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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
4-201-10-26 08:50
Uthgerd's House, Hviterun, Whiterun, Skyrim
Having listened to everything Lucia wants to tell me and made sure she has enough money, I walk with her to the marketplace where her best friend Mila is already waiting. But Lucia wants to come shopping with me. Sure, come along! I chat a little with Ysolda and Carlotta and then walk from trader to trader, occasionally explaining Lucia what one or another thing is for. This includes a visit to the palace where Farengar is exceedingly friendly. I'm unsure what to make of it. It's fortunate that Lucia is with me, so Farengar is a little shy to outright chat me up.
The good news is that Jon seems to have put up with the fact that I'm not going to be his.
A little before 11 o'clock, I hug Lucia goodbye at the eastern city gate and promise to return soon.
I visit one more shop in the eastern suburb with my followers. The weather is beautiful. Where should we go next? To the southeastern Skyrim where we have several bigger and smaller things to do, or back to the west to check out that mysterious "Gray Cowl" quest? As we discuss it, I eventually realize I am just too curious about the latter. So we head west. Along the way, we shall also drop by the castle of Pelin Varlais just in case he has any work for us.
Glad I could make myself useful. And maybe someday we can get together
and discuss this (or something else) more thoroughly?
and discuss this (or something else) more thoroughly?
As we run west, I suddenly realize I haven't seen Irileth in the palace the last few times I've been there. I wonder where she is. Let's hope nothing's happened to her. We've had our differences, but she's not all bad.
Well, never mind. It's not like it's important. Proceeding along the highway, we're soon past the Western Watchtower. We then run across low grassy hills and pass by a couple of mudcrabs who are (of course) much too slow to pursue us. Somewhere near the beginning of the mountain pass that leads to Varlais Mountain Glen, we can hear wolves howling, but they don't bother us and we won't bother them.
We take a quick look in and around Varlais's castle. The man himself is visibly glad to see us, but he tells us nothing of interest. I observe him much more thoroughly than I did the last time. I notice that his voice sounds like of a 20-year-old bard and somehow it doesn't make him come across as youthful in a good way. Rather it sounds weird, once you start paying close attention. Another thing I can't fail to notice is that with me, Jenassa, Lydia and Jordis standing in front of him, he is having great difficulties taking it all in with mere two eyes. Generally, we're used to men admiring our looks, but Mr. Varlais makes me uneasy. I can't explain it. He is perfectly civil and friendly, but still I'd rather not be alone in a secluded place with him. (When we discuss it later, Jordis says the very men who are pointedly civil can be really dangerous, because they hide their true nature behind good manners.)
Anyway, we move on westwards. The wolves howling at some distance don't attack us this time either. On the highway, we witness a most unusual spectacle – a giant fighting a dragon. Of course we begin shooting at the dragon and hope the giant will realize we're not his enemies. He does. After the dragon has left him alone and attacked us instead, the giant leaves the scene hurriedly.
I didn't have enough presence of mind to take a picture of the fight between the dragon and the giant,
but a little later I did get my best close-up of a hare yet.
but a little later I did get my best close-up of a hare yet.
Further west, there are great many soldiers on and near the road looking for enemies. We run past the Northkeep intersection and approach the place where Rayya was killed. Nearby is that castle up on a hill I've mentioned in the past I've been curious about.
This time, I feel like going and checking it out.
Up a steep slope, we sneak closer and manage to reach a smaller sidegate without meeting anyone. The fortress is called Fort Sungard.
Up those stairs is a small unguarded gate through which we can enter the fortress courtyard to our left.
Hence this castle's new nickname Fort Unguard.
Hence this castle's new nickname Fort Unguard.
Between the walls, we don't see anyone either, so we just enter one of the towers. Not a living soul inside. This is getting weird. We ascend the stairs to the top floor of the tower and then climb up the ladder to the roof. Now I can see a lone bandit standing in the corner of the rampart with his back turned to us, carefully scanning the wide open area in front of him.
Too bad you didn't have anyone as diligent watching the road.
I have a perfect shooting position and kill the poor man with one arrow.
We sneak about and kill half a dozen more bandits. They are incredibly unperceptive (either that or we succeed superbly in sneaking). I'm not sure even one of them manages to hit any of us. At a closer distance, we notice they're actually forns.
I mean, I'm not suggesting we can recognize forns by their behinds.
We recognize them by their armor and painted faces.
This corpse just happened to fall into such position.
We recognize them by their armor and painted faces.
This corpse just happened to fall into such position.
We search all the building interiors carefully, but there is really no one there. I suppose the forns love fresh air.
After Fort Sungard, the overall number of forns we've killed is 56. We are quickly approaching our goal of 100.
It's already dark by the time we're done searching the place. There is in fact a large dormitory in the fortress, but I'm not tired. So we return to the highway under a cloudy sky with some stars here and there.
Our destination is Seviana's House, the green dot on the map below. Now, that time when we discovered it, we were traveling from Arkngthamz to Granite Hall and we had to descend mountains, which, as I've told you, is relatively easy to do. This time, we'll be going in the opposite direction. The direct route would require climbing up high mountains which is impossible from this direction. We'll need to find a way past them. So we take some time to carefully study my less-than-perfect map:
There is, of course, the road from the highway to Dushnikh Yal and Arkngthamz which eventually leads to Seviana's House, approaching it from the southwest. Unfortunately, it's a very long detour when you're coming from the east.
Now, as I said, the mountains directly to the east of Seviana's House can't be climbed up, but the map suggests there are lower hills farther in the east-southeast. We might be able to ascend those coming from northeast. I would much prefer if it were the case. We would need to swim across the river near Granite Hall (the small orange dot marks the most convenient place), follow the road (of sorts) to the west and find a way uphill to reach the small blue dot on the map. From there, a path would lead us comfortably to the northwest, straight to Seviana's House.
As we arrive on the outskirts of Granite Hall, I'm still not tired, so we shall move on rather than spend the night at the inn. First we need to swim across the river. Although it's not very wide, it turns out really difficult, but finally we're on the southwestern bank. Finding our way uphill is surprisingly easy, even though there is no path as such through the mountains. There's just about enough light to see where you're going.
After we've reached the plateau southeast of Seviana's House and are approaching our destination, I realize I'm feeling really tired now.
The house is not locked and abandoned this time. When we knock and the door is opened, we find the interior brightly lit. There's a man sitting at the table and eating. A woman asks rather impatiently who we are. I tell her about the vision I had that led me here. She exclaims that her family has waited for generations for a Dragonborn to appear. She says to make ourselves comfortable, after which she would tell me the whole story.
Indeed I make myself comfortable. On that large bed they have there and don't seem to need at the moment. I'm going to leave lengthy discussions (as well as picture-taking) for the morning. I figure if they have waited for generations, they can wait one more night. Good night! Exchanging quick glances with the girls, I see I don't need to remind them that even though the hosts seem friendly, they'll still have to take turns standing watch.
next awakening
