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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
4-202-01-14 05:55
Abandoned Hostel, Old Falls, Summerset, Aldmeri Dominion
We walk uphill, past Edgar's house to explore the rest of Old Falls. In one of the mountainside houses lives a really likeable Orc man Shar. I shall keep that in mind. A Khajiit man M'Jarldo in another house is also quite good-looking, but I think I like Shar more. We shall see.
The path eventually leads onto a plateau on which is a real village – I mean, one with houses that have four walls and a roof rather than being dug into mountains.
There's only one person on the street at this early hour. It's a tall High Elf man. Well, short for a High Elf, to be quite honest. His name is Aldaril and he's attractive enough, but not of the talkative kind, and I'm more interested in talking right now.
It's very windy. I wouldn't wear a skirt here if I were you. The sights are most pleasing, though. While the houses down on the mountainside were roomy but simple, the ones here in the upper district have somewhat less space, but are much more luxurious and very beautiful.
As is common in Summerset, house doors are not locked and people don't mind us popping in and saying hello. In the house in the next picture, they seem to mind, though.
What's going on here? Don't tell me she's about to get punished. All right, we're leaving.
In other houses, people are very welcoming, and they seem very wealthy. Would you believe they even give us small gifts? Just for visiting their village. It's amazing. But when I see Gold Ore right on the hillside in open air, I get it. They are really rich here, but the place is so remote they get hardly any travelers. Money must be cheaper here than company and the news from the big wide world out there.
Actually, everything is so nice that I could settle down here. I wonder if they have a house for sale. And don't you dare open your mouth, Lydia! I know what you're going to say – I'd be bored stiff here in a week. I know it, but that's not a reason to ruin my fantasy.
The largest building called Court House is really amazing:
In one of the side rooms, they have a most amazing model of a building in the snow that might well be the Thalmor Embassy in Skyrim. It's so cute I just stand there and look at it, and I have to make a considerable effort to leave.
There's only one trader in this village, an old scholar who has great many scrolls in his house. As for an inn, that Abandoned one down below seems to be the only one. The upper district of Old Falls would make a lovely resort, but I suppose with all the gold they dig up, no one can probably be bothered to open an inn.
The streets are now full of people going about their work. I mean, as full as you can expect in a village of this size. It's time for me and my followers to move on too.
As I told you, we're generally headed for Shimmerene and from there, Skyrim. However, it would make sense to change our plans slightly, because we succeeded in retrieving Ra J'Dar's Black Arrow last night. Corgrad is quite close. So we'll go there first and then to Cloudrest to meet Syrius, and from there to Shimmerene.
The weather, as I hardly need to tell you, is warm and sunny. I wish the thalmors would direct their energy on finding a way to improve the climate in Skyrim rather than fighting "wrong" gods. Speaking of which, it suddenly occurs to me that if Talos really were a god, he could do something about the people who kidnap and torture his worshippers, don't you think so? I'd better not say that to anyone in Skyrim. [Laughing.]
In Corgrad, I pass by Dothiel's farm to stroke "my" goat Mirna, then I bring Ra J'Dar his stolen property, and after another round of marveling at the clothes on sale in the trading house, I just have to pay a visit to my boyfriend Aranath and spend some time with him upstairs.
Good heavens, how can it be so late already? We must hurry to Cloudrest. Wait, but who's that over there? Why, it's Syrius! That's a pleasure. What brings you to Corgrad?
Syrius informs us the priests in Cloudrest found some bad omens and forbade all working and trading for today, so there'll be little point for us to go there tonight.
Very well. Thanks for telling us.
When I show Syrius the journal I brought back from Dusk, he is very happy. Evidently it does indeed contain information about his wife's parents or grandparents or whatever. So he gives me a good amount of money as a reward and we cordially wish each other luck and happiness.
Now we have time enough to reach Shimmerene before darkness after all... I think. It depends on how many battles we'll have to fight along the way.
Well, as we travel over grassy hills and past rocky mountains, we encounter no one hostile, except a weird atronach-like creature whom I shoot from the distance. I know better by now than to go and say hello and find out if it'll attack me or not.
The little Orc village Malacath on the northern shore of the lake (what's the lake called, anyway??) looks cozy in the rays of the setting sun.
We try to act friendly and make conversation, but those people are not at all like Dark Elves. They mistrust strangers. I guess they have their reasons.
Nevertheless, I ask them what the lake's called. They tell me they just call it "the lake".
Right. The lake. Let's go then, girls.
By 9 o'clock when it's not yet entirely dark on this latitude, we arrive in Shimmerene.
Quillinda is not happy when I tell her Drusil refused to join the Mages' Guild. Somewhat grumpily she still gives me another task – to retrieve a very special ring from Gemstone Cave near Ebon. I wonder if she had a personal reason for wanting Drusil closer to her. (I didn't tell her I killed him.) But I don't really care, not now, not while I keep looking over Quillinda's shoulder. Dulizar has noticed my arrival and has come to stand a few meters behind Quillinda and is smiling at me, and I'm struggling all I can not to smile back and to pay attention to Quillinda instead. As soon as she's done with her instructions, I hurry to greet my new handsome Khajiit friend.
Yes, we're going to be together tonight. I know it's not right to rise from one man's bed and run into the embrace of another, but this is stronger than me.
That said, I'm afraid you'll have to be patient for just a little more, my sweet black furry Dulizar. I'm going to report to Bolwing first, and only then I'll be yours. [Grin.]
I give Bolwing that dried-whatever, and I'm not too surprised when he says he has found out in the meantime he shall need one more ingredient. I put the directions into my pocket and leave hurriedly.
I ask Dulizar where we should go. He says the study rooms upstairs will certainly be empty at this hour, and there's really no other private place in this building, and outdoors may be too dangerous. Yeah, fine. Not too comfortable, but I have no problem roughing it occasionally.
We do it in a pretty conventional way, but quite frankly the sight and feel of this amazing man are alone sufficient to bring me to ecstasy. Everything that happens down there is just a bonus to increase my happiness still. I don't know if it makes much sense to you, but I can't explain it any better. I'm just in heaven when Dulizar lies on top of me on that wooden floor. (The floor is warm, in case you're curious. Pretty much everything is warm in Summerset.)
Afterwards, Dulizar walks me to my room in the dormitory and goes into his own. I doubt I'll ever have the courage to sleep with him in the room he's sharing with male students. And judging by what I hear from my roommates, it's not done here anyway. Intimacy is tolerated as long as it doesn't interfere with your studies in any way. Showing off in the premises that you're a couple is considered disruptive of the academic atmosphere. Not to mention that thing with sex impeding man's magical energy. Heloise asks me if I know about it. Yes, I've heard. Doesn't keep them from chasing us, though. We all find it hilarious.
By and large, I think the don't-flaunt-intimacy rule makes sense, even though the Winterhold College functions just fine without it. Yawn... Excuse me. It's really late. I'd better close my eyes now.
next awakening
