Varan was currently standing in front of Proventus, who failed to look at him in the eyes out of fear. 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 towards the west in Whiteruns vast plains.
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 camp, Redoran's Retreat, a cave that was inhabited by a group of about 20 bandits taking refuge from Skyrims cold winter.
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.
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 thick 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.
Once they bandits took notice of his approach, they drew their weapons and charged him, Varan dodged the first one's attack and stabbed the other one in the gut. Letting go of his greatsword, leaving in the bandit's body as it dropped to the floor, Varan turned around and grabbed the 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 dagger as he did so.
Walking towards the cave entrance and into the cave, Varan was met by a long and dark tunnel, and after a few meters he was met by an open space with about 12 bandits in it, all with their weapons drawn ready to attack him.
Varan just lifted his right hand and from it an all-consuming flame, letting the deep orange fire consume 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.
Once the screams stopped Varan halted his flames and walked 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, but 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 steel 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." The bandit chief growled as he swung his greataxe at Varans head. Varan ducked his head and punched his fist into the chief's stomach, causing the man to the stumble back, not giving him time to recover Varan punched the 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 removing his greatsword from 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 the 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 concerned look on Huldas face as he did so. Closing the doors to his room, Varan grabbed a large bowl filled with water and a cloth, soaking and draining the 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 comfortable bed, he once again stared at the celing as he traced the patterns of the wood, noticing some of them looked like peaceful hills while others looked like towering mountains.
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 all that could be seen by Hulda who looked on with an expression of worry.