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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
4-201-10-11 12:23
Calixto's House of Curiosities, Windhelm, Eastmarch, Skyrim
I kiss Rayya and put a hand on her when she tries to get up.
"Lydia, Jenassa, go and get the breakfast started!"
"Yes, Mylady," they say in unison with little girls' voices, making Rayya and me burst out laughing.
They leave the door open, of course. I go and close it. Then I return to bed. There is one thing I want to know.
"Did that caravan boss rape you?" I ask as gently as I can.
"Almost." Rayya casts her eyes down, which means onto my breasts, therefore she looks me in the eyes again. "I told him I was having my period, and he believed me. That very night, I ran away. Siddgeir was my first."
I caress her cheek.
After a moment she goes on: "I wouldn't have resisted the boss. I knew I didn't have a chance. I should have anticipated it before I joined the caravan, but I was so naive. My parents practically never allowed me to socialize with boys." After a moment of silence, she continues: "I'm terribly worried what might have happened to my family."
"Because you ran away from your job?"
She nods.
"Is it that serious?"
"Yes, it's very serious. I've been thinking if I ought to go and protect them in spite of putting myself in danger, but I couldn't even if I wanted to. The border has been closed."
The border has been closed...
Things flash in my memory. Lokil said I had been trying to cross the border. My co-prisoner back in Helgen, remember?
"In which direction is Hammerfell?" I ask.
She looks at me, slightly surprised. "Southwest. Our caravan crossed the border in Falkreath."
Falkreath... Helgen lies east of Falkert. If I had been trying to cross the border, it means I hadn't crossed it. Was I trying to get from Skyrim to Hammerfell? What business could I possibly have had in Hammerfell?
"Why has the border been closed?" I ask, desperately trying to get some associations.
"There's been talk of a plague," says Rayya. "I overheard some Redguard men who were passing through Falkert, but I couldn't understand much of what they said. They named names of people and places that meant nothing to me. Why do you ask?"
I frantically search my memory. No. Nothing.
"Never mind, Rayya. Just trying to remember. Thanks for... trusting me."
"Please don't tell the others, okay?"
I nod and kiss her. Then we get dressed.
I don't have much appetite. That allows me to talk the more, until the girls have finished eating. I won't bring up Hammerfell yet, though. I want us to go and see how Rayya's family is doing, but I want to discuss it with Lydia and Jenassa in private first. I mean, maybe it's far too dangerous to even consider. I don't know practically anything about Hammerfell. That's why we'd better discuss it first without Rayya, to avoid getting her hopes up unnecessarily – or possibly her insisting out of false modesty that we mustn't do it for her sake. Once I'll be convinced we have a reasonable chance of being able to achieve anything meaningful, we can discuss, all four of us, where and how to get across the border.
After breakfast, we go and dive headfirst into the bustling activity of this awesome city. After I've managed to sell almost everything we don't need, we leave for Dånstar. We're having such a wonderful traveling weather that I don't want to waste time on going to see Yrsarald.
The road to the west leads to a bridge. On the northern bank of the river is Anga's Mill. This one is quite big and has even several workers. Past the mill is pretty wild country. We have to fight a fair number of trolls and wolves on the road. About 5 o'clock in the evening, we see a roadside inn called Nightgate. There's nothing interesting going on there. At Fort Dunstad south of Dånstar, we are attacked by bandits who have occupied the formerly empty fort. It's good exercise.
Off the road south of Dånstar, we discover a shrine of Dibella:
It's already dark when we arrive in Dånstar. I let Lydia go to her boyfriend while the rest of us visit the jarl. He is still up. I report to him on having killed the giant he wanted dead. (I hope that'll be the last ever giant I kill.) He thanks me and tells me that if I do his people some more favors, he'll nominate me a thane. A similar deal as in Morthal.
Late at night, I process our gear. We haven't looted anything better than what we're already using.
I had a chance to see this interesting map in the castle:
Now I finally have an idea where all those provinces I've been hearing about are located.
As you can see (if you look very carefully), Cyrodiil, the ruling province of the Empire, is located south of Skyrim.
To the southwest of Skyrim and west of Cyrodiil is Hammerfell, the historic home of the Redguards.
To the east of Skyrim and northeast of Cyrodiil is Morrowind, the historic home of the Dark Elves. Solstheim belongs to Morrowind.
To the southeast of Cyrodiil is Black Marsh, the historic home of the Argonians. They have tense relations with Morrowind.
To the south of Cyrodiil is Elsweyr, the historic home of the Khajiits.
To the southwest of Cyrodiil is Valenwood, the historic home of the Wood Elves.
What about the Bretons? Well, the girls have told me our historic homeland is called High Rock. Where is it? No idea. Maybe I'll find out someday. :-)
After midnight, I can finally retire at the inn for a good night's rest.
I have a nightmare. Me and my followers enter that Secret Enclave place. There are two young women inside. One of them looks really captivating. I'd like to get to know her better. I tell her I came to offer my services to... Juventus? Juvenalis? I can't remember. A name I can't recall of having ever heard in the real world. She tells me to strip naked. I'm like: what? She says: take 'em off, let me see what you've got. I realize that Juve-whatever must be running a brothel or an escort service. Very well, there are only women here. I can strip naked all right. I'm curious to see where it'll lead, and my followers can protect me, should something bad happen.
As soon as I start undressing, Callista (that's her name, or was it Callisto?) and her companion attack us. You stupid cow, if you wanted to kill me, why didn't you wait until I was naked? She just makes no sense. We kill them. I find a key on Callista's body. It opens the door that leads to next rooms, giant dogs in some, men in others. I say strange things to people, talking about things I don't understand anything about. There are battles. Horrible battles. After what appears to be the last one, I see Rayya stark naked. What are you doing, Rayya? Where are your armor and weapons? Then I realize she's dead. Tears burst from my eyes. I howl on top of my voice, hugging her body, trying to shake her awake. Lydia and Jenassa drag me away form her. I'm looking around for someone to kill, but everyone apart from Lydia and Jenassa is dead already. I look for the exit. There it is. Why did we have to pass through all those rooms anyway? Why didn't we just leave the way we had come? I start walking towards the door. The room begins to fade away into blackness...
next awakening
