head. I looked at the green Thestral, and she smiled slightly.

“...Thanks,” I said with slight wonderment.
“He was going to kill you! I had to do something. I mean, after all, you just saved us from building some Goddess damned portal,” She said.
“What portal?” I asked, getting to my hooves, and standing, trembling slightly from what just happened.
“The Zebras are building something over in Morrowind, it’s a giant portal or something.”

I stood there, thinking.

What in Oblivion were the Zebras doing building a portal? Is that where the Hellspawn are coming from?

I moved over to the other Thestral captives.

“How do we get them free?” I asked the Thestral who had freed herself from the iron shackles.

“You can either break them, or lockpick them. But something tells me you’ve never picked a lock before. Here, I’ll show you,” she said, and moved over to one of the captives, and pulled out a dagger, and a lockpick.

She held the dagger steady with her forehooves, while she maneuvered the lockpick around with her mouth. Soon the lock popped, and the shackles around the red mare captives’ forehooves fell off. Her cutie mark was of a campfire.

“You try!” she said with a small bit of enthusiasm. She was a nice Thestral, and was happy, even if she had been a captive on her way to Morrowind.

I moved forwards to the back shackles, and realized something.

“I don’t have any lockpicks.”
“Oh, here, you can borrow some of mine,” she said, and handed me some of her lockpicks, and a dagger.

“You can keep the dagger and the lockpicks, I have an extra dagger and plenty more lockpicks. Those Zebras were stupid. Didn’t even check me for lockpicks.

I stared temporarily, wondering how she could stay this upbeat. Then I went to the lock, and for the first time ever, attempted to pick a lock. Some part of me wondered whether or not this would be the last time. I lowered myself to the ground, so I could get a better grip on the dagger with my forehooves, and my back legs moved in underneath my body.

I stuck the dagger inside of the lock, and then bit down on a lockpick and moved my head to the lock. I moved my head forwards, the lockpick inside the lock. I tried turning the lock this way and that, and it broke.

“Dammit,” I muttered.
“Oh, don’t worry, you can pull the broken one out and grab another lockpick,” the happy green-colored Thestral said. Her cutie mark was of a lockpick. Go figure.

I pulled the broken lockpick out, and grabbed another in my teeth. I maneuvered the lockpick forwards, and turned it this way and that, and eventually I managed to open the lock.

I pulled the lockpick and the dagger out, and put them in my saddlebags.
“You can keep those lockpicks too!” the green mare said.
“Thanks,” I said, and lowered my head, and grabbed the lockpicks and put them into a little pocket where I could easily grab the lockpicks later.

“I never got your name,” I said.
“I’m Lock Pick!” she said happily.
...Lock Pick? Wow, that cutie mark was a dead giveaway for her name. A small part of me wondered how in Oblivion the parents even knew what to name their colts and fillies.

“Well, Lock Pick,” I was tempted to facehoof, but resisted the urge. “Can you help me get this last Thestral free?” I asked. She nodded, and moved to the remaining Thestral, a cyan colored stallion with a cutie mark of an anvil. I moved to his forehoof shackles, while Lock Pick moved to the cyan stallion’s back leg shackles.

I lowered myself down to the ground, my back legs supporting my forehooves. I pulled the dagger out of my saddlebags and pushed it into the lock with my mouth, then steadied it with my forehooves. I moved my head to the small pocket with the lockpicks in it, and pulled one out. I pushed it in the lock, and rotated my head this way and that, until the lockpick broke.

I pulled the broken one out, and grabbed another from my saddlebags. I had 7 lockpicks left now. I pushed the pick into the lock, and maneuvered it until I had picked the lock on the shackles. Lock Pick had picked the back leg lock in about 10 seconds, where I was still fumbling with this lock 30 seconds later. I pulled the dagger and the pick out of the lock, the dagger going into the much larger pocket I reserved for weapons and had strengthened so my weapons didn’t accidentally rip my saddlebags open. The lock pick went back to the small pocket with the other lockpicks.

The red mare and the cyan stallion both thanked us, and ran off down the path, back towards my village. Hopefully they wouldn’t come across Iron Shield and his group of mercenaries

“You going too?” I asked Lock Pick.

She shook her head, and said, “No, I don’t have anywhere to go, really. I was wandering the Marsh, just like you were, when these Zebras came out of nowhere and shackled me. I’ve been walking for about a day now.

“Did you pass through my village?” I asked.
“No, I don’t think so. We came on this path, but we didn’t go through any village. Plus, I don’t think anypony would let those nasty Zebras keep us as slaves.” She had a good point.

But that also reminded me of the near-dead Zebra. I moved over to him, pulled my sword out, and slit his throat, ending his suffering. Somehow, I didn’t feel guilt from killing him. It was a mercy killing. Eventually, I had to go and kill somepony other from mercy, but when that day came, I didn’t know.

“You should grab the other Zebra’s armor. You look like a stallion who could wear heavy armor,” Lock Pick said, inspecting the armor of the Zebra I had just killed.
“Uhm, okay,” I said, and moved over to the Zebra who had almost killed me.
“This armor doesn’t have any spots for my wings to spread,” I told Lock Pick.
“Oh, we can fix that, easy. There’s a town further down this road called Leyawiin. They have a blacksmith that we can visit. He should be able to modify your armor. Oh that reminds me, we’ll need bits to pay for it. I have 34 bits, which won’t be nearly enough to cover it, but, we should be able to find enough off of these Zebras!” she said really, really fast. I barely understood her, but I understood enough to realize we needed money.

“I have 51 bits,” I said. “Wait, hold on. You’re going to spend your own bits on me? Just to get my armor modified?”
“Yeah, sure, we’ll find plenty more out in the world.”
“...Alright then, if you’re sure.”
“I am!” Lock Pick said happily, and began searching the fire spell Zebra’s saddlebags for bits.

“Ohey, I found a potion! I don’t know what it does though.”

By Luna, she talks a lot. I didn’t mind, but still. I went back to pulling the iron armor off the Zebra. Eventually I managed to pull it off, and I put the armor in my saddlebags. Then I went to work searching through the shield Zebra’s saddlebags. Inside were three potions of something I didn’t know, 94 bits, and a fancy looking dagger.

I put the bits inside with my other bits, which also happened to be where I put my lockpicks. I stuck the potions inside with the armor, positioning them so they wouldn’t smash inside my saddlebags, and gave the fancy dagger to Lock Pick. She didn’t seem to have any weapons on her.

“Woah, thanks!” she said in delight, and bounced around for 5 seconds, and then calmed down enough to put the dagger in her weapon sheath.

“I found 77 bits on this Zebra. I have 111 bits now, and I don’t know how much you have.”
“I found 94 bits, 3 potions that do something I don’t know, and that fancy dagger you found.”
“How many bits do we have overall?” Lock Pick asked.
“You have 111, right?” She nodded. “Well, I found 94 on the other zebra, so we have 256 bits.”
“111 plus 94 is not 256, silly.”
“I know, I added my 51 bits to it.”
“Ohhhhh. Well, in that case, I think we have enough. We might need a bit more though.”

We began trotting down the path. The sun almost completed its arc around the sky. In about 2 hours it would begin to set.

“Think we can get to Leyawiin before sunset?” I asked Lock Pick.
“No, I don’t think so. We’ll probably have to setup camp. Do you have a bed roll?” she asked.

Dammit. I didn’t have a bed roll.

“No, I don’t have a bed roll.” How could I have been such an idiot! I didn’t even pack a bed roll.

“Oh, that’s fine, I have an extra.” Lock Pick said.
“What, really?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes. We’ll set camp when the sun starts to set then?” she asked.
“Okay.” I had no trouble stopping. I was almost dead on my feet. I was so tired.

The sun had started to set. I was barely keeping my eyes open.

“Is here a good spot?” Lock Pick asked.
“Yeah, sure,” I said groggily, following Lock Pick into a small clearing in the Marsh.
“How are we not out of the Marsh yet?” Lock Pick asked.
“I have no idea. But I really need sleep,” I said tiredly.
“Okie dokie lokie! One sleeping camp, coming right up!” she said, and began moving so fast it hurt my eyes. 3 minutes later the camp was setup, and a small fire had been started.

I blinked.

“Did I fall asleep while you did that?” I asked, rubbing my eyes with my forehooves.
“Nope!”

My jaw dropped, and hit the Marsh floor with an audible thud. She had done all of that. Really quickly.

“Feel free to sleep anytime!” she said happily, and moved to her bed roll. She trotted softly into the tent she had made with some animal furs she had in her saddle bags.

“Your tent is over there,” she said, and pointed towards another fur tent she had made in about 10 seconds flat.

“Thanks!” I said happily, and I trudged over to my bed roll, needing sleep kind of a lot. I ducked my head and laid down on the sleeping roll. I pulled a particularly large animal fur. I think Lock Pick was also a hunter, because she had like eight different animal furs.
“Good night,” I said sleepily, and entered the black bliss that was sleep.

Skills Increased:
Bladed Weapons increased from 31 to 33.
Flying increased from 27 to 28.
Sneak increased from 21 to 23.
Lockpicking increased from 25 to 28.
Speech increased from 15 to 17.

Level Up:
New Perk: Novice Lock Picking: Novice Locks are much easier to pick now.