SubRosa: Yes, Sherryl is indeed a Cristenn; and I hope she will be as fun to read about as Lissa. They can be very different, but similar in many ways and I can't wait to see her character progress. Also thank you for reading! AND thank you for being the first comment (and the nits)!
McBadgere: Haha, thank you for reading! Now that you've pointed it out, Ria's comment is rather funny
mALX: HEY MALX! Yes, I am back. I'm currently working on reading through the stories on the site, but there are SOO many to catc up on! But I love it!
And yes, Lissa's story will be continued, but she want's me to focus on Sherryl for a while first
Colonel Mustard: I'm so glad that you get a good taste of Sherryl through her minor mannerisms, you have no idea how much that means to me!
Zalphon: Hehe, I hope so to!
***
1 ~ 1.1 LEAVING THE SHELL“So it’s true then? You’re leaving?” Malice, my best friend, asked me. I was in the middle of preparing for my journey when she paid me a surprise visit; and my bag of clothes on my bed confirmed her suspicions.
“Yeah, I am,” I replied, packing more clothes into my overly stuffed bag. “It took a while to make my decision, though.”
“How long?” She asked me.
“About an hour,” I looked at Malice as she chuckled. “What? That is a while! I made it two days ago, Okay? Better? Good.”
In all honesty Malice would be one of the two people I would truly miss from Anvil.
The thing about Malice is that no-one really knew what she was about. She looked my ages, but the stuff she came out with sometimes suggested wisdom WAY beyond her twenty-two years.
Come to think of it, she doesn’t look like she’s aged a day since I met her. Hmph. Lucky for some. Everyone I meet thinks i'm thirty...I stopped distracting myself with thoughts and tied my bag; there was no way I was going to fit anything else in there. I put my hands on my hips and turned to face Malice.
“So what are you going to do now?” She asked.
“Well I planned to say good bye to Meithall at the chapel.”
“And is she happy with your leaving?” She asked. She was very serious. I smiled guiltily.
“…No seeing as I haven’t exactly told her…”
“SHERRYL!” She (unjustly) bellowed.
“What? It was a last minute decision…”
“That you made TWO days ago, Sherryl.” She scolded.
“Ah, tomay-to tomar-to.”
Malice looked at me; her hands on her hips with disappointment in her eyes. After a second she walked over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders.
“Sherryl, are you SURE this is the right thing to do? Honestly?”
I thought for a moment. Then I smiled.
“Yes. It is. My life needs a purpose. This could be it.”
Malice looked into my eyes for a moment, and then smiled herself.
“Then if you’re sure, I won’t stop you. If you want more to your life then this place, then go. I’ll wait here for your return. Maybe I’ll even pine for it!”
I laughed. She had a specific way of making me do that. Despite the fact that she was a Nord, she often reminded me of my Imperial mother; what I could remember of her, anyway.
***
“To be honest with you, Sherryl, I am not at all surprised.” Meithall, the Chapel of Dibella’s healer, revealed. “It’s about time those wings of yours got their chance to fly.”
“…That’s a strange metaphor. Unless you know something I don’t?” I replied. Meithall laughed.
“Ho ho… ah. I’m going to miss that wit of yours, Sherryl.”
She hugged me, and I couldn’t let her go. I felt like it would be that last time we would embrace like this. Eventually Meithall took charge and let go, holding my hand as she led me to a seat.
“So, tell me about these ‘Companions’” she said as we sat. I shrugged.
“I don’t really know a lot myself. A family of warriors, I’ve been told. I haven’t done any research or anything, so…”
Meithall laughed again. I was unsure why.
“Oh, Sherryl,” She started. “You’ve grown up so much. What a woman you’ve become!”
“You got that from what I said?” I asked.
She laughed again. It was odd; but infectious. I began to laugh too. Almost immediately for no apparent reason we were both in hysterics.
Once we had calmed down, Meithall held my hand again. She looked into my eyes.
“You’ve lost so much, Sherryl. Losing your parents at any age is difficult, especially for a six year old,” I forced a smile. “But what you’ve become! By the Nine! The way you’ve handled your life up until now, the choices you’ve made, the friends you’ve made and the lives you have and WILL change! All I can say is, your parents would have been so proud of you. But not only them, but I’m so proud of you. You are the daughter I never had; the day you came to stay with me after what happened well, that was the greatest day of my life.”
Tears streamed down my face. I grabbed the elderly Imperial for another hug, bawling as I did so.
“I love you so much, Sherryl. Never forget that.” Meithall said.
I won’t… ***
The last stop before my journey to Skyrim was the old Benirus manor; the home of my ancestor, Lissa. I spent most of my spare time there; mainly reading Lissa’s old journals. I learnt a lot from them; apparently the birthmark shaped like a small cabbage on my right breast is hereditary!
The house had been kept well preserved. The Cristenn kin had kept the house as a sort of museum in dedication of Lissa and her friends Jessie and Anyanka. Old treasures they found on their adventures were displayed on shelves and bookshelves.
A large oil painting of the three painted by Anyanka’s father loomed over the fireplace; a painting that put a smile on my face with each viewing. It showed Lissa stood with her arms around the girls. Jessie and Anyanka had a serious expressions on their faces, but Lissa being Lissa had her Tounge poking out of her mouth and her eyes crossed. Her journal suggested she told Anyanka’s father to paint her face like that as it would be funny to see next to the girl’s seriousness; and she was right.
I approached the fireplace and saw what I wanted; Lissa’s bracelet. Her old guardian stone turned jewellery. Her journals said that a guardian stone is an old gem, in this case a sapphire, that allows the holder to speak with their guardian spirit. Lissa had her guardian stone made into a bracelet; much to her guardian spirits disproval.
On her deathbed Lissa told her daughters that should anyone need it, the bracelet can be given to any future Cristenn who desires a life of adventure; but no one has accepted it. Until now.
***
Malice and I stood by the Great Oak, what was once a spot of beauty; now just a burnt memorial of what it once was. I was ready to leave; but not after a few words from my best friend; my sister.
“Have you got everything?” Malice asked.
“Yes.” I replied.
“Are you sure? Have you got your soap?”
“Yes.”
“Your emergency dagger?”
“What?”
“Oh, I slipped it in your bag when you left to see Meithall. Those Nordic men can be feisty.”
“Okay, then.” I laughed.
“And your undergarments? You won’t forget to wash them twice a week?”
I laughed to myself; Malice was confused.
“Sorry, you just reminded me of something…”
She looked confused. I shook off the laughter.
“Right! So, this is it I guess. Anything else I can say to make you stay?” She asked; or rather, begged.
“No…,” an idea sparked. “HEY! Why don’t you come with me? It’ll be fun! Us girlies getting silly in Skyrim! whaddayasay. eh? EH?”
Malice didn’t even breathe before replying a strong ‘No’.
“Don’t you want to go home?” I asked, slightly confused.
“Maybe one day. But not today.”
She then smiled. “You’d better be off.”
“…Oh. Um, yeah.” I replied, shocked by her comment. I didn’t think she’d want to get rid of me that quickly.
She hugged me, then let go. I didn’t feel any compassion. Something I said must’ve upset her; but now wasn’t the time to worry about that, however selfish that might sound. It was my time to leave and focus on me; leave the empty shell that was Anvil for good.
“Take care, okay?” Malice said. I nodded and tried to hug her again, but instead she turned and walked away. I stood and watched her walk; eventually seeing her wipe away a tear.
That solves the mystery. She probably found it too hard to say goodbye.“Probably. That happens; trust me.”The voice of what I assumed was a Redguard woman appeared clearly in my head. I knew what it was; my guardian spirit. The journals said that it was like having someone speak directly into your ear, but having no one there.
I take it you’re my guardian spirit?
“Too right I am. The names Alix.”
Hey. Sherryl. Pleased to meetcha… or hear you? I had my things ready and the fact that my head would inevitably be pounding with the constant chatter of a spunky teenage Redguard.
Something told me this journey was going to be a ball.
And seeing as this is set 200 years after Lissa, there may be information about Lissa's story in this one that nobody has read in Lissa's story yet, but don't worry, I won't post ANY spoilers 
