Varan was currently standing in front of Proventus, who failed to look at him in the eyes out of fear, the memory of the day before still fresh in his mind. Varan just took the bounty from the man's slightly shaking hands and went on his way. The bounty was to clear another bandit camp, only this time it was cave in Whiteruns vast plains.
He left the palace and walked down the steps and as he walked through the streets of Whiterun, people stared at him, kids stopped playing their games and watched him as he walked past. Varan just ignored their stares and made his way out of the city gates, where some of the guards avoided looking at him, while others nodded or bowed their heads in respect.
Walking down the path, past the stables and onto the main road, heading west towards the bandit-infested cave, Redoran's Retreat, the cave that was said inhabited by a group of about 20 bandits, they used the cave as a base of operations to steal the cargo of passing merchants as they passed by.
As he walked, the snow beneath his feet crunched and the snow falling from the sky coated his armour with a light touch. He seemed unbothered by the cold despite his lack of furs, a trait very few in Skyrim had, even the native Nords wore think furs during this time of year.
Walking off the main roads and into Whiteruns expansive plains, he paid no mind to the running elk or the roaming mammoths and their giant guardians. His only focus was the cave off in the distance, the very cave that held the bandits he was contracted to kill.
Once he got closer, he saw two bandits standing guard, shivering from the cold even though they were covered in furs. They were talking to each other, but Varan didn't care about what, he just unsheathed his greatsword from his back and walked to them calmly, the dim light from the cloud-covered sun bouncing off the blade giving it an ethereal look.
Once they bandits took notice of his approach, they drew their weapons and charged him, not bothering to question his intentions. Varan dodged the first one's attack and stabbed the other one in the gut. Letting go of his greatsword and leaving in the bandit's body as he dropped to the floor, Varan turned around and grabbed the other bandit's wrist, stopping the attack from hitting him.
Moving the bandit's arm to the side Varan used his free hand and grabbed the steel dagger from his waist and stabbed it into the bandit's unguarded throat, staring into the bandits' eyes as the life in them slowly faded away. Removing the dagger from the man's throat, Varan turned around and grabbed his greatsword from the other bandit's corpse, sheathing the blood coated dagger as he did so.
Walking towards the cave entrance, Varan walked into the cave and through a long and dark passageway that led to a large opening were a group of about 12 bandits were sorting through loot, cleaning their weapons are enjoying a drink, all of them were oblivious to Varans presence.
Varan just lifted his right hand and from it an all-consuming flame was released, the deep orange fire consuming the group of bandits as their screams echoed through the cave. Hearing the screams 4 bandits came running from deeper within the cave, Varan noticed them and just turned his flame upon them, ignoring their screams of pain and pleas for mercy or for the flame to stop.
Once the screams and cries stopped Varan halted his flames, walking past the burnt corpses and lingering embers deeper into the cave. After a few minutes of walking through the cave he noticed carvings on the walls, their meaning or purpose he did not know nor did he care, he just continued forth and came upon the bandit chief as well as another bandit.
"Kill him." The bandit chief ordered his subordinate, the bandit complied and charged Varan, only to be cleaved in half at the waist by Varans greatsword, "Useless bastard, now I have to deal with you myself." The bandit chief said with distain as he walked to Varan with his steel greataxe in both hands.
Varan just stabbed his greatsword into the ground and walked to the bandit chief, "Cocky bastard, think I am an easy kill?" The bandit chief growled as he swung his greataxe at Varans head. Varan ducked his head and launched his fist into the bandit chief's stomach, causing the orcish man to the stumble back, not giving him time to recover Varan punched the bandit chief in the face, forcing him to the ground.
The bandit chief grunted in pain before Varan's left steel boot was stomped on his face repeatedly. Varan didn't stop until all the remained was a pile of blood and mush where the bandit chiefs head used to be. Turned around and retrieving his greatsword from its place in the ground, Varan left the cave, leaving a bloody footprint whenever he stepped with his left foot.
.
Varan left Dragonsreach with a leather pouch in his hand, in it was 150 septimes, the reward for clearing Redoran's Retreat. His left boot still covered in blood as snow stuck to it as he left a bloody footprint in the snow with each step he took. Guards moved out of his way and so did the people of Whiterun, each of them staring at his left foot in fear and disgust and what it implied he did to a bandit or maybe even bandits.
Varan walked into the Bannered Mare, ignoring the stares of the patrons as he walked up the stairs to his room, noticing the frightened look on Huldas face as he did so. Closing the doors to his room, Varan grabbed a large bowl filled with water and a torn piecee cloth, soaking and draining the piece cloth in the water, he started wiping away the blood and snow that clung to his armour, more specifically his left boot.
He continued doing so until all the blood and frost build up was gone. Varan then removed his armour and lied down on the somewhat comfortable bed, he once again stared at the ceiling as he traced the patterns of the wood, noticing that this time some of them looked like peaceful hills while others looked like towering mountains instead of the forests from the night before.
Before his thoughts could drift onto things he did not want to remember, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. His rhythmic breathing was all that could be heard and the slow rise and fall of his chest was deceptive, as he once again dreamed of unpleasant things, things he wished he just forget.