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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
4-201-10-23 09:28
Silver-Blood Inn, Morpork, The Reach, Skyrim
Jordis enters the taproom while the rest of us are eating breakfast. She doesn't look at all like in the mood for answering questions, but of course we won't let her off the hook. We learn that she and Hreinn made love just once last night, and she didn't have an orgasm, but she had one this morning when she coaxed him into 69.
"Isn't he a little childish?" I ask.
"Shut up! He's cute."
"Yeah, he is," I admit. And tall. Quite good-looking, in fact, as long as you don't talk to him. I mean, he's still good-looking, but the fascination is kind of ruined once you get to know his personality a little bit. But I'm not going to say that to Jordis. No point ruining her joy.
Jordis pretends to be eager to go to the palace and things. Clearly she just wants this girl talk to end. I hug her and tell her I'm happy for her, never mind our little teasing. And then we go indeed to the palace.
At half past ten, neither the jarl nor the steward has turned up in the throne room. Neither have the shops opened. Don't tell me they're on strike against the Silver-Blood mafia.
With no one answering our questions, and in fact the people's looks leaving no doubt that we'd better stop asking, we don't seem to have any other option but to leave this crazy city for good (for now).
Outside the city gate.
From left: Lydia, Laura, Jordis, Jenassa.
From left: Lydia, Laura, Jordis, Jenassa.
My plan for today is to explore the southern part of The Reach up to that mountain range which is the natural border of Skyrim, and eventually find out if there's a way to cross into another province somewhere.
We go to Dushnikh Yal and find out that I'm indeed considered an Orc-friend now, so I'm not required to part with those enchanted gloves called The Forgemaster's Fingers. (Naturally I'm not telling them I've got them, because they still want them.)
The social order in Orc villages is very different from the rest of Skyrim. They have an unwritten rule that only the village chief can have wives. This means all the people born in one village during the reign of one chief are brothers and sisters. The girls are married off to other villages once they've grown up (I have the impression that Orc women tend to get married in a somewhat older age than Nord women, so maybe they mature slower), whereas the men have to just go without a partner and work for the community in the hope of becoming the new chief someday and have a harem of their own. This can't work well if you ask me, but I prefer to keep my opinion to myself.
We walk around and talk to various people. I hit it off particularly well with a woman named Bugdurash:
I ask her if the Orc men can really have sex so often as to keep all their wives satisfied. I mean, I understand she herself is a virgin waiting for a suitable husband to be found for her, but surely women talk about such things. She says there are some tensions between the wives, but overall they're content. I ask her how the other men can stand life without sex, and isn't she being harassed or something. She says Orcs just don't do that, and they suppress their urges. It's the age-old Orc way of life. Clearly she sees nothing unnatural about it.
I realize Bugdurash has very little idea of the world outside the village, and it's better kept that way. So I bring the conversation to more material topics. It would appear that Orcs are especially skilled in mining and smithing. In fact, more than half of the villagers seem to work in the mine nearby.
Later, I strike up a conversation with one of the blackmiths, Gharol. She asks me to bring a sword from her to someone I've already met briefly – the miner Lash in Karthwasten who happens to be Gharol's daughter and has evidently abandoned the age-old Orc way of life.
In nice weather, we go past Arkngthamz and admire beautiful sights without discovering anything of special interest.
As far as I'm concerned, this beats Doltania, hands down.
Eventually we end up in a big elaborate complex of bridges and aqueducts with staircases and open spaces with tents between them. And forns, as well as a couple of hagravens.
No, I can't see anyone up there either. I'm just sensing there has to be someone.
Navigation in this place called Lost Vally Redoubt is hopeless, especially in darkness. After we've killed a great number of forns, we spend considerable effort finding a way out. We're actually headed southeast, but there are only high mountains absolutely impossible to ascend from this side. To our north is the Morpork–Windhelm highway. With great care, in order to not fall to death, we succeed in descending onto the riverbank opposite Granite Hall.
We swim across. It's 10 in the evening already, but since we're on a main road, reaching Northkeep will be no problem at all. Along the way, we meet a group of Companions fighting a bear, admire the most awesome night sky on the road leading south, and arrive in Northkeep shortly before 11 o'clock.
[series of 3 pictures you can click through; click on the first picture to make it big, then click again to see the next picture etc.; press Esc to return to the text]
I find myself utterly fascinated by the barmaid Nania, but I'm unsure if she would be receptive to my advances. I ask her about her life situation, trying to sound casual. Turns out she's married. Since she has gorgeous breasts which certainly don't need any magical enhancing, I can see no way of ingratiating myself with her. So I just go to sleep. At least the lodging here is cheap, only 25 septims per person. Located on a lively road, they are surely doing good business in spite of the modest price.
next awakening
