Tirdas, 2nd of Sun's Dusk, 4E 201

  We're in Windhelm tonight. Right now we're at New Gnisis to warm

  up and have some food before we head to Candlehearth Hall to sleep.

  We got up early this morning. Even though it was still freezing cold the weather was clear as we set off for Windhelm.

  There

  were lots of wolves on the road again, but with the added fun of bears!

  We even ran across a wolf pack attacking people at Anga's Mill. Luckily

  no one was killed, but another pack just past the bridge got a traveler, and one of a party of adventurers that killed the wolves.

  Ugh

  - Well, we got some gear off the adventurer, and decided to check our

  goods to see if we really needed to head into the city.

  I forgot firewood.

  By Talos, this cannot be happening.

  So,

  we went into Windhelm. We sold off what we took from the adventurer and

  the assassin, then warmed up at Candlehearth Hall before hitting the

  road again.

  We followed the road left as it wound past a handful

  of small farms, then up the mountain a bit. We spotted the roof of a

  largish house through the trees. It looked like an inn, so we decided to

  go get some drinks and warm up before setting off on our way

  Turns out, it wasn't an inn. It was partially in ruin and full of bandits!

  They

  attacked us as soon as we got close, so we killed them and searched the

  building for loot. I found some loose gold and a few potions, but

  mostly things like food and other supplies. We took what we could and

  warmed up by the fire before we continued on our way to the Winter War.

  We were almost to the coast when we saw what looked like three Imperial soldiers standing around three dead bodies in the snow.

  As

  we drew closer, one of the "soldiers", an Orc, told us to stop. He said

  I was "interfering with Imperial business" and would have to pay a

  fine.

  Yeah, right, and I'm the Empress.

  I refused, and they set upon us.

  They were actually a bit of a challenge! One of them was a mage, though, so I guess that helped.

  Once they were dead, I took what they had on them and looked at the other bodies.

  As

  I thought; three dead Imperial soldiers. They must have been jumped by

  the bandits here as we were clearing out the hideout that was just on

  top of the hill not far behind us. I wonder if they were all part of the

  same gang, or if these three just happened to by passing through?

  Oh, well. Not like it matters. What matters is that we've got more loot to sell!

  We

  got to the coast, and even Valdimar admitted that it was getting a bit

  chilly! The wind whipping off the sea almost took the air out of my

  lungs and burned with every breath. I had a torch out, Wolfskin, and

  Bask going all at the same time, and that hardly put a dent in the cold!

  What's worse, as we laid eyes on the Winter War, we realized that in order to get there, we'd have to swim for it.

  The

  prow of the boat is beached on a huge iceberg, broken in half right

  down the middle. The back half looks like it's partially embedded in

  another iceberg. It's trapped between towers of ice, with the crack in

  the hull like a tunnel going through the ship's belly. It reminded me of

  a cracked egg still connected at the very top.

  There was no way I

  was going in that water in the state I was in. I'd freeze instantly!

  So, I built a fire and even got out the tent for us to huddle in.

  I'm glad I decided to take a moment to chop some firewood before we left Windhelm.

  -/-/-/-/-/-

  At Candlehearth Hall now. The others didn't want to wait for me to finish writing before we headed here, and I don't blame them!

  Anyway,

  after we warmed up, we were able to hop on sheets of ice and got a lot

  closer to the ship than I thought we would. My boots got a little wet,

  but that was fine. We still had to swim for the last bit, though. We

  went in through the crack in the bottom, and walked right up to where

  the bandit chief was! We took care of him like Anneke asked, and there

  were three other bandits there, too.

  I'm surprised there weren't

  more, but oh, well. Plenty of armor on them! There was also the loot in

  the ship, which included some nice enchanted weapons and gold. I even

  found a roaring fire with a cookpot on the deck, so we took the time to

  make some food and get dry. We climbed to the prow of the ship - it's at

  an impressive tilt - and saw there was a way down to the bit of land

  the iceberg was beached on.

  The way down was actually a skinny

  ledge cut into the iceberg, with a bit of planking here and there to

  bridge the gaps. Valdimar was not happy, and Septim just went up and

  over the other side and skidded down. By the time we got to the opposite

  shore we were freezing again because we still had to hop on ice sheets

  and swim a bit. Just enough to soak through, of course.

  We saw a

  campsite not far off, and went to see if they had a fire. It was clearly

  set up by fishermen, with nets and a small boat right there, but there

  was no sign of them. There was food around the cold campfire, and Lydia

  noted that it was still fresh. Once I lit the fire and warmed up, I

  rummaged around and found a journal where one fisherman was complaining

  about having to be out here.

  You and me both, friend.

  They were obviously not coming back anytime soon, so I took what I could. They brought a tavern's worth of ale with them!

  They

  also had some small logs ready to split, so I cut more firewood in case

  we needed it. We weren't totally dry or warm, but with the gusts off

  the sea throwing salty spray on us, we were as dry as we could get. We

  decided to make a run for Windhelm. We were on the same side of the

  river as the city, now. Hopefully we could find a way in.

  So, we

  got out our torches and went. We followed the coast, and while we had to

  get really close to the water at some points, I didn't have to get my

  boots wet.

  Still, I started to freeze. Every bit of exposed skin

  stung against that biting wind, and it felt like my boots were made of

  lead. Night was falling, and it got even colder.

  I was shaking

  badly, so Lydia had to take the firewood I'd just chopped from my pack

  and make a fire. We huddled around it, and while it kept Erandur and I

  from collapsing, there wasn't much more it could do against that damned

  wind.

  I wasn't feeling too frostbitten, so I decided to risk it

  and keep going. We could see Windhelm, and it wasn't far at all, but I

  didn't know how we were going to get past the wall. Erandur used his

  Flame ability, and reminded me that I could use Flame Cloak, too.

  It actually helped a bit!

  As

  we got to the city, I saw that there wasn't a side door anywhere. At

  least, nothing obvious. But Windhelm has docks, and that's familiar

  territory to me! There was just enough ice built up along the wall that

  we could jump from it to the docks. Septim didn't want to go - I think

  the water made him nervous - so Lydia threw a bit of meat across the

  gap, and the dog quickly followed.

  There was a long, winding staircase that led up to a small gate almost right there, and before we knew it, we were in Windhelm.

  The gate wasn't far from the Gray Quarter and I was starting to shiver, so we made a beeline for the Cornerclub.

  Ambarys

  commented on our near-frozen state as we filed in, and had Malthyr

  stoke the fire a bit more. We ordered some drinks to warm ourselves, and

  as luck would have it, they had soup on the menu!

  We enjoyed the

  atmosphere for a while after we ate, and I wrote. We talked plans for a

  bit, too, and tomorrow's pretty straightforward.

  We'll sell the

  goods, maybe do a bit of shopping, then head to Kynesgrove and on to

  Mistwatch Keep to clear those bandits out, too.

  If we're lucky, we

  can head over to Ivarstead after that and sleep at the Vilemyr Inn.

  Maybe give Temba her bear pelts so she'll finally sell me some damn

  lumber.

  Anyhow, I'm getting sleepy, so I'm going to turn in.

  Middas, 3rd of Sun's Dusk, 4E 201

  Well, we weren't so lucky to get to Ivarstead, but we did get a nice haul from the bandits here at Mistwatch.

  Although I'm not sure how to feel about clearing this place out.

  Anyway, we made sure to have a nice breakfast before we left Candlehearth Hall this morning.

  We

  headed up to Kynesgrove, and as soon as we reached the top, the weather

  began to turn and a terrible storm started. I didn't want to stick

  around any longer than I had to, so I asked one of the guards where to

  find Dravynea and he said she was in the mine.

  As we ducked in out

  of the pouring rain, Erandur explained that Dravynea was a Stoneweaver.

  She did some mining, but her main job was to make sure the mine didn't

  collapse.

  Looking at the large caverns that had been dug out, I can see why they need her.

  We

  found her deep in the mine, and I handed over the Frost Salts. She was

  glad to have them, and taught me a bit about Alteration magic in return.

  No wonder she wanted them. it's sweltering in there!

  We

  went into Braidwood Inn and got some more provisions from Iddra. She

  was glad to see that we were doing well, and told us to be careful out

  there.

  We set off southward down the road, and decided to go off

  the path and just head straight for Mistwatch. On the way, we made our

  way through a grove where there was a hag, but no hagraven, luckily. In

  the center was a horrible cabin on stilts surrounded by wooden stakes

  with bloody animal heads on them, and there were skulls and bones

  everywhere.

  Charming.

  Inside, I found a bunch of hagraven

  feathers, a bed, and some ale and such. Not much, but if I can get

  hagraven feathers without having to go near one of those things, I won't

  complain!

  We left the creepy cabin, and went on to the keep. We

  had to cross the open plain full of hot springs and steam vents, and it

  made the air incredibly humid, even with the pouring rain! At least it

  was warm.

  We had to go right through the center, where there's a

  tall plateau that juts from the plain. I'd seen it before, when I fell

  off that bridge a while back to get a look at the dragon.

  Speaking of dragons, we heard it for quite a while before we saw it, and it saw us.

  We fought it, and luckily, it wasn't that hard a fight. I'm getting better at using my Frost Breath!

  While

  I was harvesting some bones and scales, Lydia saw there was a ruin on

  top of the plateau. We climbed up to investigate, and there were mammoth

  bones everywhere! Lots of other bones, too, but I've never seen so many

  huge skulls and rib cages in one place. With the steam hiding

  everything around us like a thick fog, I didn't have anything to judge

  size with. Walking amongst the bones, I felt like a mouse on a giant's

  dinner table!

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  Septim LOVED it! He kept running around, testing

  bones and antlers and tusks with his teeth. The silly boy eventually

  picked one of the big, long bones to carry with him.

  He'll probably want to play fetch with it later.

  We made it to the top, and through the steam I could see a faint glow and I could hear the whispers of chanting in my head.

  There was a Dragon Wall!

  I

  started to run towards it, but Erandur grabbed my shoulders and told me

  to wait. He gestured to the ground. There were open coffins scattered

  around us.

  Vampires?

  We did a sweep of the hilltop and

  didn't see any trace of them, which is just as well for me. We did find a

  chest with some gold and a few trinkets in it, though.

  The Wall was almost too loud for me to hear the others the longer I stayed away from it.

  Once we were satisfied it was safe, I jogged up to the wall with Valdimar on my heels.

  I'm glad he's always there to catch me if I fall.

  Getting

  to the wall was a relief, even though the word felt like the bite of a

  frostbite spider in my brain. I was on the ground when my vision cleared

  up, with the others standing over me. They said it was like the first

  one they'd seen, where my eyes went white and surrounded with frost.

  This time I was cold to the touch, and they could all see my breath.

  Here it is:

  I think I learned more of the Frost Breath one I already know.

  We

  left the plateau and kept going. On the way we found the Atronach

  Stone. I looked very mystical, but none of us wanted to use it, so we

  left. Mistwatch keep was practically right there.

  We took a moment

  to make sure we had everything charged and ready to go before we went

  up. Septim's a good boy and let me take his bone, but only after I

  promised to give it back when we were done.

  Four guards came at us when we walked up, and they were harder than I thought they would be!

  Mistwatch

  is a pair of towers, much like Broken Tower Redoubt, with alternating

  levels. It's surrounded by a thick wall, with another, smaller tower out

  front on the cliffside. A drawbridge connects the little tower and

  walls to the main keep.

  We didn't find much aside from a lot of Black-Briar mead, so we pulled the lever for the drawbridge and went inside.

  We

  found an older man in a side room almost as soon we we went in, calling

  for help. He wasn't a prisoner. His name was Christer, and he'd managed

  to sneak past the guards so he could look for his wife, Fjola.

  She

  had left home on some errands, and never returned. Right about the time

  she vanished, the kidnappings here started, so he figured she'd been

  captured. Of course, once he got inside, he realized he was in over his

  head.

  He didn't know what to do, and he was relieve that we were

  there. He asked us to go inside and look for her. He wasn't even sure

  she was in there, but we agreed. We just wanted to clear out the bandits

  to make the kidnappings stop, and rescue anyone we could.

  He'd managed to steal a key and he gave it to us, along with a description of his wife.

  I

  also found, on the shelf right next to Christer, a scaled helmet with a

  powerful enchantment on it. I'm not that skilled at Enchanting, but I

  could tell it was for Destruction magic. Valdimar had switched out his

  Dwarven helmet for a stronger steel one like Lydia's not too long ago,

  but I know he prefers light armor, and this was very strong!

  Before we went into the keep itself, I whispered that I had something for him, and handed it over.

  He

  was a little reluctant. It wasn't quite as protective as the one he was

  wearing, but it matched the rest of what he wears, and it helps his

  magic, so he said he'd give it a go.

  It's sort of strange seeing his face while we're out and about. All of his helmets have covered his face, same as Lydia.

  Anyway,

  we unlocked the door to the rest of the keep, and promptly ran into an

  incredibly strong ice mage! I mean - He was a bandit, but he was highly

  skilled. I wonder what he was doing in a place like this?

  We kept

  going, clearing out bandits as we went. We found an alchemy station in

  one of the towers, and I took the time to make some potions. These

  people weren't going down easy, and I had to take more than one health

  potion as we went.

  We kept going, and the next area had some cells

  in it, along with four bandits. Again, they were tough, so we had to

  take some time to heal up and regroup before continuing. There was a

  dead woman in one of the cells, and a note on the table saying the boss

  lady wouldn't be happy when she heard they'd killed one of their

  prisoners.

  Damn. I did check just to make sure she wasn't Fjola, but the dead woman was clearly an Imperial, not a Nord.

  Erandur muttered about how bandits were the worst. Valdimar was confused. Hadn't he been one?

  Erandur

  was offended that he would even suggest such a thing! No, he wasn't a

  bandit. He'd been a smuggler, and he made and sold potions of…

  Questionable legal status, among other things. Bandits targeted his

  gangs' shipments all the time. They were a constant headache. How dare

  Valdimar compare him to a common thief!

  Of course, now it was MY

  turn to be offended, but before I could say anything he turned to me and

  said, "Present company excluded, of course."

  "That's better."

  There

  was one more place left, the very top, and we crept through the door. I

  know this is usually where you find the leader, and I could hear the

  voice of a woman. I figured it was the boss lady the note mentioned.

  I summoned a Flame Atronach down the short, curved hall ahead of us, right in front of the doorway of the room where she was.

  She attacked, and it wasn't long before she went down.

  The

  bandit chief was wearing a full set of Nordic carved armor. Lydia's

  been wearing most of a set like that. She's been missing a helm this

  whole time.

  Lydia was glad to have the new helm. She explained

  that wearing a matched set is easier to move in because the pieces are

  designed to work together. Now she can fight better, and she likes the

  open front; more range of vision.

  I gotta say, she looks amazing! The helm looks like a bear's head!

  We all agreed that she looked very intimidating, and I swear to Talos I could see her blush a little!

  I went back to checking over what the bandit chief had on her, and in addition to some gold and a sword, I found a wedding band.

  Yeah. I think you know where this is going.

  I had to check, so I looked inside and there were names carved in there.

  "Christer + Fjola"

  I

  looked her over, and realized that she matched the description Christer

  had given us. This was Fjola, there was no doubt about it.

  I told

  the others what I'd discovered, and we honestly weren't sure what to

  do. We could always give him the ring and say they killed her, but he'd

  probably want to take her body back with him, or at least see her one

  last time.

  We decided to just tell him the truth. We knew he was

  still waiting by the entrance. So, we went down and told him that his

  wife was the bandit chief. She'd obviously left him, and was making a

  living kidnapping people and holding them for ransom.

  Unfortunately,

  she was dead, but that didn't seem to bother him as much as the

  accusation that his wife would leave him for a life of crime. He started

  to swing at me, and although I tried to calm him down, he was too

  enraged to listen!

  I gestured for the others to stand down. I

  tried to fend him off, maybe see if we could just throw him outside

  until he cooled off, but he got his hands around my throat and that was

  too far for Lydia.

  She cut him down with one swing.

  I hadn't expected him to react like that!

  I assured the others I was all right, but I did let Erandur check my neck, just to be sure.

  We

  were all tired, so we decided to stay here for the night. We're in the

  second area, where we fought the four bandits. There's some tables with

  chairs, and four beds along the wall, which is perfect. There's also a

  hay pile inside an empty cell, and Septim's claimed that. He's finished

  his pheasant and is now happily gnawing away on his mammoth bone.

  Even though we're pretty sure we took care of all the bandits, we're keeping watch, as usual.

  Tomorrow we head to Ivarstead, hand off the pelts to Temba, then get to Orphan Rock to find Nettlebane.

  After that…

  Never mind. My watch ends in a little while. I'm going to read this book I found before I wake Lydia.

  Turdas, 4th of Sun's Dusk, 4E 201

  We got to Ivarstead too late to reach Orphan Rock, so we're staying at the Vilemyr Inn for the night.

  Aside

  from a lot of wild animals on the road and some skeletons, I would

  count today as a quiet one, but we did see something amazing!

  We

  left Mistwatch, and saw some ruins in the shallow spring in front of it.

  They looked like an old extension of the fort, so we decided to

  investigate to see if we could find anything.

  All we found were three skeletons laying on stone slabs that got up and tried to kill us.

  Still, I got some bone meal, so that's handy.

  We

  kept going across the springs, towards Darkwater Crossing. The weather

  was still terrible, and I was thankful when the little mining camp came

  into view. A Stormcloak soldier told us that Anneke was in the mine, so

  we went in to look for her.

  She taught me some techniques for

  moving about in light armor in exchange for us taking care of the bandit

  chief on the Winter War. She said she'd be willing to come with us, but

  I declined. I'm sure she's an able fighter, but taking care of all of

  us and a dog is hard enough already!

  We left the mine and crossed the river to the road so we could make the long trek up the mountain.

  Lucky

  for us, the weather cleared as we crossed the bridge. I wasn't looking

  forward to the hike in the first place, but not having to deal with a

  thunderstorm on top of it was a blessing.

  The way up the mountain

  was quiet, aside from a lot of bears, wolves and frostbite spiders. I

  was able to fill a handful of the soul gems I've been collecting, which

  is good. Recharging all of our enchanted staves and weapons eats through

  them!

  I've had Soul Trap for a while now, but I always forget to

  use it, and I keep running out of arrows for my enchanted bow because

  the others need them more than I do. I've gotten good enough with

  Conjuration that bound weapons I summon will do Soul Trap automatically,

  so I've been trying to use my bound bow more.

  It's a lot stronger

  than my Elven bow, too, so I'm thinking I might just… Not carry one. I

  dunno. Might feel weird to not carry one, but at least I won't run out

  of arrows.

  The only bad thing about the bound bow is that it takes

  about three times as long to summon it and get an arrow nocked as it

  does to get my regular bow out. I mean, all bound weapons are like that,

  but having the extra space for loot is nice!

  Eh, I'll think about it.

  Anyway, we made our way to Ivarstead, and along the way I noticed a bright glow coming from a farm that we've passed by before.

  It's

  a bit back from the road, so I haven't paid much attention to the place

  in the past. It's right by where the first assassin attacked me.

  The others could see it, too, and as we got closer we could hear a familiar chiming sound coming from the glowing field.

  We couldn't believe it! Erandur, for once, was speechless.

  The field was full of nirnroot!

  I'm nowhere near the alchemist Erandur is, but even I know that nirnroot only grows wild.

  At least, I thought I did!

  There was an older Dunmer woman tending to a neighboring field full of normal crops, and we went to ask her about the nirnroot.

  Poor

  Septim. He doesn't like the sound of it, and frankly, neither do I. Too

  shrill for me. He ran back to the path and stayed there while we spoke.

  Her

  name is Avrusa Sarethi, and she owns the farm. She says she's the only

  person alive who knows how to cultivate nirnroot from seed, and I

  believe it! She said it was tiring work, essentially running two farms

  and taking care of her little sister.

  She and Erandur chatted a

  bit, and she said she used to be alchemist. Apparently she'd had a shop

  in Vivec City before Red Mountain erupted. She might reopen one here in

  Skyrim, perhaps.

  She then leaned on the fence railing and said something in Dunmeri to Erandur.

  All

  right, I've never seen him do this, and I had to pretend to look at the

  nirnroot field to keep from laughing. His whole… Everything shifted,

  and I think I got a peek at his old self. His stance changed, his

  shoulders loosened, and even his expression turned to something that I

  can only describe as… Well, he looked rakish!

  Dru and I usually avoid men like that. They know the game too well and make terrible marks.

  Anyway,

  Avrusa was obviously flirting with him, and while I know he rebuffed

  her, he did it in such a way that she actually laughed. In fact, after a

  short conversation, she thanked him (for what, I'd learn later), and

  went back to work.

  We left, and once we got to the main road, the

  rest of us burst out laughing. Erandur groaned and pulled his hood

  farther over his face.

  Valdimar asked if he could explain, and

  Erandur told him to go ahead. He said that she'd made a comment about

  how opening a shop would be easier if she could find another alchemist

  to "partner up" with.

  Erandur had politely refused, citing his

  dedication to Mara and how someone like him would only hold "a woman of

  her astounding talents" back. We laughed and Valdimar continued, saying

  that while she doubted that, Erandur was quick to point out that she was

  doing what everyone thought was impossible. The "impossible" isn't

  easy, she said, and asked him if he could help her out.

  Avrusa

  said that jazbay grapes are essential to growing nirnroot (good to know)

  and asked for twenty. She simply doesn't have the time or the energy to

  go looking for them.

  Or course he agreed, and that's what she thanked him for.

  By

  this time Ivarstead came into view, and we headed straight for the mill

  to hand Temba her bear pelts. She was glad to have them, and gave me an

  enchanted axe for my troubles. I can't buy any lumber from her yet, but

  maybe once she's done grumbling about the bears I'll be able to.

  I

  admit, as we walked here, I did my best to ignore the signposts. I know

  Septim sensed something was up. He fell into step beside me, and the

  others I know were trying to distract me from them.

  Anyway, we got

  rooms here for the night and had dinner. I ordered some drinks from

  Wilhelm after we ate, and while he poured we got to talking. He was

  thankful we took care of their "ghost" problem, and said that since we

  were good at solving problems, we might be interested in a bounty letter

  he had from the jarl. Some bandits were causing trouble, and the Jarl

  of Riften was offering a reward to whoever took them out.

  I made a

  note of the location, and thanked him for the information before I

  carried our drinks back to our table. Once we were settled with our

  drinks we couldn't help but tease Erandur about his behavior earlier,

  and he said he couldn't help it! When someone's clearly flirting with

  him, he does it back. It's practically a reflex.

  Valdimar raised

  an eyebrow at this over his food, and did his Thinking Face. Lydia and I

  traded our "we'll gossip about this later" looks.

  That's exactly

  what we did after drinks! We'd both seen Erandur pour on the charm when

  Avrusa started coming on to him. He's clearly very skilled at it, and we

  couldn't help but wonder if they taught him that in the Cult, too? It

  would come in handy, and no doubt those skills are well-suited to crime.

  I should know!

  He

  also didn't look flustered at all. Not even a tiny bit! So why does he

  get flustered when Valdimar does it? If he doesn't think Valdimar's

  flirting with him (he said he'd do it back otherwise) then what does he

  think? And what was with that face Valdimar made earlier? Is he

  reconsidering some tactics or something?

  ARGH this is confusing!

  Anyway,

  we agreed to keep a close watch on the both of them to see if we could

  figure anything out. Lydia promised to pry whatever information she

  could get out of Valdimar.

  Part of me thinks I shouldn't care so

  much about this, and that it's just a distraction, but I need it. When I

  start thinking too hard about the road ahead, and the war, and having

  to go up the 7000 steps to talk to the Greybeards, I feel like crawling

  under the blankets and not coming out.

  Or walking up to the bar and drinking Orcish Forgewater until I forget.

  Those work great for breakups and jobs that go bust, but not having to deal with Destiny.

  Oh, well. Right now my Destiny is bed. Tomorrow we get Nettlebane from the hagravens, then go from there.

  Erandur has a speech skill of 100 - You can't tell me the mer doesn't know how to flirt!

  I

  figure he gets flustered when Valdimar does because in his experience,

  flirting is always an invitation. Valdimar laughs off the flirting as a

  joke, and Erandur just... Doesn't know how to respond to that. He's

  never had people joke like that with him.