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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day
4-201-09-04 06:12
The Winking Skeever, Solitud, Haafingar, Skyrim
At the first light of the day, we're on our way. Well, maybe not quite the first. To tell you the truth, our breakfast lasts longer than usually, because I have a serious talk with the girls about combat tactics. I tell them they really should use bows or staffs instead of swords. (None of us uses war axes or maces; they require too much physical strength.) Jenassa is fine with that, but Lydia objects that she and Rayya are trained swordfighters. I try to explain that even though she would be less efficient with a ranged weapon, the enemy wouldn't be able to hit her. Lydia points out that many battles are inevitably in close range and when enemies keep turning up from unexpected places, such as the other day in Northwatch Keep, it would require too much time (as well as thinking) to switch weapons back and forth.
Surprisingly, Rayya sides with me and Lydia is a little offended. But she still insists that our group would be less efficient if they used weapons they aren't comfortable with just so I could have a clear field for shooting.
I begin to doubt myself and decide to give this matter some more thought. Let's get going now.
We're headed for Hviterun, but rather than take the highway southwest to Dragonbridge, I want to make a slight detour – go east and find the town of Dånstar on the northern coast, maybe spend the night there and proceed southwards to Hviterun tomorrow.
This is a map of northwestern Skyrim.
Arkngthamz is right next to Dushnikh Yal, to the southeast.
Northwatch Keep is the farthest icon to the northwest from Dragonbridge.
Arkngthamz is right next to Dushnikh Yal, to the southeast.
Northwatch Keep is the farthest icon to the northwest from Dragonbridge.
Solitud harbor lies on the northwestern coast of a narrow bay that turns into a river further southwest. There is no bridge, so we just swim across – with our clothes on as there are people everywhere. It's not so bad. Actually the exercise is doing us good. (The map above shows us already on the eastern bank.)
Maybe this is the right moment to tell you a word or two about maps. I have noticed in the meantime that the people of Skyrim have little experience with them. Indeed, my followers tell me they have only seen them in places like military camps. Even Jenassa who has traveled far and wide (according to Lydia; she herself is very tight-lipped about it) has no experience with using a map. So I guess I'd better describe it a little, because I don't know how common or exotic maps may be for you.
A map is a magical device that shows you your location. It looks like a large sheet of paper that can be folded together when not used. When unfolded, it depicts the features of terrain (including bodies of water and roads) in various shades of greenish-gray. When you have visited a location, it appears on the map as an icon, thanks to which you can find your way back there in the future. Note the long narrow almost-triangle in the image above, partially covered by the letter "d" in "Solitud". That marker shows you where you are.
It's a very handy tool. That's why I find it very strange that I've only seen jarls and military commanders use them. To me, a map feels like something quite normal; in fact, it's a comfortingly familiar object in this foreign and frightening country.
Back to the present moment. We have crossed the bay. The weather is lovely and I'm in high spirits, even when the landscape turns wintery further east.
This is a dead chaurus. It's roughly the same size as a human being lying down.
We discover the Pale Imperial Camp. The Pale is the name of the hold, the capital of which is Dånstar. Since the imps have a secret camp in the wilderness, The Pale Hold must be stork territory. But we, adventurers with stuff to sell are welcome everywhere. That includes the bandit camp halfway to Dånstar, except that there we're appreciated only as prey. They fall upon us with jubilant (and rather lewd, if I may say so) shouts and try to overwhelm us. We have no choice but to kill them in self-defense.
It makes me think.
Are the Nord men too stupid to realize that the four of us in elven armors are something more formidable than just a group of village girls having a walk?
Or are they so stubbornly proud that they won't negotiate with women?
Or are they unable to think clearly because they're always drunk?
Or are we doing something wrong?
Now, it's not like we're dick-hungry or something. With our looks, we can have pretty much any man we want. But I'm sure bandits can be attractive too. In any case, it would make sense to stop and say hello first and see if we can work something out. Maybe we like you and maybe we happen to be in the mood. If we don't, well, then you can try and take us by force, or you can be sensible and use the opportunity to walk away on your own two feet. That's what I think.
Dånstar (sometimes spelled Dawnstar) is a medium-size walled harbor town. It has two mines and various kinds of merchants. The harbor is much smaller than the one in Solitud, but there are quite interesting men there all the same. Although I have no use for any of them today, if you get my drift. But maybe we'll find Lydia a boyfriend. You know, I keep teasing her, asking when she's going to test-drive her new gorgeous boobs. I've been seeing how even with her clothes on, men can't get their eyes off her. It's about time to let someone actually see her breasts. I know she's really keen, she just hasn't found any real hunks so far, and I keep bantering with her so she won't become discouraged or shy or something.
That man is an Argonian. I don't know if you've ever seen one.
Walking around in Dånstar, it doesn't take us long to find out one rather spooky thing. Most if not all locals are plagued by regular nightmares. People with reddened eyes keep telling us in weary voices how they haven't had much sleep and how they can't take it much longer. I feel sorry for them, but I am more interested in the mines. We've seen abandoned mines infested with bandits, but I don't think I have yet been to an actual working mine where you can, like, mine stuff. (It's a tradition of Skyrim that travelers are allowed to mine a reasonable quantity of ore for their own use.) And now I'm getting the chance to explore two such – one of quicksilver and one of iron. They're cool, although I wouldn't want to work in a mine on a regular basis. The weird thing with Dånstar's two mines is that their owners seem to hate each other, as well as... um... to be married to each other. Go figure. Maybe those nightmares have made them crazy. However, the biggest nutcase of all is the jarl. Skald is his name. He's an old bald man. His creaky voice sounds so frail I wouldn't trust him to be able to stand up until I've seen it with my own eyes. His court wizard Madena is one bitter (albeit basically good) woman. Apparently she served in the Great War and now has nightmares of her own, so to speak, remembering remorsefully all the enemy soldiers she killed with her magic.
There are three mysterious guys at the inn who refuse to talk to me. So I go to the harbor where I address a peculiar man (I think "old sea salt" is the proper expression) named Bowen.
He's grumpy at first, but when I won't go away, he turns towards me. Having given me a good look-over, he softens up a bit (figuratively speaking). I then get to hear a story about his captain Alday's family history and how he, Bowen, came to serve on his ship. It would appear that Alday's ship was called "The Burning Queen" and it's the very same shipwreck the girls and I saw the other day on our way from Northwatch Keep to Solitud. It was visible from the shore and partially above water, although broken beyond repair. Bowen tells me that a greatsword very valuable to Alday, a family heirloom, is somewhere on or near that wreck. If I succeeded in bringing it back to Alday, he might be extremely grateful.
Even though I haven't even seen that Alday person, I feel for some reason very eager to return to that shipwreck and find that precious sword. But not immediately. My intention to travel south to Hviterun first still stands.
Feeling great after this interesting conversation, I exchange a few words with some nice miners on their way to the inn from work, and then with the bard Karita who works at the inn (left in the picture below). It's past 9 o'clock in the evening when I walk up to a man in a hooded robe. (I've been told it's the uniform of the goddess Mara's worshippers.)
His name is Erandur and he's indeed a priest of Mara. He says he knows the cause of the nightmares that are plaguing the town, and he knows how to make them stop, but unfortunately he can't do it alone and needs a helper to accompany him to a place called Nightcaller Temple which is supposed to be not far away.
He says the nightmares are caused by Vaermina who is one of the daedras. The daedras... now that's very confusing, but the way I understand it, they're a kind of devils, meaning demons as powerful as gods (or almost). Vaermina hungers for memories, Erandur informs me, and she takes people's memories and gives them nightmares in exchange.
Now, if one were to think logically, then standing up against an extremely powerful evil ethereal being is far too dangerous for a common mortal like myself to even consider. For some reason, though, I feel confident that I can totally trust this Erandur guy. I haven't felt so unworried for a long time.
But I'm not going to rush after him right away, no matter how urgent he insists this matter is. I have dinner and then a little walk around town. I can't go to sleep yet, because Lydia has struck up a friendship with one of the town guards and I want to help them find a private place. It so happens that the alchemy shop is completely empty at this late hour. I saw the proprietress at the inn. So I pick the lock to let Lydia in. The guard whose name is Bjarne arrives a few minutes later. I smile encouragingly and motion him to enter, promising to not let anyone disturb them. I remain standing on the empty quiet street. Apart from an occasional guard patrolling in the distance, there's only soft swashing of the water in the harbor. Why isn't it frozen, I wonder. Maybe because of the boats coming and going.
Sooner than I expected, the guard comes out again. Maybe he didn't have much confidence in my ability to keep the lady of the house outside, should she turn up. Whatever the reason, it's none of my business. But I'm going to find out all about it. I waste no time going inside. Bjarne remains in front of the house to keep watch. After all, that's his job.
There's a nice bedroom upstairs with a large comfortable bed. Lydia is all smiles. While I help her bring the room back in order, she tells me he wanted her on top. She didn't have an orgasm, but guess where Bjarne's hands were all the time? Even with all those hungry looks from men, Lydia was still a bit nervous tonight to show her magically increased breasts bare to a man for the first time. They just blew him away, she tells me. It was beyond her wildest dreams. That's probably the reason why he came so fast, she says. Yes, I tend to agree.
After this amazing experience, Lydia's gratitude to me knows no limits. We return to the inn where Rayya and Jenassa won't leave her in peace until she has told them everything, although not in as many details as she told me. I don't bother to hear it to the end. It's well past midnight and I go to sleep, giving the girls a stern order to do the same real bloody soon.
next awakening
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